39 
The Jfatiiralists’ Companion. 
made through the ice crust and the 
water pumped out of the mine. Were 
this precaution not taken, the mine 
would become thickly coated with ice 
and could not be worked at all. 
The great demand for cryolite has 
given a strong impetus to the search 
for it in the United States, and in 1883 
a mineral resembling cryolite was dis¬ 
covered at Pike’s Peak, El Paso county, 
Colorado, and several samples of it 
were sent to the president of the Penn- 
s^dvania company. He pronounced 
them to be cryolite, though of an infer¬ 
ior quality, and immediately wrote to 
have a ton of the mineral sent to him, 
even though the cost should be $5,000. 
The answer returned was that all the 
cryolite that could be found would not 
amount to a hundred pounds. This 
is the onl}^ locality in which the min¬ 
eral has been discovered on this conti¬ 
nent. 
Cryolite, or kryolith, can be employ¬ 
ed for a great variety of purposes, 
among which are the manufacture of 
lye, caustic sodas, aniline colors, por¬ 
celain hollow-wares, milk-white lamp 
globes, and also in the production of 
metallic aluminum. 
About Cleaning Oily Specimens of 
Lepidoptera, etc. 
If a specimen becomes oily, it is gen¬ 
erally believed that its beauty can 
never again be restored; but with a 
trifling cost and a little labor any spec¬ 
imen will in a short time have again 
its former lustre, without injuiy to the 
insect. This remedy has been tried 
on the most tender Diurnals, as well 
as on Sphinges andNoctuids. It can 
])e used on every insect. Should a 
specimen be oily throughout, body and 
wings, it may be put in the following 
fluid: One part of sulphuric ether to 
two parts of the strongest alcohol, and 
left therein for about twenty-four hours. 
Should the specimen be veiy oily, an¬ 
other bath may have to be applied. 
Should this second bath, after re¬ 
moving the insect, be only slightly 
discolored, the insect may be put in 
the last bath, which consists of pure 
sulphuric ether, in which it is left a 
few hours only. After being taken 
out and partly dried, it is put on the 
spreading-board. 
Another way of cleaning speciniens, 
where onlj^ the wings are oily, is this; 
The specimen is put on the spreading- 
board, under side up, without fasten- 
it in any wa}^, and the purest spirits of 
turpentine poured on to fully soak the 
wings, after which finel_y-powdered 
pipe clay is strewn thickly over the 
affected parts, and this left to dry. 
Should the clajy after being dry, be 
yellow, the oil is not all out of the wings, 
and the above has to be renewed. 
Should the clay be white after diy- 
ing, in can be relied upon that every 
particle of the fatty matter is drawm 
out of the wings. To remove the clay 
need a little experience, though any 
one can do it with a little care. Hold 
your specimen on the upper part of the 
pin, and give the pin a little jerk near 
the point, and the clay, being brittle, 
will easily fall off. After it is all re¬ 
moved the specimen may be brushed 
off with a fine camel-hair brush until 
clean. A specimen treated in the 
above wn 3 ’s will never again become 
oily .—Canadian Entomologist. 
In the Arctic region there are 762 
kinds of* flownrs. Fifty of tliese are 
confined to the Arctic region. 
