June, '06] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 2IQ 



bles, as explained above ; then clear in oil of cloves and 

 mount in xylol balsam. 



The time required for treating wings by this method is the 

 same as by the last, and the results are equally good. 



3. Unstained mounts. Wings to be mounted without 

 staining should be bleached with hydrogen peroxid as al- 

 ready described. After washing in water and removing the 

 air bubbles, mount directly in glycerine jelly. 



Wings treated by this method cannot be successfully photo- 

 graphed, whereas excellent photographs can be obtained from 

 wings prepared by the first two methods. 



Either of these methods require less time than that de- 

 scribed by Dr. Calvert* or by the use of the Labarraque solu- 

 tion, and the venation resulting is more distinct. 



Hydrogen peroxid of three per cent, strength is prepared 

 by many wholesale drug houses, and various trade names are 

 used for the product, but all of these preparations which were 

 tried gave equally good results. As this substance when warm 

 oxidizes metallic instruments it is advisable to use a wooden 

 lifter in transferring the wings or other parts treated from one 

 medium to another. 



Although the stains already named have given the best re- 

 sults, the following have been tried : Cyanin, rosaniline, 

 gentian violet, Bordeaux red, erythrosin, safranin, acid fuch- 

 sin, paracarmine, Grenacher's borax-carmine, Delafield'shsem- 

 atoxylin, Ehrlich's acid hsematoxylin, Delafield's borax-car- 

 mine, methyl blue, orange G, analine hydrate chlorid and silver 

 nitrate. Wings prepared and then stained with cyanin, ros- 

 aniline or gentian violet are excellent for immediate study, 

 while those stained with Bordeaux red, erythrosin or safranin 

 make good mounts from which to obtain photographs. 



Hydrogen peroxid has also proved useful to bleach the 

 antennae, legs and mouth parts as well as the wings of Hymen- 

 optera, and fuliginous wings of other insects are rendered much 

 lighter by its use, while the tearing often caused by boiling 

 such parts in potash seems to be avoided in this method of treat- 

 ment. The bleaching proceeds faster after the peroxid has been 

 boiled down somewhat, thus becoming more concentrated. 



• [It should be noted that my method was devised for a special need for dry mounts. — 

 P. P. Calvert.] 



