168 THE ATTRACTIONS OF ENTOMOLOGY 



scope, and is so compact that two hundred such specimens 

 can be safely stowed away in a 100 cigar box; further it is 

 veiy easy at any time to reopen the preparation if it is desired 

 to remove excess of moisture, to readjust the specimen, or to 

 use it for dissection, the supple, pliant condition in which it 

 remains greatly facilitating these operations. 



A very moderate amount of ingenuity will enable all 

 sorts of instructive preparations to be mounted in this 

 way, using larger glass plates if necessary. For example 

 when mating couples are captured they can be mounted 

 on the same slide so as to demonstrate the frequently 

 extraordinary difference in structure between the male and 

 female. Leaves, twigs, bits of tree bark, or small stones 

 on which insects have laid their eggs can be mounted 

 intact, and in some cases the mother may be shown with her 

 offspring; e.g. a queen ant in her cell surrounded by her eggs, 

 or a spider carrying her purse of eggs. Caterpillars should, 

 if possible, be displayed in their natural habitat (inside galls 

 or rolled up leaves, etc.), and cocoons be opened so as to 

 exhibit the pupa lying inside, whilst all the stages in 

 development : egg, larva, pupa, and mature insects — can 

 be advantageously arranged in one specimen. The mimicry 

 of insects may be illustrated by including the imitated 

 object, characteristic poses should be reproduced, and pre- 

 daceous creatures exhibited clutching their victims, etc., etc. 

 In this way the mounting of insects ceases to be a 

 stupid, mechanical process of empalement and becomes 

 a pleasing and instructive art. Nor need the method be 

 restricted to spiders and insects for it can obviously be 

 applied to all other small creatures and indeed to innumer- 

 able interesting objects presented by the hazard of the chase. 



It will be seen from the above description that the only 

 materials requisite for this process are (1) the "napthaplas," 

 a pound of which suffices for several hundred specimens, 

 (2) the glass slides and cover glasses obtainable at small 

 cost from any dealer in microscope sundries, and (3) 

 half inch wide strips of strong white, gummed paper; 

 to these may be added a couple of needles, preferably 

 mounted in pen handles, scissors, forceps, and a large cigar 

 box for storage. For collecting purposes a little buttercloth 

 net (on a metal ring which can be screwed on to the end of 

 a walking stick) and the "cyanoplas" tin and tubes pre- 

 viously described are the only other items required to com- 

 plete the entomological outfit, 'which however ought to be 

 supplemented with a good lens and if possible a microscope. 

 With these simple and inexpensive requisites both children 

 and adults can add greatly to the enjoyment of their leisure 



