1 .S [June. 



For the larger bottles I use the sulphur matches, as they were called before the 

 introduction of lucifers, and -n-hich are easily made. By right treatment the sulphur 

 will bum away, but not the match, which will soon go out. The sulphuric vapour 

 thus formed does not easily evaporate, and one can put insects, from one to three 

 hours after they have been caught, into the bottle, where they are very soon dead. 



In doing this there are two things necessary to observe : first, to put the insects 

 into the bottle as quickly as possible, that the vapour may not escape ; second, not 

 to expose the bottle to the sun, or the vapour in it turns to liquid, and hairy insects 

 are spoiled. Humble-bees require especial care ; for instance, when one is sticking 

 them, if the pin slips, a juice flows out of the wound which sticks the hairs 

 together, and thus destroys the most perfect examples. 



This can be avoided by sticking the bee with a very fine needle, and sideways, 

 so that the honey-stomach is not pierced ; or by putting a small pair of pliers in at 

 the opening of the net, and seizing tlie bee by the leg ; and also by being careful not 

 to put too many bees into a bottle, for then, if they do not die quickly, they crawl 

 over and besmear each other with the matter from theii' wounds, or bite each 

 other's antennae off, and exhale so much carbonic acid gas, that if a lighted match be 

 inti'oduced, it will immediately go out, and produce no sulphuric vapour. 



It is best to prepare insects killed in this way on the following day ; still, if 

 necessary, the setting can be put off till the second or third day, if the bottles remain 

 weU-corked in a cool place. I try to stick the insects equally in such a manner that 

 about a fourth of the pin remains visible above, and the other part is perpendicular 

 through the sternum, this being of gi-eat importance in setting. For setting I use 

 a smooth-planed board of pine or lime-wood, of about 35 centimetres long, 3^ thick 

 and 4 — 8 broad, with a grove along the centre, about 3 to 20 mm. broad, and about 

 the same depth. 



In the bottom of this groove are some holes made perpendicularly, and filled 

 with cotton wool, but not too much of it. The pins are put into these holes (best 

 at the side between the wood and the cotton) as far as the roots of the wings of the 

 insects ; next, the legs are arranged, the front ones towards the front, and the middle 

 and hind ones in an opposite direction, if possible not straight, but bending from 

 the knees. 



Next, the wings are to be stretched out inclining a little to the front by means 

 of pieces of paper over them fixed by a pin at each end. 



The separation of the front from the hind-wings is self-acting, because the front 

 ones spread over the front edge of the hinder ones, and a little hook on the edge of 

 the under-wing, when the fore-wing is moved, pulls the hinder one after it. Lastly, 

 the antennse are brought into position by means of needles ; care should, however, 

 be taken not to stretch out these organs in Ichneumon females when they are rolled 

 up, as a characteristic peculiarity would be lost. 



The insects need not remain on the setting-board longer than necessary for the 

 wings to remain as placed, when the strips of paper may be removed. Small insects, 

 especially Ichneumon-flies, are ready, as far as setting is concerned, on the following 

 day, but larger ones, such as humble-bees, often require a week or more. 



■In setting the wings, the bodies of the insects are obliged to be brought into 



