ON MOUNTING COLEOPTERA. 



Ill 



tweezers, placed on white blotting-paper, and its legs, antennae, 

 and palpi brushed out with the soft camel's-hair or sable brushes, 

 using one in each hand. I must here insist on the advisability 

 of cultivating the use of both hands in nearly every operation 

 in setting. The proper sized card is then selected, and the 

 locality and date having been written underneath with an etching 

 pen and Indian ink, it is pinned in the centre of the stage of the 

 turntable, and the gum spread evenly over it with a small brush 

 kept solely for this purpose. The beetle is lifted as before, and 

 placed as nearly as possible in its correct position on the card, 

 then with a needle in the left hand to steady it, if need be, its 

 legs, antennae, and palpi are brushed into position with the 

 finely-pointed sable, which should always be used when possible 

 in preference to a needle. It is well to have a little water at 

 hand in which to dip brushes and needles when they become 

 gummy ; the porcelain crucible before mentioned, used for killing, 

 will answer this purpose as well. The legs and antennae should 

 be symmetrically arranged, the latter pointing towards the 

 corners of the card ; after this is done the specimen is placed on 

 the peat- covered board, and the pin pushed down as far as it 

 will go, and when dry the beetle is ready for the cabinet. 



The Rhynchophora are not quite so easy, and care must be 

 taken to brush out the rostrum and antennse before placing the 

 beetle on the card. With this section it is generally necessary 

 to work at first with two needles, drawing out a leg on each 

 side at the same time, and avoiding all jerky and ill-regulated 

 movements. 



In the more difficult genera still, Onthophagus, Hister, 

 Byrrhus, &c., it is sometimes necessary to hold the insect firmly 

 in position while the legs are drawn out with the fine tweezers. 

 This I do with a bristle similar to that used by lepidopterists. 

 A hole is made with a pin in a small piece of cork the size of a 

 barley corn, a stiff bristle is then inserted, and the pin stuck 

 through at right angles to it. One of these on either side will 

 hold a beetle securely in position while the various manipulations 

 are going on. 



I have said nothing as to the advisability of mounting one 

 of a series to show the under side, as it is not every one who 

 recognizes a species at sight, and it is quite possible, where the 

 species are near together, to get the under side of one species 

 mixed up in the series of another. Should, however, it be 

 necessary to mount a specimen in any but the usual way, it 

 should be mounted on its side, as then the characters of both 

 upper and under side can be more or less seen ; but I prefer, 

 when one wants to examine the under side, to float off the insect 

 with hot water. 



In conclusion, it is as easy, with a little care and patience, 

 to make a perfect specimen as a badly set one, and when a 



