74 HOW TO COLLECT 



thorax of the specimen, until about ^ inch protrudes beneath. 

 If the fly has rows of bristles on the thorax, care should be taken 

 to insert the pin hetveen them, and not to damage them in any way. 

 Next grasp the pin with the forceps near the tip, and thrust it 

 through the disc, drawing it well down. Lastly, thrust a No. 16 

 or an ordinary pin through the disc near the margin for the 

 purpose of carrying both disc and specimen, and draw the disc a 

 good half-way up the carrying-pin. 



The last thing to be done is to arrange the legs and wings as far 

 as possible. The wings must be made to project at an angle from the 

 body, and must not be allowed to lie closed over it ; if they can be got 

 to remain at right angles to the body, so much the better. In the 

 case of any specimen that is not too small and fragile, the wings can 

 be best arranged by means of the fine-pointed forceps, by making 

 a gentle simultaneous pressure with the tips of the forceps at the 

 base of each wing, repeating it until the wings assume the desired 

 position. The legs also must be disposed symmetrically (and as far 

 as possible in a natural position) on the card disc, so that all parts 

 of them can be readily seen, and must not be allowed to remain 

 crumpled up beneath the body, since important characters are 

 often found upon them. In the case of a fairly large specimen 

 it will generally be found possible to cause the legs to remain in 

 the desired position by hooking the claws on the edge of the disc, 

 gently drawing the legs out one after another by aid of a needle 

 or one leg of the fine-pointed forceps. The manipulations in 

 connection with the legs and wings must be performed as gently as 

 possible, and care must be taken that bristles, hairs, or scales 

 are not rubbed off in the process. As soon as these operations 

 are completed, the specimen should be transferred to a store box, 

 or to one lined with cork-carpet or pith, as described above. Since, 

 however, the tissues contract in drying, the legs and wings are very 

 apt to get pulled out of place, and, to correct these changes, the 

 specimens should be examined once or twice during the next day 

 or two after being pinned. 



Very minute or fragile specirnens (such as Ceratopogon or Simuliii7n) 

 are best pinned from the side, and the legs should then be straightened 

 out by means of a No. 20 pin held in the entomological forceps. 



