PREPARATION AND MOUNTING OF INSECTS. 



47 



even with the under glass, and both pressed gently together 

 until the dissolved tissues of the insect are squeezed out, 

 leaving nothing but an empty and wrinkled skin. The two 

 glasses should then be separated under water, and the skin 

 of the insect washed, to free it from any potash that may still 

 be clinging to it. After this has been done, it is floated on 

 to one of the glass slips and re-adjusted if necessary. It is 

 then covered with the other slip, and the two are secured 

 from falling apart by a piece of thread wound round them, 

 when the whole is lowered gently into a wide mouth bottle, 

 about four inches long, and nearly full of spirits of turpen- 

 tine, which soon reaches the skin between the glass slips, by 

 capillary attraction. After remaining in turpentine for a 

 few days, the object is ready for mounting in Canada balsam. 



The objection to the method just described is, that the 

 insect is squeezed out of its natural shape, and that nothing 

 remains of it but its empty skin full of folds, the result of 

 the pressure it has undergone. As a specimen of natural 

 history, it is worse than useless, for no idea of its original 

 shape and beauty can be formed. On becoming the possessor 

 of a binocular microscope some six years ago, I at once saw 

 that some change in the old method of mounting was needed, 

 for under the new instrument these flattened objects appeared 

 in no bolder relief than when viewed with the minocular 

 microscope ; but the difficulty that then presented itself to 

 me, was, how insects could be mounted in their natural form, 

 and yet be rendered sufficiently transparent for microscopical 

 examination. I experienced numerous failures and disap- 

 pointments, until at last tolerable success rewarded my 

 patience. I can now mount insects in their natural form, 

 from the size of a grain of sand to that of a small bluebottle, 

 my mode of preparation being as follows : — 



Capture your insects alive, and then drop them from the 

 net into strong spirits of wine. They will quickly die, very 



