46 COLLECTING AND PRESERVING COCCIM. 



is the one universally adopted, and consists of merely 

 pinning the specimens in the cabinet in the ordinary 

 way with a reference number, and a record label at- 

 tached giving full particulars as to locality, date, ;m<l 

 name of food-plant, and collector's name. To me such 

 a system is anything but satisfactory; a collection tlius 

 arranged presents a very untidy appearance, and the 

 removal of specimens for microscopical study is only 

 too frequently attended with loss. 



After many trials, the system which I have finally 

 adopted for the display of my specimens is as follows. 

 Lay in a stock of cork slips made from ordinary 

 cabinet cork ; size 3 in. X 1 in., which is the size of an 

 ordinary slip used for microscopical purposes. Care, 

 however, must be taken to have them of uniform size 

 throughout, or the result will be anything but pleasing. 

 The next process is to paper them. Take one of the 

 cork slips, and with ;i small <|iiantity of fish glue mi a 

 " dip stick," put a very narrow band of it all round 

 the edge of the slip. Having done this, lay the slip, 

 gummed side downwards, on the sheet of paper which 

 has been selected to cover it, and press it firmly all 

 round the edge. Do a number of slips in this way, 

 laying them side by side, leaving a space of halt an 

 inch between each of them. When the sheet of paper 

 has been filled with them, set them aside for a lew 

 minutes under light pressure, and afterwards separate 

 them with a sharp penknife; finally trim off the paper 

 from the edges of the cork slip with a pair of scissors. 

 You then have a cork microscopical slip ready for the 

 reception of the specimens at any time. When re- 

 quired for use attach a gummed microscopical label at 

 one or both ends, and in the available space left pin 

 or gum on the specimens. The best pins for the pur- 

 pose are those known as " Lills," which can be pur- 

 chased from any draper or silk mercer at 2s. 6d. per 

 dozen sheets. Gum, however, should only be used in 

 extreme cases. After fixing the specimens the pins 

 should be cut down to mere stumps, otherwise their 



