110 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



ON MOUNTING COLEOPTEEA. 

 By H. F. Fryer, F.E.S. 



5(Concluded from p. 88.) 



Mountant. — Gum tragacanth dissolved in water to the con- 

 sistency of a thin jelly, with the addition of a little carbolic acid, 

 is generally recommended, and is perhaps the best mountant for 

 beginners, as it is easy to work with and easily made. For 

 larger species I use a formula containing gum Arabic, sugar 

 water, and alcohol ; but with small species, unless very skilfully 

 manipulated, it tends to gum up the antennae and tarsi, rendering 

 species which depend on these characters very difficult to deter- 

 mine ; moreover, the finished efiect is "shiny," and not " dead " 

 as with tragacanth. 



Instruments. — Two moderately soft hog's-hair brushes, for 

 brushing out the legs of refractory species. 



Two camel's-hair, or preferably soft sable, for use with more 

 fragile species. 



A very finely-pointed sable for setting. 



Two of the finest needles procurable. These should be run 

 into cylindrical corks for holders. I find the core bored from 

 any ordinary cork of good quality with a large-sized cork-borer 

 will do. The needle is run for about one-third of its length, and 

 the cork handle then filed down to a fusiform shape. 



A finely-pointed pair of tweezers is almost a necessity for 

 picking up small species and placing them correctly on the card. 

 I am assuming, of course, the possession of the ordinary ento- 

 mological "nippers," and that nothing — either beetle, card, or 

 pin— is ever touched with the fingers. 



A piece of the entomological peat about three inches by eight 

 glued to a piece of soft deal three-fourths of an inch thick for 

 holding the specimens as they are set, and for regulating the 

 height of the card on the point. 



A turntable, although not absolutely necessary, is an immense 

 convenience, as a touch of the finger brings the insect to be 

 mounted into any desired position. I use one of those with 

 which microscopists make their cells, and on the brass stage are 

 glued two thicknesses of cabinet cork ; at the other end of the 

 wooden support is fixed the handle of a carpenter's gouge, and 

 on this is slipped, at the proper focus, a lens of about two inches 

 diameter and four inches focus. It is a " home-made " arrange- 

 ment, but with it there is no difficulty in setting up the smallest 

 species. 



Method. — I must presume the specimens are in the right 

 state of relaxation ; many are perfectly impossible to set unless 

 this is so. Now, taking as an example a very easy species, 

 Demetrias atricapillus, the beetle is lifted by a leg with the fine 



