36 BRITISH BEETLES. 



essential for their preservation. The larger insects can 

 be pinned through the right wing-case, and their legs 

 kept in position with smaller pins whilst drying. Some, 

 such as the Oil-beetles, require stuffing ; and many 

 others of the very large species dry all the better for 

 having the contents of the abdomen removed, and the 

 cavity dried with bits of blotting-paper and filled up 

 with cotton wool. Each specimen should have a number 

 written on the under side of the card or on a small 

 label attached to the pin, by means of which a record 

 can be kept in a journal of the date, place, and circum- 

 stances of its capture. 



Examples of both sexes of each species should, where 

 practicable, be mounted on their backs, to show the un- 

 der side ; it is, however, very easy to float off specimens 

 set in the ordinary^ way, and reverse or recard them as 

 desired. 



When the insects are quite dry, they should, if 

 mounted in a row, be separated, and all superfluous 

 card cut away from each specimen, care being taken, 

 however, to leave ample room behind for the pocket- 

 glass to go all round the body. Not more than one 

 example should be allowed on one card, and the cards 

 (which look best when those on which the specimens of 

 any one species are mounted are all of the same size) 

 should be oblong, with parallel ends and sides; and pinned 

 in the middle of, and close to, the hinder margin. If 

 elevated about three parts up the pin, they are more 

 secure from dirt and mites, and easier to examine ; and 

 No. 8 pin (Edelsten and Williams, Crown Court, Cheap- 

 side) is perhaps the most useful size. 



For examining specimens, a good pocket-glass of two 

 or three powers is necessary, and a Stanhope or Codding- 



