NO. 6 



PREPARATION OF COLEOPTERA — VALENTINE 



surface. Should this eventuality arise, the dried insects can be com- 

 pletely and instantaneously relaxed merely by dipping them in 

 Barber's fluid (XI). 



The foregoing technique is preliminary to mounting on a trans- 

 parent supporting surface, though it does not preclude pinning in the 

 usual manner. The former, or slip system, applicable to large speci- 

 mens as well as small, has been developed in two ways : 



a. Cellulose acetate mounting. — Only the best quality, heavy (.015, 

 .020, .025 inch =15, 20, 25 gauge) acetate sheeting^ can be used to 



-&[ 



ass 

 rod 



I 



genitalia 



Fig. I. — Preparing a minute male carabid for mounting. 

 Fig. 2. — Preferred arrangement of parts in a pinned carabid. 



advantage. This material, unlike celluloid, will not curl when pinned 

 nor, apparently, will it discolor or lose any of its transparency when 

 exposed to the light. Up to 25 gauge, it can be cut easily with ordi- 

 nary scissors, can be punctured with a No. 3 pin, and will grip the 

 latter firmly without need of reinforcement. 



On a piece of acetate sheeting of convenient size and gauge, each 

 species-time-locality series is cemented separately in a compact group, 

 usually of one row. Adequate space is left between the groups so 



3 Acetate sheeting ordinarily tends to fog by collecting droplets of an oily 

 fluid when in contact with the fumes of pest and mold repellents such as 

 naphthalene, paradichlorbenzene, phenol, creosote, etc. Carbon tetrachloride, 

 however, has no such effect on it. Sheeting which will not fog under the above 

 conditions can be obtained from Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y, 



