O COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS. 



are best pinned through the scutellum (Fig. 10). The speci- 

 mens should all be pinned at an equal height, so that about 

 one-fourth of the pin should project above the insect. 



The best pins are those made in Germany. For very mi- 

 nute insects very small pins are made. They may be used to 

 impale minute insects upon, and then stuck through a bit of 

 cork, or pith, through which a large, long pin may be thrust. 

 Fio . g Then the specimen is kept out of the reach 



of devouring insects. Still smaller pins are 

 made by cutting off bits of very fine silvered 

 wire at the right length, which may be thrust 

 by the forceps into a piece of pith, after the 

 insects have been impaled upon them. 



Small insects, especially beetles, may be 

 mounted on cards or pieces of mica through 

 which the pin may be thrust. The French 

 use small oblong bits of mica, with the posterior half covered 

 with green paper on which the number may be placed. The 

 insects may be gummed on the clear part, the two sexes to- 

 gether. The under side can be seen through the thin mica. 



Others prefer triangular pieces of card, across the end of 

 which the insect may be gummed, so that nearly the whole 

 under side is visible. 



Mr. Wollaston advocates gumming small Coleoptera upon 

 cards. Instead of cutting the pieces of card first, he gums 

 them promiscuously upon a sheet of card- Fig . 10. 



board. " Having gummed thickly a space on 

 3' our card-board equal to, at least, the entire 

 specimen when expanded, place the beetle 

 upon it, drag out the limbs with a pin, and, 

 leaving it to dry, go on with the next one 

 that presents itself. As the card has to be 

 cut afterwards around 3 r our insect (so as to 

 suit it), there is no advantage in gumming it precisely straight 

 upon your frame, — though it is true that a certain amount of 

 care in this respect lessens your after labor of cutting off very 

 materially. When your frame has been filled, and you are 

 desirous of separating the species, cut out the insects with 

 finely pointed scissors." 



For mending broken insects, i. e., gumming on legs and an- 



