Jan. 1886.] 
AND OOLOGIST. 15 


The objective point being to keep the larve 
from the direct rays of the sun, the food-plant 
fresh, and in fact to make all conditions as nearly 
like the natural as possible. 
The breeding and raising of Coleoptera and in 
fact of all branches of the insect family, except 
Lepidoptera, is) attended with much difticulty, 
and in many cases is almost impossible, it being 
very difficult to maintain natural conditions for 
the length of time required for the insect to go 
through its various changes, many varieties re- 
quiring from one to five years and often more. 
On account of these difficulties little is known of 
the methods required, the main points, however, 
should be to keep all conditions as nearly natural 
as possible. 
SOFTENING DRIED SPECIMENS. 
It often becomes necessary to mount specimens 
which, either purposely or otherwise, have be- 
come dry. In order to do this they must be re- 
laxed or softened. This may be done by prepar- 
ing a deep, earthen, covered dish with a layer of 
charcoal and sand and pouring upon it boiling 
water to destroy any animal life which may be 
present. This layer should be covered with a piece 
of thick paper or fine brass wire gauze upon which 
the insects are laid. The sand should be kept very 
wet. Twenty-four to forty-eight hours are suffi- 
cient to relax even the largest specimens. 
Should it be necessary to do this more expedi- 
tiously, place the dish over a slow fire, care being 
taken that the water does not boil. In this man- 
ner the effect may be produced in a few hours. 
If the insects become mouldy, they may be 
cleansed and the mould destroyed by applying, 
with a fine brush, a weak solution of camphor in 
alcohol. 
PACKING AND SHIPPING. 
Insects in papers may be packed in a box with 
a layer of cotton at top and bottom, and sent safe- 
ly by any conveyance. Mounted specimens 
should be finely pinned in a cork-lined box, 
wrapped outside with a thick layer of cotton bat- 
ting and covered with strong paper, or in case of 
a large number, pinned in small boxes and tightly 
packed in a larger box lined with cotton or excel- 
sior. Coleoptera or Hemiptera are best transported 
by soaking in alcohol or Coleopteral and then 
packing in sawdust in a hermetically sealed box. 
—~<— -—__——_ 
Collection of 60,000 Insects Burned. 

BURLINGTON, [a., Jan.11.—The residence of the 
German naturalist, Charles Buettner, containing 
the finest collection of birds, insects and animals 
west of New York, was burned last night. It 
included a collection of 60,000 insects, which he 
purchased two years ago. 
Cause of the Scarcity of Insects in 
1884 and 1885. 
Many inquiries have been made as to the reason 
of the scarcity of insects, especialiy Lepidoptera, 
in the above mentioned years. The year 1883 was 
extremely prolific in insect life, for example the 
L. Ursula, one of our most beautiful, and most 
variable butterflies was very plentiful. The Sum- 
mer season was very warm, the Winter very 
late in making itself felt, the weather during the 
Winter very variable, and a warm, followed by an 
extremely cold period in the Spring. Asa con- 
sequence the earlier Spring butterflies were num- 
crous, but those of the Summer scarce, the variety 
mentioned above being conspicuous only by its 
rarity. The Winter ’84~85 was a reproduction 
of that of ’83—84, as late as April 2d the day being 
noted as very cold and stormy. During the fol- 
lowing Summer the Lepidoptera were even scar- 
cer than in the previous one. 
Hence it undoubtedly follows that a warm, dry 
Spring will be followed by an abundance of insect 
life, and a wet, stormy one by the contrary, as 
many of the Hymenoptera are prevented from 
building their nests, and the larve and pup of 
other orders are so long delayed by the cold that 
they die before their transformation, and while ¢ 
cold Winter does not necessarily prove fatal to in- 
sect life, a variable one or at least mild periods, 
when it is warm enough to cause them to arouse 
from their torpidity, followed by a change to 
severe cold, are as fatal, if not more so, to insects 
as to vegetation. B. 
[Correction.—In the article on Practical Ento- 
mology, (Nov., O. and O., page 170) in place of 
“ convex reflector,’ read concave reflector etc. Ed. ] 

Brief Motes: 
WHITE-RUMPED SHRIKE, (Lanius ludovicianus excubitor- 
ides.) Though by no means a common summer resident of 
this region, yet I had the good fortune to find two nests of 
this species during the past season. Both of these were 
placed in thick thorn bushes, in a large meadow, and were 
mainly constructed of grass, bark from the grape vine, 
roots, etc., and were warmly lined with wool, besides hav- 
ing an outer network of dead thorn-twigs, probably placed 
there for the better protection of the nests. 
The first nest was found May 3d, and was about four feet 
from the ground. It contained a fine set of six fresh eggs, 
which were taken and are now in my cabinet, The parent 
birds were very bold, and declined leaving the bush, in 
which the nest was placed, until I had almost reached it. 
The second nest was within two hundred yards of the first 
one, and resembled it in general composition. It 
was found May 29th, and contained five fresh eggs. As 
this species is generally seen in pairs, and this was the only 
season during which I have seen birds of this variety at 
all, Iam led to believe that both of the nests found be- 
longed to the same pair of birds.—Geo. P. Elliott, Mercer, Pa. 
