48 
present time we are using small wooden racks with wires stretched 
across to hold the vials in a vertical position, but frequently they fail 
to accomplish the purpose; the method is not at all satisfactory, 
but simply the best that we have been able to find up to the present 
time. Itis expected that breeding cages and breeding cups will be 
carefully inspected, at least.once each day, and everything that has 
reached a condition where it is ready for permanent preservation is 
removed, although it frequently occurs that cups may have to be 
examined several times each day in order to prevent insects which are 
developing in them from becoming rubbed or otherwise injured by 
attempts to escape. 
For the rearing of such insects as bore in wood, and their parasites, 
we have had a special cage made. This is much like the ordinary 
breeding cage, except that the top, bottom, and three sides are of wood. 
The fourth side is provided with a movable front, and for this we use a 
very heavy glass, very thickly painted with asphalt, so that after we 
have placed sections of limbs of trees in the cage and closed the front, 
the interior of the cage is entirely dark, excepting a very little light 
that is permitted to enter from a round hole made in the top of the 
cage, and over this we place one of the glass cylinders, previously 
named, the top of which is covered with muslin, as has been described. 
These glass cylinders are held in place by small spiral springs made of 
brass wire, and arranged in such a way as to inclose the lower end of 
the cylinder about an inch from the end, the springs being held in place 
by small nails. By this means all insects that develop in the cage 
below on seeking the light make their way upward out of the cage and 
into the glass cylinder from which they can not escape, but wherein 
they may easily be detected. When we wish to remove them we simply 
raise the cylinder slightly and push a bit of cardboard beneath it, thus 
shutting off the escape of the insect, and, by injecting a few drops of 
chloroform into the cylinder and covering the top, kill them. almost 
instantly without in any way afiecting the atmosphere in the compart- 
ment below. These cages are quite convenient, as they may be placed 
almost anywhere on a shelf or-similar place, and it is only necessary 
to inspect the glass cylinders in order to determine whether or not any- 
thing has developed from the sections of wood beneath. For setting 
boards we have not found anything better than the one made of wood, 
8 inches to a foot in length, and of different widths, grooved through 
the center and punctured for the reception of pins with cork attached 
to the under side. For holding pins in a convenient position for use, 
we use a block of wood with holes very much of the style recommended 
and figured by Dr. E. P. Felt in his Bulletin, No. 26, on ‘Collection, 
Preservation, and Distribution of New York Insects,” page 14, figure 
14, except that we have found it much more convenient to attach this 
block firmly to the end of a sheet of cork, as this not only places the 
pins in a convenient position, but the cork extending out from below 
the block is exceedingly handy for placing pinned material, after the 
