148 
drop the abdomen into a wide-mouthed bottle containing 
‘rectified benzole.’ If, however, the ‘grease’ has com- 
menced to attack the thorax or wings, then the whole insect 
is dropped into the benzole. As a general rule, from four 
to ten or twelve days’ immersion will clean the greasiest 
insect, providing that the quantity of benzole is in propor- 
tion to the number of specimens placed in it, as of course 
there must be a point at which it becomes loaded and cannot 
take up more ‘ grease;’ but a very much longer immersion 
has no deleterious effect upon the insects treated, as will be 
seen from the two upper specimens in the Cambridge series 
now exhibited, both of which have been floating about whole 
in a bottle of benzole since the winter of 1891-2, and were 
only taken out on Saturday last, thus having been in ‘ soak’ 
nearly six years, and show no signs of injury or deterioration 
in any respect. On taking the bodies, or whole insects as 
the case may be, out of the benzole, I place them in 
magnesia, covering them completely with it, and allow them 
to remain until the following day, the magnesia acting as an 
absorbent, and thoroughly drying them, so that when lifted 
out it is seldom that any of it remains attached ; but should 
it do so it is easily blown off or removed by a touch with 
acamel’s-hair paint brush. Benzoline has been recommended 
by some entomologists as a solvent, instead of the rectified 
benzole, on account of the lower price of the former; but 
seeing that benzoline is an impure spirit, and that the 
rectified benzole when bought by the pint is not very costly, 
I am inclined to pin my faith to the last-named medium. 
Similarly plaster of Paris, which has sometimes been used 
as an absorbent instead of magnesia, appears to me to be 
less suitable on account of its greater density.” 
In the discussion which followed, in which Messrs. 
Mansbridge, Tunaley, South, McArthur, and others took 
part, it was mentioned that both benzoline and ether had 
been successfully employed, and that very satisfactory 
results had been obtained by placing the insects, on re- 
moval from the fluid, in a position where a draught of air 
would pass over them,—as, for example, in front of a partially 
opened window, instead of using an absorbent. 
OCTOBER 28th, 1897. 
Mr. R. ADKIN, F.E.S., President, in the Chair. 
Mr. H. B. Browne, B.A., of Hammersmith, was elected a 
member. 
