468 _. General Notes. 
ENTOMOLOGY. 
A LABORATORY OF Ex INTAL ENTOMOLOGY.— Reference 
has already been made in these Notes (Ante, p. 261) to a probable 
increase in entomological investigations, due to the establishment 
by the United States Government ofan agricultural experiment 
station in each of the States, in connection with the agricultural 
colleges. The New York Station has been organized at Cornell 
University. Provision has been made here for experiments in gen- 
eral agriculture, chemistry, veterinary science, botany, entomology, 
and horticulture. The Station Council has been very liberal in its 
provisions for experiments in entomology. A separate building 
for this purpose is being erected, and provision has been made for 
thoroughly equipping it. 
As this building is novel, both as regards its structure and the 
purpose for which it is intended, a brief account of it may be of 
interest. It consists of two parts—a laboratory building and a 
vivary. The former is a two-story cottage, containing a laboratory 
for the experimenter and his artist, a shop and laboratory for an 
assistant, a room for photographic work, quarters for a janitor, 
store-room and basement. The vivary is in the form of an ordinary 
botanical conservatory, sixty feet in length. This is divided by a 
transverse partition into two rooms of equal size. One of these is 
to be used asa hot-house; the other is to be kept as nearly as pos- 
sible at the temperature ofthe outside air. The purpose of this 
vivary is to enable the experimenter to keep the insects that he is 
studying alive upon growing plants and to conduct experiments 
with insecticides, where all of the conditions can be controlled. 
Especial apparatus for carrying on this work has been devised and 
is being constructed. 
One of these devices is an arrangement by means of which insects 
living upon roots of plants can be observed continuously without 
disturbing them. Another is intended to aid in the study of the 
relations that exist between ants and plant-lice. Others are for 
experiments in the use of insecticides. Descriptions of some © 
these devices will be published later.—J. H. Comstock. 
Aquatic LEPIDOPTEROUS Lary ®.—A number of instances are 
on record of Lepidopterous larvee that normally descend beneath the 
surface of water in order to feed upon submerged plants. The best- 
known of these in this country is the species of Argama that infest 
the leaf-stalks of pond-lilies. The habits of this insect were 
described by the writer several years ago.’ Although these insects 
5 is edite J. J: >k, Cornell Univer- 
r department rita set Seno eo Sooke for notice, etC», 
should be sent. 
2 Papilio. Vol. I., p. 147. 
