[89] COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS RILEY. 



manner that they can easily be transferred from one place to another and 

 fastened in the boxes or drawers employed for pinned insects. For 

 directions in this regard I reproduce from an article on the subject in 

 Insect Life, Yol. ii, pp. 345, 346, which was republished, with slight 

 changes, from my annual report for 1886 as Honorary Curator.* 



Yials^ Stoppers and Solders. — The vials in use to preserve such speci- 

 mens as must be left in alcohol or other liquids are straight glass tubes 

 of varying diameters and lengths, with round bottom and smooth even 

 mouth. The stoppers in use are of rubber, which, when tightly put into 

 the vial, the air being nearly all expelled, keep the contents of the vial 

 intact and safe for years. 



Various forms of bottles are used in museums for the preservation of 

 minute alcoholic material. I have tried the flattened and the square and 

 have studied various other forms of these vials; but I am satisfied that 

 those just described, which are in use by Dr. Hagen in the Cambridge 

 Museum, are, all things considered, the most convenient and econom- 

 ical. A more difficult problem to solve was a convenient and satisfac- 

 tory method of holding these vials and of fastening them into drawers 

 or cases held at all angles, from perpendicular to horizontal. Most alco- 

 hoHc collections are simply kept standing, either in tubes with broad 

 bases or in tubes held in wooden or other receptacles ; but for a biologic 

 collection of insects something that could be used in connection with 

 the pinned specimens and that could be easily removed, as above 

 set forth, was desirable. After trying many different contrivances I 

 finally prepared a block, with Mr. Hawley's assistance, which answers 

 every purpose of simplicity, neatness, security, and convenience. It is, 

 so far as I know, unique, and will be of advantage for the same purpose 

 to other museums. It has been in use now for the past six years, and 

 has been of great help and satisfaction in the arrangement and preser- 

 vation of the alcoholic specimens, surpassing all other methods for ease 

 of handling and classifying. 



The blocks are oblong, one-fourth of an inch thick, the ends (c c, Fig. 

 112) beveled, the sides either beveled or straight, the latter preferable. 

 They vary in length and breadth according to the different sizes of 

 the vials, and are painted white. Upon the upper side of these blocks 

 are fastened two curved clamps of music wire (b ft), forming about two- 

 thirds of a complete circle. The fastening to the block is simple and 

 secure. A bit of the wire of proper length is first doubled and then 

 by a special contrivance the two ends are bent around a mandrel so as 

 to form an insertion point or loop. A brad awl is used to make a slot in 

 the block, into which this loop is forced (e. Fig. 112, 5), a drop of warm 

 water being first put into the slot to soften the wood, which swells and 

 closes so firmly around the wire that considerable force is required to 

 pull it out. Four pointed wire nails {d d d d), set into the bottom so as 



* Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1886, Part ii, Report of the 

 National Museum, pp. 182-186. Washington, 1890. 



