Maich, 1896.] Morse, Both Sides of Butterflies. 21 



its increased weight a glass bottom, as well as top, is to be preferred for 

 all cases of considerable size, as it does away with the troublesome 

 shrinking which is inseparable from the use of large sheets of wood un- 

 less made in three-ply, as in the manufacture of desks, etc. 



The method is this : Procure twice as many thin strips of some 

 straight-grained wood with as little tendency to warp as possible, such as 

 cherry or basswood, one-quarter inch in thickness, as long as the inside 

 measurement of the front of the case and as wide as the case is deep in- 

 side. On one side of these strips are sawed, with a fine saw, slots one- 

 fourth inch in depth at intervals of half an inch. Two strips will be 

 needed for each case (front and back), making twice as many strips as 

 cases, one-half of which should have the first slot sawed at a distance of 

 one-half inch from the end, the other half at a distance of three-quarters 

 inch ; the reason for this will be seen later. These strips may be pro- 

 cured at slight expense from the maker of the cases or a box manufac- 

 turer. 



Next, get a reliable tinsmith to cut some strips of tin three- 

 quarters inch wide and fourteen and seven-eighths inches long and bend 

 them up into troughs one-fourth inch wide and deep with vertical sides. 

 To one side of each end of a trough should be soldered neatly the short 

 end of an L-shaped piece of the same material one- fourth plus three- 

 fourths inch long and nearly one-fourth inch wide. These lie flat upon 

 the bottom of the case out of sight beneath the wooden strip and act as 

 feet to hold the trough upright during rearrangement. To give as much 

 supporting surface as possible they should be attached to opposite sides 

 of the trough. The portion of the side of the trough opposite the at- 

 tached piece should be cut through and turned down flat, widening the 

 supporting base, or it may be removed entirely, leaving the end of the 

 trough with a single vertical edge which fits into the slots sawed in the 

 wooden strips. These edges being on opposite sides of the trough 

 necessitate the different position of the slots on 'the front and back 

 strips previously mentioned. The troughs are then to be filled with 

 strips of cork and the whole to be painted over a dead white or black 

 as preferred. The tin troughs ready to be filled may be obtained for 

 about three cents apiece, in lots of one hundred or more. 



The troughs are held in position by the slots sawed in the wooden 

 strips and may be placed within an inch of each other, or within one- 

 half inch in the case of very small specimens by cutting a little off the 

 ends of the L-shaped feet, or as far apart as desired. The wooden 

 strips are held in place at front and back of the case by short, headless 



