742 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



carefully watched and the action of the potash tested. This can be ascertain- 

 ed by pressing on the thorax or chest of the insect with some blunt instrument 

 such as the head of a pair of curved-pointed forceps. 



(3) When soft enough, pour away the potash and add water, which must 

 be changed several times until all the potash is washed away. 



(4) Pour away the water and add concentrated acetic acid, and soak for 

 twelve hours, or until it is convenient to go on with the work. 



(5) Transfer from acetic acid to water, and soak for about half an hour ; 

 then place in a shallow saucer full of water^ and with the aid of a needle and 

 a camel's hair brush spread out the wings, legs, etc. Now take a slide and 

 place it in the water under the insect, lift the slide up carefully so that the 

 insect may be stranded on the surface of the slide with all its parts expanded. 

 Drain ofE the excess of water, and lay the slide down on a piece of white paper, 

 and with the aid of needles or brushes carefully place all the limbs, wings, 

 antennae, etc., in their natural positions. Now put a narrow slip of paper on 

 each side of the insect, and carefully lay another slide over it, press it down 

 until the insect is squeezed quite flat, tie the two slides together with a piece 

 of twine, and place them in a jar of methylated spirit for at least twelve hours, 

 or until required. 



(6) Remove the glasses from the spirit, carefully separate them, and 

 with a soft camel's hair brush push the insects off the glass into a saucer 

 of spirit. 



(7) Take the insect up on a lifter, and float it on to the surface of a small 

 saucer of clove oil, and allow it to soak until perfectly clear. 



(8) Remove from clove oil and place in turpentine for a few minutes. 



(9) Mount in Canada balsam thus : — 



(a) Clean a cover-glass, moisten the surface of a slide with the breath, 

 apply the cover-glass to it, and make sure that it adheres. (6) place a few 

 drops of balsam on the cover-glass, (c) Warm a slide over a spirit lamp and 

 apply a drop of balsam to that on the cover-glass ; take it up with a pair of 

 forceps, and bring the drop of fluid balsam in contact with the centre of the 

 slide which has been warm (care must be taken not to over-heat the specimen 

 as it will curl up). Ease the cover down carefully, so that no air-bubbles may 

 be enclosed, and press it down with the point of the forceps until the speci- 

 men lies quite flat and the excess of balsam is squeezed out. Allow the slide to 

 cool, and the excess of balsam may then be washed away with spirit and a rag 



To mount an insect in glycerine without pressure : — 



Many small, soft insects and their larvaa may be mounted in glycerine while 

 fresh. The larger and harder kinds must be soaked in potash to render them 

 transparent. Make a cell of the required size, and fasten it to a slide with black 

 shellac cement. Apply a coat of cement to the upper side of the cell, and allow 

 it to nearly dry. Fill the cell with glycerine and put the insect into it ; spread 

 out the wings, legs, etc. Clean and warm a cover-glass, and apply it to the 

 edge of the cell ; press down, and be sure that it adheres to the cement all 



