52 8. GREEN ON A METHOD OF MOUNTING WHOLE INSECTS. 



Dipterous insects of moderate size may be treated in the follow- 

 ing way : — Catch them alive and hold their wings between the 

 thumb and finger. Thus secured they should be dipped in turpen- 

 tine, and held in it until quite dead. When released they will be 

 found with elevated wings and folded legs. Let them remain 

 undisturbed in the turpentine for five minutes or so. Then take 

 them out and hold them by the wings while you arrange their legs 

 under a magnifier, using a needle or a pair of fine forceps with a 

 light hand, as legs come easily off. Replace them in the turpentine 

 for a few minutes, and then transfer them to a small glass test tube 

 one-third full of turpentine. Hold the tube over a spirit lamp till 

 the turpentine commences to boil. Then examine with a magnifier 

 the insects in the tube. If cooked enough, tongues will be found 

 protruding from their mouths, forced out by the action of the hot 

 turpentine. The ovipositors of female insects are also similarly 

 displayed. This process much hastens the preparation of insects 

 destined to be mounted in Canada balsam, but they must not be 

 overcooked, as with prolonged boiling they are rendered too brittle 

 and transparent. After removal from hot turpentine they should 

 remain in cold turpentine until they become tolerably transparent, 

 with a perfectly clean outline. 



Spiders should not be boiled in turpentine. Kill them in spirits 

 of wine, and then place them on a piece of glass,* and arrange 

 their legs and antennas in proper position, or as near as possible. 

 Then wind a piece of fine sewing silk or thread round the glass in a 

 way to keep the legs in the position they have been placed. When 

 the winding has been completed, twist the ends of the thread 

 together to keep them fast. Then place the piece of glass with the 

 spiders on it in turpentine, and let it there remain until the spider 

 becomes sufficiently transparent. I have sometimes first placed 

 the bound spider in spirits of wine for a few days, and afterwards in 

 turpentine, to render it more quickly transparent. 



In my opinion the advantages gained by preparing insects in the 

 way I have described are that they do not alter in figure, or very 

 little so ; that their muscular structure is well shown, their eyes, 

 tongues and ovipositors nicely displayed, and preparation easy of 

 management after a little experience. 





I uauauj cuo siuiabie pieces from rejected slips. 



