SETTING AND PRESERVING ARACHNOID A AND ACARI. 317 
fresh water, to extract the salt, which would soon destroy them by at- 
tracting moisture; they are then to be placed in a crawling posture, 
a »d the parts of the mouth are to be displayed by means of pins un- 
til dry; they will then remain in that position. The more minute 
species must be dried, and afterwards stuck on paper with gum-water, 
'd different positions. Those of Mgrutpoda are to be killed by immer- 
sion in spirits, and afterwards stuck with a pin on the right side. 
Crustacea and Myriapoda are kept in cabinets lined with cork, to 
" Inch they are affixed with pins ; or in boxes loose : the former me- 
thod is best, as they can then be moved from one place to another 
Without trouble or risk. 
AraciinoTda and Acari. 
The habitations of the animals of this class are fully described in 
the account of the genera, — further observations on this point will 
therefore be unnecessary. 
Method of presenting. — Mr. Donovan has observed, “ To determine 
whether some' species of Spiders could be preserved with their natu- 
ral colours, I put several into spirits of wine ; those with gibbous bo- 
dies soon after discharged a very considerable quantiy of viscid matter, 
a nd therewith all their most beautiful colours; the smallest retained 
their form, and only appeared rather paler in the colours than when 
they were living. 
“ During the course of last summer, among other Spiders, I met 
with a rare species ; it was of a bright yellow colour, elegantly marked 
with black, red, green, and purple By some accident it was unfortu- 
nately crushed to pieces in the chip-box wherein it was confined, and 
Was therefore thrown aside as useless ; a month or more after that 
time, having occasion to open die box, I observed that such parts of 
the skin as had dried against the inside of the box retained the origi- 
nal brightness of colour in a considerable degree. To further the 
ex periment, I made a similar attempt, with some caution, on the body 
°f another spider (Aranea Diadema), and though the colours were not 
Perfectly preserved, they appeared distinct. 
“ From other observations I find, that if you kill the spider, and 
"^mediately after extract the entrails, then inflate them by means of 
a blow-pipe, you may preserve them tolerably well : you must cleanse 
tiiem on the inside no more than is sufficient to prevent mouldiness, 
iest you injure the colours, which certainly in many kinds depend on 
some substance diat lies beneath the skin.” 
The best preserved specimens that I have seen are those where the 
contents of the abdomen have been taken out and filled with fine sand. 
1 have preserved several in this way, and find it answer the purpose. 
