RHOPALOCERA NIIJONICA. 



in 



preservative. To kill specimens, a drop of table vinegar or Acetic acid clilut. (not too strong,) should be 

 taken up on an ordinary pen. The insect is laid on its side, the pen is thrust into the under side of tlie 

 thorax, and the acid allowed to flow into the wound. No freshly caught specimens, although apparently- 

 dead, should be set out, until tliis is done. In setting insects, I find from experience that uliat 

 is k nown as the Continental system is the best ； in fact the. English system is a decided mistake. 

 The advantages of the Continental system are, tliat the specimen is set high up the pin, perfectly flat, with 

 the wings well forward. In this position it is easy to figure accurately, there is plenty of roum unacr neath 

 for labels recording references of date, place of capture, &c. ； specimens so set are nut liable to the 

 attacks of mould and insects, and Lliey can be moved with less risk of breakage. To keep the win gs in 

 position while drying, I use narrow silk ribbons, varying in width from ^ to 4 an inch, for tlie larger speci- 

 mens, and a long stout horse hair for the smaller ； this is pegged down by short stout pins which carry 

 small fragments of cork. 



To obtain specimens, the most satisfactory method is to rear them from the larval stage ； better 

 specimens are secured, and their life history and affinities can only tlius be accurately studied. This 

 method, moreover, will always prove of great interest an d give much instruction to tlie observer. 



In searchin9 r for larvx, it should be remembered that every part of a plant supports tht'ni ； some 

 feed on the leaves, others on the stem, bark, flowers, seeds, roots, fungi, lichens (many lichen feeders 

 mimic their food, or pile it on their backs) , dead tissue, such as cloth, dried specimens, dead leaves, &c. 

 A great many 7 inex pass their whole larval stage between the inner and outer cuticles of leaves. Many 

 larvse can only be obtained at ni^ht, by means of the sweeping net, which is stronp-l v made of canvas 

 and swept rapidly backwards and forwards, over low herbage. Beating the overhanein ^ branches of 

 trees into an umbrella, or beating net, is another effective way of obtaining larv^. 



Preserving Larvse. — About twenty years a^o, I first published instructions how to preserve larvse^ by in- 

 flating them over a spirit lamp until dry. This process has since been considerably improved, and with 

 patience and practice, many beautiful specimens may be preserved. Roughly speaking, the process is as 

 follows : the larva } which should be kept without food for a day, is immersed in a strong solution of 

 alum water ； the inside is pressed out on blotting paper and the empty skin inflated by means of a 

 glass pipette, over a spirit lamp enclosed in a tin box, until perfectly hard. The tin box which encloses 

 the spirit lamp, is open at the front ； the flame is kept from scorching the skin by an in ner protector of per- 

 forated zinc. The pipette must be bent almost at right angles and must have a round bulb in the middle. 



Pupa-digging and raking should be prosecuted during the autuni n and winter, when specimens can not 

 be obtained in the perfect state. Large isolated trees should be selected an d the moss and earth from 

 immediately round the base of the trunk, should be shaken over a sheet of paper. 



Many moths mimic the bark of trees, and the trunks should therefore be carefully searched, it bein^ 

 often necessary to blow into the crevices b じ fure the insect can be dislodged an d st- en. An ell じし tivc way 



