PRESERVATION OF ENTOMOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. 145 



Crickets, Grasshoppers, Locusts. — Damage is done by these 

 insects in fores c nurseries by biting off young seedlings close to 

 the ground and feeding on the parts so nipped off. The eggs are 

 often laid in holes in the ground, and these may be searched for 

 and the insect bred from them. In the case of cx'ickets, their 

 presence is evidenced by the appearance of circular holes, one to 

 two inches or more in depth, in which they live. They spend 

 their lives in these, moulting several times before arriving at full 

 growth, and sallying forth mostly at night and feeding voraciously 

 on the young seedlings, committing a lot of wanton damage by 

 cutting off innumerable seedlings, only portions of which are 

 consumed. Their life-histories can be easily studied by digging 

 up one or two every week through the months during which they 

 are feeding and developing into the perfect insect. They have of 

 coui'se no pupal stage, as the Orthoptera have an incomplete 

 metamorphosis. 



Collection and Preservation of Hymenoptera. 



All the Hymenoptera which are not hairy may be preserved in 

 alcohol. Hairy specimens may be put into the paper triangle 

 forms above-mentioned, or sent in a box full of loose disinfected 

 sawdust. Small Ichneumon flies should be sent in small pill- 

 boxes or match-boxes. 



Note. — Stress is laid on the sending of larvte and pupse alive as 

 much as possible. 



Another point to be remembered is that collectors often make 

 the mistake of piercing tins with holes to let in air. It is much 

 better to use a larger tin and have no holes. 



VOL. XVII. PART I. 



