should be written as follows, with the 

 month in Roman numerals: 



10.VI-36 (day, month, year). 



The Biological Data Label. This should 

 bear information regarding habitat or host 

 and adds considerably to the value of the 

 specimen. 



"The Collection of—" Label. If one 

 trades specimens or sends them out for de- 

 termination it is worth while to have labels 

 printed as follows: "Collection of John 

 Smith." This enables the taxonomist to 

 determine from whose collection the speci- 

 mens originally came. 



The Determination Label. If a speci- 

 men has been determined by an authority, 

 use a label showing the scientific name of 

 the specimen, name of the determiner and 

 date of determination. 



The Care of Pinned Specimens 



Handling Pinned Insects. After speci- 

 mens have been placed on the pins and the 

 labels affixed, they may be placed in stor- 

 age boxes as dried and pinned insects are 

 very fragile and must be handled carefully. 

 Be especially careful not to let the fingers 

 come into contact with any part of the 

 specimens and use regular pinning forceps 

 in handling the insects. 



Pinning forceps are almost a necessity for 

 sinking the pins firmly into the pinning 

 composition. Several types are available 

 but we are recommending only two, the 

 best being the Cressort type, used by most 

 professional entomologists, and the Ak- 

 hurst type, inexpensive forceps satisfactory 

 for the beginning collector (Fig. 25). 



How to Use Pinning Forceps. The for- 

 ceps should grasp the pin as near the point 

 as possible so that the pin may be thrust 

 firmly into the bottom of the insect box. 

 Until the collector has gained experience, 

 it is safer to support the top of the pin 

 with the index finger while pushing the 

 point into the pinning bottom. (Fig. 26.) 

 This method shoidd be followed in the 

 case of rare specimens to take up any shock 

 or stop any vibration when the pin is re- 

 leased. 



The Unit Tray System of Insect Storage. 

 The most flexible of all methods of storing 

 pinned insect specimens is the unit tray 

 system. Most of the important North 



Fig. 25. A. Cresson pinning forceps. 

 B. Akhurst pinning forceps. 



American collections, as well as main of 

 the smaller private collections, are now 

 stored in this way. 



In brief, this method consists of pinning 

 specimens into special trays with pinning 

 bottoms of balsa wood rather than directly 

 into the bottom of boxes and of storing 

 these trays in large glass-topped cabinet 

 drawers. Each species or distinct series 

 may be pinned into a separate tray. (Sec 

 Fig. 27.) The trays are of different sizes 

 so as to accommodate different sized species 

 or series. The various sizes are in multi- 

 ples of each other; that is, the largest tray 

 is twice the length of the next, that again 

 twice the length of the next, and so on. 

 The trays are made to fit the two standard 

 insect drawers, the Cornell type and the 

 U. S. National Museum type. 



Fig. 26. Use of pinning forceps. 



