54 CHILDREN'S GARDENS 



l /% inch and widens to J4 inch at the other end. If a 

 staple or screw-eye is fastened at one end of the 

 spreading board it can be hung up while the insects 

 are drying. They -should not be left too long where 

 spiders may reach them because spiders are apt to 

 eat the bodies of the insects, especially butterflies. 



Mounts. -After the insects are dry they can be 

 placed in mounts for permanent preservation. There 

 are three good kinds of mounts. One is a carefully- 

 made wooden box with a glass cover and the insects can 

 be arranged in this by fastening them with pins stuck 

 through them. Another, called the Riker mount, is a 

 cardboard box filled with cotton on which the insects 

 are laid, and the glass cover pressed down. This 

 shows only one side of the insect. Another kind is 

 called the Denton mount. This is all of glass and 

 holds the insect in such a manner as to be able to see 

 both sides of it. 



If caterpillars are to be preserved with the butter- 

 flies they can be placed in small bottles with diluted 

 formalin and corked up. 



For printed information about insects the United 

 States Government and the State Experiment Stations 

 furnish excellent bulletins without charge, and there 

 are a number of books, which the school or town 

 library may obtain if there is a demand for them. 



Knots. There are three qualities essential in a 

 good knot; to tie easily and quickly, to hold securely, 

 and to untie easily and quickly. 



The dictionary shows how to make the simpler knots 



