278 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



matters about which young entomologists 

 are constantly seeking information. 



KILLING-BOTTLE. 



Most of my readers, of course, know how 

 to make this ; but for the benefit of those 

 who do not, the following directions may be 

 useful next season : — 



Procure a wide-mouthed bottle of about 

 four or six ounce capacity. Take it to a 

 chemist and get him to put in a half-ounce 

 (or ounce, according to the size of the bottle) 

 of cyanide of potassium ; then mix a little 

 plaster-of-Paris and pour it over the crystals' 

 sufficiently thickly to cover them about an 

 eighth of an inch ; let the plaster set, and if 

 the bottle is not provided, as it should be, 

 with a polished wooden cap, fit a large cork 

 closely to its mouth. Of course, you will 

 be very careful with the cyanide, bearing in 

 mind it is a deadly poison. 



MOULD ON MOTHS. 



Some collectors are greatly troubled with 

 a white mould gathering on and spoiling 

 the beauty of their finest specimens. This 

 is caused by the cabinet being damp. Re- 

 moval into a dry place is absolutely neces- 

 sary, and care must be taken to keep it 

 there. When there is any difficulty in keep- 

 ing the drawers perfectly dry, a small piece 

 or two of freshly-burnt quicklime should be 

 placed in the camphor-cells ; or, better still, 

 a piece of caustic potass. Whichever you 

 use, you must change it at frequent intervals 

 for a fresh piece. To remove the mould 

 itself, spirits of wine seems to me to answer 

 best ; but it is difficult to restore a moth to 

 its pristine beauty when the mould has 

 made much headway. 



MITES. 



These are the collectors worst foes, and 

 many a fine collection has been totally 

 ruined by them. There is nothing so 

 effective, as far as my experience goes, as 

 corrosive sublimate dissolved in alcohol, 

 but the great fault of it is when it dries it 

 deposits minute crystals of mercuric 



chloride on the thorax and wings of the 

 specimen saturated with it. Even if you 

 drop it on the underside — as of course you 

 would do — it is still apt to spoil the 

 specimen's beauty by the white incrustation. 

 Newman, as no doubt all of my readers 

 know, recommends benzole. 



I have seen it asserted that collections 

 have been preserved by camphor alone. It 

 may be so ; no doubt drawers provided 

 with camphor cells all round, and well 

 looked to will be found pretty free from 

 mites, and the safety of the specimens may 

 possibly be secured, for a few years at 

 least ; but in the case of valuable and unique 

 specimens, I should not like to trust to 

 camphor only. 



RELAXING. 



A very good relaxing box may be made 

 by covering the bottom or sides of a wooden 

 or tinned box with plaster or paris about 

 an eighth of an inch thick. When you 

 desire to use it fill it with water ; the dry 

 plaster will soon absorb a quantity of it 

 When you think it sufficiently damp pour 

 the water out of the box, and having 

 previously pinned the moths on the setting 

 board, put them, board and all, in the box, 

 shut the lid down and leave them in for 

 from forty to forty-eight hours, according to 

 their size, you will then be able to set them 

 out easily. Some use damp sand and it 

 will answer very well if you have not a 

 proper relaxing box made as described. 



A very quick way to relax butterflies and 

 moths is to pin them on a piece of cork and 

 iurn them downwards, over a jar of boiling 

 hot water ; the steam will soften the joints 

 in a very few minutes. After setting them 

 out dry them in a thorough draught, but I 

 am bound to say that even with this pre- 

 caution their beauty is apt to suffer, and I 

 do not recommend the plan except in cases 

 where rapidity is desired, or the wings are 

 so obstinately stiff that the ordinary method 

 will not answer. 



