THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
37 
burrows in the ground, and does not 
throw up heaps like its relative, F. rufa. 
If search were made, this year might not 
pass without the discovery here of Eury- 
vsa coarctata with the former, and Myr- 
medoiiia Haworthii with the latter. The 
nests of Myrmica under stones should 
also be looked at for Lomechusa paradoxa 
and L. emarginata ; both species, how- 
ever, also occur with Formica fusca . — 
J. W. Douglas, Lee ; April 20. 
Comfortable Reflections for those whose 
Fruit Trees have suffered by the recent 
Frosts. — The state of the weather has a 
great influence on the increase or de- 
crease of all pear-destroying insects. As 
line weather at the time of blossoming is 
uncommonly favourable for laying their 
eggs, so are rain and strong winds in- 
jurious to them, particularly when the 
expanding of the blossom-buds goes on 
uninterruptedly, because when this is the 
case the flowers attain their full size and 
become expanded before the insects can 
return to deposit their eggs in them. 
The greatest discomfiture they suffer is 
when frost sets in and destroys all the 
blossoms and newly-set fruit, as this de- 
stroys the food of their offspring. Thus, 
though by the accident we lose all our 
pear crop for one season, yet in conse- 
quence of it we are freed from our 
troublesome guests for a long lime, and 
are therefore indemnified by plentiful 
crops in after years. — Kollar’s ‘ Insects 
injurious to Gardens ,’ SfC. 
Birmingham Natubal History As- 
sociation. — The last meeting of this 
Association took place on Wednesday 
evening. The subjects introduced since 
last report included a communication on 
the most modern and approved method 
of capturing, killing and preserving ento- 
mological specimens. A most important 
feature in this paper was the introduction 
of an agent for the almost instantaneous 
killing of any insect, without inflicting 
the slightest injury upon colour and tex- 
ture. It need scarcely be mentioned 
that an improvement in the means of 
killing insects for specimens, in place of 
the old method of pinning only, by which 
the insect may live in agony for weeks, 
the opprobrium and horror horroruin 
of every humane collector, has been 
anxiously desired and sought for during 
the last five years. The agent alluded 
to, and which seems to leave nothing to 
be desired on this head, is the pure 
essential oil of cajeput, distilled from 
the leaves of the Melaleuca cojuputi , a 
plant growing in the Spice Islands of the 
Indian Ocean. This agent was first ap- 
plied to the killing of specimens by a 
Birmingham collector, and far surpasses 
chloroform, benzone, prussic acid, and 
other agents previously and now used. 
Two fine insects, Polyommatus Argiolus 
and Biston prodr omaria, were taken a day 
4 or two ago iu Sutton Park. 
KILLING INSECTS. 
To the Editor of the ‘ Intelligencer.' 
Sir, — By way of postscript to my last 
note, and in reply to a correspondent who 
finds chloroform ineffectual (in which, as 
you say, there must be some mismanage- 
ment), I will mention that I make use of 
a box with a perforated bottom and 
sliding tray beneath (an old paint-box 
does very well) ; in the top the pill-boxes 
are placed, each one being either notched 
triangularly iu the rim of the lid, or 
stamped out with a small gun-punch 
through the bottom, and gauzed. Chloro- 
form may then be poured into the lower 
tray, the top being of course closed, and 
half a minute will produce quiescence, or 
half an hour death in any insect. For 
