COLLECTING, PRESERVING AND APPLIANCES 



27 



(5) Pass a common pin through the disc, near the edge, 

 and force the point of this into the cork at the bottom of 

 the box. 



(6) Spread out and arrange the legs and wings in suitable 

 position by means of a fine-handled needle. 



For handling the pins it is best to obtain a pair of 

 specially-made entomological forceps, but if such be not 

 available the "cihary" forceps used for extracting eyelashes 

 will serve very well. 



In arranging specimens in the box for transmission by 

 post, care should be taken to force the pins well home into 

 the cork, and additional pins should be placed between the 

 contiguous discs so as to prevent their shifting laterally, in 

 the position shown in the figure. 



Fig. 8. — To Illustrate Method of aebanging Pinned Insects 

 FOR Transmission by Post. 



a a a, pins carrying the discs ; b b b b, extra pins placed between the 

 discs to prevent lateral movement. 



Another plan is to thrust the disc pins into the cork 

 obliquely, so that if the disc shift it will rest against the 

 cork instead of the next specimen ; but this method is not 

 so efficient as the first. 



Insect boxes for keeping a permanent collection are best 

 obtained from regular dealers, as they require to be nearly 

 air tight ; but it is well to specify that they should be lined 

 with " cork carpet," as this holds the pins much better than 

 sheet cork, and a space ;^in. wide should be partitioned off 

 one end by a slip of wood, to contain a long narrow muslin 

 bag full of naphthaline or camphor. 



