152 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



actively followed, the insects which have, been set with glue can be carefully 

 examined and named, and specimens may be selected from them for remount- 

 ing for the collection, selecting such as are perfect and as far as possible typical 

 forms or peculiar varieties. The remounting is a very easy operation, it is 

 merely necessary to throw the card with the beetle glued to it into warm water, 

 when in a short time the beetle will float off and may be lifted out with a strip 

 of blotting paper, which should be done quickly before the legs of the insect 

 become relaxed and out of place. No' difficulty will be found in mounting 

 the beetle on clean Bristol-board, with gum tragacanth prepared without any 

 gam arabic, as the legs, &c, are already fixed in their proper position, or 

 should they not be exactly right, a little adjusting with the setting needle is 

 all that will be required. 



The largest beetles, such as the cockchafer, and others about the same size 

 are not generally placed on cards, but are pinned through the right elytron. 

 For setting such beetles a cork setting-board will be needed, which should be 

 of such a form that the portion of the pin which passes through the beetle 

 may be half-an-inch long, from the underside to the point of the pin, so that 

 when the beetle is placed in the cabinet it may be well up out of the way of 

 mites. It is, of course important that all the specimens should have the same 

 length of pin, so that they may be of the same uniform height. 



It will be seen by the foregoing hints, that to become an entomologist and 

 acquire an interesting and valuable collection, requires something more than 

 the mere collecting in the field, and that a certain amount of patient labour 

 and application is necessary. To those who are not prepared to give the 

 study their earnest attention, and devout as much of their time to it as they 

 are able, I would say give it up and take to collecting stamps or some other 

 amusement. But to the patient worker, I say emphatically that the labour 

 is not so arduous as at first appears, the finding fresh species of insects, the 

 continual acquirement of more knowledge concerning them, and the world of 

 inexhaustable variety and beauty, which is gradually unfolded to the mind of 

 the industrious student of nature, more than repays him for the expenditure 

 of any amount of trouble or time, and I think renders his life more happy 

 and enjoyable than that of most men. 



{To be continued.) 



