28 GNATS Oil MOSQUITOES — CHAPTEll II 



After a few trials it will be found that pinning an insect 

 in the way above described involves far less trouble than 

 making it into a microscopic specimen ; but if materials for 

 pinning be wanting, fairly recognisable specimens may be 

 made by mounting the insect dry in a deep cell, or in one 

 of the slides recommended by the late Dr. Carpenter for 

 mounting foraminifera . 



These consist of a slip of deal 3in. X lin. X iV'^-' with a 

 hole |in. in the middle. This perforation forms the wall of 

 the cell and is closed on both sides with ordinary cover 

 squares, secured in place by perforated labels, so that the 

 specimen between the covers can be viewed from either side. 

 The sides of the perforation should be brushed with creasote 

 to prevent mildew, and the preparation dried as rapidly as 

 possible in the sun. 



Wings mounted dry as microscopic specimens are, how- 

 ever, valuable, but when made, great care should be taken 

 to mark with corresponding letters slide and pinned speci- 

 men, without which latter such slides are valueless. 



Specimens may also be transmitted fairly safely in short 

 lengths of glass tubing of a size just sufficient to admit the 

 insect, but too small for it to shake about easily. The tubes 

 should be simply tied up in a square of mushn, as if sealed 

 the contents are certain to mildew ; but whatever plan 

 you adopt, ON NO ACCOUNT PACK INSECTS IN 

 COTTON WOOL, as it is impossible to extricate them from 

 it without breaking them. Tubes may also be made by 

 rolling a piece of gummed paper round a pencil and cutting 

 them to suitable lengths when dry. 



Just as mature insects can be obtained from larvae, so it 

 is generally possible to get larvte from the former ; but a 

 somewhat larger apparatus is necessary. Take an earthen- 

 ware dish, at least 1ft. in diameter and 4in. deep, and 

 fill it with puddle water which has been strained through 

 muslin to avoid the fallacy of its already containing larvae, 

 A cover is made for this consisting of a square of thin plank 

 a few inches wider than the dish, with a large hole occupy- 

 ing the greater part of its centre. In the four corners are 

 small holes into which are fixed four small upright sticks 



