274 ENTOMOLOGY. 



for two years at least. The advantages of this method are manifest, 

 especially in the absence of any danger of breakage or leakage; and 

 it is more than probable that a similar plan might be employed with 

 reptiles, fishes, etc., but for these chloride of zinc suggests itself as 

 the agent most likely to be of service. As the insects do not become 

 rotten by the above process, it is sometimes not so easy to set their 

 legs in the peculiar manner in vogue in this country, but they will 

 have as a set-off the advantage of being thoroughly fit for study. 

 When by any chance spirit cannot be obtained, they Avill keep per- 

 fectly in dry sawdust, if the specimens are dried in the air for a few 

 hours first; all that is necessary afterwards being to relax them in the 

 sawdust instead of removing them from it. Jars or wide-mouthed 

 pickle-bottles may of course be used instead of tins, and are more 

 airtight, but liable to break." 



"That eminent and most excellent entomologist, Mr. E. W. Jan- 

 son, indorses Mr. Crotch's recommendation, and adds a few hints on 

 the subject of collecting beetles abroad, as follows : 



" 'The sawdust plan, now almost universally adopted by collectors, 

 I can recommend both on account of its simplicity and efficiency. 

 The sawdust should be that of some white or yellow wood without 

 coloring matter — pine is perhaps the best; it should be sifted over fine 

 muslin, and the dust and minute particles rejected. In collecting, 

 wide-mouthed bottles should be used ; these should be about one fourth 

 filled with dry sawdust, adding beneath a piece of cyanide of potas- 

 sium of the size of a large pea or haricot bean. On reaching home 

 after collecting:, the contents of the collecting bottles should be shaken 

 out on a large sheet of paper, and the insects transferred to the stock- 

 bottle or jar, and the cyanide and sawdust returned to the collecting- 

 bottles for future use. Any description of wide-mouthed bottles, 

 such as pickle jars, may be used as stock-bottles; they should, how- 

 ever, have tightly-fitting corks or rungs. Before putting the insects 

 collected into the stock-bottle, throw into it sawdust a quarter of an 

 inch in thickness, slightly damped, not moistened, with a mixture made 

 of alcohol (methylated spirit will answer admirably; brandy or strong 

 whiskey, if unsweetened, will suffice, but sweetened gin and rum 

 must be avoided), or, still better, benzine or benzoline, and carbolic 

 or pheuic acid. These should be mixed in the proportions of nine- 

 teen parts of alcohol or benzine and one part of carbolic acid. On 

 the sawdust clamped with this mixture place a layer of insects ; over 

 them a second stratum of damped sawdust, then a second layer of 

 insects, and so on alternately until the stock-bottle or jar is filled; 

 take care that it is always kept w-ell closed. When it is filled it may 

 be packed with any other objects in sawdust, hay, moss, or any other 

 elastic substance, and forwarded to its destination.' " 



