Pirpan'iii^ for the Cabinet. 323 



by Mr. W. H. Nunney, is to dry the insect under the 

 recei\er of an air-pump, and when the air is exhausted 

 to replace it b}' sulphuric ether. Sulphuric ether alone, 

 it is there stated, injected into the liodies of Dragonflies 

 will frequently preserve the colours. 



Mr. Nunney himself brings forward quite a revo- 

 lutionar}' method. Instead of drying the insects he 

 attempts to keep them perpetually moist, and the pre- 

 paration he finds most successful is that known com- 

 mercially as Professor Barff's boro-gl\xeride. Of his 

 method he says : " After making the usual longitudinal 

 slit in the under-side of the creature's bod\-, I withdraw- 

 so far as possible the contents, and afterwards fill the 

 cavit)- with the boro-glyceride of the ordinar\' commercial 

 strength, without allowing the chemical to in any wa}- 

 soil the outside of the body. The result is, that whilst 

 the cohjurs are preserved the bod\' never entirely dries, 

 and consequently cannot be broken oft' b\- an}' shock 

 given to the cabinet, drawer, or store-box, this last 

 being another great advantage of the use of a slightl\- 

 deliquescent antiseptic. In the case of the smaller 

 Agrionidce, I inject the boro-glyceride, slightly weakened 

 by the addition of water, with a very fine h\'podermic 

 syringe, into the bod)' extremit}-, and, if necessary, run 

 in the usual bristle for strengthening purposes." Mr. 

 Nunne}' states that the colours of an ^lischua cjatica 

 treated b\' this method wxre as bright after two years 

 as they were when the insect was ali\e. Probably few 

 entomologists, however, would care to admit insects so 

 treated into their cabinets, and as regards specimens 

 needed onh' for stud}- the treatment is unnecessar}', 

 for the}' ma}' be kept in spirit, which preserves the 



Y 2 



