iltc gmmg Untnralist: 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 72. 



MAECH 12th, 1881. 



HOW TO BEGIN 

 COLEOPTERA :— 



KILLING AND SETTING. 



WHEN beetles have been killed 

 in the collecting bottles, as 

 described on page 122, they may be 

 kept several days among laurel leaves, 

 or in a box with damp blotting paper. 

 It does not do, however, to keep them 

 too long in such a receptacle, as they 

 soon rot, and as decay takes place 

 sooner in a soft substance than m a 

 hard one, you will find when a beetle 

 bus been kept too long damp that 

 the legs, &c, arc apt to come off as 

 they are moved with the setting needle. 

 This is in consequence of the sub- 

 stance of the joints decaying. If it is 

 not convenient, therefore, to set your 

 captures shortly after they have been 

 killed, they will keep better quite dry, 

 and can be relaxed at any time. 

 Specimens that have been brought 

 home alive can be killed by any of the 

 usual agents, or by being' dropped into 

 ooiling water. Specimens that need 

 •claxing may also be dropped into 

 Sailing water. Before they arc set, 

 ;hey should be taken out, and placed 



Vol. 2. 



for a few minutes on a pieee of 

 blotting paper to absorb the supcr- 

 fluous moisture. A correspondent 

 lately asked us if it is the general prac- 

 tice to "card" the larger specimens ; we 

 believe large beetles are usually pinned, 

 smaller ones mounted on card, but 

 we have seen specimens up to a 

 moderate sized Car alms carded. You 

 must use your own discretion where 

 you draw the line between a large and 

 a small one. The pin should be 

 inserted through the centre of the 

 upper portion of the right wing case. 

 It should be as near perpendicular as 

 possible, and pushed well through. 

 The beetle should then be pinned on a 

 piece of cork, and the limbs carefully 

 drawn into position. If it is avcII 

 ' relaxed they will remain where placed, 

 if any of them are rather refractory 

 they must be pinned where they are 

 | wanted, and remain so till dry ; but 

 ! you must not on any account attempt 

 i to force the limbs of a perfectly dry 

 beeble to assume the desired position. 

 They will certainly snap off, and spoil 

 your specimen. 



For mounting beetles on card, you 

 require a gum made of three parts of 

 gum tragacanth and one or two of 



