Oct. 1886.] 
AND OOLOGIST. 
159 



that the juices may be absorbed and not allowed 
to touch the outside of the skin. A straw may 
then be inserted in the anal orifice and held by 
small pins pushed through the anal flap and 
straw, or by winding the skin over the straw with 
silk. Then the skin must be gently distended 
with the breath until natural, and carefully dried 
in the heat of the flame of the lamp. They must 
not be scorched. Some use heated sand to dis- 
tend the body and dry it. A cork stopple clipped 
from sheet cork with a punch may be made to.fit 
the anal orifice and then the larve may be 
mounted by winding fine wire closely around a 
good sized pin and inserting the ends into the 
cork. 
It is well to have the larvee nearly full grown, 
and to let them fast for a day or two that they 
may eject the frass naturally, as squeezing the 
body with the frass in tends to injure the speci- 
mens. 
Hairy caterpillars have to be soaked in a fairly 
strong solution of alum water, to set their hairs 
before they are distended and dried. 
Good caterpillars to try the experiment on at 
first are the larve of Papilio asterias and the 
parasitized larvee of Citherouia requlis. The col- 
ors are retained if the work is well and carefully 
done. 
It would be well for entomologists to experi- 
ment in preserving larve, and then by a publica- 
tion of results assist in establishing the most suc- 
cessful methods. The work has been splendidly 
done by a few, who have kept their methods a 
secret, and frequently at their death the way of 
success has been lost. This should not be so. 
With selfishness of this sort generally practiced 
the race would get nowhere in science or mechan- 
ics. A generous interchange of plans and meth- 
ods and successes helps to advance any cause. 
ee 
Sea Island Insects. 
NON-PROFESSIONAL NOTES. 
BY WALTER HOXIE. 
It with considerable diffidence that I attempt a 
contribution for THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND O6LO- 
GIsT, upon insects, for it is many years since I 
have made anything like a collection, and I never 
could lay claim to being anything more than a 
mere dabbler in entomology. Still there are 
many insects in this locality which I know are 
not widely distributed, at least in such numbers 
as they occur here, and I can only hope that 
some of these lines may contain matter of interest 
to your readers. 
The Ant Lion is very abundant in all suitable 
situations, but under my door-sill there is a nu- 
merous colony. ‘Their little pits almost touch 
one another, and it is amusing to see how soon 
the whole neighborhood becomes active the in- 
stant one begins to dig. The first few grains of 
sand that fly are sure to trespass upon the next 
premises, whose occupant is in turn obliged to 
begin active operations and so ina minute or two 
there is a general stir. I don’t quite understand 
how they ever get a chance to stop when they 
get to digging in earnest. The hours of labor 
and repose seem, however, to be about equaily 
divided. 
Dragon flies of numerous species are very 
abundant, and in the wooded swamps some deli- 
cate species occur—Ogrion ep? if my memory 
does not tail me. 
The Mantis is not at all rare. Iam unable to 
say whether more than one species occurs here, 
but I suspect that the very slender grey ones 
which I occasionally see are only the young of 
the larger species. 
Grasshoppers proper, are not numerous, but the 
Locusts are well represented in both numbers 
and species. In some of the old fields the swarms 
that dart away on every side make a very bril- 
liant display with their red, yellow and black 
wings. 
Grillus and blatta are far too well represented 
for comfort about some buildings. 
I sometimes see the Mole Cricket. 
“Ground puppy,” by the natives. 
A very large species of Nepa is common in 
ponds and ditches. I can testify to their stinging 
powers. Its about all a man can bear in that 
line. Harvest flies are very numerous in early 
summer, 
The beetle family contains some peculiar 
representatives. One enormous species, of 
titijus, is occasionally found in the ground under 
“bird roosts.” A large weevil infests the palmet- 
to. Tiger beetles fairly swarm upon some of the 
beaches. The Scorabeide in suitable localities 
are well represented and many species are pecu- 
culiarly brilliant. Perhaps the most striking of 
the Iptera is a very large Tabanid. This family, 
the ascilus and the blow flies seem to be particu- 
larly well represented. 
Our largest butterfly seems to be allied to the 
Turner’s, but bigger and with more black. A 
large Celias (?) hovers about the cotton blossoms 
and is so closely matched with them in color that 
it is hard to distinguish when at rest upon a 
flower. The skippers are finely represented. 
Many other butterflies which I see in my daily 
rambles I am unable to refer even to families. 
It is called 
