Notes

Abstract

THE Natural History branch of the British Museum in Cromwell Road has just received a most important donation from Lord Walsingham, consisting of a collection of Lepidoptera with their larvæ, mainly British butterflies (Rhopalocera) and certain families of moths (Heterocera), including Sphingidæ, Bombyces, Pseudobombyces, Noctuæ, Geometridæ, and Pyralidæ. There is also a fine series of Indian species, collected and preserved at Dharmsala, in the Punjab, by the Rev. John H. Hocking, and specimens of exotic silk-producing Bombyces in various stages of their development, obtained mostly from M. Wailly. With very few exceptions, the British larvæ, which retain a most life-like appearance, and are placed upon models of the plants upon which they feed, have been prepared and mounted by Lord Walsingham himself; the process adopted having been inflation of the empty skin of the caterpillar by means of a glass tube and india-rubber spray-blower over a spirit-lamp guarded by wire gauze. This has been found a simpler and quicker process, and one admitting of more satisfactory manipulation, than the alternative system of baking by means of heated metal plates or ovens. The specimens have mostly retained their natural colour, but in the case of the bright green species it has been found necessary to introduce a little artificial dry pigment. The whole collection consists of 2540 specimens of larvæ, belonging to 776 species, together with a series of the perfect insects of each species. As continued exposure to light is, unfortunately, most detrimental to the colours of insects, this collection cannot be exhibited permanently, but for the advantage of those who would like to see it without any restriction, it will be placed in the entrance hall of the Museum for a period of six weeks, including the Whitsuntide holidays and the Jubilee week in June.