OP THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



33 



[Fi^4.] where the Laurel grows, its bruised leaves may be 

 used in j)lace of the cyanide; they kill less quickly, 

 but have the advantage of safety. The leaves of the 

 Laurel-Cherry, {Primus lauro-cerasus)^ a plant com- 

 monly grown in England for screens and hedges, are 

 also used for this purpose. A small and stout bottle 

 of chloroform, or ether, with a brush securely inserted 

 into the cork, (Fig. 15.), will be found very serviceable. 

 A slight moistening through the air-net will stupefy 

 most insects caught in it, and facilitate their removal 

 to the cyanide bottle ; while a touch or two with the 

 wet brush under the head and thorax, will kill the 

 more delicate specimens outright, without in the least 

 injuring them. Another way of using chloroform is 

 by means of a small, hollow tube passed through the 

 cork (Fig. 16), what is called jeweler's hollow wire 

 answering the purpose. The liquid evaporates more 

 readily in such a bottle, and I altogether prefer the 

 first mentioned. Some large insects, and especially 

 female moths, whose size prevents the use of the or- 

 dinary cyanide bottles, are difficult to kill. With 

 these, fluttering may be prevented by the use of 

 chloroform, or by a squeeze of the thorax under 

 the wings with the thumb and finger; and they may 

 be killed by puncturing the thorax, or piercing the 

 body longitudinally, with a needle dipped in liquid cyanide, or ox- 

 alic acid. A long bottle with a needle 

 thrust into the cork may be kept for this 

 purpose; but the needle must be of ivory 

 or bone, as those of metal are corroded 

 and eaten by the liquids. Hot water kills 

 rapidly, and leaves the specimens in good 

 flexible condition for mounting; the heads 

 of large insects may be held for a few 

 moments in the water, while smaller spe- 

 cimens should first be thrown into a 

 corked bottle, and the bottle submitted 

 to the heat. 



For killing small and delicate moths which 

 have been bred, I find nothing more handy than 

 chloroform. They may be caught in turned wood- 

 en boxes, which are kept by every druggist; and a 

 touch of the chloroform on the outside of the box immediately stupe- 

 fies them. It has a tendency to stiffen them, however, and they are 

 best set immediately aft6r death. 

 E.K — 3 



