270 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



rusted, owing to some ingredient in the turf. I then applied 

 to Messrs. Kirby and Beard, and they made me a steel pin 

 enamelled black. These have points like needles, and I failed 

 to rust them, although I put them to several severe tests. I 

 believe the only reasons they are not generally adopted is that 

 they are not made in English sizes, and that they are rather 

 expensive. The pin bill, however, is about the entomologist's 

 smallest outlay, and hardly worth consideration. I would suggest 

 that half a dozen prominent British entomologists should form a 

 committee to examine this pin, and, if found satisfactory, decide 

 on the best length for the usual English cabinet drawer. The 

 height at which insects are to be pinned could also be determined 

 by the same committee, as suggested by Mr. Searancke {ante, 

 p. 231), and setting-boards made accordingly. 



Boards (for the high flat style) should be made of soft wood 

 from half to three-quarters of an inch thick. As the wings of 

 most Lepidoptera have a tendency to droop when taken off the 

 boards, this is obviated by a slight upward slope of the board from 

 the centre ; the correct angle has only been arrived at by con- 

 siderable trouble. Fig. 1 shows the 

 p , c . I . end view of setting-board ; the groove 



in the centre receives the body of the 

 insect, and the pin having to pass 

 through a narrow opening, a, between 

 the groove and the cork, is pre- 

 vented from leaning to either side. 

 Fig. 2 represents the side of setting-board with cork below the 

 narrow opening referred to; another strip of wood could be 

 added, as indicated by the dotted line, to keep the pins at a 

 uniform depth. These boards are made by Mr. J. Crockett, 

 Prince's Street, Cavendish Square, both for continental and 

 English setting. A quantity of glass-headed steel pins and 

 some glazed tracing cloth cut into strips will be required. Take 

 the specimen to be set between the thumb and first finger of the 

 left hand, and drive the pin through the centre of the thorax 

 perpendicularly to the plane of the wings. Place the body of 

 the insect in the groove, and drive the pin through the narrow 

 opening and the cork to the required depth. As before explained, 

 the pin can have no lateral inclination, so it is only necessary to 

 see that it does not lean forwards or backwards. Care must be 

 taken that the wings lie easily on the board, and that the body 

 is neither too much elevated or depressed. Next take two strips 

 of tracing cloth, glazed side downwards, and pin them on at the 

 end of each side of the setting-board, as shown in fig. 3. The 

 tracing cloth must be wide enough to cover the wings with the 

 exception of a small portion of the base. Pass the cloth over 

 the wings, pressing it shghtly with the fingers of the left hand 

 while the wings are raised into position with the setting-needle 



