186 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



to make up the loss by evaporation. It is a good plan to use 

 the shellac from a small test-tube. With larger insects, such 

 as Tortrices, the head of the pin is first beaten out flat, and 

 then turned down, this giving a larger surface to support the 

 body ; with larger insects still, such as Pyrales, the head of the 

 pin, after being beaten out, is split up with a pair of scissors so 

 as to form a fork, and then turned down as usual ; with even 

 larger things, such as Sphingidse, the two ends of the forked 

 part may be turned upwards with the forceps, so as to form a 

 cradle whicli admirably supports the bodies of the largest species. 

 Indeed there is here a wide field open for originality and 

 ingenuity, almost every group of insects demanding some 

 modification in their treatment to suit their own special structure. 

 Of course, different size pins are used to accommodate the various 

 species, but I think it would be well to adopt one uniform 

 height at which they should be supported from the surface of the 

 cork. This is, evidently, an easy matter, depending upon the 

 length which is turned down and the thickness of the thorax. 



On referring to the plan wdiich I last year recommended, it 

 will be seen that the process has been much simplified. In the 

 setting, there is now no occasion for the supports formed of pins 

 stuck into a piece of cork, and consequently no coaguline is 

 required. In the mounting, the pith blocks are done away with 

 in favour of the bent pin, which is more sightly, is stronger, 

 being all of one piece, and permits a free view of the insect from 

 beneath. I liave also given up gum tragacanth in favour of 

 shellac in spirit. The advantages of this new method have 

 previously been enumerated, so there is no occasion to repeat 

 them, but I will devote a few words to the consideration of the 

 points which have been raised against it. In the first place it is 

 said to be difficult to remove an insect from the middle of a 

 series. This, I will admit, is not an easy matter with the 

 ordinary thick forceps, but after a little practice I find no 

 difficulty when slender curved forceps are employed, and when 

 the insects are very close together they may generally be 

 approached from the side. Secondl}', it is said b}^ one of my 

 thoughtful German correspondents that the legs might be so 

 obscured by the shellac as to render a study of their anatomical 

 details a matter of difficulty, but this is not at all the case if the 

 legs have had due attention paid them in the setting, and been 



