22'2 THE HUMBLE-5BEE IX 
and become hard to set. Some collectors who set 
their specimens, after rendering them insensible with 
cyanide, kill them with the fumes from burning 
sulphur, as this does not stiffen the muscles. 
The specimens are pinned through the centre of 
the thorax. Stout entomological pins about 12 in. 
long are best for humble-bees. Only one size of 
pin should be used for all specimens, great and 
small, and only about a quarter of the length of the 
pin should project above the thorax. 
The value and interest of the collection are much 
enhanced by attaching to each specimen a label 
showing the locality and date of capture. This 
label should consist of a small square of stout paper 
run on to the bottom of the pin. 
In a freshly-caught male specimen the armature 
is easily extracted with the point of a pin or needle, 
and may be either left protruding, or detached and 
mounted on a card by means of a little liquid glue, 
the card being afterwards run on to the pin that 
carries the specimen. Both methods, however, 
disfigure the specimen unless great care is taken, 
and seeing that an expert can generally name any 
specimen without examining the armature, its extrac- 
tion is not advised except as an aid to the beginner. 
In setting specimens the queens should be left 
on the setting boards for a month, but the males are 
usually dry and rigid in ten days. 
The box or cabinet in which the specimens are 
to be preserved should be insect proof, and it should 
contain a small piece of naphthaline. 
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