98 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



it would be to let the first specimen 

 you netted in 1881 escape through a 

 rent made in 1880. Your sweeping 

 net too, wants a new binding. It has 

 roughish work to bear, and generally 

 gives way first, just at the part that is 

 most needed to be good. You know j 

 you partly accounted for your want of 

 success the last time you used it, by 

 supposing some larva had fallen 

 through the holes in the binding. 

 When these are done, and made as 

 perfect as they can be, get our your 

 setting boards. They very often har- 

 bour mites, which are conveyed by a 

 fresh specimen to the cabinet. A wash 

 of corrosive sublimate in solution is a 

 useful thing, but dangerous in yonng 

 hands, and the mites may be destroyed, 

 eggs and all, by subjecting them to 

 heat. We generally give ours a baking 

 in the oven for a short time, every 

 season, and find that answers every 

 purpose. Now your boxes. Whether 

 you use chip or cardboard boxes, you 

 find them squash at times to the 

 destruction of their contents. Some 

 think boxes are cheap enough, and 

 would rather buy more than glue tape 

 or calico over them ; it is so much 

 trouble. But then, buying more does 

 not preserve the specimens that were 

 in those you sat down on. A piece of 

 tape, or some calico cut into strips, is 

 soon glued round and over your boxes ; 

 and then, though not safe, you are very 

 much safer than if you use them as 

 they are purchased. Look to your 

 stock of pins, and get a fresh supply of 

 those you are short of. Mr. Meek is 



supplying a new pin now, it is covered' 

 in some way with a black varnish, and 

 is specially recommended for those, 

 insects that are liable to verdigrease. 

 It has scarcely been long enough in 

 use to enable us to say that it prevents 

 this. We can only sa}' no specimen 

 we have, that is pinned with it, has, 

 shown any signs of verdigrease yet.. 

 Some thought its color was an objec-' 

 tion, but we do not think it is more 

 conspicuous even on light insects than 

 either white or gilt pins. Your store 

 boxes also want cleaning. Throw out 

 those dilapidated specimens, that were 

 not good enough even to give away. I 

 They are no use, and only harbour i 

 mites. Get the boxes perfectly clean, 

 supply them with fresh camphor, and 

 the few specimens you may have left, 

 put all together, if they are worth pre- 

 serving. 



Do you keep a journal % If not, 

 you ought, and if you do, get enough 

 ruled for the coming season, and if you 

 found you wanted any particulars you 

 had not preserved last year, alter your 

 headings accordingly. Be conservative 

 enough to retain every thing you have 

 found valuable, but always be ready to! 

 adopt what you know will be an 

 improvement. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 Ig^lT We shall be particularly obliged if our 

 friends, in remitting us small sums, will 

 use the new Postal Orders, and send the ! 

 balance in halfpenny stamps. In so 

 remitting we would prefer that the Postal 

 Orders are sent us blank. Will those who 

 have not yet remitted for Vol. II kindly do 1 

 so at once. 



