Fig. 15. Folding paper triangles. 



in a tin box and never tightly close a wood- 

 en or pasteboard box until the insects are 

 thoroughly dry. If this precaution is not 

 taken the specimens will mold and be de- 

 stroyed. 



Many layers of cellu-cotton or cotton can 

 be used with small forms, a surprisingly 

 large number of which can be placed in a 

 small container. A little fumigant, made 

 of equal parts of paradichlorbenzene and 

 naphthalene crystals can be placed on the 

 top layer of cellu-cotton to keep out ants 

 and museum pests. (Paradichlorbenzene 

 and naphthalene crystals can be purchased 

 at any drugstore or scientific supply house.) 

 A tablespoonful of fumigant will be suf- 

 ficient for a container the size of a cigar 

 box. 



Paper Tubes. Beetles and similar in- 

 sects may be kept in tubes made by rolling 

 unglazed paper around a lead pencil, or 

 other object with a diameter larger than 

 that of the insects after first writing the 

 data on that part of the paper which will 

 J>e on the outside of the tube. Close one 

 end at once by folding or twisting the pa- 

 per. The tube is then nearly filled with 

 freshly killed insects and the other end 

 closed by folding in the paper or twisting. 

 These tubes can be packed in a cardboard 

 or wooden box containing fumigant. 



Pinning and Mounting Insect Specimens 



Relaxing Specimens. Freshly killed 

 specimens may be pinned upon returning 

 from the field if desired, and left to dry 

 on pinning boards. Insects preserved in 



ahohol are usually flexible, and can be 

 taken from the solution and treated in the 

 same manner as recently captured material. 

 (Descriptions of methods for expanding 

 Lepidoptera will be given later.) 



Dried insect specimens may be relaxed 

 and softened for mounting by merely keep- 

 ing them in a very damp container from 

 12 to 24 hours. Any nearly air-tight metal 

 or earthenware container having a layer of 

 wet sand, sawdust, or cotton will serve as 

 a relaxing box. However, a non-corrosive, 

 patent relaxing box is best. (See Fig. 16.) 

 Moisture is provided by dampening sheets 

 of coarse paper toweling and placing layers 

 of insects between them. It is well to place 

 a few drops of carbolic acid on the balsa- 

 wood bottom of this box, to prevent mold. 



Papered or pinned beetles, grasshoppers 

 and other forms that are not hairy or cov- 

 ered with scales may be dropped into warm 

 water (that is, just simmering) which will 

 relax them completely in a few moments. 

 Caution! Do not leave specimens in hot 

 water for too long a time or they will be 

 ruined. 



Fig. 16. Relaxing box. 



Insect Pins. It is extremely desirable to 

 use only special insect pins for specimens 

 for they have been designed to meet the 

 requirements of the entomologists, and 

 makeshifts and substitutes will only cause 

 trouble. 



Insect pins are sharply pointed, slender, 

 and usually 37 mm. long. They are made 

 of stiff, excellent quality non-corrosive steel 

 or are so thoroughly japanned as to be 

 nearly rustless. The finish of the pin is 

 smooth and polished so that it can be 



