Setting and Mounting of Beetles 



different widths, J inchfor the narrowest, then J, f , 

 i inch, and so on, and all about three inches 

 long. These can either be obtained from any 

 stationers where they cut cards, or cut for 

 oneself by one of those " guillotine " machines 

 which amateur photographers use for cutting 

 " mounts." 



(5) A small bottle of strong gum arabic, or " fish 



glue." 



(6) A box or two of entomological pins. 



These things having been provided, we take one of 

 the cards on which we first set the beetles indiscrim- 

 inately, and which will now be sufficiently dry, cut 

 it up so that there remains a number of small pieces 

 of card each with its beetle affixed, and drop all these 

 pieces into the bottle of benzine or petrol, adding 

 one fragment, giving origin and date of capture of that 

 particular lot. We leave these in the bottle for 

 any time not less than a week the effect of the fluid 

 being to extract the greasy matter from the bodies 

 of the insects, which would otherwise afterwards 

 stain and discolour the cards on which they were 

 mounted. 



The next step, after a week or more soaking in the 

 benzine or petrol, is to remove them on to the moist 

 bed of blotting paper in our " relaxing dish." Here 

 we leave them for about twenty-four hours, by which 

 time the gum in which they are set, will have been so 

 far softened and dissolved, as to render their removal 

 with the forceps an easy matter, with the legs, antennae, 



5 



