56 



BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



the pith of corn or yucca. The latter, if not well dried, will rot the 

 pin, and with either material the micro-pin is not held as firmly as 

 with cork. Some use blotting paper instead of cork strips, but this 

 is apt to split. Others have recommended felt; a piece taken from 

 an old folt hat, covered each side with white paper, and then cut into 

 strips. Others have used strips from certain hard fungi. 



*==, 



..:; 



abed 



Fig. 99.— Points for 



mounting insects. 



a 6 c cf e f 



Fig. 98.— Micro-pin mounts, or double mounts: a, With a point; 6, micro-pin in cork; c, elbow 

 pin; d, micro-pin in paper; e, micro-pin in side; /, double point. 



A neat way of preparing micro-Diptera as well as some other forms 

 where one does not wish to mar the dorsum of the thorax is shown 

 in figure 98,e. The micro-pin is pushed through a small square of 

 cork, and then into the side of the insect, barely going through. A 

 large pin is then inserted through the cork square. 

 In figure 98,d is shown another method of using 

 the micro-pin, with a strip of ordinary white paper, 

 the pin inserted through opposite sides. Some 

 use for certain insects bits of horse hair instead 

 of micro-pins. One end of the hair is pushed 

 into the side of the insect, and the other is inserted in a drop of shellac 

 placed at the proper height on the pin. Another way of making 

 double mounts is the use of an elbow pin as in figure 98,c. A fine pin 

 has its larger end wound tightly a few times around an ordinary pin, 



and the tip bent upward enters 

 the under side of the insect. 

 The. principal fault with this 

 method is in getting the fine 

 pin wound tightly enough to 

 the other pin so that it will not 

 turn nor slip down. Dealers 

 sell machines for making these 

 elbow pins. 



For many small insects, 

 especially beetles, Hymenop- 

 tera, and Hemiptera, most entomologists use points — slender, trian- 

 gular pieces of cardboard, as shown in the illustrations (figs. 98, a, 99). 

 The dealers have punches (fig. 100) for making these triangles or points, 



Fig. 100.— An insect punch for cutting triangles 

 or points. 



