COLLECTION OP SPECIMENS 157 



pin or needle, and, to make the whole more secure, 

 each end is tied round with fine thread or twine 

 in a small groove cut in the wood for the purpose. 

 It is well to remove, as far as possible, all traces 

 of the glue from the outside of the handle by 

 scraping the glued edges when dry, as otherwise 

 it is apt to stick unpleasantly tightly to the lips if 

 held for a moment in the mouth in the hurry of 

 finishing a mount. A few ordinary sewing needles 

 set in cedar penholders are also very useful, and 

 one or two of them should be bent at an angle to 

 the holder, as these are often of service in altering 

 the position of objects under examination after the 

 cover-glass has been put on, and will also be 

 found invaluable for a like purpose in mounting 

 work. In order to bend a needle into almost any 

 form it is only necessary to heat it to a red heat 

 in a spirit-lamp, and then allow it to cool, as this 

 will render the metal soft and pliable ; after being 

 bent to the desired shape it should be rehardened 

 by plunging it when red hot into cold water. 

 Two pairs of forceps (one with straight, and the 

 other with curved ends), a pair of small scissors, 

 some small camel-hair brushes, a few glass pipettes, 

 and one or two small lancets will practically com- 

 plete the list of implements necessary, both for 

 dissecting and mounting ; to these must be added 

 a stock of the usual glass slips (3 in. by 1 in.) and 

 cover-glasses, procurable at any optician's. While, 

 as a simple matter of appearance, the round cover- 



