24 PACKING SPECIMENS ALREADY EXPANDED, 



PACKING SPECIMENS ALREADY EXPANDED TO PLACE IN 

 THE COLLECTION, FOR TRANSMISSION TO FOREIGN 

 PARTS. 



For this purpose it is best to have boxes made of very stout paste-board, bin- 

 ders' board, or of light wood such as is used for segar boxes ; these boxes should 

 be 10 x 14 inches and If inches deep in the clear, the lids should fit over 

 them, the bottom of the box must be lined with cork or other soft material ; 

 cork is the best as it is tenacious and closes on the pin when it is inserted into 

 it, whilst in aloe pith and such like the pin breaks a hole into it, as it were, 

 and jarring during a long journey may loosen the pin entirely, that it drops 

 out; then the very mischief is loose, as the insect thus freed rolls from end 

 to end of box cutting furrows through the lines, of beautiful specimens, it is 

 enough to burn one's heart even to think of it. 



In the centre of the lid of this box, cut a square hole, 3 x 3^ inches, and 

 on the outside of the lid, over this hole, lay a piece of stout glass of about 

 4x5 inches, which you secure in its place by first fastening strips of stout 

 paper along its edges to the lid with gum arabic, (which adheres to glass), 

 and then paste other larger strips over these with flour paste; this will secure 

 the glass firmly in its place ; this glass is, of course, only necessary to be put 

 into boxes that have to pass through the hands of Custom House officers ; 

 they see through the glass that the contents are insects, and that ends the 

 matter ; but were the glass not in they would rip the boxes open where they 

 are pasted shut, and in so doing damage the contents, besides they would 

 not again be pasted shut, and I leave you to imagine in what state your but- 

 terflies will reach their destination. 



The box just described is the best I know of; it is light in weight, suffi- 

 ciently strong, and with careful packing a great number of examples may be 

 safely put away. 



Never use a double box for transportation, in which the insects are to be 

 pinned on both sides; such boxes are only fit to stand on the shelves of a 

 closet, but never to send away. 



After the bottom of the box has the cork glued securely in, paste clean 

 paper over the cork, when that is dry put a thin layer of clean, raw cotton 

 over the whole bottom ; you can secure this by pushing a dull punch or awl 

 through the cotton into the cork, giving the awl a twist and then pulling it 

 out the cotton will stick in the hole; do this here and there, at spaces of 

 about two inches apart, along the edges. 



You are now all ready to put your specimens into the box ; you begin at 

 the uppermost corner, facing your left hand, and pin a butterfly or moth in 

 with the forceps, force the pin in tightly and see that the body is all tight and 

 right, then take another butterfly and pin him aside of the first, letting his 

 wings, facing your left hand, cover the wings of the first one you put in, facing 

 your right hand, then take another, and so on until you get to the edge of 

 the box facing your right hand ; then begin a second row, at the same end of 

 the box as you began the first, and when you place the first butterfly of this 

 second row try to get the head and thorax between the hind wings of the fly 

 right above him, which will cause his front wings to partially cover the hind 

 wings of the specimen right above him ; after he is in place take another, and 

 so keep on ; Diagram III A, Plate 2, will make the above clear. This 

 method is called shingling, and is used and probably originated with the Ger- 

 man Lepidopterists, and a better or prettier way don't exist ; it is best to have 



