98 TAXIDERMY. 



Dragon-flies, flies, bees, grasshoppers, bugs, &c. 

 are pinned through the thorax, in the same way as 

 butterflies. 



In long voyages we should scarcely have time to 

 give insects their living attitude. We generally 

 reserve this work for our return. We then restore 

 them to their suppleness, by pinning a part of them 

 on a round of cork, the size of the bottom of a 

 plate, which we place in a large vessel ; we then 

 pour a little cold water until the cork swims, we 

 then cover it. 



The humidity will perfectly soften these insects 

 the same day, or the day after, they have been 

 placed in the vessel. 



In order to give the softened insect its natural 

 attitude, we pin it on a small square piece of cork, 

 and by the help of small forceps we bring back all 

 the extremities to the place which they ought to 

 occupy. We fix them temporarily with pins, and 

 twehty-fout hours afterwards, the insects having 

 dried in this attitude, we take away all the pins, ex* 

 cepting that which goes through the body, an< 

 which serves to fasten them. Each extremity wi! 

 retain the position given it by this operation. 



To set butterflies, we must be provided wit! 

 little planks of soft wood ; a groove, deep enough t( 

 receive the body of the butterfly, should run across 

 them; we pin the butterfly in the middle of die 

 groove, so that the body be buried in it, up to the 



