208 INSECT LIFE. 



rated so that they shall not be glued together (Fig. 



276). If a number is put near one corner on both the 



cover and the lower 



part of the box (Fig. 



^ — '^ 277) it will be easy to 



determine how the case 



FIG. .77.-An insect case. ^^^^j^ ^^ ^^^ together 



after being opened, and thus insure a fit of the two 

 parts. This will also obviate the danger of putting 

 the wrong cover on a case when several of them 

 have been opened at once. 



The bottom should be made of well-seasoned, soft, 

 nonresinous wood. If the wood is not well seasoned 

 it will shrink and make a crack through which pests 

 will enter. It should be soft so that pins can be eas- 

 ily inserted in it if it is not lined with cork, and non- 

 resinous, as resinous wood will injuriously affect the 

 specimens, and is liable to become unsightly from the 

 exudation of resin. For this reason pine is unsuit- 

 able, but basswood is excellent. 



It is important that the cases be made of uniform 

 size, so that they may be stored as drawers in a cabi- 

 net, or between two upright boards upon which 

 cleats have been nailed three inches apart (Fig. 278)- 

 A convenient size is twelve inches and a half by fif- 

 teen inches and a half. This admits of the use of glass 

 which measures twelve inches by fifteen inches, a 

 common size of window glass. This is a smaller size 

 than is ordinarily used by those having large collec- 

 tions of insects. But cases of this size will be more 

 convenient for young pupils to handle than larger 

 ones. A larger case is described below as the collegi 

 insect case. 



