146 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



gum arabic. Select the pieces of gum 

 that are clearest and without color, 

 and then cover them with water. 

 Gum tragacauth does not dissolve like 

 gum arabic. but absorbs the water, 

 and swells considerably. Add more 

 water us needed, and when the liquid 

 is of about the consistency of treacle it 

 is fit for use. A grain of Corrosive 

 Sublimate is said to be necessary to 

 make this gum keep, but we would 

 advise our young coleopterists to make 

 a smaller quantity at once, and 

 dispense with this dangerous poison. 

 The card on which your beetles are 

 mounted sbould be the whitest and 

 finest you can procure, but not glazed. 

 It is better to use card rather thicker 

 for the larger species than for the 

 small ones. Cut your card into strips, 

 and put on a drop or '-dab'" of gum. 

 On this place your beetle, then with 

 a fine setting needle draw itb limbs 

 and antenna into position. If you 

 find these do not remain quite in their 

 place, go on with the next specimen, 

 and return to the first as the gum gets 

 a little drier. The "dab" of gum 

 should be large enough to fasten down 

 all the limbs of the insect on to the 

 card. When your strip of card is full, 

 put it away to dry. Should the 

 moisture on the upper surface have a 

 tendency to curl up the edges of the 

 cardboard, this can be overcome by 

 damping the underside before you 

 begin, but if it is pinned down at each 

 end, you will not be much troubled 

 with it turning up at the edges. 

 When the gum is perfectly dry, the 



specimens must be neatly cut separate 

 with a pair of sharp scissors. In 

 doing this, you must take care to have 

 the opposite edges of the card perfectly 

 parallel, and that the insect is set 

 square upon it. If they are set across 

 i the card ever so slightly, they have a 

 crooked, lopsided look, that does not 

 : add to the appearance of your col- 

 ! lection. The card should be cut on 

 i three sides close to the limbs of the 

 beetle, but should be left long enough 

 behind for there to be room for the 

 pin without it interfering with your 

 view of the specimen. The pin should 

 1 be as near the bottom of the card as 

 I possible, and exactly in the middle. 



Attention to these small matters will 

 | add greatly to the appearance of your 

 collection, and must not be thought 

 too trivial to be worth noticing. 

 Whatever is worth doing at all, is 

 worth doing well. Put the pin well 

 through the card, so that it is at least 

 quarter of an inch above the bottom 

 of your drawer, and you will keep 

 clear of mites, another small matter 

 well worth attention, have all your 

 cards pinned in with pins of the same 

 size. We use No. 8. In mounting 

 your specimens avoid as far possible 

 touching the upper side with the gum. 

 Should you accidentally do so, remove 

 it with a camel's hair pencil and clear 

 water. There are many other 

 matters that might be named, but 

 enough has been said for beginners, 

 and other things will be learned by 

 experience. 



