1894.] 131 



progress seems to be made, since even in these ^''fin de Steele " days, 

 opinions differ considerably as to the best means of circumventing 

 those exasperating animal and vegetable parasites, though all agree to 

 grumble about them, and to wonder what Nature could be about to 

 invent such pests. It would be tedious to enumerate the various 

 specifics which have been successively in fashion, from camphor to 

 gaseline ; suffice it that the best suggestion, to my fancy, was that of 

 my good friend, the late Henry Doubleday, who advocated the use of 

 a weak solution of corrosive sublimate (perchloride of mercury). 

 His advice was that this liquid should be of the strength of six grains 

 to the ounce of spirits of wine, and that it should be applied with a 

 camel's hair brush to the under-sides of the abdomina. 



With this many people were dissatisfied, they not unnaturally 

 thought that there were other parts, besides those mentioned, which 

 required protection, and so, acting on the dubious precept that " one 

 cannot have too much of a good thing," they dipped their insects 

 bodily into the fluid. But though they thereby secured immunity 

 from their enemies, they not unfrequently detracted from the beauty 

 of their treasures. Sometimes they acted on the aforesaid illogical 

 principle in another direction, and increased the strength of their 

 solution, and thereby apparently ruined the appearance of their speci- 

 mens irretrievably, for they did not know at that time that an ether 

 bath would soon rectify the error which they had committed. It is 

 human nature : as soon as a good idea is started, certain people always 

 think that they can "go one better;" I do it myself, that is why I am 

 writing this paper. 



Just about a quarter of a century ago, while on this subject, I 

 wrote thus : " A good cabinet, quarantine, and kyanizing are the 

 things," and that advice does not appear to require much alteration 

 at the present day, though certain modifications, especially as to the 

 process of kyanizing, present themselves to my mind. Ether, which, 

 particularly in the form of spray, so far from causing injury, will 

 actually give freshness to a shabby specimen, has occurred to me as 

 an excellent vehicle in which to apply the perchloride. The strength 

 of the etherial solution should be five grains to the ounce — no more, 

 but the difficulty is to keep it at that standard, on account of evapora- 

 tion, and with this in view, my plan is as follows : — 



Prepare a narrow strip of corked wood, about a quarter of an 

 inch wide, and a foot or so long, with a cross handle at one end for 

 the treble purpose of steadying it when placed on a table, of obviating 

 the frequent handling of the specimens, and of holding it in the hand 



