1899] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 45 



done, moderately warm water may be used. This will 

 relax it. Take a 3 X 1 in. slip, clean it, and place the in- 

 sect in the centre. Proceed to arrange all the organs, 

 feet, head, wings, elytra, etc., in as natural a position as 

 possible. This will require patience and delicate hand- 

 ling. After all are in the desired positions, take two 

 pieces of thin card of about the same thickness, not 

 thicker than the specimen. Place one on each end of the 

 slip. Take another clean slip and gently lower it down 

 onto the one with a specimen you have arranged in posi- 

 tion. The specimen may move when the operation must 

 be gone through again until a successful issue is obtain- 

 ed. Now place two india-rabber bands round both slips 

 to keep them together, or tie with stout soft cotton. 



Have a wide-mouthed bottle ready, three-fourths full of 

 methylated spirits. Place your slips in, see all is cover- 

 ed, let it remain there from twenty-four to thirty-six 

 hours or longer. This will fix the object in position. 

 Carefully take it out, undo the strings or take off the 

 bands. Take specimen up. It will now he quite stif e7iough 

 to handle. Have some clear clove oil in a saucer. Float 

 it on top. As soon as it sinks it is ready for mounting in 

 balsam, by either of the methods described under balsam 

 mounting, and finish as directed there. 



We will now prepare ioxnowui ^ome or g'a.i\ without pres- 

 sure. Take for example, the head of the Garden spider. 

 Owing to the formation of this creature, although not 

 really an insect, it will serve our purpose very well as 

 an example of mounting in the above method. The head 

 and thorax being in one part known as the Cephalo-thorax, 

 we shall take the whole just divided at the junction with 

 the abdomen. As it is desirous to show the falces or 

 sieving organs, it must be mounted on its back or upside 

 down. Wash in clean water as by other method. Prepare 

 a cell exactly as when you mount in a cell in balsam. 

 Now place the specimen in a saucer of methylated spirits. 



