350 ELEMENTARY ENTOMOLOGY 



second line ; some entomologists have the name of the collector 

 on the third line. These labels should be printed in diamond type 

 on the best paper procurable, and may be had for from twenty-five 

 to thirty cents a thousand. In having labels printed, the space for 

 the date should be left blank, to be filled in later. Only the best 

 India ink and very fine crow-quill pens should be used. Below 

 the locality label should be the accession number, the collection 

 being numbered serially and each insect given a separate number, 

 unless two or more of the same species were collected under 

 the same conditions. The accession number should refer to the 

 collector's notes, in which everything known about the insect is 

 recorded. The date and place of collecting should again be re- 

 corded and the food plant or nature of the locality where the 

 insect was found, etc. 



Arrangement of insects. For the permanent storage of insect 

 collections two general types of box are used. One consists of 

 large glass-top drawers, about fifteen by eighteen inches, which fit 

 into cabinets. The other type consists of separate boxes, with cork 

 bottoms. For the beginner the latter type is probably the better. 

 Numerous boxes are on the market, made from both cardboard 

 and wood, the latter, of course, being far superior to the cardboard. 



In selecting insect boxes care must be taken to obtain those 

 having tight-fitting lids. This is absolutely essential in order to 

 keep out certain Dermestid beetles, which, if they gain access to the 

 collection, will quickly destroy it. Further precaution against these 

 insects should be taken by placing flake naphthalene in the boxes. 

 By far the best on the market is the Schmitt box (Fig. 488). 

 This comes in two sizes, twelve by fifteen inches and eight and 

 one half by fifteen inches, and is lined with pressed cork. In using 

 the drawers, the insect pins are stuck into small blocks of wood, 

 or into a lining of sheet cork, by means of pinning forceps (Fig. 

 478). The blocks 1 are cut to a uniform length and are made in 

 multiple width. The width of the blocks used depends on the size 

 of the insects and the number of specimens of each species. The 

 advantage of this system is that it allows an indefinite amount of 

 expansion of a collection, without necessitating the transfer of each 

 individual insect. 



1 See Comstock's "Insect Life." 



