PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
PLC.O. 885
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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take a piece of soft tissue paper, write a number on it in pencil, then fold up several specimens of one species in it; the paper should be folded over a good many times, and its final size should be such that it fits tightly into the tube and cannot become unfolded in transit. Under a similar number an account can be sent home of the habits, &c., of the species. In the case of distinctively coloured species, the colours should be noted during life and duly recorded. Any notes on habits, distribution, frequency, &c., would be greatly appreciated.
PACKING.-See that the corks of the tubes are well rammed home. Reject all defective corks. When the tubes are being finally closed, a lightly crumpled piece of soft paper may be inserted to prevent the specimen moving about too much. The tubes should also be quite filled up with the preservative. A large air-bubble may be avoided by pressing the cork to one side when pushing it home. When the tube has been closed, the cork and the edges of the tube should be covered with melted wax, to check leakage; the wax from an ordinary stearine (or mining) candle will be found most satisfactory. The tubes must be returned in the wooden cases provided, and these should be carefully packed in covering box or tin.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTING MOSQUITOES, AND OTHER SMALL OR DELICATE FLIES. No large or stoutly built flies should be treated by the following methods, which should be confined to insects smaller than the house-fly.
COLLECTING.—Many species of mosquitoes may be obtained during the day in shady woods or forests; others prefer open, swampy ground, and can best be secured in numbers just after sunset; others again can be most conveniently collected in houses. When caught. with a net in the open the insects should be brought home alive in glass-bottomed pill-boxes. In houses, it will be found that most of the mosquitoes fly to the windows at dusk, and they may then be caught in the following way: Take a pill-box and firmly fix across the bottom a strip of blotting-paper, on which place a drop or two of chloroform or ammonia; the box should then be put over a mosquito on the window; in a few seconds the insect will be partly stupefied and can then be transferred at once to the cyanide bottle, the box being imme liately placed over another insect, and so on ; by this means a good series can often be obtained with comparatively little trouble. These insects often collect in some numbers during the day on the thatch inside native huts, and many may be captured with a few sweeps of the net; special attention should also be given to those species which attack domesticated animals. Mosquitoes may be bred quite easily from larvae, and this method of collecting should be adopted whenever practicable.
The minute insects known as "sand flies" (Simulium, Phlebotomus and Culicoides should be carefully collected. Simulium, so far as is at present known, breeds in shallow running streams. The larvae
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attach themselves to the stems of plants and stones; when matured, the flies are readily bred by placing the larvae in situ on portions of the plant
or on stones in a glass vessel, which should be covered over with a piece of rubber shecting. Water must not be added or the larvae will die off rapidly. The plants or stones, however, must be kept moist. Phlebotomus may be looked for in latrines and damp shady places. Culicoides often swarm along rivers and else- where; the members of this genus are all minute, and examples should be preserved in alcohol as well as in a dry condition.
KILLING. When the mosquitoes, &c., have been brought home alive, they may be killed by any of the three following methods: (a) cyanide-bottle: a very large bottle, preferably a 2-lb. prune jar, is necessary for this; the pill-boxes must be opened a fraction of an inch on one side and as many as possible of them may be put into the jar together; in five minutes the insects will be dead, and a fresh lot may be treated in the same way; (b) chloroform: prepare a number of small pieces of blotting-paper; on each piece shake a drop of chloroform and slip it at once into one of the pill-boxes; in about three minutes the insects may be removed; (c) ammonia : for this method it is necessary that a small hole should be bored in the top of the pill-box; take a board, place a drop of ammonia on it, then put the pill-box on the drop in such a way that the hole in the lid comes into contact with the ammonia; treat all the boxes in the same way, and the insects may be removed in about three minutes; the boxes should afterwards be left open some time before being used again for live insects,
PRESERVING. For all general purposes it is desirable that mosquitoes should be preserved dry. Specimens to be identified must on no account be placed in spirit. with as soon as possible after druth, for they very rapidly become Mosquitoes must be dealt dry and stiff, in which state they cannot be touched without breaking and are therefore useless for transmission.
The insects may be sent home either pinned or unpinned. If pinned, the following process should be adopted. Take a card dise (as supplied) and write on it all data connected with the specimen to be pinned, as follows: name of locality, including altitude if necessary; date-day, month, year-thus, 9, XI., 98; collector's name; any remarks of interest, e.g., "Most troublesome species in district,"
"Abundant only in open swamps,” “ Then take one of the fine No. 20 pins and thrust it through the Uncommon," &c. middle of the mosquito's thorax on the upper side, gently pushing the insect two-thirds of the way up the pin and taking great care not to break off the legs; this may conveniently be effected by stretching a corner of a handkerchief between the fingers and then gently pushing the pin through the fabric.
In the case of mosquitoes, a good number of specimens of each species (but not more than half) should be pinned through the side of the thorax instead of from above; while the majority (say two- thirds) of the midges and sand flies should be pinned in this manner. Then place the card disc on a piece of cork or peat with the writing downwards, seize the pin with the forceps (helow the specimen) and
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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