94 BULLETIN BROOKLYN ENTOM. SOC. VOL. VU. November 1884.] ° 
endeavoring to describe any larva from memory in such a way that it can 
be recognized. Even carefully written descriptions of larvee, made from 
the living insect give no satisfaction at all when not ascOn Eee by a 
drawing. 
Some of us have made sketches or drawings of rare larve, but this 
takes up too much valuable time and few collectors can draw a recogniz- 
able picture. Others have tried to preserve the larve as near life-like as 
possible and have met with more or less success. 
In the present article I have tried to describe a method which has 
given me during the past year much satisfaction both on account of its 
simplicity and effectiveness; the colors remaining nearly unchanged. It 
requires no costly or bulky apparatus and a little practice will enable any 
one to preserve his larva: in their natural shape and ‘color. Asa rule 
larvee are in the best condition to be operated upon, from three to six 
days after moulting. The colors are then not so easily destroyed as they 
are shortly after moulting or closely before pupation. 
When collecting caterpillars for this purpose do wot crowd Re to- 
gether in one box as they will invariably stain each other with their green 
saliva, causing dark spots on the skin, which f[ have is far been un- 
able to remove. 
The best way of killing them is with cyanide, care being taken that 
the cyanide-bottle is perfectly dry and that the exudation of the larva 
when dying does not come in contact with the skin. 
When dead, place the larva on a piece of paper resting on some soft 
material like wool, take a glass rod or tube, covered with rubber and 
cause the contents of the intestines to pass out through the anus by 
pressing the covered rod on the larva and rolling it from the middle of 
its back towards the claspers. While doing this the intestine will protrude 
to a length varying according to the size of the insect from 5 to 15 milli- 
meters. Next place the rod close behind the head and repeat the opera- 
tion, but do not endeavor to remove everything nor to exert much 
pressure on the larva or your green caterpillar, if you are operating on 
such a one, will lose its color and turn either white, yellow or brown. 
Having removed the nécessary part of the contents of the intestines, 
take the protruding alimentary canal between your fingers and insert the 
point of a finely drawn out glass tube, till it enters the anus two or three 
millimeters, then secure the intestine to the tube with a thread and make 
the juncture air-tight with a little collodion. All that now remains to be 
done is to fill the larva with air under a pressure of from 5 to 15 milli— 
