144 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Calopteryx virgo and C. splende^is retain their colours excel- 

 lently — and luckily, for they could scarcely be eviscerated. 

 The same may be said of Lestes sponsa and L. dryas, and 

 to a great extent of Pijrrhosoma nymplmla and P. tenellum. One 

 important point to notice is that as time goes by the speci- 

 mens in the cabinet tend to regain their colours rather than 

 the reverse. There is little doubt that dragonflies keep their 

 colours better if they have had no food for some time before 

 being killed. 



Setting is an important matter in the case of dragonflies, for 

 there are the legs and abdomen to attend to as well as the 

 wings. After having been killed in the cyanide- bottle, they 

 should be pinned through the thorax, care being taken that the 

 pin does not bring away a leg when it comes through the under 

 surface. For uniformity's sake the costal margin of the two 

 hind wings had better form one straight line at right angles to 

 the main axis of the insect, and the hind margin of the fore wings 

 should just not meet the hind wings. In the Anisopterids the anal 

 angle of the hind wings should be supported while drying. Flat 

 setting-boards must be used. Also there must be a groove wide 

 enough to allow of the legs being properly arranged, and deep 

 enough to keep all parts of the set insect from the paper in the 

 cabinet-drawer. In life all six legs are turned forward, but 

 most collectors, not only for appearance sake but also for 

 facility of observation, will not arrange them so. Usually the 

 fore legs will be put forward, the hind ones backwards, and the 

 mid ones more or less at right angles to the thorax. Perhaps 

 the legs look better, and they certainly take up less room, if 

 they are bent at the joints — not stretched out straight. "While 

 drying, legs and abdomen must be kept in position with pins 

 and braces ; and the head, if not controlled, will usually tend to 

 look over one shoulder or the other in a very idiotic fashion. 

 Labelling must be done carefully, as the ticket shows when 

 placed beneath the insect. The drying process is rather slow, 

 two or three weeks at least being required for the larger 

 species. 



When obtainable empty nymph -skins should accompany 

 the perfect insects. These are very ethereal and will seldom bear 

 a pin ; a good method of mounting them 

 is near the end of a very thin strip of 

 card, c d, at right angles to the length of 

 the nymph-skin, a b. The whole is se- 

 cured in the cabinet-drawer by a pin 



passing through the card at c, the pin ^ 

 also bearing the label. It is quite easy 

 to gum the skin at d without hiding any 

 important structures. 



