The Butterfly Book: A Popular Guide to a Knowledge of the Butterflies of North AmericaHolland, W. J. (William Jacob)
Science
The Butterfly Book: A Popular Guide to a Knowledge of the Butterflies of North America
Holland, W. J. (William Jacob)
Butterflies -- North America
_The Preservation of Chrysalids._--Chrysalids may be deprived of their
vitality by simply immersing them in alcohol, or they may be killed by
means of chloroform, and they may then be fastened upon pins like the
imago, and arranged appropriately in the collection with the species.
Some chrysalids, however, lose their color when killed in this way, and
it is occasionally well to void them of their contents by making an
opening and carefully removing the parts that are contained within,
replacing with some material which will prevent the chrysalis from
shrinking and shriveling. This method of preserving need, however, be
resorted to only in exceptional cases. When a butterfly has escaped from
its chrysalis it frequently leaves the entire shell behind, with the
parts somewhat sundered, yet, nevertheless, furnishing a clear idea of
the structure of the chrysalis. If no other specimen of the chrysalis
can be obtained than these voided shells they should be preserved.
_The Preservation of Caterpillars._--The caterpillars of butterflies
when they first emerge from the egg, and before they make the first
moult, are, for the most part, extremely small, and are best preserved
as microscopic objects in cells filled with glycerine. After each
successive moult the larva increases rapidly in size. These various
stages in the development of the caterpillar should all be noted and
preserved, and it is customary to put up these collections in vials
filled with alcohol or a solution of formaline (which latter, by the by,
is preferable to alcohol), or to inflate them. The method of inflation
secures the best specimens.
In inflating larvæ the first step is carefully to remove the contents of
the larval skin. This may be done by making an incision with a stout pin
or a needle at the anal extremity, and then, between the folds of a soft
towel or cloth, pressing out the contents of the abdominal cavity. The
pressure should be first applied near the point where the pellicle has
been punctured, and should then be carried forward until the region of
the head is reached. Care must be exercised to apply only enough
pressure to expel the contents of the skin without disturbing the
tissues which lie nearest to the epidermis, in which the pigments are
located, and not to remove the hairs which are attached to the body.
Pressure sufficient to bruise the skin should never be applied. A little
practice soon imparts the required dexterity. The contents of the larval
skin having been removed, the next step is to inflate and dry the empty
skin. A compact statement of the method of performing this operation is
contained in Hornaday's "Taxidermy and Zoölogical Collecting," from
the pen of the writer, and I herewith reproduce it:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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