972 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETlNl? 



America and practically all parts of the World and receive back speci- 

 mens after determination by specialists, and rarely suffer loss in trans- 

 mission (except owing to the Germans' piracy during the War). But 

 it is far otherwise with the specimens we receive from correspondents 

 in India. Frequently we receive a box of pinned insects, sent through 

 the post wrapped only in a sheet of paper ; the inevitable result being 

 that the box of " specimens " on being opened is found to consist of a 

 tangled mass of pins, labels, and broken insects. Such a result is due 

 solely to gross carelessness or stupidity or both and may be avoided 

 by a realization of the jolting to which a parcel of insects is liable when 

 going through the post and by adoption of precautions accordingly. 



Pinned specimens should be firmly pinned into postal boxes or small 

 store-boxes lined with good cork previously prepared with naphthaline 

 solution (in benzine) to prevent mould or insect attack en route. Lumps 

 of naphthaline should not be pinned into the corners of the box, whether 

 enclosed in muslin or not. A wad of cotton-wool may, however, be 

 pinned in one or more corners to catch any stray legs, bodies, etc., 

 which may be jarred off the specimens. Large specimens shoidd be 

 secured with cross-pins or strips of paper firmly pinned down over 

 them. If the bos is sufficiently deep to take specimens pinned into 

 both sides (top and bottom), a sheet of thin paper should be placed 

 between the two sides, and secured by all four edges of the box when 

 it is shut, to isolate any specimens which may become loose. Then 

 wTap the box in clean paper and pack it into an outer packing-case 

 with at least two inches of good resilient packing all around between 

 the insect-box and the outer packing-case. Tow, balls of crumpled 

 paper, or excelsior, all make excellent packing material ; cotton-wool 

 may be used for the light packages. Ordinary wood-shavings, cut 

 paper or straw should not, be used for packing material, as they are 

 not sufficiently resilient. Sprinkle a little powdered naphthaline onto 

 the packing material as it is filled in, and make siire that there is plenty 

 of packing material below and above the specimen box as well as all 

 around it. The lid of the packing-case should be screwed down and 

 not nailed, as nailing down is apt to jar the specimens and a nailed lid 

 is also more liable to be damaged in opening the box. When any 

 quantity of specimens are to be sent away, it is as well to have packing- 

 boxes made specially of light wood. Bomhax wood makes very good 

 packing cases which are light and yet sufficiently strong to stand the 

 postal journey to Europe and back. In sending insects abroad for 

 identification, it is as well to declare them as " of no commercial value " 

 on the Customs Declaration form ; if they get broken or lost on the 

 way, no compensation from the Post Office will replace them whilst. 



