SriTING AND PRESERVING ARACUNOIPA ArCD ATA?.!. 



317 



fresh '.vatcr, to extract tlie salt, which would soon destroy them liy at- 

 tracting moisture ; they arc then to lie placed in a crawling posture, 

 and the parts of the mouth are to be displayed by means of pins un- 

 til dry ; they will then remain in that position. The more minute 

 species must be dried, and afterwards stuck on paper with gimi-water, 

 in different positions. Those of Mj/riapocla are to be killed by immer- 

 sion in spirits, and afterwards stuck with a pin on the right side. 



Crustacea and JMi/riapuda are kept in cabinets lined with cork, to 

 which they are affixed with pins ; or in boxes loose : the former me- 

 thod is best, as they can then be moved from one place to another 

 without trouble or risk. 



AraCIIXOIDA AND ACAP.!. 



The habitations of the animals of this class are fully described in 

 the account of the genera, — further observations on this point will 

 therefore be unnecessary. 



Method of presciiung. — Mr. Donovan has observed, " To determine 

 whether some species of Spiders could be preserved with their natu- 

 ral colours, I put several into spirits of wine ; those with gibbous bo- 

 dies soon after discharged a very considerable quantiy of viscid matter, 

 and therewith all their most beautiful colours ; the smallest retained 

 their form, and only appeared rather paler in the colours than whea 

 they were living. 



" During the course of last summer, among other Sjiiders, T met 

 with a rare species ; it was of a bright yellow colour, elegantly marked 

 with black, red. green, and purple By some accident it was unfortu- 

 nately crushed to pieces in the chiii-l)ox wherein it was confined, ami 

 was therefore thrown aside as useless ; a month or more after that 

 time, having occasion to open the box, I observed that such parts ot" 

 the skin as had dried against the inside of the box retained the origi- 

 nal brightness of colour in a considerable degree. To further the 

 experiment, I made a similar attempt, with some caution, on the body 

 of another spider (Aranea Diudana), and though the colours were not 

 perfectly preserved, they appeared distinct. 



" From other observations I find, that if you kill the spider, ancj 

 immediately after extract the entrails, then inflate them by means of 

 a blow-pipe, you may preserve them tolerably well : you must cleanse 

 them on the inside no more than is sufiicient to prevent mouldiness, 

 lest you injure the colours, which certainly in many kinds depend ou 

 some substance that lies beneath the skin." 



The best preserved specimens that I have seen are those v/here the 

 contents of the abdomen have been taken out and tilled with tine sand. 

 I have preserved several in this way, and find it answer the purpose. 



