THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
145 
Apparatus for Preparing Caterpillars 
for a Biological Collection. 
THE most common method for inflating 
and drying caterpillars, is that the 
caterpillar, after emptying its body of 
intestines, etc., by gentle pressure from 
the head toward the anus, be blown up 
with a straw inserted into the latter, and 
then be dried over the flame of an alcohol 
lamp. 
position by an inserted entomological 
pin. The specimens show their natural 
forms as well as colors beautifully, and 
have been prepared by some members of 
the Society in the following improved 
manner. The bottle k, is tightly closed 
by a cork or rubber. Two glass-tubes, 
bent at right angles as shown, pass 
through the cork, the one a having a 
larger diameter, is connected by the rub- 
ber tube s, with the rubber bello ws b, the 
Pig, 1.— APPAEATUS FOE PEEPAEING CATEKPIIiLAES. 
f.5.11. 
This method has two faults, first, that 
only one hand can be employed to give 
the body the required shape, and the 
other, that it becomes somewhat dis- 
figured at its end by the inserted straw. 
The Brooklyn Entomological Society 
has a collection of prepared caterpillars 
of butterflies, each specimen pasted on a 
piece of card-board with shellac solution, 
the card itself being held in a horrizontal 
smaller one c connects by the rubber tube 
D with a finely ijointed glass tube e, on 
which the caterpillar-skin f is secured. 
The glass tube is held by the stand o, 
which allows vertical and horizontal move- 
ments, thereby facilitating the apj^roacli 
of the caterpillar to the heated metal 
plate that rests upon the tripod n, under 
which is placed the gas or alcohol 
lamp L. 
