ENTOMOLOGY. 261 



be complete. My friend Mr. Greene, in replying to my remarks, ("Naturalist," 

 No. 87, page 111,) objects that there is no recorded instance of the pupa) of 

 Notodontce dug up even so early as the beginning of August, producing moths 

 the same year, but here is the instance, for it is clear, beyond the shadow of 

 a doubt, that if Mr. G. had not taken these larvae of 2V. ziczac, they would 

 have gone down, and might have been dug up, and if they had would have 

 produced moths the same year. I may add that in the case of both P. 

 palpina and iV. dictcea, the moths which came out in August paired, laid eggs, 

 and the larvae were reared. In conclusion, I cannot refrain from expressing 

 my feelings of pleasure and satisfaction that all those assertions which I made 

 when the double-brooded question was first agitated in the pages of the 

 "Zoologist," have been so fully confirmed and established upon such incontro- 

 vertible evidence and infrangible proof. I cannot let the present opportunity 

 go by without thanking Mr. Gascoyne most cordially for the indefatigable 

 energy and perseverance with which he has pursued his experiments, and con- 

 gratulate him most sincerely upon his signal success. — H. Haebue Ceewe, 

 Stowmarket, October 2nd., 1858. 



Killing Insects. — I cannot at all a^ree with Mr. Morris in his recommen- 

 dation of Chloroform as the best and speediest mode of killing Lepidoptera, 

 and unless "Willie" wishes to bring his insects to grief, I should strongly 

 advise him not to use it. I have tried it over and over again, and have 

 invariably found it turn the insects so rigid and stiff that it is impossible to 

 set them out properly, to say nothing of their coming to life again in nine 

 cases out of ten.- I have now collected insects for some years, and have 

 practised death in all manner of ways, and have no hesitation whatever in 

 giving it as my own firm opinion that the strongest liquid ammonia is by 

 far the best I know. Have a close-fitting tin-box made with a false perforated 

 zinc bottom and a lid at each end. Dip a small piece of sponge about the size 

 of a nutmeg iuto the ammonia, and put it into the false bottom end. Into the 

 other end put your moth or butterfly; leave it there half-an-hour before you 

 set it or it will very likely revive. If you have not a killing-box, a commou 

 jam-pot covered over with a square of glass, will do just as well, and per- 

 haps better. You must not kill your insect if bred till it has been out of 

 the pupa an hour or two, as the wings are limp, and the ammonia will 

 spoil them, and what is more, the insect is apt to eject a quantity of pink 

 fluid, into which it will flap in its death-throes, and ruin itself. There are 

 a few insects which must not be killed with ammonia, as it takes away or 

 deadens the colours; they are, however, so few, that they are soon known, 

 and do not at all invalidate the eflicacy of the receipt. I mention all those 

 that I know: — A. galatcea, C. elpenor, C. porcellus, X.. croceago, G. papilio- 

 naria, P. cytisaria, N. viridata, T. vernaria and laclearia, P. bajularia, H. 

 thymiaria, JE. tiliaria and fuscanlaria, L. rniaria, E. coronata, H. quercana, 

 prasiana, and clorana, T. viridana, and L. literana. I should also never think 

 of killing P. statices and globularia, D. orion, A. aprilina, B. glandifera, or 

 M. rnargaritaria with ammonia, as it almost always injures green. These 

 insects I stupify with chloroform, (only putting them into the fumes for a 



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