FIRST HINTS ON COLLECTING BUTTERFLIES. 119 



Then take the other end of the strip in your fingers and hold it tight close 

 "to the board and gradually raise the wings to the required angle (as in Fig. .°>) 

 with the point of a needle, taking care that the point of the needle only 

 catches against the stronger veins and does not actually pass through the wing. 

 Generally speaking if this cannot be done easily the insect is not sufficiently 

 relaxed but, of course, practice is required. This done pin the other end of the 

 strip tightly. Except in the very small species a second strip is nearly always 

 required to prevent the ends of the wings curling particularly in the case of 

 relaxed specimens. 



I have used the expression '* raise the wings to the required angle " ; the 

 -only way to set specimens so that the whole collection will be homogeneous, 

 all the specimens being set with the wings at the same angle is to have the 

 Jower or inner margins of the forewings at right angles to the body so that the 

 points (F F) in the figure are in a straight line. Then raise the hindwings 

 until the pattern of the markings, if any, fit on to that of the forewings. 



In I suppose by far the majority of butterflies there are bands or lines 

 running continuously across both wings. 



There are a few, but very few cases where it is impossible to fit the pattern 

 of the hindwings on to that of the forewings if the latter are set at the angle 

 described above (Papilio sarpedon is an instance in point) ; but it is worth- 

 while sacrificing the pattern for the sake of having the setting of the whole 

 collection uniform. 



In butterflies the legs are not as a rule visible from above and the only 

 things left to arrange are the antennae. These should be pinned wide open 

 so as to lie close along the costa of the forewings. If they project at all they 

 are almost certain to get broken off when the specimens are packed away 

 closely in collecting cases or cabinets. 



The setting is now finished and the specimen must be left to dry. This in the 

 cold weather may take only 24 hours. In the monsoon, on the other hand, it 

 may take a month and in a very wet season become almost impossible. 



It will probably be less disappointing in the end to put all one's captures in 

 the monsoon in papers at the time and relax and set them afterwards in the 

 cold weather. 



A drop of benzine on the insect will greatly assist the process of drying and 

 does not injure the specimen in the least. It has the further advantage of 

 •absorbing or partially absorbing the greasy matter in the body and preventing 

 the mischievous form of rot known as "greasing" setting in afterwards. 



As soon as the specimen is dry the papers can be taken off and the insect put 

 away in the cabinet or collecting box. People who have anywhere at homo 

 where they can send things to and any one there to look after them will be 

 wise if they send their whole accumulations home every hot weather before 

 the monsoon breaks. 



Permanent or semi-permanent residents in the country will probably prefer to 

 arrange their collections in cabinets. For such the principal enemy to te feared 



