39^ 



ARRANGING INSECTS IN A CABINET. 



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

 in cokimns, with the generic name fastened by a pin above, and the 

 specitic below them : the lines should be ruled with a black lead pen- 

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

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

 possible. Culeopteru, Oiihoptera, and Hcntiptcru, are arranged side by 

 side, with an open-winged specimen below them. Lep'uloplcru, ot But- 

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

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

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

 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 cunsiderat)lc room. Varieties should be procured and ex- 

 tended as far as possible, as they frecpiently 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 ab- 

 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 scientitic view, 

 and only serve to lead to errors. 



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

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

 bv this means numbers of insects have been described as natives of 

 Britain, merely on account of being found in such cabinets. Sj>ecie«t 

 are distinguished in many instances by such minute characters, and 

 they approach each other by such imperceptible degrees, that we can- 

 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 Insecth. 

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

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

 credit to its possessor, as it at once distinguishes the man of sciiiice 

 nnd the lover of truth. 



