56 NATURE STUDY AND LIFE 



some thin boards or cards, cigar-box wood or grape-basket 

 covers, and a few pins, or better, fine needles mounted 

 in match sticks.^ 



To spread a butterfly or moth lay it on its back on 

 the board and stick a pair of pins, one each side of the 

 body, between the thorax and abdomen. If necessary, 

 insert a second pair at the neck or in front of the wings. 

 Bring the wings down flat on the board, move the fore 

 wings to their natural position, and lay on bits of glass, 

 one on each side to hold them, and to press them smooth 

 and flat while they dry. To arrange the legs have a 

 little piece of berry box, cut as in the figure, or two nar- 

 row strips, mounted on a pin ; bring it down over the 

 insect, just the right height to suit the length of its 

 legs, and with a mounted needle arrange the feet upon 

 it in their natural positions. See that the feelers are in 

 good position, setting a pin against them to hold them 

 until they dry. Possibly you will wish to uncoil the 

 tongue and pin that out. Dragon flies, hellgrammites, 

 bumblebees, and other large winged insects may be spread 

 on their backs in the same way. To mount butterflies 

 with wings closed over the back you will, of course, place 

 them feet down, but it will be well to let them rest with the 

 body on the board, as the legs will be too fragile to support 

 the weight when they become dry. 



Beetles, bugs, grasshoppers and crickets, ants, flies, 

 spiders, etc., are easily spread, feet down, in natural posi- 

 tions (Fig. 14). Some of the smaller and stouter ones 



1 While we do not use pins to stick through the insects, insect pins are 

 good to use for holding the parts in place while they dry. A package of 

 one hundred, assorted sizes, costs but fifteen cents. 



