222 THE HUMBLE-BEE 



IX 



and become hard to set. Some collectors who set 

 their specimens, after rendering them insensible with 

 cyanide, kill them with the fumes from burning 

 sulphur, as this does not stiffen the muscles. 



The specimens are pinned through the centre of 

 the thorax. Stout entomological pins about ij in. 

 long are best for humble-bees. Only one size of 

 pin should be used for all specimens, great and 

 small, and only about a quarter of the length of the 

 pin should project above the thorax. 



The value and interest of the collection are much 

 enhanced by attaching to each specimen a label 

 showing the locality and date of capture. This 

 label should consist of a small square of stout paper 

 run on to the bottom of the pin. 



In a freshly-caught male specimen the armature 

 is easily extracted with the point of a pin or needle, 

 and may be either left protruding, or detached and 

 mounted on a card by means of a little liquid glue, 

 the card being afterwards run on to the pin that 

 carries the specimen. Both methods, however, 

 disfigure the specimen unless great care is taken, 

 and seeing that an expert can generally name any 

 specimen without examining the armature, its extrac- 

 tion is not advised except as an aid to the beo-inner 



In setting specimens the queens should be left 

 on the setting boards for a month, but the males are 

 usually dry and rigid in ten days. 



The box or cabinet in which the specimens are 

 to be preserved should be insect proof, and it should 

 contain a small piece of naphthaline. 



