APPARATUS USED BY ENTOMOLOGISTS. 311 



The best method for a youno; Entomologist is to obtain a cabinet of 

 about thirty drawers, arranged in two tiers, and covered in with fold- 

 ing doors. There is a great convenience in this size, as the cabinets 

 are rendered more portable; and cabinets may be added of the same 

 size, as the collection increases, without injuring the luhformity, may 

 be placed on each other, and carried to any extent. It is immaterial 

 whether the cabinet is made of mahogany or wainscot ; sometimes 

 they are made of cedar wood, but seldom of deal or any other wood 

 that is soft ; small holes or cells must be made on the inside of the 

 fronts for camphor. 



Corking of Drawers. — The readiest way is to buy the cork pre- 

 pared, which maybe obtained at most of the cork-cutters; but this 

 will be found expensive for large cabinets. I have generally bought it 

 in the rough state, and cut it into strips about three inches wide (the 

 length is immaterial if the method advised iiercafter is pursued); 

 these strips must be fixed in a vice, and, if the substance of the cork 

 will admit, split down the middle with a fine saw, (greasing the 

 saw must be avoided as much as possible, as it will stain the paper 

 used for covering it afterwards ;) the out or black side is to be rasp- 

 ed down to a certain smoothness, as well as the middle or inside. 

 Having reduced the slips to about three-eighths of an inch in thick- 

 ness, glue each piece (the darkest or worst side) on a sheet of brown 

 or cartridge paper ; this should be laid on a deal board about three 

 feet in length, and the width required for the drawer or box : a few fine 

 nails or brads must be driven through each piece of cork, to keep it 

 firm and in its place until the glue be dried: by this means sheets of 

 cork may be formed of the size of the drawer. All the irregularities 

 must be iiled or rasped down quite even, and the whole surface ren- 

 dered perfectly smooth by rubbing it over with pumice-stone : the 

 . sheet, thus formed and finished, must be glued into the drawers, to 

 prevent its warping ; some weights must be equally distributed over 

 the cork, that it may adhere firmly to the bottom of the drawer: when 

 quite dry, the weights must be removed, and the cork covered with 

 paper, which should be of the finest quality, but not very stout; the 

 paste should soak well into the paper previous to being laid over the 

 cork, which, if smoothly laid on, and gently rubbed over with a clean 

 cloth or solt paper, will be rendered perfectly smooth and tight when 

 dry. 



It is absolutely necessary that the cabinets should be kept in a dry 

 situation, otherwise the insects will become mouldy on the antenna-, 

 legs, Sec. This evil will also occur if the insect is put in the cabinet be- 

 fore it is thoroughly dry. Should an insect at any time become moiddy, 

 a camel's hair pencil dipped in clean spirits of wine, in which a little 

 camphor is dissolved, will soon clean it; but the insect must be dried 

 in a warm place before being again placed in the cabinet. 



