152 ON MOUNTING BEETLES AND 



be repeated as before, when more of the abdominal contents will 

 be ejected. Again place the insect in clean water, and in this 

 way, by several soakings and squeezings, the whole of the contents 

 of the viscera will be removed without the least injury to any of 

 the internal organs. 



Throughout this process, however, the insect will be seen to be 

 as opaque as it was at first. It is, therefore, necessary to bleach 

 it ; and to effect this it must be placed until sufficiently trans- 

 parent, which may take a week or more, in the following solution : 

 A saturated solution of Chlorate of Potash, to which is added lo 

 or 20 drops, or more, of strong Hydochloric Acid to each ounce 

 of solution. A shallow but large-mouthed corked bottle is best for 

 this purpose. The chlorine, which is slowly liberated, in the solu- 

 tion, attacks the chitine, and thus gradually bleaches it, and 

 renders it transparent. 



It is now necessary to wash all this solution out of the insect, 

 which is best accomplished by placing it in a small pomatum-pot 

 filled with distilled water, and after an hour or so to change the 

 water, repeating the process four or five times. Nothing will be 

 found so convenient as pomatum-pots for washing insects, and in 

 practice I generally use several of them placed in a row, and pass 

 the insects on from one to the other in succession. 



For the next part of the process, a nest of china saucers or 

 palettes — such as are used by water-colour artists (these fit suffi- 

 ciently accurately one on the other to hold spirit for a day or two 

 without its evaporating) — will be required. In an empty palette 

 place the insect (on its back), and arrange its legs, etc., in the 

 positions they are intended to retain when finished. Now gently 

 pour methylated spirit over it so as completely to cover it, notic- 

 ing that the legs are not displaced, for if they are right daring this 

 part of the process, they will naturally assume the same position 

 in the final stage of the mounting. After several hours, or next 

 day, change the spirit for fresh ; and again, after several hours, pass 

 the insect into ether, but as this is such a volatile fluid, it should 

 be used in a test-tube tightly corked. There need be no anxiety 

 about the position of the legs in this stage, as they have been 

 already stiffened by the spirit, and if displaced now will spring 

 back again into their original position. After soaking some hours 



