NOTES ON COLLECTTNG, ETC. 53 



and without almost universal support, the system at once loses its cliief 

 merit. Further, the coloured labels are to us a great objection, 

 unless kept too small to be of much practical use, as nothing but 

 white should be emijloyed by those who wish their collections to 

 please the eye. The fact still remains that a plain, useful, abbreviated 

 system of labelling is still a desideratum, and the thanks of all collec- 

 tors are due to those who are willing to make public any improvements 

 that may be thought of from time to time. — A. J. Hodges. 



A Double Setting Bristle. — As the season Avill soon be upon us, 

 and Avith a view to facilitate the quick setting of lepidoptera, I venture 

 to recommend a system I found very useful last season. Probably 

 most entomologists use the setting bristles for holding the wings down, 

 while they are being pulled forward. These, though very effective, ne- 

 cessitate the setting of one side first, or the use of two bristles. I have 

 therefore made a bristle thus :— Take a piece of cork about 3/16-inch 

 cube, push two bristles into it, very slightly diverging from each other in 

 a V-shaped direction. Stick a pin through the cork at right angles to 

 the bristles, fixing it with glue, and leaving about |-inch beneath the 

 cork. To use it, pin the moth on the board in the usual way, rest the 

 point of the bristle-pin in the groove behind it, the bristles passing for- 

 ward, one over each wing. Blow at the back of the insect's wings, 

 sending them forward, and at the same time, tilt the head of the pin 

 slightly for-\vard, and press the point into the board. Witli two nicely 

 balanced bristles, and a little practice, it is almost possible to get the 

 wings into position without touching them, but any irregularities can 

 be rectified with the setting needle. I find this system answers ad- 

 mirably with all insects up to the size of Eurymene dolabraria, and with 

 a stiffer bristle, it is possible to set larger species. — A. U. Battley, 

 28, Amhurst Park, N. 



Whitewashing Cabinet Drawers. — In his seasonable j^aper on 

 arranging cabinets, Mr. Hodges makes no mention of whitewash, so I 

 should like to point out its great usefulness, not only when re-arranging 

 old cabinets (instead of re-papering), Ijut also to apply to new ones and 

 hoxes. The following recipe was given me some years ago by an 

 experienced collector, and I have found it simply invaluable, and now 

 apply it to all drawers and boxes, whether new or old, before use : — 

 Ingredients required: 1. — Prepared chalk ; 2. — A 2-oz. bottle of sjDirits 

 of wine, in which 3 grains of corrosive sublimate is dissolved; 3. — A 2-oz. 

 bottle 2 jDarts water, and 1 part carbolic acid ; 4. — i-oz. whitest gum arable, 

 dissolved to consistency of oil. Directions for mixing : — Take an empty 

 French plum jar and place enough prepared chalk in it to form, when 

 settled, a deposit about 2 inches deep, chalk to be mixed with warm 

 water, filling bottle to within 2 inches of top ; add 1 tablespoonful of 

 the corrosive sublimate, 1 ditto of the carbolic acid, and 2 ditto of the 

 gum arable : stir well, leave to settle for a day, skim off any particles 

 that may rise to the surface. As the wash dries whiter tlian any pa^^er, 

 care should be taken to lay it smoothly, so as to avoid streakiness. 

 This is easily managed by applying it with a good sized j^aint or paste 

 brush, working one way only (say from side to side), and then taking 

 at once a dry flat-brush (camel or hog hair), and Avorking Ughtl// in the 

 opposite direction, keeping the drawer cpiite flat. The prejiaration is 

 better made up fresh every 2 or 3 years. I get a chemist to make it 

 up. Among its advantages are : — Firstly, prevention of mites, I have 



