322 



ARRANGING INSECTS IN A CABINET. 



Tlie modern practice, which is by far the best, is to arrange insects 

 in cokuiins, with the generic name fastened Ijy a pin above, and the 

 s^>ecific below them : the Hnes should be ruled with a black lead pen- 

 cil, which will always admit of alteration, and look much neater than 

 if ruled with ink. Males and females should be procured as far as 

 possible. Cokup/era, Orthoptera, and Hemiptcnt, are arranged side by 

 side, with an open-winged specimen below them. Lepidoplera, of But- 

 terflies ; four specimens of each species arc preferred, to show the upper 

 ajid under side of each sex : the Sphinges and Moths — the upper sides 

 only are shown, as the specific characters are but seldom taken front 

 the under side : in this and the following Orders the males are placed 

 above, the females below; as they not only look much more natural, 

 but save considerable room. \^arieties should be procured and ex- 

 tended as far as possible, as they frequently tend to decide the species : 

 mutilated specimens should be rejected ; but as we cannot always rea- 

 dily replace them by perfect ones, it is much better to retain them. 

 There is a vile practice in use among collectors, to mend such speci- 

 mens by parts from other insects. I cannot sufficiently express my al>- 

 horrence of such ways, but should hope that no Naturalist, who is a 

 lover of truth and an admirer of nature, will ever disgrace his cabinet 

 by such paltry specimens, as they can be of no use in a scientific view, 

 and only serve to lead to errors. 



No Exotic specimen should ever be placed in a collection of Bri- 

 tish Insects, however near it may approach in appearance ; for 

 by this means numbers of insects liave been described as natives of 

 Britain, merely on account of being found in such cabinets. Species 

 are distinguished in many instances by such minute characters, ami 

 they approach each other by such imperceptible degrees, that wc eaiv 

 not be too particular in our examination, or too curious in knowing 

 their habitats, as this frequently leads us to determine whether they 

 are natives of this coimtry. 



Our best Entomologists, therefore, where they cannot obtain British 

 specimens of rare insects, are naturally anxious to obtain foreign ones; 

 but these as well as doubtful species are always kept in a drawer by 

 themselves, which answers every good purpose of reference for the 

 sake of becoming acquainted with the species : to this drawer a large 

 label is affixed, as, Exotic Specimens of Rare British Insects. 

 By this means a cabinet is rendered more valuable, as a dependence 

 can be placed on the specimens it contains, and will ever remain a 

 fj.«<Ut to its possessor, as it at once distinguishes the man of science 

 nud ti\c lover of truth. 



