35 



elusive, it appeared that some considerable benefit had been derived 

 from the spraying. He stated that the grapevine root- worm occurred 

 in the grape districts in northern Ohio, especially east of Cleveland, 

 where in some localities it did a great deal of injury. 



The next paper was presented by Mr. Osborn, as follows: 



A METHOD FOR MOUNTING DRY COCCID^ FOR PERMANENT 



PRESERVATION. 



By Herbert Osborn, Columbus, Ohio. 



Probably all who have had occasion to preserve scale insects have 

 appreciated the desirability of obtaining a more practicable method 

 than those now in vogue. The writer has tried the several methods in 

 use. such as pinning in insect boxes, inclosing the specimens in glass 

 vials or tubes, placing them in folded papers, etc. Each has its own 

 disadvantage, and one common to all is that of the danger of the scales 

 being scraped off or loosening in time so they fall off. 



The plan now proposed is to put the specimens, together with the 

 twig or leaf to which they are attached, between two slips of mica 

 which are the size of the standard 3 by 1 microscope slide, the two 

 slips being bound together by pieces of gummed paper, as in mounting 

 lantern slides. At one end a label may be placed. The whole fits into 

 a microscope-slide box, and the mounts may thus be filed along with 

 balsam mounts. The advantages to be gained by the method are: 

 Preservation from moisture, from insect pests, and from ravages of 

 other character. Not the least of the advantages are those of storing 

 and facility of handling. Thus, the mounts may be filed, as described 

 above, in slide boxes, or they may be pinned in insect boxes or placed 

 under glass for exhibition purposes, and if desired they can be wrapped 

 in bundles and carried in the pocket into the field. This latter sug- 

 gestion may meet with sympathy from those field collectors or inpeet- 

 ors who desire to take with them into the tield authentic specimens 

 for reference. 



The method of mounting may be varied for the different kinds o( 

 specimens. Thus, thin leaves may be simply pressed between the two 

 sheets of mica and the edges bound. For pieces of bark and thicker 

 leaves or rind of fruits a cell about three-fourths of an inch by 2 inches 

 may be made from cardboard, in which the specimens may be placed, 

 the mica slips being bound over the cell. For still thicker pieces, such 

 as small twigs, the cell may be made deeper while the ends of the mount 

 are left thin in order to lit into the grooves in the slide boxes. 



The specimens to be mounted should be thoroughly dry. In the 

 case of leaves, pieces o^ bark, orange rind, or parts that tend to curl. 



