INFLATING LARVE. 27 
Insects frequently become broken while in the cabinet 
and it is recommended that inspissated ox gall made into 
a thick gum with a little water be employed in mending 
them. 
It is occasionally necessary to transport collections of in- 
sects from one place to another and at such times the great- 
est care should be taken to protect them from injury. The 
collector in distant parts can send all but the Lepidoptera 
and flies in spirit; the former may be sent folded in envel- 
opes while flies can only be pinned. In case mounted 
specimens are to be sent the danger of damage is much 
greater. Small cork-lined boxes should be employed and 
the pins should be very firmly fixed, the points being forced 
into the wood of the box. ‘These smaller boxes should 
then be placed in a larger one and surrounded on all sides 
with crumpled paper, hay, “excelsior,” or other elastic pack- 
ing. By this process all jars received in transit are much 
lessened. 
INFLATING LARVA. 
Besides the usual manner of preserving larvee in spirit they 
are sometimes inflated and dried. Several advantages accrue 
from this method of preservation; the colors are better 
preserved, all hairs and spines retain their proper position 
and the specimens are always in good condition for the 
artist’s pencil. The following account of the process is con- 
densed from that of Mr. Scudder : 
The necessary instruments for the operation are a small 
