116 ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS. 



Quite extensive use has been made of photography as a supplement 

 to the records made in the note work of the investigation. Many 

 things can be easily shown which can only with difficulty be described, 

 and a photograph, together with the notes, will undoubtedly convey a 

 clearer idea to any person not making the actual observation than can 

 be given in any other way. Methods in photography may be briefly 

 considered later, but it will not be out of place here to say that our 

 photographic file now shows over 900 negatives as the result of three 

 seasons' work. These are kept in a card catalogue cabinet designed 

 for commercial reports, thus accommodating both 4 by 5 and 5 by 7 

 negatives. All negatives are numbered and arranged consecutively. 

 A card catalogue of the negatives with abundant cross references 

 refers readily to the numbers of negatives illustrating any subject 

 photographed, and a series of albums is kept in which is a sample 

 print from each negative taken. In this way it is possible to know 

 at any time exactly what negatives can be of use in making airy 

 desired illustrations. While ver}^ many of these negatives can never 

 be of use for publication, few of them are thrown away, as the pho- 

 tographer may learn as much from a failure as from a success in 

 the making of a desired negative. Careful record is kept of the par- 

 ticular brand and speed of plate used in each exposure, also of the 

 lens, the light conditions, the stop used, the length of exposure given, 

 the developer employed, and a general criticism of the result ob- 

 tained. These records give the operator a clear idea of the condi- 

 tions under which he has secured the best results and frequently 

 enable him to correct mistakes, thus raising materially the standard 

 of the results obtained. 



During the past season, following the suggestion of Mr. Wilmon 

 Newell, we have made photography do the work of the printer 

 in the preparation of labels for a large part of the specimens 

 collected by members of the boll -weevil investigating force. When 

 a series of labels for a new locality, food plant, or collector is 

 desired the typewriter is used to write in columns each desired label 

 a proportionate number of times. A black ribbon is used with a 

 clear white paper. If possible each column should be composed 

 throughout its length of the same number of spaces, and a single 

 space is sufficient to separate the columns. Attention to these points 

 facilitates the cutting up of the labels. Prints are made upon special 

 portrait paper, and if the work of negative making and printing 

 has been well done a very good and durable label may thus be 

 obtained. One of the chief advantages of this photographic system 

 in the preparation of labels is that the delay involved in printing 

 may be largely avoided. The entire process from the typewriting 

 to the finished label may be completed, if desired, in a few hours. 

 Each series of labels is kept in an envelope by itself, and all are 

 arranged alphabetically in a drawer of the card -catalogue cabinet. 



