156 PRACTICAL EXTOMOLOGY. 



to correspond with the insects to be pinned. The braces may be 

 made of various shapes with pins through them, and are for extend- 

 ing and holding the wings and legs of the insect — (see plate.) The 

 awl is for piercing holes in the setting board and cabinet. The 

 chloroform is for killing the insects, that they may be set properly. 

 A few drops should always be put on the heads of butterflies and 

 moths, to prevent their breaking their wings by fluttering. Care 

 should be exercised in doing it, that you do not inhale the fumes. 

 It should be taken in the left hand, with the thumb over the mouth 

 of the vial, and a drop applied with a little spatula. The gum arabic 

 is for mending broken limbs and bodies, and setting small insects. 



Mounting, Setting, Preserving, etc. 



Although experience is the best guide in this subject,* yet a few 

 general directions will be valuable, and save many mistakes by the 

 inexperienced collector and student. Only those insects half an inch 

 and upward in length, should be pinned. The process is simply to 

 force a pin through the thorax^ or between the wings of the insect. 

 Stick the pin into the setting board, arrange the body, wings and 

 legs, as you wish them to remain, and leave them a day or so, to 

 become rigid, and then remove to its permanent place in the cabi- 

 net. All insects are pinned in this manner, except beetles, which 

 should be pinned through the right wing cover. The pins should 

 be proportioned in size to the size of the specimen pinned. They 

 should pass vertically through the insect, and project fur enough to 

 hold the insect to the setting board and case, and make allowance 

 for setting, and still leave the top end long enough to be easily 

 grasped between the thumb and forefinger. Some collectors bring the 

 insect nearly to the top of the pin, but the better way is to allow the 

 feet to touch the bottom of the cabinet and the pin to project, as the 

 specimen looks more natural and is far easier handled. The limbs 

 should be set in the attitude of life. If more than one specimen of 

 the same species is obtained, they should be arranged in different 

 forms — representing in motion, and in rest. Pins and braces of wood 

 and paper may be used, to keep the limbs in place on the board 

 until rigid. Insects too small to be pinned, may be fastened to slips 

 of stiff card-board or glass, cut to the desired shape — (see plate.) 

 The legs should be fastened with gum to the card, and the card 



