Part 22

LARVÆ CAGE.—Take four square pieces (about 1½ inches square) of wood, each a foot long, and nail or screw them upright into the four corners of a square piece of ¾-inch deal measuring a foot each way. Stretch mosquito netting over sides, end, and top, arranging that one side can be opened. This can be managed by fastening the last fold of netting to one of the upright posts by three drawing-pins. Fresh leaves should be supplied daily. For those caterpillars which pupate in the soil, a shallow earthenware flower-pot—known in the trade as a “seed-pan”—should be supplied. The seed-pan should be filled with soil, the pupæ placed on the surface, and a layer of moss placed over them. Once a week the moss should be dipped in water, squeezed almost dry, and replaced on the pupæ.

AQUARIUM.—Procure from a local florist or seedsman what is known as a “propagating bell.” These cost from 1s. up to 2s. 6d. A block of wood 12 inches square and 4 or 5 inches in thickness is also required. Bore a hole about 2 inches in diameter right through the centre of the block, to hold the knob of the bell. Then, with a gouge chisel, make a saucer-shaped hollow round the hole, to roughly fit the rounded end of the bell. Before fitting the bell into the block, interpose a thin layer of moss.

This makes an excellent aquarium—elegant and serviceable. Keep the aquarium in a window, but shade it from bright sunlight.

Transcriber’s Notes

--Retained publication information from the printed exemplar (this eBook is in the public domain in the country of publication.)

--Only in the text versions, delimited italicized text with underscores.

--Silently corrected several typos.