PRESERVING n 



immersion of from a qua an hour to an hour, accord- 



ing in the Bize of the insect, the piu is nol affected l>\ the 

 corrosive sublimate, but it is better to unpin the ii 

 previous to immersion, and then pin it when almost dry. 



For cleaning insects ether or benzine is excellent, applied 

 with a hair-pencil; though care should be taken in using 

 these substances, which are very inflammable. 



After the specimens are placed in the cabinet, they 

 should be further protected from destructive - by 



placing in the drawers or boxes pieces of camphor wrapped 

 in paper perforated by pin-holes, or bottles containing 

 sponges saturated with benzine or oil of sassafras. The 

 collection should be carefully examined every month; the 

 presence of insects can be detected by the <lu>t beneath 

 them. Where a collection is much infested with destruc- 

 tive insects,* benzine should be poured into the bottom of 

 the box or drawer, when the fumes and contact of the l>eii- 

 zine wit li t licit- in ii lie< will kill them. The specimens them- 

 selves should nut he soaked in tin- benzine it possible, a- it 

 fenders t hem brittle. f 



•The common museum pests are AntJirenus varim, A. muworvm, 

 Ait'"j< ims pellio, Trogoderma tar sale, and D 

 siilcs Tinea pellionella, Mcgatoma, and Atropoa jnihatorius ; in Cali- 

 fornia Perim <tm has proved destructh [lections. 

 I'tih i ig, 269 is also liable to occur. 



f We find by placing a small | cyanide of potassium in an 



open sborl vial for a fortnight in an insect drawer that it maj lie 

 thoroughly disinfected; for permanent use naphthalii - are 



effective Naphthaline cones, while not killing the larva 

 iitluli anthreni, etc., ami should lie kept constantly in 

 draw nv Mi- Schwarz advocates the use of " white carbon," which 

 is naphthaline sold in the form of small, square rods, costii 

 cents a pound wholesale, and which is much purer than the naph- 

 thaline cones now in the market When broken up into small 

 pieces, and w rapped in thin paper, it can be convenient Q in- 



sect boxes or drawers Mr. A.khurst uses a preparation 

 8 parts ol or crude carbolic acid and 1 part oil ol pennyroyal, 



applied to the seams, grooves, and < dges >>t boxi - k< ep 



out museum pests Mr. .1. B. Smith urges the us< of bisulphide of 

 carbon, which both serves to cheek the devi lopim ni el _ ~ and 



to destroy the recently hatched larva? of museum p. - - He limls 

 that the onlj chances of Bafety from infection 



