Ifte Pernio ItalnraliKt : 



A Penny Weekly Magaz'ne of Natural History. 



No. 42. 



AUGUST 11th, 1880. 



Vol. 1. 



MITES. 



THE season is now approaching 

 when collectors ot all sorts must 

 look out for the appearance of mites. 

 How they get into Collections is not 

 very easy to discover, but it is not of 

 much consequence unless we could 

 earn to keep them out. They do get 

 in, and quickly do irreparable damage. 

 They often seem to have a special liking 

 for such parts of our specimens as we 

 more particularly value, fn a herba- 

 rium they always attack the flowers 

 and seeds to begin with. In an insect 

 dr awer while they often clear out the 

 abdomen leaving it a mere skin, thec- 

 als© have their choice tit-bits, such as 

 the basal joint of the antennae. In a 

 collection of egg* the inner skin or 

 lining of the shell appears to be the 

 only portion they can eat, but they do 

 this sadly too often, and in most of 

 cases they seem to destrov the coloring 

 of the eggs also. A correspondent 

 pointed out some time ago, that in our 

 article on preparing eggs for the cabinet, 

 we omitted to suggest a remedy for the 

 attacks of mite*. It is very easy to 

 prevent this in eggs, for they have only 

 to be washed out with a solution of 

 corrosive sublimate, to make them quite 



i impervious, but the poison is 

 dangerous, and the use of the blow- 

 pipe requiring it being constantly put 

 I to the mouth, made us unwilling to 

 recommend this preservative. Besides 

 some of our own eggs are at least twenty 

 years old, and have not been so 

 prepared, and they have never in any 

 case suffered. We were very careful in 

 cleaning them to have them quite clean, 

 and perfectly dry inside before they 

 were consich l ed finished, and if this 

 can be < xercised and a small piece of 

 paper gummed over the hole we believe 

 they are safe enough. The paper 

 however should be gummed and not 

 pasted on, as the paste itself will be 

 de voure d by the se omniverou s ere afcure s . 

 Insects in a cabinet drawer are generally 

 guarded against their attacks by a 

 portion of gum camphor being placed 

 in it, and where a constant and 

 plentiful supply is kept in the drawer, 

 we believe it is quite effectual. Cam- 

 phor, however, evaporates very quickly, 

 when exposed, and even in the con- 

 fined air of a cabinet drawer it will not 

 last for ever. Regular attention there- 

 fore is needed to keep up the supply, 

 for a few weeks neglect may work great 

 mischief. It is said that the evaporat- 



