46 entomological news. [February, 



conditions applicable to samples of merchandise." The same Report 

 contains the full text of the convention concluded by the Congress, and 

 on page 42 contains the paragraph in question (chap, iii, art. xvii, parag. 

 5) as follows: "There are likewise admitted at the rate applicable to 

 samples, articles of natural history, dried or preserved animals and 

 plants, geological specimens etc., which are not transmitted for a com- 

 mercial purpose, and which are wrapped in conformity with the general 

 stipulations concerning samples of merchandise. ' ' The rate for samples 

 is fixed at 5 centimes for every fifty grams, that is 1 cent for every two 

 ounces. According to art. 28 of chapter i, this Convention is not to be 

 put into execution until January 1, 1899. 

 Your Committee has, therefore, fulfilled its labors and congratulates the 

 Academy that the end aimed at in the first circular [see the News for 

 October, 1893, p. 266] issued by the Academy has been completely 

 achieved. This result is the more gratifying in view of the predictions 

 of failure freely expressed when your Committee entered upon its 

 labors. It would, of oourse, be presumptuous to claim that the Acad- 

 emy's endeavors have been more than one of the factors in this achieve- 

 ment, but in such an international matter every such factor is of great 

 importance. 



It may not be amiss to add here, for the benefit of our readers, 

 further extracts from the above quoted Convention of the Univer- 

 sal Postal Union contained in Mr. Brook's Report pp. 27 et seq. 

 " Packets of samples of merchandise may not contain any article having 

 a salable value; they must not exceed 350 grams [12.35 Avoirdupois 

 ounces] in weight, or measure more than 30 centimetres [11.8 inches] in 

 length, 20 centimetres [7.87 inches] in breadth, and 10 centimetres [3.93 

 inches] in depth, or, if they are in the form of a roll, 30 centimetres [11.8 

 inches] in length and 15 centimetres [5.9 inches j in diameter." (chap, i, 

 art. 5, sect. 5). 



" It is forbidden: First, to send by mail: (a) samples and other articles 

 which, from their nature, may prove dangerous to the postal employees, 

 soil or injure the correspondence; (d) explosive, inflammable or danger- 

 ous substances, animals and insects, living or dead, excepting the cases 

 provided for in the Regulations of detail."* (chap, i, art. 16, sect. 3). 



The conditions which must be observed for the transmission of samples 

 of merchandise remain as before — the packages to admit of easy inspec- 

 tion, not to " bear any manuscript other than the name or the social posi- 

 tion of the sender, the address of the addressee, a manufacturer's or a 

 trade-mark, numbers of order, prices and indications relating to weight 

 and size, as well as to the quantity to be disposed of, or those which are 

 necessary to precisely indicate the origin and nature of the merchandise," 

 while articles of glass, liquids, oils, fatty substances and dry powders must 

 be packed to prevent their damaging, or escaping into, the other contents 

 of mails (chap, iii, art. xvli). 



* The "Regulations of detail and order for the Execution of the Convention" form 

 chapter iii, from which the most important— to naturalists— of our preceding quotations 

 is taken. 



