shirling] another WAY OF MOUNTING INSECTS 159 



shows the general plan but does not show how attractive the 

 mounts may be. 



Discarded watch cn^stals that are slightly nicked at the edges 

 may be obtained free or at a ver\^ slight cost from the larger 

 establishments. It is well to have quite an assortment on hand 

 and match them as to size and thickness. The larger crystals will 

 be better. Now select some wood strips or boards of good grain 

 and color and about one-half inch, or less in thickness. Cut cir- 

 cular holes in these boards, just large enough for the watch cn,'stals 

 to slip through. The holes may be cut with an extension augur bit. 

 It will take a little care to bore the holes without splitting the 

 board, but this can be done by cutting first on one side and then on 

 the other, and by waiting till the holes are all bored before cutting 

 the board up into smaller blocks. Now cut strips from thick card- 

 board and glue around the inside of the hole in the wood. These 

 strips are a bit narrower than the thickness of the wood and are 

 to serve as a flange, or rim, on which the crystal may rest, and 

 bring the convex surface of the crystal on a level with the surface of 

 the wood. 



Another and better way, if you have the facilities, is to cut the 

 holes with a chisel by means of a turning lathe. This requires a 

 block of wood that may be fastened to the lathe and to which the 

 block to be cut may be clamped. The instructor in the manual 

 training shop will know how to do this. With this arrangement 

 the holes can be cut perfectly, and the ridge on which the cr>'stal 

 rests can be cut with the chisel, thus doing away with the card- 

 board strips. The boys in the manual training shop of the high 

 school cut two hundred blocks for me in this way, — good practice 

 for them and useful products for me. 



The next problem is the cementing material. Common glue will 

 serve the purpose, but it had a tendency to become too hard and 

 brittle after a time, and the specimens jar loose. It is better to use 

 a combination of venice turpentine and common glue half and half. 

 This does not become brittle and is used especially for gluing the 

 specimen to the watch crystal. For fastening the watch crystals to 

 the block, one may use this same combination of glue and venice 

 turpentine, but I prefer to use a kind of sealing wax made of red- 

 lead, rosin, beeswax and a little tallow or oil to keep it from becom- 

 ing too brittle when cold. These are all melted together and may 

 be molded and kept on hand till needed. This cement really 



