ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



[The Conductors of Entomological News solicit and will thankfully receive items 

 of news likely to interest its readers from any source. The author's name will be given 

 in each case, for the information of cataloguers and bibliographers.] 



To Contributors. — All contributions will be considered and passed upon at oui 

 earliest convenience, and, as far as may be, will be published according to date of recep- 

 tion. Entomological News has reached a circulation, both in numbers and circumfer- 

 ence, as to make it necessary to put " copy " into the hands of the printer, for each num- 

 ber, three weeks before date of issue. This should be remembered in sending special or 

 important matter for a certain issue. Twenty-five "extras," without change in form, 

 will be given free, when they are wanted ; and this should be so stated on the MS., along 

 with the number desired. The receipt of all papers will be acknowledged.— Ed. 



Philadelphia, Pa., November, 1904. 



Some short descriptions of new forms we see in print, leave 

 out entirely even structures used as generic characters in 

 modern restricted genera. The fact that this state of affairs 

 exists warrants more than any other reason, unless it be 

 that of convenience in referring to a species whose exact 

 position in the classification is intended to be conveyed at 

 once, the recent subdivision of the old heterogeneous genera 

 into smaller genera, each based upon some salient structural 

 character. This scheme tends to empty the group charac- 

 teristics of a species into the generic diagnosis and forces 

 upon the student the recognition of characters too often 

 absent from descriptions. In describing a species an author 

 should test all characters previously employed. This done, 

 he should endeavor to throw more light upon structures 

 not yet used. This seems to be the only way to do work 

 of a creditable character. H. L. V. 



I SEE in your September Number an article in reference to the use of 

 felt as a substitute for cork in making double mounts. Now I have 

 stumbled on to a substitute that is cheap, easily procured in almost every 

 part of the country and answers the purpose to perfection. I mean birch- 

 bark ; it is the nearest substitute for cork obtainable, it is white and 

 requires no prepration, and will not spoil by keeping. — ^Joseph H. 

 Reading. 



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