THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 65 



Staged insect is pinned in the collection. In this way very fine 

 and short pins can be employed to transfix the insects. There is 

 no risk of bending them by forcing them into the cork of the 

 drawer or by subsequent handling ; the insects can be brought as 

 near as desired to the glass, and the necessary label can be put 

 on the stouter pins. 



Staging has been but little adopted by collectors of British 

 insects, who have less often to remove specimens from their 

 collections for comparison, and who are sometimes remiss about 

 labelling their specimens. 



Its neglect is perhaps due to the want of satisfactory material 

 from which to make stages. Pith (usually that of the Jerusalem 

 artichoke), cork, pasteboard, and felt have all been tried. 



At a recent meeting of the Entomological Society of London I 

 exhibited a substance for staging which appears to be entirely 

 satisfactory. My attention was called to it by examining the 

 blocks on which were mounted some Goleophora laricella sent out 

 by Herr Fric, of Prague. In answer to an inquiry, Herr Fric 

 told me that his curiosity had also been aroused, and that he had 

 vainly tried to learn their nature from the collector, an old man 

 who, from his silence, was now probably dead. It was therefore 

 necessary to make out the nature of the substance from examina- 

 tion of the blocks, and tliis investigation has proved successful. 



The stages were made of the felted mass of a fungus fructifica- 

 tion (strictly, the hymenophore of Polyporus hetulinus). This 

 material is as nearly as possible perfect. When of good quality 

 it is pure white, dense, and even in texture, without holes, flaws, 

 or hard places. It can be cut into any desired size, and when 

 smoothly cut has a surface almost resembling that of fine plaster. 

 It admits the very finest pins without turning the points, and it 

 holds the pins firmly, which pith will not do. If fresh or slightly 

 moistened by a sojourn in the relaxing box it is tough and cuts 

 smoothly ; when quite dry it is harder to cut and is slightly friable, 

 though not materially so ; when wetted it becomes soft and 

 spongy, and a pin fixed in it can be easily released by applying 

 a brushful of water round the insertion. 



As to its lasting qualities, pieces used in Zeiler's collection, 

 which must be many years old, show no signs of deterioration, 

 nor have they corroded the pins in any way. It has been 

 suggested that the fungus may encourage the growth of mites 

 or mould. This there is no reason to suspect. Though it absorbs 

 moisture and will grow mouldy if kept damp, it does so only 

 under conditions in which the insects themselves would be 

 injured. 



As it is not obtainable everywhere, and special apparatus and 

 some skill are required to cut it uniformly and without waste, 

 Messrs. Watkins and Doncaster, Strand, London, have under- 



