1899] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 133 



Guide issued by this departmeut iu the months of September (page 

 10) and Jaimary last (page 1086) as follows, viz.: 



" Specimens of natural history, such as dried or preserved ani- 

 mals or plants, geological specimens, etc., which are not sent for 

 commercial purposes, are admitted at the postage rate and un- 

 der the conditions of weight and size prescribed for samples." 



The same infoi'mation in given in Section 10 on page 19 of the 

 Postal Guide for the current month (March). 



I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



[Signed] N. M . Brooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails. 



In this connection we reprint, for the benefit of correspond- 

 ents, the following extracts from the Washington Convention, 

 given in the News for February, 1898, page 46. 



The conditions which must be observed for the transmission of 

 samples of merchandise are— the packages to admit of easy inspec- 

 tion, not to •' bear any manuscript other than the name or the social 

 position 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 na- 

 ture of the merchandise," while articles of glass, liquids, oils, fatty 

 substances and dry powders must be packed to prevent their dam- 

 aging, or escaping into, the other contents of mails (chap, iii, art. 

 xvii). 



" Packets of samples of merchandise may not contain any article 

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

 Avoii-dupois ounces] in weight, or measui'e more than 30 centime- 

 tres [U.8 inches] iu length, 20 centimetres [7.87 inches] in breadth, 

 and 10 centimetres [3.93 inches] in depth, or, if they are in the fonn 

 of a roll, 30 centimetres [11.8 inches] in length and 15 centimetres 

 [5.9 inches] in diameter " (cha^) . 1, 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 ; (6) explosive, 

 inflammable or dangerous substances, animals and insects, living or 

 dead, excepting the cases provided for in the Regulations of detail " 

 (chap. 1. art. 16, sect. 3). 



The '■ Regulations of detail and order for the Execution of the 

 Convention" form chapter iii, in which the following occurs as 

 paragraph 5 of article xvii. "There are likewise admitted at the 

 rate applicable to samples, articles of natural history, dried or pre- 

 served animals and plants, geological specimens, etc., which are not 

 transmitted for a commercial purpose, and which are wrapped in 

 conformity with the genei*al stipulations concerning samples of 

 merchandise." 



Finally, the rate of postage for samples is fixed at 5 centimes for 

 every fifty grams, that is one cent for every two ounces. 



