THE COLLECTORS' MONTHLY. 



29 



made in the same way except that the I tight fitting covers, should be use.]. The 

 bet part should be between two and three paper should all be cleaned oB and the 

 feet deep. box sand papered and varnished, flood 



Only the best German made insect pins i pith may be obtained by splitting large 

 should be used. The "Klaeger" is a, good | corn stalks once in two, and triming of! 

 brand. They cost ten cents per hundred | the hard outside. The pieces may then 

 and are sold in packages of five hundred. I be glued or tacked close together over the 

 For very large beetles No. + are used; for I bottom of the box. Sheets of cork three 

 middle sized, No. 3; for beetles down to i and one-half by about twelve inches one- 



about one-eight of an inch wide— No. 2. 

 All beetles too small for No. 2 should be 

 mounted on triangular slips of thin bris- 

 tol board, which are placed on No. 3 pins. 

 These triangular slips should be uniform 

 in size and carefully cut the most com- 

 mon and convenient size being one-third 

 of an inch in length, and the base about 



eight of an inch thick c;ni be obtained 

 for five or six cents a sheet. The cork or 

 pith should be neatly covered with thin, 

 clean, smooth, white paper, which may 

 be fastened by glue around the edges. 

 How to Mount Beetles, 

 Pinning. 

 All beetles should be pinned (See Fig. 1 ) 



one-sixteenth of an inch, or a little less, j through the right elytron (wing-cover) 

 broad. The point should not be too fine | ()11 a central line and aboul one-third of 

 nor yet too blunt, nor the bristol board j the distance back from the front end of 



too thick. It is to much work to measure j t he wing-cover. The 1 tie should he ex- 



them out. After a little practice, by us- j ae ti y square on the pin. When the pin is 

 ing strips of bristol board one-third of an j perpendicular, one side of the beetle should 

 inch wide, and a sharp knife or pair of | be just as high as the other, and th- an- 

 scissors, the work can be done "by eye" | terior end as high as the posterior. All 

 quite rapidly and accurately. j Hpe ciraens should be al exactly the same 



Cases may be obtained ranging in price I height on the pins. Perfect uniformity 

 from $1.00 to nothing. The latter would I means everything in the collection. They 

 undoubtedly be more acceptable to the ' are at the correct height when the back 

 beginner. A cabinet of almost any kind of the insect is one-third of the pins length 

 is an unnecessary and costly thing. It i from the head of the pin. V small pill-box 

 will be some time before the collection be- | of just the right depth will enable us to 

 comes bulky enough to need one. If the j run the specimen up to the proper height. 

 boxes are properly made, and tight, they (Antennae and legs may be placed in a 

 can be neatly piled on a, shelf, on the foor, i natural position by meaasof the tweezers, 

 or any where. Probably the most con- ' Mounting IVIiiiiife Beetles. 

 vefient size for the cases is nine by tliir- ! Small beetles are mounted on the 

 teen-inches, and two inches deep inside, [triangular slips. These are pinned 

 They should be made very tight, with through the broadest part iiftar the base 

 close fitting covers, which may behinged, land mn up to the same height as the 

 or not. A good cabinet maker or car- [ backs of pinned specimens. The pill-box 

 penter should make such cases of pine, j sc heme will enable this to be done quite 

 very cheap. Neat little cases may be \ rapidly. The slips should stand out from 

 made of common cigar boxes with tight j the pin exactly at right angles. To 

 fitting covers. Only those with even, I mount a beetle on one. hold the pin in 



