200 METHOD OF COLLECTING 



the heat of the iron will soften the grease, and th< 

 chalk will absorb it. 



Another method is to hold a heated iron over 

 the insects for a few minutes, and then to wash 

 the spotted or greasy places with ox gall and water, 

 applied with a camel-hair pencil, and afterwards 

 wash it with pure water, and dry it by an applica- 

 tion of bloating paper, and when perfectly dry 

 imbue it with the solution of corrosive sublimate. 

 But grease seldom appears where the contents of 

 the abdomen have been removed. 



It is most difficult, if not nearly impracticable, 

 to set many of the smaller moths without destroy- 

 ing the characters of their wings ; and the trunks 

 of many of them are so small that they are not 

 even the breadth of a pin. The only method there- 

 fore of preserving these is by gumming them on a 

 card, and keeping their wings expanded by means 

 of the gum. This must be applied with a camel- 

 hair pencil. If the collector has two specimens, 

 one should be set with expanded wings, and the 

 other in the state while at rest. These small in- 

 sects should be placed on dark coloured or black 

 cards, if they are themselves pale ; and if dark, 

 they should be fixed on white cards. 



