BLOJ\ ITERPILLAR8. 



nation, the tube can be opened and i 



tice (Deutsche Ent. Zeits , xxxi., L887, b< fi 



Preserving Larvae Dry. — A g I method of pr< 



larvae dry, adopted a! I iresdi q, is to in- 



ines through a hole made near the una I extremity "1" the 

 larva, then to insert i fter which it i put 



in a glae . which is placed in a tin vessel and held <>-. 



lamp; the larval skin is blown while sue d over the 



lamp, by which the skin dries faster. I'. may be done with 

 a small tube or blow-pipe fixed at the end of a bladder, 

 held under the arm or between the ki as to leave the 



hands at liberty; and the straw which is inserted into the 

 body of the larva may be fastened by a cross-pin stuck 

 through the skin, and thus retained in its proper position 

 throughout the process of blowing.* M. P. Chretiei 

 Paris, who has had wide experience in preparing 

 lars. writes me describing his method of emptyii ae as 



follows: It sent to make with the poinl of ;i pair of 



Bcissors y small cut in tin' anus of the caterpillar, 



between the last pair of legs; then to -pil- 



lar upon a pic-,, of old linen for the purpose of _• up 



the fluids of the larva; then to press the caterpillar, 



* Mr. F. A. Wachtel fastens the skin t<> the tine poii iss tube 



in blowing, and by this method tin- last abdominal segmi 

 its form. Hi- method is described and I the apparat iu the 



Bulletin of the Brooklyn Ent» 



idder's Butterflies" II Holt & C< I n. Ent. vi. 10*3 01 \ 

 Nat., \iii. 821. For the serious study of larva?, al< mens 



should supplement the blown ones; forinmanj tably 



tin- Geometrids, the characters of the anal legs and 

 (distorted or lost in blown specin only to i" living 



or alcoholic examples Mr A W". P. Kramer, al 

 intestines, etc.. takes those protruding parts between hi 

 inserts the poinl of a finely drawn-oul glass tube till venl 



two or three millimetres, then si cure- the int< the ml e with a 



thread, and makes the juncture air-tighl with a n lie 



then tills the larva with air. and lets it drj 



The advantages claimed for this process are tb lired, 



and that on< has greater facilities for giving the 1 ir hural posi- 



tion. The air-pressure can be obtained with i ibl rbal 



Bull. Brooklyn Ent Soc., \ii. 93. 



