The Capture, Preparation, and Preservation of Specimens 



distance. As a rule, the wings of all specimens should be mounted 

 at a uniform elevation of about seven eighths of an inch above the 

 point of the pin. This is known as the " continental method " of 

 mounting, and is infinitely prefer- 

 able to the old-fashioned "English 

 method," in which the insect was 

 pinned low down upon the pin, so 

 that its wings touched the surface of 

 the box. 



Setting-blocks are most advanta- 

 geously employed in setting small 

 species, especially the Hesperiidce, 

 the wings of which are refractory. 

 When the insect has been pinned ^ 53 ._ Setting _ board designed 



Upon the Setting-board or setting- by the author. The wings of the 



block, the next step is to set the ** are held in place by strips of 



tracing-muslin, such as is used by 

 Wings |in the position which they engineers. The grooves at the side 



arp tn maintain when thp snprimpn serve to hold the board in P lace in 

 Wn l the drying-box. (See Fig. 59.) 



is thoroughly dry. This is accom- 

 plished by means of what are known as " setting-needles " 

 (Fig. 56). Setting-needles may be easily made by simply stick- 

 ing ordinary needles into wooden matches from which the tips 

 have been removed. In drawing the wings into position, care 



should be taken to plant the setting-needle 

 behind the strong nervure on the costal 

 margin of the 

 wing; otherwise 

 the wings are lia- 

 ble to be torn and 

 disfigured. The 

 FIG. 54. -Setting-block: rule in setting lep- 



A, holes to enable the pin jrfoptera is to draw 

 to reach to the cork ; C, cork, 



filling groove on the bottom the anterior wing 

 of the block; B, slit to hold f orwar d in such 

 thread. 



a manner that the 



FIG. 55. Setting-block with 

 butterfly expanded upon it. 



posterior margin of this wing is at right angles to the axis of 

 the body, the axis of the body being a line drawn through the 

 head to the extremity of the abdomen. The hind wing should 

 then be moved forward, its anterior margin lying under the op- 

 posing margin of the front wing. When the wings have thus 



39 



