PRESERVATION OF ENTOMOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. 137 



other. Small beetles and minute moths (Microlepidoptera) may 

 be put into pill-boxes and killed after reaching home. 



Glass Tubes. 



These may be specially made tubes, but in their absence, 

 quinine or other small medicine bottles will serve equally well. 

 Larvae and grubs of all kinds, both leaf-feeding and wood-boring, 

 should on collection be at once placed in a small glass tube,^ 

 filled with alcohol (methylated spirits or diluted whisky), or 

 better still with formalin. They should be placed in sejjcirate 

 tubes if they are taken Jrom different trees or localities. At the 

 same time a small slip of paper must be put into the tube, on 

 which should be written in |:)e^^c^7, locality of capture, date, 

 elevation, and plant from which taken. The spirit will not 

 deface the pencil writing, although it might if it were written in 

 ink. This point should be remembered. 



The Glass Jar. 



The glass jar should have a wide mouth. In it place two or 

 three pieces of cyanide of potassium, which should be covered 

 with cotton or wool about half filling the bottle. Over this 

 a thin circular piece of card-board, cut to fit the inside of the 

 bottle, is next placed, and pressed down so as to lightly touch 

 the cotton. The card-board should be pierced with fine pin- 

 holes. The card-board is required in order to prevent the 

 insects from getting lost amongst the cotton. A stout cork 

 should fit the mouth of the jar. Imagoes of all the different 

 orders of insects, Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, etc., should 

 be killed in this bottle. The cyanide of potassium must be 

 changed every three months or so, as it deliquesces, thus losing 

 its force. It must be remembered that it is a strong poison. 

 Instead of the cyanide, a piece of wool soaked in chloroform or 

 benzine will do, but this requires repeated changing, since the 

 vapour rapidly evaporates. The benzine has the additional 

 advantage of removing greasy stains from the wings of moths. 



Another very good way to kill insects is to place a drop or two 

 of the essential oil of almonds on to a piece of sponge and place 



1 Of coarse larvte and grubs will be kept alive when their life-histories are 

 to be studied. At the same time a few might be put into spirits at once, in 

 case anything happened to the rest. 



