Springtails (Collembola) of the St. Louis Area 7 
distribution cannot be accounted for as due to the means of loco- 
motion. - It seems possible that running water has been the great- 
est means of distribution. Podura aquatica L., Isotomurus 
palustris (Miiller), Jsotoma viridis Bourlet and others are fre- 
quently taken from the surface of water. Mountain ranges and 
elevated areas such as the Ozark region, should therefore serve 
as centers from which species are distributed. 
-An instrument of ne in aie is eee by Mills 
(1934) , a piece of rubber tubing with a glass mouthpiece at 
one end and inserted at the other end a glass tube drawn out 
to a small aperture distally and closed by bolting cloth at the 
base. By sucking air in quickly insects may be removed from 
cracks and from humus and shaken into preserving fluid. Fol- 
som (1915) states that a camel’s hair brush is a handy collect- 
ing device. One should be provided with paper labels and a 
large number of small vials filled with 90% alcohol. Insects are 
dropped into the alcohol and then may be removed from the vials 
and placed into beechwood creosote and allowed to clear. They 
may remain in the beechwood creosote until it is convenient to 
mount them permanently in Canada balsam. The specimens must 
be kept in the creosote at least three hours. Potassium hydroxide 
may be used to clear extremely dark specimens. 
When live specimens are placed into an empty vial they 
jump about until they are completely exhausted and death soon 
follows. With moist soil in the container they will live for two 
or three days. If the soil is not too deep the animals will often 
make their way to the bottom of the container where light is 
present. Instinctively they craw] under objects and the presence 
tropic. Instinctively they craw] under objects and the presence 
of light does not seem to be offensive. If the overlying object 
be removed, the furcula springing reflex is set up and will con- 
tinue until the insect again finds itself beneath something. 
Harris and Davis (1936) state that positive thigmotropism is a 
oe factor i in producing these responses. 
