240 MR. A. J. T. JANSE 



Now set the second specimen and so on until the board 

 is full. Do not forget to place the locality and date 

 label on the board next to the insect, at the same time. 

 The setting-board must be selected according to the size 

 of the body, and the groove has to be a little wider than 

 the body is thick. 



There are various other methods for holding the wings 

 in position, some of them are most peculiar, and, as far 

 as I have tried them, all are unsatisfactory in one way 

 or another. 



Keep the insects on the boards for at least two weeks 

 big moths even longer Near the sea, three weeks will 

 be required in most cases. If the insect is not thoroughly 

 dry when it is taken off the board, the wings are sure to 

 change their position and uniformity, and one of the at- 

 tractive features of a neat collection is gone. Keeping the 

 insects on the boards for so long is often the cause of the 

 specimens being destroyed by museum-pests of different 

 kinds, about which more will be said later. I find it a 

 good practice to paint all the grooves, the peat, and the 

 edge of the upperside with an alcoholic solution of ^ler- 

 curic chloride (corrosive sublimate) once or twice, and 

 also to tap the boards upside down on the table before 

 using themi and after the insects are taken off. If any 

 injurious insect is hiding in the grooves, it will fall out 

 and may be killed. 



A good protection against ants, etc.. which try to de- 

 stroy the specimens wlien on the boards, is to have a 

 special cupboard for the setting-boards. This cupboard 

 should have many shelves, and, above all, a close-fittin^', 

 door; mine has a door fitting in the same manner as the 

 lids of my insect boxes, as described further on. The 

 sides of the cupboard should have many openings, or. 

 better still, practically the whole sides should be covered 

 with the finest meshed copper-gauze obtainable. Placing 

 some napthaline on the shelves under the board is also 

 a good thing, but somiewhat expensive, as the napthaline 

 evaporates rather quickly. 



