H 



FIELD AND FOREST. 



allow the wings to lay perfectly flat on the block, then with a fine awl 

 makj a hole through the block, in the centre of the grove, and about 



one-third of its length from the top. 

 With a half inch augur bore a hole 

 a quarter of an inch deep on the 

 under side at the place where the 

 awl came through, force in this a 

 common bottle cork and cut it off 

 fair with the block; make the top as 

 smooth as possible and it is ready 

 for use. 



Setting. Insert your pin through 

 Fig. 20. the middle of the thorax and then 



in the small awl hole in the block ; force it through the cork on the 

 under side until you feel the point; place the body of the insect in 

 the groove and the wings flat on the block ; spread the primaries with 

 the point of a needle until the lower edges are on a line, bring the sec" 

 ondaries into position, and fasten all down with a piece of soft 

 darning cotton, drawn three or four times arouud the block and over 

 the wings on each side ; make the end fast in a nick in the end of the 

 block and withdraw the needles. The insect should remain in this 

 position from three days to one week, according to the size of the body. 

 By having your blocks all of the same thickness, and inserting the pin 

 until you feel the point on the under side you are sure to have all 

 your insects, large and small of a uniform heighth. I would advise 

 all beginners to use the regular insect pins. 



James S. Johnson. 



[Having the illustrations of two forms of setting boards, described 

 by the editor in an article on collecting insects, * we produce them as 

 an appendix to Mr. Johnson's article, with the original descriptions: 



" The first is made by fastening two strips of wood, about a foot in 

 length, and an inch and a half in width, to two uprights of the same 

 hight, leaving an open space of half an inch between ; thin strips of 

 cork are" glued on underneath, through which the pins are thrust. 



*"How to collect and preserve insects, '' Annual Rep't. Department of Agriculture, 

 1868, page 305. 



