8 
large, but if of convenient size had better be put into 
spirits, taking the precaution of making an incision in- 
to the abdomen, to allow the entrance of the liquor. 
Shells. — These should be procured alive, or with 
the animal enclosed if possible. Bivalves are readily 
cleaned by opening and scraping out the contents. — - 
Univalves should be plunged into boiling water for a 
few minutes; the animal can then be readily drawn 
out whole. Specimens of fresh water and land shells 
of our country, are especially desired. 
Insects. — Attention should be particularly directed 
to the collection of coleoptera or hard shelled beetles, 
as these are much more easily preserved than any 
others. All beetles except the hairy ones, can be pre- 
served very well in spirits, those not allowing this 
mode, may be twisted up in a little paper cone, and 
after exposure to a gentle heat for the purpose of killing 
it, can be put into a dry bottle or box along with oth- 
ers. Nearly all insects may be kept by being impaled 
on a pin and stuck into a box, lined with cork or soft 
wood. In all collections of insects there should be 
some strongly odoriferous substance, as camphor or 
turpentine, for the purpose of resisting the attacks of 
living ones. The collector should always carry about 
him, a small vial having a broad mouth, and containing 
a piece of camphor, or of sponge, soaked in ether, in 
order to contain minute beetles. They may be trans- 
ferred to other bottles when dead. 
Animals of the other classes in Zoology, except cor- 
als and sponges, may be preserved in spirits. Fossil 
