RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



99 



It will be interesting to entomologists to 

 note that a fine specimen of Heliconia char- 

 itonia was captured near Beaufort, S. C, in 

 March, 1886. As this tly has been taken in 

 Florida, it is not remarkable, butstil! worthy 

 of note, to record this more northern range. 

 Our Carolina swamps are so little searched 

 l)y naturalists, and this more from their im- 

 penetral)ility than from other cause, that it 

 is not surprising what results will repay the 

 ardent collector who forces his way through 

 the knife-like leaves of the bamboo thickets 

 with which the swamps are overgrown, as 

 is evinced by Mr. Wa\'ne's rediscovery of 

 Swainson's Warbler. Kirtland's and Bach- 

 man's Warblers are possibilities that go far 

 to smooth a rough path. Even the moccasin's 

 deadl}' sting loses its venom at the thought 

 of such captures, and swamp fever cannot 

 be mentioned in the same breath. 



I would also like to record the observance 

 by mjself at three scparatetimes this pas t 

 August, of •^Tyrnrohic^"''lTominicensis on" 

 Sullivan's Island in Charleston Harbor. A 

 year or so ago Mr. Wavne and Mr. Brewster 

 took the nest and eggs and parent bird of 

 this species on the same island. b. a. s. 



On examination of the sixteenth annual 

 report of the Entomological Society of On- 

 tario, I find a tabulated description of 

 fift^'-two species of butterflies belonging to 

 the province of Quebec, also a very interest- 

 ing article on the catocaloe or underwing 

 moths, describing with care thirty-two spe- 

 cies. Most of these butterflies and moths are 

 to be found in the United States, particularly 

 our Northern and New England sections. 

 A n}' entomologist who has not ready access to 

 man}' works on insects, should try to secure 

 a copy of tliis work, for beside the articles 

 mentioned, the sixty pages are replete with 

 articles most instructive and interesting. 



A Quick Method of Cleaning Greasy 

 CoLEOPTERA, Etl'. — Latcl}' I havc employed 

 the following method with the happiest re- 

 sults. It may be old and well known, but 

 I do not remember to have seen it sug- 

 gested. Dip the insect one half to one 

 minute in spirits of ammonia (Liquor am- 

 monse), wash in water (the hotter the bet- 

 ter), and the thing is done. Offensive 

 beetles like Trox Silpha, etc., can be 



cleaned and purified instantly. How far the 

 ammonia may be employed in cleaning Lep- 

 idotera and other insects, I do not know, 

 but it renewed the beauty of two very 

 greasy specimens of Cossus Centerensis. 



This liquid also dissolves the verdigris 

 that forms on the pins passed through in- 

 sects ; but the insect must remain longer 

 in the ammonia and be more careJully 

 washed. — Canadian Entomologist, June, 



isso. 



" How to Restore the Rubber Rings of 

 Cans. — The rubber rings b}^ the use of 

 which fruit cans are made air-tight, after 

 being used, become hard and unj'ielding, so 

 much that fruit seldom keeps as well when 

 they are used the second time. Though 

 new ones cost but little, it is not always con 

 venient to get them. Every one should 

 know that the elasticity of the old ones can 

 Jjerestor ed, an d_that they can be made as 

 ~goodlisnew by soaking thenrarhalf-houf 

 a mixture of ammonia and water — two- 



thirds ammonia and one-third water, 

 it." 



Try 



If a suflflcient number of subscriptions 

 can be obtained it is proposed to print dur- 

 ing the coming rear the " Shell bearing 

 Mollusca of Rhode Island," by Mr. H. F. 

 Carpenter, complete, in book form. The 

 price will, be $2.00 per volume. Subscribers 

 are not expected to pay until the work is 

 read}' to be issued. 



Devoted particularly to the Collection and Dis- 

 tribution of 



» ASTHOBlOJllCAl * iraillGEME,* 



Pul)lishc(l by the 



BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY, 



j. RiTCHiK. Jr., Editor. 



Fifty Cents per Volume of Twelve Numbers. 



SCIENCE OBSERVER, 



Box 2725, BOSTON, MASS. 



