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ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY CIRCULAR 39 



box to take up all moisture in the insect bodies. If the specimens 

 are large they should be allowed to dry moderately before being 

 put in cotton, and placed in a wood or cardboard container that 



Finished 

 paper 



Fig. 10. — Papers. These are temporary means of keeping dragonflies, 

 moths, butterflies, and small insects of all kinds until they can be relaxed 

 and mounted. A rectangular piece of paper, varying in size according to the 

 insect it is to contain, is folded along the dotted lines and in the directions 

 indicated by arrows, as shown in a, b, and c. 



will not "sweat," as will a metal box. If the insects become damp 

 in these containers they quickly mold or rot. They should be 

 packed tight enough to prevent their rolling around and breaking. 



Relaxing Boxes and Jars 



At any desired time the dry specimens may be relaxed and 

 mounted. A relaxing box or jar is easily made. In the bottom of 

 a wide-mouthed tin or jar, put an inch or two of clean sand; 

 saturate the sand with water containing a small amount of phenol 



