THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 105 



not placed unmeaningly side by side on pins, but so 

 arranged as will best illustrate the habits, food, and general 

 economy of that species. We could then see at a glance the 

 whole life-history of the insect, and the better appreciate those 

 typical distinctions which are often more forcibly developed 

 in the long larval life than in the indefinite characlerislics of 

 the imago. Yet how seldom do we see among collectors such 

 a course adopted. One of the chief reasons for this deficiency 

 is doubtless want of space in cabinets or store-boxes. To 

 introduce into a collection, already sufficiently large, the 

 whole antecedents and surroundings of every species from 

 egg to perfect insect, would require immensely more room 

 than most collectors have to spare. This difficulty, however, 

 is not insurmountable. The real secret lies in the difficulty 

 there is found in satisfactorily preserving these immature 

 forms; and we owe our thanks to Mr. Auld for having given 

 some valuable hints on so difficult a subject. As regards my 

 own experience, I have several times tried this plan of inflation, 

 but have not as yet been able to get very satisfactory results 

 from it. Of course, the fault may lie as ranch with the want 

 of skill in the operator as with the method itself. My difficulties 

 are these, and perhaps Mr. Auld would say whether he has 

 been able to overcome them, and, if so, how. 



First, one of the results is a distension and rigidity of the 

 skin perfectly unnatural to the living larvae. Il is obvious, 

 that as the skin of the caterpillar is blown out to its fullest 

 extent, and kept so till dry, there can be none of the folding 

 in of the skin at the segment joints, neck, &c., and all these 

 indentations are completely lost in the smooth rotundity of 

 the inflated skin ; for instance, in such a subject as L. Quercus 

 the narrow purple bands which lie between the segments are 

 extended till the larva is almost unrecognizable ; indeed, it is 

 quite curious to observe the loose flaccid skin, when inflated, 

 suddenly start out to its very fullest extent, like a small 

 balloon. 



Again, the larva is generally blown out perfectly straight 

 by this method (indeed Mr. Auld gives directions for the 

 attainment of this end), and by the extension of the skin the 

 body is elongated perhaps one-third more than its natural 

 length when in a jjosture of repose. The head is also stretched 

 out to its furthest extent, claspcrs and legs the same, and 



