HOW TO PREPARE FOR A FIELD TRIP 



9 



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-plaster 



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-lixmps of 

 cycrnxdus. 



Why do we cover the cyanide with 

 plaster of Paris? 



Collecting boxes. After killing in the cyanide bottle, the 

 insects, if butterflies or moths, may be wrapped in little pieces of 

 stiff paper which are folded in triangu- 

 lar form so as to fit the shape of the 

 wings. But a collecting box should be 

 made to hold some of the specimens. 

 A cigar box, with a sheet of quarter- 

 inch cork glued in the bottom, and a 

 supply of insect pins are all that is 

 necessary. 



Spreading insects . To prepare winged 

 insects for mounting it is necessary to 

 spread their wings out. While the 

 specimen is still flexible, pin it down on 

 a thin board of soft pine or cigar box 

 wood by placing insect pins close to the 

 sides of the body, not through it, then 

 pull the wings out flat and hold them 

 down to the board with pieces of glass until they are dry. Place a 

 small piece of pith between the legs so as to keep them in a natural 

 position. When the insect is dry, you can mount it on a pin, and 

 place it on cork in a case not over an inch or so in depth. Boxes 



having glass tops, in which certain 



_^ \ brands of chewing gum come, may 



be obtained for this purpose or boxes 

 may be made in the manual train- 

 ing department of the school. 



The art of preparing caterpillars 

 by blowing is described in Hodge's 

 Nature Study and Life or in any good 

 book on entomology. Why not try 

 this as a future project? 



Mounting your insects. After the 

 trip is over, the insects may be dried 

 carefully and then placed in Riker 

 mounts if such are available, but 



A spreading board. Explain, after read- ' 



ing your text, the use of this board. homemade mounts are not difficult 



