24 



IvATURALISTS' ASSISTANT. 



piece of card with gum, place the insects promiscuously 

 upon it and then when dry cut to suit the specimen. Thin 

 pieces of mica are also used in a similar manner. 



To place the insects in the cabinet, what are known as pin- 

 ning forceps are frequently used. These are 

 forceps made after the usual manner, except 

 that the extremities are bent as shown in fig. 

 7, and the corrugations of the points are so 

 arranged as to hold the pin firmly. The pin 

 is grasped by them about a quarter of an 

 inch from the extremity and forced into the 

 bottom of the case with a gentle pressure. 

 By this method all danger of bending the 

 pins is averted, a result which frequendy fol- 

 lows an attempt to set them with the fingers. 

 They may also be set with much greater reg- 

 ularity with the forceps than without. 



SPREADING BUTTERFLIES. 



Butterflies and moths should always have 

 the wings extended and it is frequently de- 

 sirable to mount other insects in the same 

 manner. This is accomplished by means of 

 a "setting board." A strip of pine or other 

 soft wood has a groove ploughed through the middle to 

 the depth of from three-quarters of an inch to an inch. 

 The bottom of the groove is generally lined with cork to 

 hold the point of the pin. It is frequently desirable to have 



Fig. 7. 



