12G 



HARDWICKE'S S CIEN G E-GO SSIP. 



tilted into its place by iiieans of the settiug-neeclle, 

 whicli is merely a darning-needle witli a handle ; 

 and simultaneously it is to be held down by the 

 bristle ; then a small brace should be applied to the 

 costa of the fore-win^. Next the hind- wing should 

 in like manner be adjusted, and as many braces as 

 arc coujidered necessary to keep the wings in this 

 place should be added. Lastl.r, the right side of 

 the insect should be treated in a similar way. 



Vig. go. Moth set out on cork saddle. 



A very useful mode of setting, invaluable when 

 we are destituie of saddles, is known as "four- 

 strap" setting, and is -well explained in fig. 91. 



Fi^. 91. Four- Strap setting. 



In this case the lower straps are first put into 

 such a position, that when the insect is placed 

 over them, the middle of each of the cosltc will 

 rest upon them ; then the wings are got into posi- 

 tion, and the second pair of straps are applied 

 over the wings, the latter retaining their position 

 through the elasticity of their costfc: two more 

 straps are generally added to secure the outer 

 borders of the wings, as shown in the drawing; but 

 these, though advantugcoiis, are not absolutely 

 necessary. The saddles, with their contents, should 

 be kept in a drying-house, which is a box adapted 

 for their reception, and freely ventilated, until the 

 specimens are thoroughly dry, when the latter may 

 be cautiously removed, aud transferred to the 

 collection. 



To preserve our collection from decay, consider- 

 able care and attention is necessary. In the first 

 place no insect which is in the least degree sus- 

 pected of being alfccted by niitcs, or mould, or 

 grease, should upon any account be admitted to our 

 collections. It is best to be on the safe side and 

 submit every insect received from correspondents. 



whether mity or not, to quarantine, by which is 

 meant their detention for a few v.-eeks in a box 

 the atmosphere of which is impregnated .with some 

 vapour destructive to insect life ; such as that of 

 benzole. Oar own spccinjiens v.'c should kyauizc 

 by touching the bodies of each with a camel's-hair 

 brush dipped in a solution of bichloride of mercury 

 of the strength sis grains to the ounce of spirits of 

 wine,— uo stronger. 



As for mould, it is best destroyed by the appli- 

 cation of phaenic or carbolic acid, mixed with three 

 parts of ether or spirit. As preventives, the 

 specimens should be kyanized as above. Caution in 

 the use of laurel as a killing agent must be exer- 

 cised, and the collection must be kept in a dry 

 room. 



Grease may be removed by soaking the insects 

 iu pure rectified naphtha or benzole, even by boil- 

 ing them iu it if necessary. When the bodies only 

 are greasy, they may be broken off, numbered, and. 

 treated as above. After the grease is thoroughly 

 softened, the insects should be covered up in pow- 

 dered pipeclay or French chalk, which may be sub- 

 sequently removed by means of a small sable brush. 

 As a precaution against grease, it is advisable to 

 remove the contents of the abdomina by slitting up 

 the latter beneath with a finely-pointed pair of 

 scissors before they are thorough-dry, and packing 

 the cavities with cotton-wool. The males.espccially 

 of such species as have internal feeding larvee, 

 should be thus treated. 



Some prefer to keep their collections in well- 

 made store-boxe?, which possess many advantages 

 over the cabinet ; for example, they may be kept 

 like books in a bookcase, the upright position ren- 

 dering the contents less liable to the attacks of 

 mites ; they are more readily referred to, aud are 

 more portable, and they admit of our gradually ex- 

 panding our collections to any extent. Cabinets, on 

 the other hand,'are preferred by many, for the reasons 

 that they are compact and generally form a hand- 

 some article of furniture ; moreover, good cabinets 

 are madc_cntirely of mahogany, which is the best 

 wood for the purpose ; deal, and other woods con- 

 taining resinous matter, having a decidedly in- 

 jurious effect cu the specimens. As a preservative, 

 there is, after all, perhaps nothing better than cam- 

 phor ; but it should be used sparingly, or its tendency 

 will be to cause greasiness of the specimens. 



ART IN ITS RELATION TO NATURAL 

 SCIENCE. 



PAINTINGS, and works of art generally, have 

 not hitherto been introduced into Scienck- 

 Gossip, but, on reflection, it appears that the 

 fine arts would be advanced by the appHcation 

 of science to them. Anatomy, perspective, the 



