INSTRUMENTS, ETC., REQUIRED. 
45 
water, will swell to a very large bulk ; more water 
can be added at discretion, and the gum stirred until 
it appears melted ; it should be quite white, and too 
stiff' to come out of the bottle readily. By making 
a little at a time, it keeps its colour, not having 
time to get dirty or sour before it is used ; or it 
may be preserved and kept for a very long time by 
the addition of a little spirits of wine or quite clear 
glacial carbolic acid. 
Some camelVhair brushes, fine-pointed but stiff 1 . 
“ Setting-needles,” made either of fine pins slightly 
hooked at the tip, or “ bead ” needles. These may be 
stuck into paint-brush sticks, or have a knob of sealing- 
wax at their upper end for a handle. 
Small pins, and good white card of moderate stout- 
ness, and not too smooth ; if too thin, it curls up with 
the gum, and should then be damped on the under 
side. 
When setting out specimens, a glass of cold water 
and some clean blotting-paper should be kept handy, 
to be used in cleaning them. They should be placed on 
their backs, and their legs brushed out with a clean 
brush ; some gum is then to be put on the card (which 
can be either cut into long narrow strips of the required 
depth, or into straight-sided narrow pieces, one for each 
beetle) aud the insect placed on it, when the legs, an- 
tennae, and palpi must bo put into the desired position 
with a clean brush or the setting-needle. The body 
should not be touched with the gum brush, and care 
should be taken to get the head, thorax, and elytra 
straight on the card ; the limbs ought to be properly set 
out, but no part should be pulled to an unnatural extent. 
After being mounted, the specimens must be left on the 
