APHORISM AT A KNTOMOLOGICA. 169 



it dowu with the one from above, tliis latter being placed more towards the 

 edge than the lower one, thus pressing down the outside of the wing from 

 the middle part which is raised by the brace beneath; the effect of the 

 whole being to give it an elegant and graceful rounded appearance. For an 

 illustration of this, also, see the plate. 



But hero "I maun premeese" that in both these ways of extending lepidop- 

 terous insects, as well as in the third, to be yet discoursed of, the great thing, 

 at least it is a 'sine qua non,' is to have the pin put perfectly straight into 

 the insect, or if it is not, the fly, though ever so well set, will not look well; 

 and it should also be put a good way through, for a reason to be hereafter 

 mentioned when treating of the subject of entomological pins. "Item," — The 

 pins used for the card braces should be either the long lace ones, which hold 

 tight in the cork, and are very sharp pointed, or the large common ones, 

 which I find even still better. 



"An revoir." The third, the "grand climacteric," is to be essayed as follows: 

 — If you can turn, I mean turn wood, in a lathe, yourself, you can make 

 the required apparatus for yourself; but, if not, you can readily have it made 

 for you by any turner: see the plate. 



There are different modes of turning these pieces of wood, but the choice of 

 these you must leave to the turner; suffice it to say, that if turned in the 

 first instance in an oblong oval shape, each of these may be cut into four 

 pieces of the proper sort for the extending woods. There is also a way of 

 making them without employing a turner at all. Go into a carpenter's shop, 

 or into your own if you have one, and plane down flat strips ef wood round 

 on each side: this in the various stages is depicted in the plate. Then, with 

 a "plough" plane, run a groove along the centre of it, next cut it into 

 suitable lengths, and finally with a "spoke-shavo," shade it off down to one 

 side — the one to be next you when setting tlie insect — cutting off all the 

 edges square, as presently to be described in the case of the turned pieces of 

 a similar shape. They must moreover, in whichever way they are made, be 

 of different sizes, say two inches long by one and a half wide, three by two 

 wide, four by two and a half, and so on 



They may be made of any wood, but runimon deal is the best, for several 

 reasons: first, it is the cheapest; secondh-, it is the most easily to be procured; 

 thirdly, it is soft, and will admit of a pin being easily stuck into it; and 

 fourthly, it is, though perfectly smooth when turned, rather rough when sawn 

 through, which as presently shewn will have to be done. The advantage of 

 the last-named particular is, that the threads, when wound round the insect, 

 have a hold and do not slip. If the wood is hard, fine-grained, and smooth, 

 the edges must have little notches filed or cut into thcni, all the way round, 

 to hold the threads. So also as to a pin being easily stuck into it: this has 

 an advantage, or, it maj' be, a double advantage; as thus: — If the wood be 

 very soft, and the pin a strong one, you can extend the insect on the rounded 

 wood with ordinary card braces, as if on a piece of cork, and the wings will 

 thus, when dried, preserve the curved appearance so muih admired by English 



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