Article beginning on page 430.
Psyche 8:430-432, 1897.

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A COMPARISON OF THE SYSTEM-
ATIC DISTRIBUTION OF EURO-
PEAN AND NORTH AMERICAN
ORTlIOPTERA.
The Davenport academy
of natural sci-
ences is printing and will shortly issue a ~jiionpic catalogue of our Orthoplera
which 1 have prepared. Tills offers the first good opportiinity for a comparison of the relative representation of the subfamily groups in Europe and t.he United
Suites,
zising Brunmr's Prodromns as a basis for the Europenn forms. The fallowing tables show the niitnber of species in each subfamily sind faintly that are represented in either country. POI, ftc~~Zidoe
Ectobinae
Bliittiiine
Nyctiborinne
Run.
26
= 7
2
0
2
0
1
0
0
2.7
s
3
13
0
0
4
4
6
0
59
:5 2
2
34
17
;4S
55
3
0
Conocepl~niinae
Saginae
Loc~istinae
Decticinae .
Calliineninae
Ephippigerinae
Hctroclinile .
Gr~llacriiiae
Stenopeiii~atinae
Locusiidae
Gryllotalpinne
AIyrniecophilinae
Grjllinae
Occiintli insie
Trigonidiinne
Eneopterinae
G~yZ/ic/a e
Grand total
These tables bring out clearly the many
striking contrasts between the Orthopteran fauna of Europe mid the United St~ites. A few additions to our fauna nxitle since the Caialugue was p~epsii-cd do not nfl'ect the general results. Additions to the European faiinii since l-lrunner's PI-oclromns was pub- lislied in 1882 hnve not been taken into account, iind Hie comparison is in so far faulty. Sai~mel H. .Snidiicr.
REARING LARVAE TN TIN BOXES.
ALMOST twenty pin's ago I beciime dis-
gusled with the inipossibility of keeping leaves fresh enou$ far ciiterpill:~r~, unless in water or on "owing plants. Both llicsn methocis are very inconvenient, cspccially if onc 11-:ivcls from one place to another two 01- three times in a summer. llaviiiflkept
botiinicai specimens fresh in. tins it naliir- ally oet-iirred to me Hint tin boxes would keep food phints in good condition. 'She doubt w:is if the larvae wonl-l bear being shut up in close tins.
Miss Eliot iind I tried the experiment with several kinds of caterpillars, and it succeeded Psit-he S 430-432 tpre-1903). hlp:/lpsyclimilclub org<8/8-4->0 html



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perfectly.
Having beheaded one or two in
closing the cover of the tin, we then cut pieces of scrim a little larger itinii the tops of the boxes, laid :I piece over esich box, and shut tlie cover over it. thus preventing fur- ther executions, and also preventing cocoon? from fastening box :1nd cover together.
The '. tin-box method " lias many advan- taws : - the larvae are very easy to v.'atch, and are so shut tip Hint they catirioL gel. out and nander over the house to the annoyance of non-entoi"nologicai pcrsons. P:irasitcs cannot find them unless inti-oduced on the food plant, a very unlikely occurrence. The leaves keep perfectly fresh as long as needed, if their htems have beenputinto water for an hour or so before they are given to the ciiterpillnrs.
Most of t1lelnrv;ie whichgointo tlieground to pupate will pupate just as vcll on the hot- torn of a tin box, without any earth. In the case of P. c e l ~ P. carol&, C. amynto>., and other la13 larvae \vhicli exclnde a large q~ia~irity of finid, befcre pupation, an inch of sand in the tin gives better results, for it iib- sorbes (lie fluid which otherwise tends to incike the larvae decay in pioechsof pupation. The Smerintliicls, both Philamfiel,,~, and the smaller sphingitls pupate perfectly witli- out eartli. I have had scores of them change, eiich in its bmall tin- such ^is <-1rug;ists sell for ointments,-;is well as in Isu-ger lioxes. For ti~avcliiiig this method is delightful. I
pack each tin as full of leaves as I can and leave space for the larvae, shut it tight, roil it in paper to prevent possibility of opening. and pack all the tins in 111~ trunk. I have never had a larva die fi-cnii such a journey, even when the leaves have been devoiired before its end, and the larva mubt have rat- lied in its box.
Of course it is a dciil of work to take
proper ewe of ;I bun-(Ired or more tins, but .
the results pay well.
, .
111e danger is of ovcr-ciwvdins but cspe- rience soon reduces this to :I minimiim. Biscuit-tins, cil-ndytins, marsh-mallow tins, coffee tins, 11ii.king-powder fins, spice-tins, all have their uses for different sizes or nnn- 1x1-s of larvae, and may almost always be obtained ;it A hotel or boarding-house. I have even been th;inlied for ridding the housekeeper of her superfluous tin boxes. I. have not reared every specics of cater- llnr, and time are many butterfly larvae with which I linve not experience, but I have n e e e n any species which dicl not thrive in tightly closed tins.
Of course individuals die, but they iconic! probably have died out of doors. It is rare to rear every one of a large brood, bnt I have done so more than once hy this
ineil~oil.
Caroline G. Scale.
Guide to the Genera and Classification of the Orthoptera of North America north of Mexico. By SAMUEL H. SCUDDER. go pp. So. Ciint;iins keys for the determination of the higher groups as well as the (ne.irly 200) genera of our Orthoptera, will1 full biblipgraphical aids to furthcr study. Sent by mail on receipt of price ($1.00). E. W. WHEELER, 30 BOYI.STON STREET. CAMBRIIIGE, MASS.



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PSYCHE. [November 1899.
A NEW VOLUME OF PSYCHE
begins in January, 1900, and continues through three years. The subscription
price (pyable in advance) is $5.00 per volume, or $2.00 per year, postpaid. Numbers are issued on the first day of each month. Libraries and individuals enerally ordering through subscription agencies (which only take annual suh- .3
scrtptions) will please notice that it is cheaper to hubscribe for the entire volume at once directly of us.- Any early volume can be had for $5.00, unbound. Address Psyche, Cambridge, Mass.
Vols. 1-8, Complete, Unbound - .= - - - - $37.00. Vols. 1-8, and Subscription to Volume 9 - - - - $41,aa, Vol. 8 contains about 450 pp. and 8 plates, besides other illustrations. The Butterflies of the Eastern United States and Canada. With special reference to New England.
By SAMUEL 11. SCUUDER
Ill~istnited with 96 plates of Butterfliet', Ctiterpillari-, Chysalicis, etc. (of vl~icli 41 are colored) which include about 2,000 Figui-es besides Msips and ponrails. 1958 Pages of Text. Vol. i. Introduction ; NyyisphaUdne.
Vol. 3.
Rc~uaining Fiiinilies of Butterflies.
Vol. 3.
Appendix, Phites rnd Index..
The set, 3 vols., royal Svo. h:ilf levant, $75.00 net. HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO., 4 Park St., Boston, Mass. A. SMITH & SONS, 269 PEARL STREET, New York. lASl'FACTL'RBIlSANDIMPORTERSOF
GOODS FOR ENTOMOLOGISTS,
Klaeger and Carlsbad Insect Pins, Setting Boards, Folding Nets, Locality and
Special Labels, Forceps, Sheet Cork, Etc. Other pnicles are being added, Send for List.



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