Setting Butterflies 



it through the cube of cork, but glue it between two 

 pieces ; by doing so you will save your bristle from 

 being spoiled and make a firmer job. 



Keep your old thin postcards, from which to cut 

 braces, and always have a boxful of various sizes handy, 

 and in the same box, in a separate compartment, have 

 an abundance of small, thin pins. Good setting, like 

 other operations, is largely a matter of practice. Be 

 careful not to injure the wings in any way, and place 

 your braces on them so that they will not leave marks. 

 I find a common fault with beginners is that they do 

 not lower the specimen far enough down into the 

 groove of the setting-board, with the result that the 

 wings are bent and deformed by the braces pressing 

 them down. See that the wings of your specimens lie 

 flat and naturally spread out over the surface of the 

 board on either side of the groove. 



A setting-needle is sometimes an exceedingly useful 

 tool. A very neat one can be made in a few minutes 

 with a goose quill, a little sealing-wax, and f he finest 

 sewing-needle you can secure. Melt the wax and fill 

 one end of the quill for half an inch or so, heat the eye 

 end of the needle until nearly red-hot, and push it into 

 the wax. This tool is very useful for adjusting a wing 

 as occasion demands. 



Let your insects remain as long as possible on the 

 boards ; they should be left on for a fortnight in warm, 

 dry weather, but longer in the spring and autumn. 

 The wings of imperfectly dried specimens are liable to 

 spring up, or droop. 



'9 



