98 ENTOMOLOGY. 
cartridge tube makes a good box), a pair or two of forceps, a pair of 
scissors, a little mucilage and the killing apparatus to be described: 
KILLINGc—After capturing an insect, intended for the cabinet, 
the next thing is to kill and dispose of it till one gets home. All 
those—as the various beetles, bugs, some nerve-winged and some 
straight-winged insects—which have either hard or naked cover- 
ings and do not spoil when wetted, may be thrown into alcohol 
kept in stout, wide-mouthed and well-corked bottles. The alcohol 
at once kills and preserves. 
The cyanide bottle is very useful for killing the more delicate 
scaly-winged and two-winged insects. It is a wide-mouthed bottle 
with a few grains of cyanide of potassium kept 
in place at the bottom by a layer of cotton 
‘wadding pressed down upon it and capped with 
something smooth, such as perforated card- 
board. The cyanide is a deadly poison and soon 
|}; kills anything thrown into the bottle. Differ- 
ent sized bottles may be used, and one made of 
a chemist’s test tube (Fig. 4) is convenient in 
the field. In countries where the Laurel grows, 
its bruised leaves may be used in the place of 
the cyanide ; they kill less quickly, but have the 
advantage of safety. A small and stout bottle 
of chloroform with a brush securely inserted 
into the cork (Fig. 5) will be found very ser- 
viceable. A slight moistening through the air- 
net will stupefy most insects caught in it, and 
facilitate their removal to the cyanide bottle; 
while a touch or two with the wet brush under 
the head and thorax, will kill the more delicate 
specimens outright, without in the least injur- 
ing them. Another way of using chloroform is 
by means of a small hollow tube passed 
through the cork (Fig. 6), what is called jewelers’ hollow wire 
ee — — The liquid evaporates more rapidly in such 
a bottle and I altogether prefer oo 
the first mentioned. Some large 
insects and especially female 
moths whose size prevents the 
use of the ordinary cyanide bot- 
tles, are difficult to kill. With 
these, fluttering may be prevented 
by the use of chloroform or by 
(Fig. 4d 
a squeeze of the thorax under the 
wings with the thumb and KJ] 
finger; and they may be killed by puncturing 
the thorax, or piercing the body longitudin- 
ally, with a needle dipped in liquid cyanide, 
or in oxalic acid. A long bottle witha 
nplie thrust into the cork may be kept for this purpose; but the 
needle must be of ivory or bone, as those of metal are corroded 
and eaten by the liquids. Hot water kills rapidly, and leaves the 
specimens in good flexible condition for mounting: the heads 
of large insects may be held for a few moments in the water, while 
smaller specimens should first be thrown into a corked bottle and 
the bottle submitted to the heat. 
EntomotTaxy—Unlike the ornithologist, the entomologist has no 
one word to express the preparing, setting and preserving of his 
specimens, but that used herewith will very well answer the purpose. 
In preparing insects for the cabinet, entomological pins, expressly 
made, should be used. Those manufactured by W.: Kiacer of 
Berlin, are far superior to those of American make, and may be 
obtained through the agency of several of our eastern natural history 
societies. They range, in number, from oo, or extremely fine, to 
7, which is coarse and stout. Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are the most 
useful, and the others may, in reality, be dispensed with. All 
insects should be pinned through the middle of the thorax, where 
—as is more generally the case—this portion (mesothorax) is largely 
Beetles (Coleoptera) and Bugs (Hemiptera) should 
however, be pinned, the former through the right elytron or 
developed. 
wing-cover (Fig. 7 @) the latter through the scutel or triangular 
(Fig, 7.] piece behind the thorax (Fig. 7 4). 
The specimens look very pretty with 
all the legs neatly spread out, but 
Qe for practical purposes, it is usually as 
well to let them dry in the naturally 
== 5 
a saving of space, and the limbs are not so apt to break. There 
should always be about half an inch of the pin above the insect to 
facilitate handling, and uniformity in this regard will have much 
to do with the neat appearance of a collection. Most insects which 
are too small to be pierced by a No. 2 pin may be fastened to card- 
board by means of gum tragacanth. A drop of corrosive subli- 
mate, added to water with which the gum is diluted, will indefi- 
nitely prevent its souring. The card-board or bristle-board may 
be cut into points or tags of shape to suit the fancy. I use, myself, 
rows of wedge-shaped points (Fig. 8) of three different sizes 
folded position : it is a saving of time, 
[Fig. 8.] according to the insects to be fast- 
ened ; and to facilitate the cutting 
° of these rows, and to obtain uni- 
formity, I have had three different sized stamps made, which prick 
the paper and indicate each angle or corner. Delicate flies and 
moths which it will not do to fasten with mucilage, may first 
be mounted on very fine pins (Nos. 19 and 20 made by EDDLESTON 
& Witiams, Crown Court, Cheapside, London, are very fine and 
excellent) and these inserted into one end of little strips of cork or 
pith, through the other end of which a No. 3 or 4 Kleger pin 
passes to secure the specimen in the cabinet. By this means the 
proper height is preserved, and the inconvenience and vexation of 
handling such very fine pins obviated: 
For the proper setting of insects with broad and flattened wirgs, 
such as butterflies and moths, aspreading board or stretcher is neces- 
sary. One that is simple and answers every purpose is shown at Fig. 
(Fig. 9.] g. It may be made of two pieces 
) j of thin white-wood or pine board, 
fastened together by braces, espe- 
cially at the ends, and left wide 
enough apart to admit the bodies of 
= the insects to be spread ; strips of 
cork or pith, in which to fasten the 
pins, may then be tacked or glued 
below so as s to. cover the intervening space. The braces must be deep 
