THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 39 



])Ose, and for my own use, after using a sufficient number and in various 

 conditions for generic and specific diagnosis, I have contented myself 

 with keeping a few, not packed in cotton, but simply laid on a loose tuft 

 of cotton, in a pill box, which being set away in the cabinet, the insect 

 remains as perfect as when first placed there. Such specimens, if needed 

 for future observation, I take by the legs in the stage forceps of the micro- 

 scope, and they are in good condition for observation either under the 

 microscope or without it, as they may by means of the forceps be con- 

 veniently turned and handled without danger of breaking them, and every 

 part of the insect may be well observed unless — as sometimes happens — 

 the wings are so perfectly closed as to conceal the upper surface of the 

 abdomen. But these are simply specimens preserved for future reference. 

 A few specimens of very rare species I have not attempted to pin and set 

 because of the danger of injury to such rare species. A few others of 

 the smallest species (as e. g., some Nepticulce) I have treated in the same 

 way, because of the certainty of injury, if not of absolute destruction, in 

 the attempt to pin them. But in other cases my descriptions have been 

 prepared from observations of numerous specimens in various conditions 

 as to preparation. I have found the species which I have described from 

 this locality \ery numerous, so that a morning's ramble any day from May 

 ist to November ist will supply me with specimens of fifty species, and 

 half a bushel of mined leaves. I have, therefore, not felt the necessity 

 of preserving pinned specimens of such species. Indeed, some years ago 

 I seldom took the trouble to pin and spread common species at all. In 

 a series of specimens the wings of some would be found in one position, 

 some in another, or more frequently I would separate the wings entirely 

 from the body. But a few years ago I began to make a collection to be 

 preserved as types of all my species. These were all pinned and spread. 

 Unfortunately, during my absence in Colorado, the greater part of this 

 collection was destroyed. One or more specimens of the greater number 

 of species were fortunately preserved, and most of the other species can 

 be supplied. This collection is now in the Cambridge Museum. It con- 

 tains types — pinned and spread — of something over 200 species. 



There are, however, serious objections to pinning and spreading many 

 Tineina. Very few persons are able to make a good " mount " of the 

 small species ; it is well nigh impossible to do it without some denudation, 

 and an amount of it which could not be appreciated in a larger moth, is 

 ruinous in one of these little things. Many species are characterized by 



