THE 
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A Monthly Medium for Collectors and Students of Natural History. 
Address of Office: 21, PROSPECT ROW, CAMBRIDGE. 
Vol. II. No. 22. APRIL, 1894. Copyright. 
GREASE. 
By H. Guard Knaggs, m.d., f.l.s., 
Author of “ The Lepidopterists’ Guide for the use of the Young Collector.” 
Formerly one of the Editors of “The Entomologists’ Monthly Magazine.” 
f MONG the supporters of your excellent journal, you 
probably number many whose delight is to collect 
butterflies and moths, who take a pride in the neatness 
of their collections, and to whom the sight of grease on 
any of their treasures is an absolute horror, for they know not 
where it will stop. There are various theories about this same 
grease, but, in my opinion, it is stored up for an all-wise purpose, 
namely, to provide against starvation, to protect against cold 
and wet, to supply a reserve of energy, to be expended in flight, 
etc., and possibly also to take part in the function of egg laying; 
but for whatever end Nature intended it, it certainly becomes 
an eyesore when visible on the surface of our specimens. 
With a view to setting the minds of your readers at rest, by 
showing them that the approach of the enemy need not be 
dreaded if only they will take timely steps to prevent or cure 
the evil before the mischief becomes irreparable, I have put 
together the following notes, in the hope that they may prove 
serviceable. The detergent fluid which is employed, in my plan 
of eradicating grease, is ether. Methylated ether answer perfectly 
is far cheaper than benzine, has twice the extracting power, and 
moreover, owing to its volatility, posesses the further merit of 
giving freshness to the fur of the specimen which has been sub¬ 
mitted to its action. It is inflammable, granted; so too, is 
benzine, and there is little to choose between the two on that 
