PRESERVATION OF l.ARVM BY INFLATION. 229 



thus given seems, it is quite insuflScient for the purpose in 

 hand, and a far greater degree of pressure than can be 

 obtained from the operator's lungs is requisite. To obtain 

 this get a child's india-rubber ball, not under two inches in 

 diameter; if it has a hole already in it bore another at one 

 side with a hot wire, of rather more than the size of a crow- 

 quill ; should there be no hole at all two must be made, one 

 at the pole of the ball, the other at its equator. These balls 

 usually contain a good deal of sulphur in powder. After 

 making the holes squeeze out all this powder, as far as you 

 possibly can, or else the valve will l)e rendered useless by the 

 powder falling on it. It is a good plan to push a little 

 cotton-wool into the upper part of the glass lube bearing the 

 valve ; it filters the air as it passes down. Now push the ball 

 by one of its holes on to the glass tube that bears the valve, 

 and if not fitting accurately to the tube a little cobbler's wax 

 will make it do so. If now the ball be pinched between the 

 thumb and finger, the thumb being placed over the second 

 hole, the air in the ball is bound to enter the bottle, while on 

 removing the hand the ball again expands, air entering it by 

 the hole that was just before closed by the thumb. The air 

 in the bottle cannot be sucked out again by the ball, because 

 of the valve; and so, by repeating the process, the bottle can 

 be charged even to bursting, unless of good glass. Compli- 

 cated though this description of the apparatus has been, it 

 can all be made in less time than the account has taken to 

 write ; while the advantages it offers over air-pressure from 

 the lungs are incalculable. To some persons, inflation of 

 many larvae in one day by the chest might be a serious evil ; 

 while to all it must be a very wearying, uncomfortable pro- 

 cess ; and smce the air must of necessity be injected in an 

 intermittent manner, the larva w ould be longer drying. With 

 the exception of two or three feet of india-rubber tubing, 

 every entomologist would have the remaining needful materials 

 by him, — such as pins, cork, forceps, &c. 



To prepare the larva, the following method is recom- 

 mended : — Kill it in the cyanide bottle, or more speedily 

 render it insensible with a few drops of chloroform ; 

 then, with a fine needle thrust in at the tail, stir up the 

 viscera carefully, so that the needle may not pierce the skin, 

 thougl) even this seldom quite spoils it; now lay it on some 



