SJltt gmmjj Naturalist: 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 28. MAY 8th, 1880. Vol. 1. 



HOW TO BEGIN. 



FURTHUR REMARKS ON SETTING. 

 By J. Gardner, Hartlepool. 



THE mode of setting described in 

 the Young Naturalist of April 

 17th is, I think, capable of some im- 

 provement. I refer to the method 

 generally followed in the North country, 

 that is, of setting each insect upon a 

 separate board. In the first place, it is 

 a bad plan to allow thread to touch the 

 wings at all, as . the scales upon the 

 wings of most species are so delicate 

 that it is almost impossible to place the 

 thread over them without leaving a 

 mark which damages the appearance of 

 the insect. The plan I have practised 

 for many years is, after placing the in- 

 sect upon the setting board in the 

 manner you describe, to place the 

 thread in a nick at the right hand side 

 of the groove, pin up the fore wings at 

 each side with two Number 20 pins, 

 one at each side ; then place a narrow 

 slip of paper over the right hand side 

 of the wings, close to the base, bring 

 the thread down over the paper ; do the 

 same at the left hand side, push up the 

 hind wings with a setting needle or 



common household pin, (the latter I 

 find best, not having so fine a point it 

 is less liable to go through the wings,) 

 place longer slips of paper over the un- 

 covered portion of the wings, take two 

 or three turns with the thread over 

 them, make the end of the thread fast, 

 and the insect is set. 



The advantage of this method is, 

 that you can place the fore wings at 

 once into the position you require them, 

 at the expense only of two minute holes 

 not discernable when the insect is taken 

 off the board. With care the insect 

 need not in any other respect be damaged 

 in the slightest degree. An ento- 

 mological friend to whom I was 

 describing my mode of setting, told me 

 it was simply barbarous putting a pin 

 through the wing. He is, however, 

 always very glad of any good species he 

 requires of my setting — for when well 

 set the specimens are to all appearance 

 perfect. 



The pine for setting board should be 

 7/8 of an inch thick, at least, otherwise 

 the groove weakens the board too 

 much : they are, moreover, easier to 

 work with when not so thin. 



