THE WEEKLY ENTOMOLOGIST. 
179 
the first bung, and turn the beetle 
with the setting needle on to its 
belly, then with the tongs seize 
the rostrum of the insect and 
place it on the gummed card, 
properly relaxed, the legs and an- 
tenna? can be easily placed in their 
natural positions by means of the 
tongs and the hook ; this latter, with 
the setting needle, will according to 
circumstances, be required to place 
the antennae in position. 
In order to give the insect a neat 
appearance, care should be taken to 
balance it on an imaginary line run- 
ning through the centre of the ros- 
trum, scutellum, along the suture of 
the elytra, and terminating at the 
anal extremity, in the same manner 
as engravers and printers “justify” 
their title pages, by placing as many 
letters on one side of a central line 
as on the other. In other words, 
let the operator fancy he is setting 
his beetle on a razor edge ; it will be 
obvious that if the body be not 
equipoised, and the limbs placed both 
sides alike, there will be some devia- 
tion from the centre of suspension, 
and the insect would topple and look 
uneven, which will be precisely the 
case on the card, if this rule be not 
observed. 
Should it happen that the joints 
be stiff, and not yield without “ drag- 
ing ” the insect, then press it down 
to the card by placing the brace 
across the elytra, when the stiffness 
can be overcome and the legs un- 
folded by using the tongs. The 
operator should be delicate in the 
use of force, and be careful that the 
femoral as well as the tibial joints 
be made to move easily, the former 
backwards and forwards, the latter 
up and down. 
With a little practice this mode 
will be found not only as effective 
but more speedy than brushing, as 
the brush finds better office whilst 
dealing with the tarsi antenna?, &c. 
What is instanced above in the 
case of G. pulchellus will hold good 
with most of the Curculiorddoe , and 
apply to micro-coleoptera generally 
Different families will require modi- 
fied treatment, but perseverance in 
this system will enable any one to 
perform the operation with neatness. 
I shall be happy to answer special 
inquiries bearing upon this subject. 
It was my intention to have given 
reasons for adopting certain things 
recommended above, remarks on uni- 
formity in mounting micro coleoptera, 
management of accessories, arrange- 
ment in the cabinet, &c., &c., but as 
I have already drawled out to a con- 
siderable length, I must reserve 
those points for another opportunity, 
— S. J. Wilkinson, 7, Jeffrey's Square, 
St. Mary Axe, E.C., London. 
Lepidoptera. 
Darenth Wood. — This is, perhaps, 
the best locality in the London dis- 
trict. It lies a little north of 
Darenth Village, almost midway be- 
