FOLD WINGS OVER BACK. 



Many butterflies and some moths fold their wings under their body just 

 before they become unconscious in the cyanide bottle. Before they have time 

 to "set" or harden in this position empty them out of the bottle and place 

 the wings over the back. To do this, lay each one in the open palm of your 

 hand and insert the points of the forceps between the wings, from the front,, 

 and gently but firmly press the jaws of the forceps downward and force the 

 wings open. As the wings open grasp the two sides of the body and base 

 of the wings with the forceps, and lift the insect from the hand. Then insert 

 your thumb and finger between the wings and press over the back, touching 

 only the under side of the thorax and the base of the wings. When the wings 

 are in proper position, folded together over the back, give a firm pressure to 

 the upper portion of the thorax and under base of each wing. Never put a 

 butterfly in a paper envelope with its wings in any position except folded 

 together over the back. Many correspondents send me specimens which would 

 be perfect were it not that the wings are extended or folded under the body. 

 This allows the paper to rub directly against the scales on the upper surface of 

 the wings and ruins the specimen. Touching the under side of the wings 

 at their bases or grasping the under side of the thorax in pinning the insect, 

 does not injure the plumage on the upper side of the body and need not 

 injure the scales on the under side. A little practice will make you perfect. 

 When the wings are properly folded over the back after the fly is unconscious, 

 they will usually remain in the proper position. If they will not, place them 

 at once in a paper envelope, by grasping them with the forceps near the base 

 of the wings, while your thumb and finger are holding the wings over the 

 back. If the insect is not dead, the papered specimen may be put in a large 

 cyanide bottle or in a collecting box containing cyanide, or gasoline may be 

 dropped upon the outside of the paper over the thorax and body. At all 

 events do not let flies whose wings are folded under their bodies remain in the 

 collecting bottle to be spoiled by the fluttering of other insects. 



N. B.— TO ENABLE ME TO GIVE MY PERSONAL IN- 

 STRUCTION BY LETTER TO EACH PUPIL THE CORRESPOND- 

 ENCE COURSE WILL BE LIMITED. ONLY A SMALL EDITION 

 OF "THE BUTTERFLY FARMER" IS PUBLISHED, AND, ALL 

 SUBSCRIPTIONS DURING THE YEAR WILL BEGIN WITH VOL. 

 I, NO. 1.) 



Address all letters: (MISS) XIMENA McGLASHAN,, 



Truckee, California. 



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