FIELD BOOK OF INSECTS. 



should be put into alcohol. In an emergency, kerosene, 

 gasoline, or benzine, put on the thorax, will kill and give 

 satisfactory specimens. Pounded laurel leaves and peach 

 pits make a weak killing agent, and butterflies andjnoths 

 may be killed by carefully but firmly pinching the thorax 

 between the thumb and finger, one on each side. In fact, 

 many collectors of these insects pinch their captures before 

 taking them out of the net. This prevents their injuring 

 themselves by thrashing about. 



MOUNTING 



The stock method is pinning. The almost universally 

 adopted pin is I }4 in. long, and has a very small head. It 

 varies in thickness from extremely slender to as thick as an 

 ordinary pin. The useful sizes are from No. o to No. 3. 

 They are either plain "white" or enameled black. Much 

 is to be said for both, with the voting probably in favor of 

 black. At any rate, they should snap back when bent a 

 reasonable amount. A pin that bends easily and stays 

 bent produces profanity. Beetles are usually pinned 

 through the right wing-cover. All other insects, when 

 pinned, are pinned through the thorax. In the case of 

 flies it is well to pin a trifle to the right of the middle line, 

 as the bristles on the back are important in taxonomy and 

 one side of the body should be perfect. True bugs should 

 be pinned through the triangular portion of the thorax 

 which is between the wings. 



Very small insects are usually mounted on the tip of 

 paper triangles, a medium-sized pin being stuck through 

 the broad end of the triangle. The triangles are of about 

 as many sizes as there are collectors. A ticket-punch can 

 be purchased which has a die suitable for cutting these 

 triangles. However, if they be cut out with scissors or a 

 sharp knife a variety of sizes and shapes suited to different 

 insects can easily be made. The best way is to cut 

 tough, rather stiff paper into strips about .4 inch wide and 

 then snip off triangles from them by making transverse 

 cuts. It is well to pin up a quantity of these triangles in 

 odd moments and keep them on hand. When ready to 

 mount, put a small bit of white shellac dissolved in alcohol, 



18 



