cting hides, preserved insects and so on, do not copy the recipes
from this book. Though many of Browne's observations are in every way
practical and intelligent, our current knowledge of safe, persistent,
effective insecticides would not emerge for some fifty or sixty years
after his death. And, please, please! Though Browne was realistic in
his assessment of the dangers of the chemicals he describes, bear in
mind that even his precautions were insufficient for modern purposes.
Above all, be very wary of the mercurial recipes he mentions!!! It is
true that mercuric chloride is very effective, but I cannot think of a
single modern reason to use it. Today we have much safer, more
appropriate, materials at our disposal, including some very effective
fumigants that Browne would have coveted.

* Note that among the substances that Browne fails to warn us against,
are those that certainly are of low acute toxicity, but present
serious risks of chronic medical conditions or cancer, unrecognised in
his day. His much beloved "benzoline" seems to have been largely
benzene, which nowadays is regarded as a carcinogen, and for many
purposes too dangerous to handle. Before this became generally known I
personally handled benzene in totally unacceptable ways, but so far I
seem to have been lucky, and I seem to have given up tempting fate
before I incurred dangerous symptoms.

* Browne seems to me a bit too cheerful about high-pinned insects
being protected from some museum pests. High pinning might help a
little, but it most certainly is nowhere near adequate. I have
seen entire cases reduced to labelled pins standing among Dermestid
beetle frass. Use modern insecticides and carefully sealed drawers
or cases. I like the new pyrethroids, but keep in touch with museums
to be sure you know the best current means of protection. Grease
from pinned insects has caused me less of a problem than Browne
describes, but possibly that is because I always have used the
high-pinning techniques, never having known any other.

* When it comes to setting insects Browne was no doubt very artistic
and very competent at producing a presentable specimen no matter what,
but some of his procedures for cheerfully snipping insects and
re-assembling them should be avoided. Such expedients could ruin
specimens intended for the use of professional entomologists. For the
requirements of biological studies, it is far more important to have
a fully genuine speci