S8 INJURIOUS AND USEFUL INSECTS 



pins of different sizes. The moth must be pinned as soon 

 as possible after death, the pin being passed exactly through 

 the centre of the thorax. A specimen which has been allowed 

 to dry can only be set after relaxing. This is done by keeping 

 it in a box or bottle with some wet blotting-paper ; it should 

 be examined daily, and removed as soon as the wings and 

 legs become soft enough to be bent readily. The object 

 is to restore them to the condition of a fresh-killed insect. 

 If relaxing is too much prolonged, the moth will become 

 mouldy or putrid. 



When the moth is pinned into the groove of the setting- 

 board, the body, feelers, and legs should be arranged in 

 natural attitudes, and secured by pins. The wings are to 

 be expanded, and held down by strips of paper or card 

 (braces). A needle or fine forceps is convenient for extending 

 the wing, and it is a general practice to extend the fore wings 

 until a line drawn from tip to tip just clears the head. After 

 this the specimens are left to dry in a safe place, free from 

 dust or damp. The moths must be so set that they do 

 not touch any surrounding object, and care must be taken 

 to prevent the access of mites or other museum pests. A 

 little dry naphthalene in each tray is a sufficient precaution. 

 The collection must not be exposed constantly to light as 

 the colours will fade. 



14. THE TIGER-MOTH (Arctia caja) 



We shall take as our first example of a Lepidopterous 

 insect the tiger-moth, a common and hardy species, which 

 is easily reared, and conspicuous by its size and bright colora- 

 tion. Many schoolboys have kept the larvae in paper cages, 

 feeding them on nettle or dock-leaves. In such cages the 

 leaves soon dry up, and a daily supply must be procured. It 

 is, therefore, better to stick a cut branch of the food-plant in 

 a small bottle of wet sand. Then we want a case to prevent 

 the larvae from escaping. Make a tall upright frame without 

 bottom (20 in. x 8 in. x 5 in. are convenient dimensions). 

 Fit panes of glass to the sides, and a piece of perforated zinc 

 to the top ; all the sides but the one in front can be made of 

 perforated zinc, if desired. The larvas, bought from a dealer. 



