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ARRANGING INSECTS IN A CABINET. 
The modem practice, which is by far the best, is to arrange insects 
in columns, with the generic name fastened by a pin. above, and the 
specific below them: the lines should be ruled with a black lead pen- 
cil, which will always admit of alteration, and look much neater than 
if ruled with ink. Males and females should be procured as far as- 
possible. Coleoptcru, Qrthoptera, and Hemiptera, are arranged side by 
side, with an open-winged specimen below them. Lepidoptera, of But- 
terflies ; four specimens of each species are preferred, to show the upper 
and under side of each sex : the Sphinges and Moths — the upper sides 
only are shown, as the specific characters arc but seldom taken from 
the under side: in this arid the following Orders the males are placed 
above, the females helow ; as they not only look much more natural, 
hut save considerable room.. Varieties should be procured and ex- 
tended as far as possible, as they frequently tend to decide the species : 
mutilated specimens should be rejected ; but as we cannot always rea- 
dily replace them by perfect ones, it is much better to retain them. 
There is a vile practice in use among collectors, to mend such speci- 
mens by parts from other insects. 1 cannot sufficiently express my ab- 
horrence of such ways, but should hope that no Naturalist, who is a 
lover of truth and an admirer of nature, will ever disgrace his cabinet 
by such paltry specimens, as they can he of no use in a scientific view, 
and only serve to lead to errors. 
No Exotic specimen should ever be placed in a collection of Bri- 
tish Ixstxts, however near it may approach in appearance; f« r 
by this means numbers of insects have been described as natives of 
Britain, merely on account of, being found in such cabinets. Specie* 
are distinguished in many instances by such minute characters, and 
they approach each other by such imperceptible degrees, that we can- 
not be too particular in our examination, or too curious in knowing 
their habitats, as this frequently leads ns to determine whether they 
are natives of this country. 
Our best Entomologists, therefore, where they cannot obtain British 
specimens of rare insects, are naturally anxious to obtain foreign ones ; 
but these as well as doubtful species are always kept in a drawer by 
themselves, which answers every good purpose of reference for the 
sake of becoming acquainted with the species : to this drawer a large 
label is affixed, as, Exotic Specimens of Rare British Insects- 
By this means a cabinet is rendered more valuable, as a dependence' 
can be placed on the specimens it contains, and will ever remain a 
credit to its possessor, as it at once distinguishes the man of science 
and the lover of truth. 
