BritisJi Dragonflies. 



to keep, where possible, a few specimens intact 



especially for purposes of stud}'. 



When the abdomen iias been cleaned as thoroughly 

 as possible with the forceps, it must be dried, and 

 perhaps stuffed ; no washing with either water or benzine 

 should be attempted.'^ The author simph- dries the 

 specimens as rapidh' as possible, leaxing the abdomen 

 as an empty case, which, contrar\' perhaps to expecta- 

 tion, is not at all brittle ; it sometimes, however, contracts 

 a little tran.sversel)'. Some recommend stuffing the 

 empty abdomen with a roll of paper or cotton-wool 

 (coloured it may be to resemble the tints of the living 

 insect), or even with a straw or piece of matchwood. Of 

 these the roll of wool appears to be the most suitable 

 packing, but care must be used, or the abdomen may 

 be unnaturally distended, and that irregularl)'. 



After the contents of the abdomen have been extracted, 

 some Odonatists shake loosel)- inside the skin powder 

 of a colour similar to that of the Dragonfl}-. Others, 

 again, paint the inside of the skin of the proper tint, 

 while some even go the length of painting the outside. 

 But all of these methods, even the insertion of the 

 coloured wool or paper, which attempt artificial!}' to 

 reproduce the colours that have gone, are to be depre- 

 cated : good coloured drawings would be better than 

 specimens so tampered with. 



Other means of preserving the colours have been 

 suggested. One due to Professor Ste[jhanelli, and 

 mentioned in "Science Gossip" (October, 1895, p. 204) 



*Mr. F. Milton, however, wnlin<^' in tlie Entoiiioloi^ist, 1887, ]i. 285^ 

 advises dropping into the skin benzine or benzole, and absorbin<^ it and 

 the dissolved "rease with carbonate of ma"nesia. 



