144 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



following this plan we get all the advantages of two bottles out of 

 one. In addition to carrying this bottle it will be as well to have 

 a few pill boxes or glass tubes for the purpose of holding any- 

 choice or rare specimens. 



Besides having a tendency to discolour yellows if the specimens 

 are kept too long in it, cyanide tends to stiffen the limbs, and 

 this makes the " setting " of the insects a little troublesome, but 

 I avoid this by removing them at once into a damping dish (I use 

 a wide-mouthed glass) containing moistened sand, the specimens 

 being put upon this in a smaller glass or shell (a mussel will do), 

 and the whole covered in with a cork or damp cloth; by next 

 morning all the limbs, etc., are relaxed, and the insects are in 

 beautiful condition for setting. 



Some prefer to bring home all their captures in tubes or 

 pill boxes, (and I admit that this is best in the case of bees), 

 or in a bottle with bruised laurel leaves, though small insects 

 are very apt to get lost among the pieces of laurel; or in 

 a box saturated wdth ammonia. Each of these methods has 

 its advocates, and the tyro must just find out by experience 

 which is the best ; after all, it is a matter of little moment 

 which plan is followed, provided that the specimens are 

 obtained in a state fit for examination. It must, however, be 

 stated that cyanide is not a good medium for killing aculeate 

 Hymenoptcra, as it renders them too stiff; they are best killed 

 with sulphur. 



Having at length got the specimens killed and relaxed, the 

 next process is to prepare them for the cabinet. For this purpose 

 two methods may be followed : the flies may be pinned or set out 

 with gum tragacanth on card-board. Each of these plans has its 

 advantages and disadvantages; but there is this peculiarity 

 between them, that so far as the mere question of facility of 

 studying the specimens is concerned, it is a matter of little con- 

 sequence with the pinning process whether the specimens are 

 *'set" or not, i.e., whether the wings and legs are stretched out 

 by means of braces on a setting board, and allowed to remain 

 there until they have thoroughly dried in that position, or 

 whether the limbs are allowed to hang any way, there being 

 merely a pin stuck through the thorax, and nothing further 

 attempted. With either way all the parts can be examined ; 

 and it is obvious that if they are not set much time will be 



