140 THE YOUNG 



Oardamines, Tilea, S. Populi, S. Ligustri, 

 Polychloros, pupae of Betularia, and a 

 quantity of small birds in skins and mounted 

 which I should be glad to exchange for any- 

 thing useful, clothing prefered. — R. Elking- 

 ton, 90, Much Park Street, Coventry. 



SETTING LEPIDOPTERA. 



I am glad to find in the admirable paper on 

 this subject in No. 16 of the " Young 

 Naturalist," that high setting, and moder- 

 ately long pins are advocated. I think the 

 practice of high setting is becoming very 

 general. One of the resident working-men 

 collectors in the New Forest who used to 

 set his insects low on the pins, upon my 

 advice, four or five years ago, discarded the 

 custom ; and the last time I saw him, he 

 informed me that he never ceased to be 

 grateful for my suggestion, as almost all his 

 customers refused to have insects that were 

 not set high 



If I may add a few remarks, I should 

 say, let the pins be tolerabty stout, as well 

 as long. I never could understand the 

 supposed advantages — perhaps some one 

 may kindly enlighten me — of the extreme 

 pliability of entomological pins. It seems 

 to me that they should be like needles, 

 perfectly stiff and unyielding. Many a 

 valuable insect has been destroyed by 

 reason of this pliability of the entomological 

 pin ; for should there happen to be, as is 

 often the case, a hard place in the cork, the 

 pin immediately doubles up, and then 

 freduently good bye to the specimen. Of 

 course I do not mean to imply that common 

 pins are preferable ; they are too thick and 

 clumsy ; but if the entomological pins could 

 be similarly stiff and unbending, it would, 

 to my mind, be supplying a great desid- 

 eratum. 



Then my advice would be, never employ 

 the forceps for removing insects. Fingers 

 were made before forceps, and will prove 

 far better for the purpose. If the pin be of 



NATURALIST. 



moderate length, there is no fear of rubbing 

 the thorax. On the other hand, there is 

 great fear that the " spring " of the forceps 

 will break off antennae and bodies. 



There is little chance that perfectly fiat 

 setting will find much favour with British 

 lepidopterists, and so much the better, for 

 the graceful curve given to our own 

 specimens adds materially to their appear- 

 ance, and moreover serves as a distinction 

 between foreign examples — Joseph Ander- 

 son, Jr., Chichester. 



ORDERS OF INSECTS. 



Continued from Page 134. 



HYMENOPTERA. 



■ 



This order is characterised by having four 

 membranaceous wings, quite clear, and 

 unclothed with scales or hairs, The mouth 1 

 is a sucking tube, and the females are fur- j 

 nished with a weapon at the anus which is I 

 either used as a sting as in Bees, Wasps, &c, 

 or as an ovipositor, as in Ichneumons, Gall- 

 flies, &c. In repose the wings lie fiat on 

 the back. Many members of the order are 

 noticeable for the very slight connection 

 between the abdomen and the thorax. It 

 is an order that includes some species to 

 which a great amount of attention has been 

 given by Naturalists. Bees and Ants cer- 

 tainly have had- more than a fair share of 

 notice. In consequence, a very great deal j 

 is known about them, while other species ( 

 have been neglected. No insects bestow so j 

 much care on their young as do the 

 Hymenoptera, some of them requiring con- 

 stant attention in their earlier stage, being 

 unable, as most larvae do, to find food for 1 

 themselves. The order has been divided 

 into two groups. Bees and Ants are among 1 

 the aculeate hymenoptera, while Sawfiies, j 

 Ichneumons, &c, are among the fossorial 

 hymenoptera. They might also be divided' 

 into two groups by the character of the/ 

 weapon of the female, but these divisions! .. 



