PRESERVATION OF INSECTS. 393 



of good spirit of wine, and the under side of the 

 insect touched with a camel's-hair pencil, dipped in 

 the liquor, so as to let it lightly pervade every part 

 of the creature, which it readily does, it will, I ap- 

 prehend, prevent any future injury from insects. 

 A larger portion of the sublimate will leave an 

 unsightly whiteness upon the creature when the 

 specimen becomes dry. The under side of the 

 board, on which the insects are fixed, should be 

 warmed a little by the fire after the application, 

 that the superfluous moisture may fly off, before 

 finally closing the case. If this be omitted, the 

 inner surface of the glass will sometimes become 

 partially obscured by the fume arising from the 

 mixture. The experienced entomologist needs not 

 a notice like this ; but the young collector probably 

 will not regard it as unnecessary information, and 

 may be spared by it from both mortification and 

 regret. I have known insects commence their 

 serious operations before the collections of the sum- 

 mer could be arranged in their permanent cases. 



In noticing above, that this solution is generally 

 harmless, it is requisite that mention should be 

 made of the few instances in which it has been 

 observed to be injurious. I have applied it to 

 many specimens of foreign and British insects, and 

 commonly observed no indication of its having 

 been used, when the creatures had become dry. 

 But to confine our attentions to English specimens, 

 when the solution is made stronger than recom* 



