92 



THE CLASS OF INSECTS. 



After the insects have been thoroughly dried they should not 

 be placed in the cabinet until after having been in quarantine; 

 to see that no eggs of Dermestes or 

 Anthrenus, etc., have been deposited 

 on them. 



For preserving dried insects in the 

 cabinet Laboulbiine recommends plac- 

 ing a rare insect (if a beetle or any 

 Fig. 71. other hard insect) in water for an hour 



until the tissues be softened. If soiled, an insect can be 

 cleansed under water with a fine hair-pencil, then submit it to 

 a bath of arseniated alcohol, or, better, alcohol with corrosiA'c 

 sublimate. If the insect becomes prune-colored, it should be 

 washed in pure alcohol several times. This method will do 

 for the rarest insects ; the more common ones can be softened 

 on wet sand, and then the immersion in the arseniated alcohol 

 suffices. After an immersion of an hour or a quarter of an 

 liour, according to the size of the insect, the pin is not affected 

 by the corrosive sulilimate, but it is better to unpin the insect 

 previous to immersion, and then pin it when almost dry. 



For cleaning insects ether or benzine is excellent, applied 

 with a hair-pencil ; though care should be taken in using these 

 substances which are very inflannnable. 



After the specimens are placed in the cabinet, they should be 

 farther protected from destructive insects l:)}^ placing in the 

 drawers or boxes pieces of camphor wrapped in paj^er perfo- 

 rated by pin-holes, or bottles containing sponges saturated with 

 benzine. The collection should be carefull}" examined ever^^ 

 month ; the presence of insects can be detected by the dust 

 lieneath them. Where a collection is much infested with 

 destructive insects, benzine should be poured into the bottom 

 of the box or drawer, when the fumes and contact of the ben- 

 zine with their bodies will kill tliem. The specimens them- 

 selves should not be soaked in the benzine if possible, as it 

 renders them brittle. 



Insed-cahinet. For permanent exhibition, a cabinet of shal- 

 low drawers, protected by doors, is most useful. A drawer 

 may be eighteen by twenty inches square, and two inches deep 

 in the clear, and provided with a tight glass cover. For constant 



