282 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. 



the body being afterwards fixed with gum or cement to its 

 normal position. 



In the setting of beetles — as in otlier things — the ubiquitous 

 Germans and the Frenchmen beat us. Compare the beautifully 

 foreign set coleoptera, with our wretchedly lame and imev'en- 

 sided attempts. It is impossible to mistake the ordinary 

 English for foreign setting, and of this I was curiously con- 

 vinced on my ai-rival at Leicester, in the Museum of which town 

 I found some exquisitely- set specimens of coleoptera. I said at 

 once, " These are German-set." " No, indeed," I was told, " they 

 are set by a local man." I could not believe it ; and after great 

 difficulty, the man himself even persisting in this assertion, I 

 discovered that they were all procured from Germany or were 

 set by a German friend. 



This gentleman having subsequently shown me his method, I 

 now give it for the benefit of coleopterists : The beetles, after 

 being killed, are plunged into benzoline (benzol) for two or 

 three days, to cleanse tiiem from grease and impurities. Indeed, 

 it considerably simplifies matters to carry a bottle of benzol, 

 as I do when collecting beetles, to plunge them into when first 

 taken. It instantly kills, and the cleansing operation goes on at 

 once. On reaching home the beetles are, after a day or two, 

 pinned, or gummed unset on to any pieces of card in any manner 

 most suitable at the time to economise space ; the cards can 

 then be pinned into a store-box. During the winter months, or 

 at any time when required, the beetles may be set, thus : first, 

 plunge them into water for a day or so until quite limp, then 

 take them out and place them one by one on separate pieces of 

 card, well gummed in the centre to retain them firmly by the 

 abdomen whilst being set. A very little time will suffice to do 

 this should the gum be strong. After twenty or so are fixed, 

 the first one gummed down can be finished ofl:. The card is 

 smeared with gum where the legs, or rather " tarsi," will come 

 into place, and arranged with a setting needle. Now carefully 

 place the limbs into a natural and even position, their feet 

 resting on the gummed surface; adjust the antennae, &c., and 

 leave the insect to dry by pinning the card in any suitable 

 receptacle. When perfectly set and dry, the final operations 

 are once more plunging the beetle into benzoline, then wetting 



