130 WORK AT HOME AND IN THE FIELD 



CHAPTEE X 

 PRESERVING OVA, LARVAE AND 



MANY young entomologists give their attention almost solely to the 

 perfect forms of insects, often collecting and studying a very large 

 number of species without regard to their earlier stages and meta- 

 morphoses. This is decidedly a very great mistake. Although 

 the lifeless form pinned in a cabinet may be a most beautiful object 

 in itself, yet a study of this alone is uninteresting compared with 

 that of the wonderful changes it has undergone since the time it 

 was a very young larva. 



The different stages of the insects should be known as far as 

 possible, and these, as well as the perfect forms, should be included 

 in the collection for future study and reference. A good cabinet, 

 according to my own opinion, is one that possesses, among other 

 good features, a number of complete sets illustrative of the life 

 history of at least the more typical forms : and as it is not a 

 difficult matter to preserve the earlier stages, there is really no 

 excuse for their omission from the collection. 



The empty shells of ova are in themselves sometimes interest- 

 ing objects, especially when they illustrate some peculiar instinct 

 on the part of the parent. Sterile eggs, also, often fall into the 

 hands of breeders and rearers, and these, though in other respects 

 unprofitable, are useful in the cabinet. 



If fertile eggs are to be prepared for a collection, they must be 

 killed. This is easily done by thrusting into each one the point of 

 a very fine needle, or by immersing them for a moment in boiling 

 water, or by shutting them up in a bottle with camphor. In drying 

 they often contract more or less, and frequently change their 

 colour ; still these are useful, providing notes have been taken of 

 the characters thus lost. The larger eggs are capable of special 

 treatment where the owner has the necessary time and patience, 

 and where the highest results are desired. By means of a surgeon's 



