The Capture, Preparation, and Preservation of Specimens 



distance. As a rule, the wings of all specimens should be mounted 

 at a uniform elevation of about seven eighths of an inch above the 

 point of the pin. This is known as the " continental method " of 

 mounting, and is infinitely prefer- 

 able to the old-fashioned "English 

 method," in which the insect was 

 pinned low down upon the pin, so 

 that its wings touched the surface of 

 the box. 



Setting-blocks are most advanta- 

 geously employed in setting small 

 species, especially the Hesperiidce, 

 the wings of which are refractory. 



When the insect has been pinned 



. r . Fig. 53.— Setting-board designed 



upon the Setting-board or Setting- by the author. The wings of the 



block, the next step is to set the ' ms ^ are h , eld in P lace ty strips of 



.. . . . tracing-muslin, such as is used by 



Wings in the position which they engineers. The grooves at the side 

 are to maintain when the specimen ^ve to hold the board in place in 



„. . . r the drying-box. (See Fig. <5Q.) 



is thoroughly dry. This is accom- 



plished by means of what are known as " setting-needles " 

 (Fig. 56). Setting-needles may be easily made by simply stick- 

 ing ordinary needles into wooden matches from which the tips 

 have been removed. In drawing the wings into position, care 



should be taken to plant the setting-needle 

 behind the strong nervure on the costal 

 margin of the 

 wing; otherwise 

 the wings are lia- 

 ble to be torn and 

 disfigured. The 

 Fig. 54.— Setting-block: rule in setting lep- 



A, holes to enable the P in idoptera j s to draw 

 to reach to the cork; C, cork, r 



filling groove on the bottom the anterior wing 



ofthe block; fi, slit to hold fQrward in suh 

 thread. 



a manner that the 



Fig. 5s.— Setting-block with 

 butterfly expanded upon it. 



posterior margin of this wing is at right angles to the axis of 

 the body, the axis of the body being a line drawn through the 

 head to the extremity of the abdomen. The hind wing should 

 then be moved forward, its anterior margin lying under the op- 

 posing margin of the front wing. When the wings have thus 



39 



