20 BULLETIN 1028, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
remaining cocoons are placed in bulk in a fine copper-wire cage which 
is nailed in a protected place in the yard until spring. 
The spring work begins during the last of April when the cocoons 
are removed from their hibernating cage and isolated for a short 
period in capsules. They are isolated at this time for convenience in 
handling the adults of Apanteles and destroying the wintering second- 
aries which issue. The cocoons are isolated in the capsules less than 
two weeks before A. melanoscelus begins issuing, and this short period 
of confinement does not have a detrimental effect. As the adults 
emerge they are removed hourly from the capsules and placed in 
glass tubes 8 by 2 inches. The sexes are kept separate. A sponge 
dampened with a mixture of equal parts of honey and water is placed 
in each tube. The tubes are then placed in a cool, dark place until 
ready for use. 
Several different types of cages and trays have been tried as breed- 
ing chambers with varying degrees of success. A. melanoscelus , like 
most hymenopterous parasites, is extremely heliotropic and indi- 
viduals are found resting on the sides or top of the container or ex- 
hausting themselves flying about the source of light. During the past 
summer a breeding chamber was devised which eliminated the unsat- 
isfactory light conditions of previous cages (PL V, A, B, C). This 
type of breeding chamber should prove of value in breeding work 
with other parasites. 
The empty chamber is shown in Plate V, A, resting on one side. It 
is merely a wooden case with a glass bottom and top, with an opening 
left in one end, through which the tray containing the larvae to be 
parasitized is admitted. The opening is just wide enough to allow the 
introduction of the tray and is about 2 inches deeper than the tray. 
Cleats on which the tray is to rest are arranged inside the chamber 
about 2 inches from the bottom. The tray should fit closely to the 
sides and ends of the chamber, but not tightly enough to bind when 
being introduced or removed. After the tray has been put in place 
the opening in the end of the cage is closed with a tightly fitting board 
(PL V,AatX). 
When the chamber is to be stocked with the parasites it is 
placed on a flat surface which has previously been covered with 
black paper (PL V, B). A piece of black paper is laid over 
the top, covering all but 6 or 7 inches of the glass at the end 
of the chamber facing the sun (PL V, B at L). The parasites 
are liberated in the cage and fly to the uncovered part of the cham- 
ber where they gather on the glass top. The tray containing the 
small caterpillars is slid into place and is shown, part way in, in 
Plate V, B at T. The open end of the chamber is now closed and 
the whole thing is removed to two wooden horses, as shown in Plate 
V, C. A piece of black paper is now placed over the entire top. 
