8 
Mosquitoes are classified by the microscopical character 
of their scales, particularly those of the occiput and wing. In 
order to examine a mosquito effectively under the microscope, 
it should be mounted in a particular way, and the following method 
introduced by the writer, is recommended. Mosquitoes are 
captured alive in the glass-bottomed boxes used by entomologists 
and brought home alive ; after having been killed in the cyanide 
bottle, they are emptied out on to what the writer has termed 
" the paper drum " (this is a hollow cylinder of cardboard or 
any other material, about two inches in diameter, and a couple 
in length, over one end of which is stretched a piece of writing 
paper, and tied on). The pins used for rare specimens and all 
intended for types are silver pins ; there are several thicknesses 
of these, and it is well to have a few of each ; when using silver 
pins it is necessary to employ polyporus strips; ior ordinary 
work, however, No. 20 gilt pins and strips of cork, one-eighth 
inch square, and half-an-inch long, are used ; the pin is held with a 
pair of entomologist's forceps, and passed through the polyporus 
or cork strip one-sixteenth of an inch from the end until the 
middle of the pin is in the cork ; the cork being held by the 
finger and thumb, the pin is passed through the mosquitoe's 
thorax, and pushed on through the paper drum until the insect 
almost touches the cork ; a large pin is then stuck into the other 
end of the cork, one-eighth inch from the end, and pressed on 
until the cork is midway up, a No. 5 black steel pin or a No. 3 
white (Kirby, Beard and Co.,) is recommended for this purpose ; 
the specimen is afterwards handled by the larger pin only. 
When examining a mosquito mounted in this way, the large 
pin is stuck into the side of a cork, one inch in diameter, and 
three-quarters long, half a wine cork answers the purpose ; by 
shifting the cork about on the stage of the microscope, and by 
varying the angle at which the specimen is pinned, the mosquito 
can be brought into any position for examination by low powers ; 
a magnification of about fifty diameters will generally suffice. 
It is well to remember that the scales of mosquitoes are easily 
rubbed off ; the specimen after having been killed in the cyanide 
bottle, should be pinned immediately ; pin through the thorax 
in the most convenient way ; do not roll the specimen over, and 
never set out the wings or legs, for every touch, even with a fine 
pin, removes more or less of the scales. 
Professor E. P Felt has recently split up the genus Culex 
into a number of new genera on the character of the male genitalia 
and venation. He proposes to divide the old genus into Culex, 
Culicelsa, Culicada, Ecculex, Culicella, Culiseta and Protoculex. 
It seems a pity that dipterists do not give Theobald a free hand 
to arrange the Culicidae, as he is in a better position than anyone 
