ON THE PRESERVATION OF LEPIDOPTEROUS LARViE5' 



By John W. Ellis. 



In consequence of a few specimens of preserved larvse having been 

 shown at our last meeting by Messrs. Whitby, West, and myself, I 

 have been asked by your president to contribute a paper containing a 

 description of my process. The remarks I have to make will not be 

 new to those of you who see the Entomologist, since it was in those 

 pages that I first found a description of the process ; but to those who 

 do not see that journal, I hope a few remarks on my process will not 

 be uninteresting. 



First, as to the instruments necessary : and of these, the fewer and 

 simpler the better. They are comprised in a couple of blow- pipes, a 

 pair of fine-pointed forceps, and an oven of some description. The 

 blow-pipes can be easily made by softening a piece of hard glass 

 tubing in the flame of a spirit lamp or gas jet — when, on drawing the 

 ends of the tube apart, the softened portion will be drawn to a fine 

 point. A piece of tubing eighteen inches long will make two nice 

 blow-pipes. One of the tubes should be left with a very fine orifice, 

 for such larva as the Eupithecm ; the other should be broken off until 

 the point of a good-sized needle can be inserted into the orifice. This 

 will do for such larva as Cratfsgata and Grossiilarlata. To the end of 

 each blow-pipe should be firmly bound a piece of watch-spring, so as 

 to clasp the anal flap of the larva when the tube is inserted into the 

 anal orifice. 



In a paper in the Entomologist for April, 1876, you will see that the 

 writer recommends the use of two springs, at opposite sides of the 

 point of the blow-pipe ; but I have found that unless the greatest care 

 be taken, there is danger of injuring, or at all events preventing the 

 perfect inflation of the hinder pair of pro-legs, if two springs are used. 

 Since beginning my experiments I have altogether discarded the use of 

 the second spring, as being too much in the way, and not at all 

 required. 



.The forceps should be fine-pointed, and are used for stretching the 

 anal orifice of some larva before the blow-pipe can be inserted, care 

 being taken of course not to tear the skin. 



* Read befere Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society, Oct. 29th« 

 S., Vol. iil, Jan., 1878. 



