34 BRITISH BEETLES. 



A depot of the above-mentioned laurel leaves should 

 be kept in a wide-rnouthed tightly corked bottle, or 

 earthenware jar, or in a tin canister, into which the 

 beetles are put, after being killed, on returning from 

 an excursion. Those in the first-mentioned bottle can 

 be turned into boiling water, taken out as soon as possi- 

 ble with a wide camelVhair brush, and laid to dry on 

 blotting-paper. It is as well, also, to put the beetles out 

 of the other bottle into the boiling water ; as some of 

 the larger species, and many of the weevils, etc., are not 

 always effectually killed by the laurel, especially if it be 

 not fresh. The more delicate specimens, and especially 

 those with long pubescence, should be mounted at 

 once ; the remainder can be placed in little muslin bags 

 or screws of paper, and placed in the laurel depot or 

 relaxing-jar, with a note of the localities, etc., of capture. 

 The effect of the laurel is to preserve them from decay, 

 and in a good condition for mounting, for a long period ; 

 but, if left too long, they get discoloured, half rotten, 

 and too weak to handle with safety. It should be re- 

 marked that beetles killed in laurel become very stiff, 

 and impossible to mount, until they have been kept for 

 three or four days in laurel, when the rigidity of their 

 muscles relaxes. 



For mounting or setting out the specimens, the fol- 

 lowing apparatus is necessary : 



A frame with canvas or perforated- zinc back and 

 door for setting-boards, which are oblong pieces of wood 

 covered with cork and fitting into grooves ; in the bottom 

 may be a drawer for pins, etc. 



A bottle of gum tragacanth (called also " gum dra- 

 gon ") . The thin clear pieces are the best, and can be 

 obtained at any chemist's. Two or three bits, of the 



