pieces are separated by a central groove 

 with a pinning strip of soft material thru 

 which the pins are thrust. The width of 

 the central groove should be such that the 

 body of the insect will slip into it altho 

 it should not be more than g\" wider than 

 the body of the insect. In order to insure 

 this, a supply of different sizes should be 

 kept on hand, or a board should be used 

 in which the width of the central groove 

 can be changed. The former are called 

 standard boards and the latter are adjusta- 

 ble spreading boards. 



To spread an insect, proceed as follows: 



1. Two paper or tracing cloth strips a little 

 more than half the length of the spreading board 

 and varying in width from tW" to £" should be 

 cut and pinned on the board beside the grooves. 

 (Fig. 23d.) Slender steel mounting needles with 

 rounded heads are ideal for this purpose, and 

 for manipulating and holding the wings in posi- 

 tion. It is easier to begin in the middle of a 

 board and work toward one end, as this avoids 

 long reaches. 



2. Take the relaxed specimen from the mois- 

 ture chamhei. (Fig. 23a.) 



3. Remove it from the paper triangle and 

 squeeze the sides of the body just below the wing 

 bases with the forceps. This opens the wings so 

 that a pin can be thrust thru the thorax. (Fig. 

 23b.) 



4. Hold the butterfly with forceps in one hand 

 and with the other thrust the insect pin thru 

 the center of the thorax. (Fig. 23c.) 



5. Push the insect pin thru the pinning bot- 

 tom in the center of the spreading board groove 

 until its point touches the bottom. The wings 

 should then be level with the top of the board. 

 (Fig. 23d.) 



6. Raise the paper strips over the antennae 

 and wings and pin the strips on both sides in 

 position. (Fig. 23e.) 



7. Put an insect pin at the left side of the body 

 to prevent the specimen swinging out of line 

 dining the manipulation of the wings. Then, 

 holding the left hand strip over the wings loose- 

 ly, thrust the mounting needle thru the base of 

 the wing back of the strong vein that is found 

 just behind the front margin of the forewing. 

 Move the wing forward until the rear margin is 

 at right angles with the long axis of the hody 

 but not so far that the hind wing will slip out 

 from under it. Hold it in this position by lightly 

 pushing the needle into the board. (Fig. 23f.) 



8. In the same manner move the hind wing 

 forward until a small portion of the hind wing 

 is overlapped slightly by the forewing. Pull the 

 paper stiip tight and pin in position. Repeat 

 these operations for the opposite side. The an- 

 tennae should he parallel to (he margins of the 

 frong wing as shown in Fig. 23g. 



9. Strips of glass or blank microscope slides 

 are placed over the win^s as they will otherwise 

 curl up while drying. Care should he taken not 

 to scratch the wings. Fig. 23g. 



10. Data from the triangles is placed on a pin 

 and thrust in the end of the hoard. To avoid 

 any confusion it is advisable to number the data 

 labels. A complete board with spread specimens 

 and data pinned on the ends are shown in Fig 

 23h. & 



11. The specimens are now ready to be placed 

 in a drying cabinet. 



