18 



-them in si"ht, on accouut of veniiiD. Never pull larvae from their food, especially when 

 moulting in changing food. Clip the old food off around th ;m, and they will change them- 

 selves, "placing some hungry A/ialiora di/ions three inches from fresh food, they struck a bee 

 line for it. 



Raising larvse is by far the most instructive feature of Entomology, and very interesting. 

 Entirely too little attention is paid to it. We want the whole life. How utterly ignorant 

 we are, for instance, about the larva; of Catocaliu? Let all faulty females be confined, and 

 they may lay impregnated eggs ; try the young on willow, walnut, or oak leaves. The female 

 is known by the heavy body tapering to a point ; the male terminates in a pair of claspers. 

 Some species are readily determined by their antennae, the males being more broadly pecti- 

 nated than the females. 



The larva> of wood-boring beetles can be raised in tin or glass on wet saw-dust (not pine); 

 any mixed hardwood or poplar will do. I have kept them so six and eight months, changing 

 the saw-dust once a month. But they are very tiresome, as one may have to keep them a 

 jear or two. 



HOW TO DESTROY CABINET PESTS. 



By Prof. James T. Bell, Belleville, Ont. 



[From the Canadian Entomologist.) 



Tliere is nothing more annoying to the experienced, or more discouraging to the young 

 collector, than to have his specimens destroyed by mites, by the Anthrenus, or by the larvae 

 of Dermedes. Against the ravages of these enemies there is no security. Paste and paper 

 fail to exclude them ; camphor is only a partial protector ; and the only safeguard ot our 

 cabinets is constant vigilance, and the instant destruction of the offenders when observed. 



For this purpose many methods have been suggested — saturation with turpentine, 

 immertion in alcohol or benzine, exposure to a beat of 210 degrees in a drying closet or 

 oven, &c. ; but most of these ways are apt to injure, or even destroy, the specimens, while 

 the last is often ineffective. Having, however, found a certain and rapid method of deal- 

 inir with these intruders, I desire, through your pages, to make it known to my brother 

 naturalists. 



Some two years ago I had a magnificent female Platijsamia (Satvrnid) cecropia measur- 

 ing 6X inches across the wings when set out, which came out of a chrysalis in my breeding- 

 box. 1 succeeded in killing and stretching it without damage, and when dry, transferred 

 it to my interim box, which bung against the wall. In about a fortnight I was annoyed 

 to see its antennae cut off, the head and thorax denuded of most of their down, and some 

 laru-e holes made in the abdomen. After some consideration, I placed a gallipot, contain- 

 iui; about 25 grains of cyanide of potassa roughly bruised, with a very little water, in the 

 bottom of the case. I then introduced six drnps of sulphuric acid, and let down the glass. 

 In less than a minute I had the satisfaction of seeing a fine, stout Dermestes larva writhing 

 in the death agony on the bottom of the box. Since that time, I have tried the same seve- 

 ral times, and always with the same success. It is equally applicable to the destruction 

 of moths, &c., in stuffed birds and quadrupeds as no animate being can inhale this gas and 

 live. 



James T. Bell, 



Belleville, Ont. 



[Note. — Great caution would be necessary in using thi^ remedy, not to inhale any of 

 the highly poisonous gas whijh, by the use of the ingredients named, would be rapidly gene- 

 rated,— Ed. C. E.] 



