INSTRUMENTS, ETC., REQUIRED. 35 



size of the thumb-nail, with a very few small pieces of 

 clear gum-arabic to give consistency, if put into a wide- 

 mouthed bottle and covered with cold water, will swell 

 to a very large bulk ; more water can be added at dis- 

 cretion, and the gum stirred until it appears melted; 

 it should be quite white, and too stiff to come out of the 

 bottle readily. By making a little at a time, it keeps 

 its colour, not having time to get dirty or sour before it 

 is used. 



Some camelVhair brushes, fine-pointed but stiff. 



" Setting-needles," made either of fine pins slightly 

 hooked at the tip, or " bead " needles. These may be 

 stuck into paint-brush sticks, or have a knob of sealing- 

 wax at their upper end for a handle. 



Small pins, and good white card of moderate stout- 

 ness ; if too thin, it curls up with the gum, and should 

 then be damped on the under side. 



When setting out specimens, a glass of cold water 

 and some clean blotting-paper should be kept handy, to 

 be used in cleaning them. They should be placed on 

 their backs, and their legs brushed out with a clean 

 brush ; some gum is then to be put 011 the card (which 

 can be either cut into long narrow strips of the required 

 depth, or into straight-sided narrow pieces, one for each 

 beetle) and the insect placed on it, when the legs, an- 

 tennae, and palpi must be put into the desired position 

 with a clean brush or the setting-needle. The body 

 should not be touched with the gum brush, and care 

 taken to get the head, thorax, and elytra straight on the 

 card ; the limbs ought to be properly set out, but no 

 part should be pulled to an unnatural extent. After 

 being mounted, the specimens must be left on the setting- 

 board for at least a fortnight; thorough drying being 



