



SETTING AND PRESERVING 129 



The way to prevent such intrusions is to make the atmosphere 

 of the compartments so obnoxious (to them) that they dare not 

 enter ; and, further, to so spice up your specimens that they are 

 no longer safely edible to the invaders. 



The first object can be attained by always keeping camphor or 

 naphthaline (albo-carbon) in each division. A lump of either sub- 

 stance may be secured by pins or a little perforated cell in the 

 corner of each drawer or box, or the bottom of each may be dusted 

 with finely powdered naphthaline ; but as both these solids are 

 volatile, care must be taken to renew the supply as occasion 

 requires. 



Then, with regard to the second precaution, perhaps nothing 

 is more effectual than corrosive sublimate. A little of this may be 

 dissolved in a small bottle of alcohol (spirits of wine), labelled with 

 the name and the word POISON, and kept ready for use. All the 

 skins of stuffed specimens should be painted with this solution, and 

 the stuffing itself may be moistened with it before insertion. 



There is yet another circumstance that renders a watchful care 

 of your cabinet specimens necessary, if you happen to possess 

 many that were captured ' at sugar.' Some of these will have so 

 gorged themselves with syrup that they are literally full of it, .and 

 this will sometimes find its way to the outside, often dropping on 

 the surface beneath. In such cases the sugar should be removed 

 as completely as possible, and the bodies stuffed, before they are 

 quite dry ; but if the specimens have been in the cabinet so long 

 that they are stiff and hard, the under sides of the abdomens may 

 be completely cut out with a very sharp knife and thr own-away, 

 and then the sugar cleaned out from the upper shell as neatly as 

 possible. 



