— ro6 — 



^'arious suggestions were made bv the gentlenun present I)iu none 

 cared to make positive identifications.* 



Prof. Claypole explained the use of Gasoline for collecting put poses. 

 He finds that it acts more rapidly than Cyanide and is more certain of 

 effect than chloroform. For Museum pe^is there is nothing superior. 

 It does not hurt the insects in any wav and he has no hesitation in >ub- 

 merging his choicest species in it. To rid a l)adly infested case he sub- 

 merges it entirely' in Gasoline for a few minutes A few drops wi.l kill a 

 Cecropia instantly. He also exhibited an insect case used by him which 

 he claims superior to any equally cheap contrivance. It consists of a 

 bt)x frame into which a glass top is pcrmanenll) fixed. The Ixntom is 

 corked, or not as desired ; is filled with insects, and then screwed to 

 the frame. 



Prof. Cook said he has tried Gasoline and found ii much less' rapid 

 and certain than Cyanide well prepared. He does not believe in it at all. 



Mr. Smith objected to Prof Claypole's case that it was too incon- 

 venient to use as to get at an insect meant unscrewing the buitom and 

 replacing it. A collection so ])rescrved was useless except {o\ the most 

 superficial comparisons. 



Prof. Comstock explained a contrivance to watch the early stages of 

 Hymenoptera nesting in stems. He look a nuinl)er of slender glass 

 tubes covering them with an outer sheet of a dark paper, antl hung them 

 on bushes frequented by such bees. He exhibited several of these tubes 

 in which bees had nested, containing larva? in various stages of develop- 

 ment. The whole life history can thus be watched with very little 

 trouble. 



Mr. Smith read a {)aper on the specific characters in the genus 

 A rctia. * * 



The date of the first meeting for next year was then discussed, ex- 

 perience having shown that the first meeting as now held, on the day pre- 

 ceding the general meeting of the Ass'n, was generally poorly attentied, 

 and the Presidents' address read to empty benches. 



After some discussion is was resolved to have the first meeting of the 

 Club in future at 9 A. M. of the first day of the meeting of the Ass'n. 



* The specimens were lianded ine at I'rof. Riley's request for comparison and 

 determination. Ah-. Schwarz kindly took the work off my hands, and makes the 

 specimens: Aitt/irenus variiis (one l)roken specimen); Conpretes s'^. (two broken winti;- 

 cases); Gibbiitm scotias (several specimens); Lasiodi:riita scrricorm (one specimen 

 [but this was the form most numerous in the wrappings] ) ; Alpliilobiiis sp. ? (one 

 broken wing-case); 'JriboHtmi fcrrugiiiKiii [\ <~\>QQ\miiw); ? Caicar^^. (one wing-case). 



** Pul)Iished in full in Knt. .\m. \'i)l. Ill, p. 109-II2. 



