NOTES AND QUERIES. 



^9 



garded as the emblem of fertility ; 

 and we are informed bj Dr. Clarke 

 that it is now eaten by the women of 

 Egypt."— W. H. C. 



Preservation of Caterpillars. — 

 In answer to Veritas, p. 7 of " The 

 Naturalist," now to preserve cater- 

 pillars or larvae, I believe the 

 following to be the best and readiest 

 mode: — ^ Immerse them in hot water 

 to kill tbem, afterwards put them 

 into equal parts of spirits of wine 

 and distilled vinegar a short time, 

 take out and make a puncture at or 

 near the anus, squeeze out the in- 

 ternal parts with the thumb and 

 finger, beginning at the head and 

 running down to the anus, then 

 clean out the interior with blotting 

 paper, say a small roll, afterwards 

 put a small straw into the anus and 

 blow so as to inflate the larva's 

 body to its natural size; having a 

 silk thread, the same colour as the 

 larva, previously tied loosely round 

 the bottom part, withdraw the straw 

 and pull the silk thread at the same 

 time, and tie it fast ; afterwards dry 

 them by the fire, or in a slow oven, 

 a short time, and they will retain 

 their natural colour. You may 

 mount them on card with gum 

 tragacanth dissolved in pure spring 

 water. — Joseph Blackbuen, Leeds. 



The Sacred Beetle of the Egyptians. 

 — Your correspondent, A. L., wishes 

 to know why the Ateuchus is called 

 the Sacred Beetle of the Egyptians. 



The only answer to this is that it is 

 so called because the Ateuchus sacer 

 was regarded as a sacred animal by 

 the ancient inhabitants of Egypt. 

 Other beetles seem to have shared 

 with it in this character, but it is 

 the species most frequently repre- 

 sented in the hieroglyphics, and on 

 the signets and other ornaments 

 found in Egyptian sepulchres. This 

 beetle is also met with embalmed, 

 and it, or its image, was generally 

 placed on those bodies which were 

 prepared according to the most ex- 

 pensive process. It was sacred to 

 the sun, and to Phthah, or the 

 creative power ; and was adopted as 

 an emblem of the sun and of the 

 world. A. L. will find further par- 

 ticulars in " Sir J. G. Wilkinson's 

 Manners and Customs of the Ancient 

 Egyptians," second series, vol. 2, 

 p. 255. — W. S. Dallas, Museum, 

 York, May 9 th. 



Amphydasis prodromaria. — I ha^'e 

 larvae of this insect, which I should 

 be glad to exchange for anything I 

 have not already bred. Offers, if 

 accepted, will be replied to by 

 return of post. — Colonel Stewart, 

 Eldon Villa, Eedland, Bristol, May 

 9th, 1864. 



Gratis. — I have larvae of Clostera 

 anachoreta and Pupas of C. curtula in 

 duplicate, and shall be glad to send 

 a few to any of my Correspondents 



