953 I'ltOCEEDIXGS OF THK THIRD EXTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



Grasshoppers and other winged Orthoj^tera usually have the wmgs 

 spread out on one side only, and this is done for economy of space in 

 the storage of these large insects. 



Settmg-boards may be carried and kept in any convenient tight- 

 shuttmg box, but when travelling a setting-case is often convenient. 

 This may take the form of a large box, somewhat after the style of a 

 small meat-safe, with shelves to hold the boards, or a more compact 

 travelling case may be made of the size of a store-box with soft-wood 

 setting-boards fitted in. (Plate 155, fig. 1). Specimens can then be 

 set when fresh and carried on the boards. 



As noted above, however, there is no real need to set large speci- 

 mens at the time of capture, as they can nearly always be relaxed and 

 set at any subsequent times and for small specimens, which require 

 immediate setting, there is no need to carry special boards when travel- 

 ling, as such small specimens can be set quite satisfactorily on small 

 sheets of cork, pith or compressed peat which can be pinned into the 

 store-box. The procedure is as follows : — a strip of paper slightly 

 wider than the expanse of wings of the insect to be set and as long as 

 the width of the cork sheet is cut and pinned onto the sheet and two 

 narrow slips of paper are pinned onto this at a Suitable distance apart, 

 the insects being then set on this paper-covered cork in the ordinary 

 way. (Plate 155, fig. 2). Data can be written on the paper. Any 

 ordinary fairly-thin glazed paper is satisfactory ; thin " squared " 

 paper is very usefiU as the cross-lines give a good guide to the proper 

 position of the wings. 



Improvised setting can also be done without boards in many cases, 

 by pinning the insect onto a small card to which the wings, legs, etc., 

 may be secured by small pins. When dry, these pins and cards can be 

 removed. (Plate 156, fig. 2). 



No definite time can be given during which insects can be left under 

 setting. It depends entirely on the humidity of the surrounding air 

 and the size of the insect. In dry weather small insects may be ready 

 to take off the boards even after a few hoiu-s and in damp weather they 

 may take a week, whilst large insects may take four or 'five days to 

 two or three weeks. By gently testing with a pin to see whether the 

 body is quite fii-m and hard, it is possible to see whether the insect is 

 ready in any case of doubt, as, if the body is quite fii-m, it may be assumed 

 that the insect is ready to remove from the boards, but if the body is 

 at all soft it should be left longer. In damp weather or when rapid 

 removal is required drying may be expedited by placing the boards 

 in a drying chamber, or in a box over a lamp or in front of a fke ; but, 

 in cases where artificial heat is used, care must be taken to see that the 



