14 



AMERICAN MUSEUM GUIDE LEAFLETS 



The method just mentioned is almost universally used for small 

 beetles. Small flies and the like are frequently mounted on "minuten 

 nadeln." These are short, very delicate, headless pins. Their use is 

 illustrated in Fig. 7. Bits of pith, cork or firm blotting paper (used 

 edgewise) serve to connect the two pins. In the illustration the "nadel" 

 is shown stuck through the insect and then into the support. A some- 

 what better plan is to arrange a number in advance by sticking the 

 "nadel" through the support from below, leaving the point sticking 

 up; then mounting can be done rapidly by piercing the insects 



Figure 8. A common type of setting board showing different stages in " spreading." 



from below. It is well, in this case, to stop before the point 

 comes entirely through the back, as then no pin shows and further- 

 more the characters on the back are not marred. ''Minuten nadeln" 

 have the advantage over glue on triangles that the glue does not always 

 hold. On the other hand, the ''nadel" cannot be used with many 

 hard-shelled beetles. Elbow pins (Fig. 7) are sometimes used but are 

 not very satisfactory as a rule. The mounts mentioned in this para- 

 graph are usually put on the left side of the pin. 



