TAXIDERMY. 99 



insertion of the wings. Then, with very fine pins, 

 we fix the wings in their natural position; after 

 that, we place a piece of paper or card on the 

 wings, which we fasten to the wood with two or 

 three pins ; and after the butterfly has remained one 

 or two days in this position, we take away the card 

 and pins, and lift it up ; it will always preserve 

 its legs and wings in the position we have wished 

 them to take. 



We find insects every where, on flowers, on the 

 leaves of trees, plants, &c. We then procure those 

 which escape the eye by the following proceeding. 

 We spread a table cloth, or large piece of white 

 linen, under a bush, or under the branches of the 

 trees, and beat the branches with a great stick, for 

 the insects, even caterpillars, to fall on the cloth ; 

 we stick them, and place them in the boxes. We 

 can supply the place of the cloth, by an umbrella, 

 which we hold reversed with the left hand, whilst 

 we strike the branches with the right. This was 

 the method of the naturalist Bosc. 



The scarabaeidse are found in rotten wood, in old 

 stumps, under stones, &c. Those of the genus 

 copris, so beautiful and numerous, are most com- 

 monly found in the dung of ruminating and other 

 animals. The traveller should search for them, 

 however disagreeable, for he will be recompensed 

 by their great beauty. 



The nature of spiders does not allow us to pre- 

 F 2 



