BEARING INSECTS. 257 



contagious disease analogous to low fever. Many die while 

 moulting, especially the larvae of butterflies, sphinges, and 

 bombycids ; others are carried off by diarrhoea, which is 

 generally caused by improper feeding on too juicy or relax- 

 ing food, when oak leaves or dry stunted foliage should be 

 given them. To relieve constipation they should be fed 

 with lettuce and other natural purgatives ; and lastly, they 

 may be attacked by fungi, especially, besides those previ- 

 ously mentioned, a species of Oidium. Such patients should 

 be put in direct sunlight or dry currents of air. (Entomol- 

 ogist's Monthly Magazine, June, 1868.) The pupae easily 

 dry up ; they should be kept moist, in tubes of glass closed 

 at either end, through which the moth can be seen when 

 disclosed. 



In setting Micro-lepidoptera: " If the insect is very small 

 I hold it by its legs between the thumb and finger of the 

 left hand, whilst I pierce it with the pin held between the 

 thumb and finger of the right hand ; if the insect is not 

 very small I use a rough surface, as a piece of blotting-paper 

 or piece of cloth, for it to lie upon and prevent its slipping 

 about, and then cautiously insert the point of the pin in the 

 middle of the thorax, as nearly as possible in a vertical di- 

 rection. As soon as the pin is fairly through the insect, re- 

 move it to a soft piece of cork, and, by pressing it in, push 

 the insect as far up the pin as is required. 



"For setting the insects I find nothing answers as well 

 as a piece of soft cork, papered with smooth paper, and with 

 grooves cut to admit the bodies. The wings are placed in 

 the required position by the setting-needle, and are then 

 retained in their places by a wedge-shaped, thin paper 

 brace, placed over them till a square brace of smooth 

 card-board is placed over the ends of the wings." (Stain- 

 ton.) A small square of glass can also be laid on the wings 

 to keep them expanded, and thus serve the same purpose as 

 the paper braces. 



Linnaeus first set the example of having the specific names 

 of the Tortricids end in ana, and of the Tineids in ella; and 



