Capture and Preservation of Butterflies 



and steadily pull the heated portion until it is drawn 

 to a point of the required length. Nip off the part you 

 caught with the forceps, and your tube is ready. Or 

 another way is to heat the tube in the middle, and pull 

 the two ends apart ; this will give you two blowpipes, 

 and you can make a fine point to one for small cater- 

 pillars and a wider aperture to the other for large ones. 

 I used to know a friendly chemist who would " point " 

 as many tubes as I wanted at his Bunsen burner in a 

 few minutes. To complete your blowpipe, you will 

 need about 2 inches of a watch-spring any watch- 

 repairer will give you a broken spring. The photograph 

 on Plate VII. shows how the piece of spring is placed 

 and used ; it is bent to the required shape while heated, 

 and bound in position with fine copper wire. The wire 

 I use is the same as that required for mounting dried 

 larva skins ; it can be obtained at any shop where 

 electrical appliances are sold ; it is an extremely fine 

 wire covered with green silk thread. 



Your larva-preserving outfit is completed with a sheet 

 of blotting-paper and an ordinary lead pencil. I will 

 now describe the process. 



There could be no better species to begin with than 

 the caterpillar of the Large Garden White butterfly ; get 

 one as nearly full-grown as possible, lay it out on the 

 blotting-pad before you, place the lead pencil across it 

 gently, but firmly, just behind the head, and roll it 

 towards the tail. This kills the larva instantly, and 

 empties out its internal organs by the anal orifice. Roll 

 your pencil over it again to make sure 'the skin is 

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