226 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Oct., Y. 



coridae, Saldidae, etc. Disregard of this rule, which is not un- 

 common, results either in badly damaged specimens, or the 

 use of inconveniently fine pins, or both. 



There are many forms of double mounts, recommended for 

 use in mounting small insects. For Hemiptera I find the card- 

 board point most suitable, the others clumsy in appearance as 

 compared with the minute specimens which they are designed 

 to support, and otherwise objectionable. But there are points 

 and points ! Thin paper is not at all suitable, though often 

 used : extremely large or extremely small points are alike bad ; 

 celluloid is refractory in several ways. A rather heavy white 

 bristol board of the very best quality may be recommended 

 as the finest material. This should be cut in strips 7-8 mm. in 

 width, from which the elongated triangular points are easily 

 made with scissors, the tips of varying widths from sharp to 

 blunt depending on the form and size of the insect to be 

 mounted. The point should be placed on a No. 3 black pin 

 at a height slightly less than that of ordinary pinned insects, 

 and the tip bent sharply downward so that it may be affixed 

 to the right side of the insect with a minute quantity of ad- 

 hesive. By this method of mounting, the entire surface of the 

 specimen, except a part of one side, is in full view a great 

 and obvious advantage, but it is rare indeed to meet with mate- 

 rial thus prepared. In the few cases where the form of the 

 body does not lend itself to this method of mounting, a very 

 narrow point may be used, so placed as to conceal as little of 

 the ventral surface as possible. The best adhesive material, 

 in mv experience, is white shellac, which mav be obtained in 



* * 



dissolved form at hardware stores. By a little manipulation, 

 drying or thinning with absolute alcohol according to circum- 

 stances, a consistency may be obtained such that the speci- 

 mens will remain in place immediately upon affixing, 

 fixative should be very restricted in quantity, so that the stu- 

 dent may be spared the labor of experimenting with various 

 solvents in the effort to bring to light the imbedded specimen. 

 For fixing specimens, points, and labels at uniform heights 

 on the pins, some form of pinning block is a necessity. I have 



