SKI TING THE UNDER SIDES OF RHDPAI.OCERA. 



321 



settled on a flower-head, and you will find that the beilut}' of 

 th^ir varied profiles will amply repay you. 



The following practical hints may prove serviceable to any 

 who care to give my method a trial : — Let the insect, with its 

 wings closed over the thorax, lie upon your hand or upon a flat 

 sheet of cork, and pass the pin through its body opposite the 

 junction of all the principal nervures on the under surface of the 

 hind wing, but take care not to interfere with the movements of 

 the wing-joints. The pin should now be introduced so as to form 

 rather more than a right angle with the wings, its head sloping 

 slightly forwards; at least one-third of the pin should project 

 below the insect's body, in order that when placed in the collection 

 it may be well above the paper. This is a precaution that I adopt 

 with all my insects, otherwise the specimens simply provide meals 

 gratis for all passing mites, who soon discover that they can get 

 refreshment by merely standing on their hind legs, whereas my 

 experience is that they do not climb much, but live chiefly on 

 ground-game ! I then place the insect flat, upon a relatively 

 large board, with its wings towards the groove, and by that 

 means I have the slope of the board to neutralise the thickness 

 of the body, and thus get the wings flat. It is necessary in 

 pinning the insect on to the board to be careful not to exaggerate 

 the obtuse angle that the pin forms with the wings, otherwise the 

 cilia of the upper pair do not cover those of the lower, and its 

 appearance is spoilt. Care must also be taken to arrange the 

 wings so as to leave a distinct notch between the fore and hind 

 pairs, and the antennae should be fixed 

 well in advance of the costa, and the 

 legs closely adjusted to the sides of the 

 thorax; the apex of the abdomen must 

 also be drawn down and secured clear of 

 the ventral borders of the hind wings, 

 which are apt to conceal it. To fasten 

 the wings, in situ, I always use strips of 

 Silurian note-paper, broad enough to 

 cover the outer-third of the wings. 



The small size of the bodies of butter- 

 flies renders this way of setting them, in my opinion, both natural 

 and satisfactory. It occurs to me, however, that some may 

 instance the Hesperidse as presenting special difiiculties, owing to 



ENTOM. — DEC. 1887. 2 O 



GONEPTERYX RHAMNI. 



