PSYCHE. 



63 



ON MOUNTING MINUTE INSECTS, PARTICULARLY 

 MICRO-DIPTERA. 



BY CARI. F. BAKER, AUBURN'. ALA. 



There has been, hi the past, a great 

 lack of uniformity in the mounting of 

 minute insects. I believe the subject 

 one demanding the earnest attention of 

 collectors. Probably nothing adds more 

 to the appearance of a collection than a 

 uniform style of mounting, and also, 

 nothing is more difficult to maintain 

 (under the present order of things) in 

 the building up of a large collection by 

 accessions from other collections. Fur- 

 ther, the usefulness of what is intended 

 for a working collection depends almost 

 entirely on the manner of mounting. 

 In a lot of minute insects recently re- 

 ceived from Europe, over a dozen dif- 

 ferent styles of mounting (all on pins) 

 were represented, and not one was 

 adapted to a rapid and satisfactory 

 examination of the insect. For certain 

 very essential characters remounting 

 was necessary. 



In Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Hy- 

 menoptera, during the past few years, 

 the mounting has become much more 

 uniform in this country, the triangular 

 slip of cardboard being used almost 

 exclusively. Unfortunately there has 

 been the greatest variation in size of 

 slip, and manner of placing specimen 

 on same. The most satisfactory size 

 and shape seems to be that recom- 

 mended by Riley, and I believe this 

 should be adopted by all American col- 



lectors. With a little practice these 

 can be very rapidly cut by hand from 

 strips of cardboard of the standard 

 width. In hand cut slips there will be 

 a very convenient variation in size of 

 point. With the slips should be used at 

 least a No. 2 pin — preferably Klaeger. 

 There is nothing gained by the use of 

 very slender, easily bent pins, and they 

 are extremely exhausting to the patience. 

 .So trying to me are these very slender 

 pins that I never use them except with 

 jMicro-lepidoptera, to stick into pitli 

 mounted on a heavier pin. 



Holding the pin in the hand, slip 

 pointing to the left, the mounted insect 

 should always have the head directed 

 away from the operator, and be evenly 

 satlilled on the exti'eme point of the 

 slip, at right angles to both slip and 

 pin. Specimens are usually better 

 mounted with the back straight up, the 

 slip point glued to one side of the ven- 

 tral surface. This will allow a ready 

 examination of any portion of the body 

 with a i or f objective, provided the 

 standard length of slip is used. If a 

 good glue (like fish-glue) of the right 

 consistency is used there will be no 

 trouble with specimens fiilling oft". A 

 moderately thin solution of white shel- 

 lac in alcohol has best served my 

 purposes. It should be remembered 

 that the most important characters in 



