1. Prepare a disc by cutting with scissors a 

 circular piece of Bristol board (or very thick paper). 

 The diameter should be slightly less than that of the 

 specimen tube. 



2. Push a fine ' silver ' pin two-thirds of its 

 length through the centre of this. 



3. Place the mosquito upon its back on a clean 

 sheet of paper. (In this and other manipulations use 

 a pin for moving or steadying the mosquito). 



4. Take the head of the fine pin in the finger 

 and thumb, or hold it near the head end with a pair of 

 forceps. Endeavour to place the point of the pin 

 exactly in the centre of the origin of the legs, which 

 all arise very close together from the under surface 

 of the thorax. Bear in mind, that the more the insect 

 is touched the more scales are rubbed off, and that a 

 crookedly mounted specimen is better than a ' rubbed ' 

 one. 



5. Push the pin steadily through the thorax, so 

 that it emerges as near the centre of the dorsum of the 

 thorax as possible. 



6. Having transfixed the mosquito, force the 

 point of the pin one millimetre beyond the back, by 

 pressing it against the smooth surface of a cork or 

 tissue paper. The pin should not be pushed through 

 too far, as it prevents the lens of the microscope being 

 brought near enough for examination. 



7. Placing the disc against a cork, pass carefully 

 through the edge a stout pin. This is passed in the 

 reverse direction to the fine pin. Force three-quarters 

 of the length of the large pin through the cardboard 

 disc, and then firmly press the point into the cork of 

 a specimen tube, so'-that when the tube is corked the 

 mosquito is inside (Fig. 49). 



It is wise to fix inside the tube a pledget of wool 



