The Capture, Preparation, and Preservation of Specimens 



preserved in papers or envelopes these should be opened a little 

 and laid upon damp, carbolized sand under a bell-glass or in a 

 closed receptacle of some kind. Papered specimens may also be 

 placed in their envelopes between clean towels, which have been 

 moistened in water to which a little carbolic acid has been added. 

 The towels should be wrung out quite dry before using them. 



Fig. 60. — Drying-box (Riley). 



The method of placing between towels should never be used in 

 the case of very small and delicate species and those which are 

 blue or green in color. Great care must be exercised not to allow 

 the insects to become soaked or unduly wet. This ruins them. 

 They should, however, be damp enough to allow the wings and 

 other organs to be freely moved. When the insects have been 

 relaxed they may be pinned and expanded on setting-boards like 

 freshly caught specimens. It is well in setting the wings of re- 

 laxed specimens, after having thrust the pin through the body, to 

 take a small forceps and, seizing the wings just where they join 

 the body, gently move them so as to open them and make their 

 movement easy before pinning them upon the setting-board. 

 The skilful manipulator in this way quickly ascertains whether 

 they have been sufficiently relaxed to admit of their being readily 

 set. If discovered to be too stiff and liable to break they must be 

 still further relaxed. Dried specimens which have been relaxed 

 and then mounted generally require only a short time to dry 

 again, and need rarely be kept more than twenty-four hours upon 

 the setting-boards. 



The process of setting insects upon setting-blocks is exactly the 



42 



