July, '07] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 309 



it, and they can undoubtedly save a good many specimens 

 by following directions. 



Relax the specimens well and then place the same on the 

 board with narrow strips of tracing cloth. When the board 

 is filled lay a strip of paper over the specimens, then cover 

 the paper with strips of glass about one-fourth of an inch in 

 thickness. After this is all done place the specimens in a 

 cooking-stove oven. If the stove is red hot, ten minutes will 

 be sufficient, if the stove is not so hot it will require from 

 twenty to thirty minutes. The best way to test is to touch 

 the glass with the finger; if the glass is so hot that the finger 

 cannot remain longer than a second the specimens are done, 

 and can be put away to cool off. 



The specimens can be taken off the boards two hours after 

 coming out of the oven. To make sure about papered speci- 

 mens it is advisable to give them two bakings: bake them 

 for ten minutes and let them cool for two hours and then put 

 them in the oven again for another ten minutes. 



With freshly hatched specimens the heat should not be so 

 great and the door of the oven left open. The specimens 

 should be kept in about one hour in not too hot an oven. 



If too much heat is put on fresh specimens at once it will 

 shrivel up the bodies. 



There is absolutely no danger of the specimens being 

 destroyed. I had boards full of specimens in the oven so 

 long that the spreading board burned and the glass was 

 so hot that it cracked. After the board and glass had cooled 

 off the latter was removed and the specimens were found in 

 perfect condition. 



This will be a great help to collectors of Geometridae, as these 

 species will always sag the wings when prepared in the usual 

 way ; but if the specimens are baked properly they will never 

 g or sprint;' back. . This method will save both time ami 

 spreading boards, as the specimen can be placed in the 

 cabinet the same day on which it is spread, and will remove 

 all danger of specimens being destroyed while on the boards, 

 and no re-spreading will be required.* 



* This method is not new.— Eds. 



