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THE NEW INSECTAEIUM AT REGENT'S PARK. 

 By John T. Carrington, F.L.S. 



The Zoological Society is to be congratulated upon its enter- 

 prise in establishing, on a large scale, a house to be devoted to 

 the rearing and exhibition of insects during different stages of 

 their metamorphosis. The idea is not quite new, and has been 

 tried in other places with varying success. A few years ago, as 

 a trial, I had a large case constructed, with a number of com- 

 partments, for the purpose of rearing insects in this Aquarium. 

 I soon found, however, that we had to contend with two very 

 serious enemies. First were the emanations from the very large 

 quantity of gas used in the building. Some idea of this quantity 

 may be gathered from the fact that gas has cost as much as 

 ^190 per week in winter, varying to £60 per week in summer, 

 for illuminating this establishment. Our other trouble was the 

 frequent extremes of temperature. Often just before closing the 

 Aquarium the heat gets up to 85° or 90°, when two hours later 

 the same thermometer will register no more than 40°. Notwith- 

 standing these difficulties many interesting species, both British 

 and exotic, have been successfully reared ; but some of our com- 

 monest and apparently most hardy Lepidoptera have utterly 

 failed, while others reputedly difficult to rear have come to 

 maturity with little difficulty. One of the most unfortunate 

 has been Chelonia caja. Out of many hundreds of larvae not one 

 per cent, ever came to the imago state, while in the next com- 

 partment was its ally, C. dominula, every larva of which seemed 

 to produce a moth. It therefore appears that to establish such 

 educational and interesting institutions as Insectaria, the first 

 consideration should be locality and fresh air. In this the 

 Zoological Society has comparatively every advantage. 



The elegant conservatory erected on the north bank of the 

 canal which intersects the Society's gardens has the full advan- 

 tage of any sunlight which may shine in our usually sunless 

 neighbourhood. This light can be controlled by means of blinds, 

 while artificial heat is supplied by hot-water pipes. The building 

 having been specially built for the purpose for which it is in- 

 tended is oblong in shape, and is provided with stands or tables, 

 upon which rest separate perforated zinc and other cages for 



