278 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
of specimens from each noted, and printed labels ordered accord- 
ingly; finally, make ready the dampening box. Almost any 
contrivance will answer, even simply wrapping in wet towels, but 
the following has proved very satisfactory in practice. Make a 
wooden box, 12 by 20 inches and 12 inches deep, and line it with 
zinc or lead, soldered water-tight; make a cover of the same 
construction shutting down upon rubber around the opening; 
place in the box a layer of wet sand two inches deep. Strew in 
a handful of flake naphthalin and set the box in a cool place. 
If mold appears, renew the sand and naphthalin. The sides 
and top of unprotected metal or glass containers condense 
moisture so quickly that their contained atmosphere is drier 
than desirable. 
Remove the covers of a sufficient number of boxes of insects; 
set the boxes on the sand or on a sheet of paper over the sand and 
leave for 24 to 48 hours or until sufficiently pliable to be manip- 
ulated without injury. The time necessary will depend upon 
a number of factors — size and character of specimens, tempera- 
ture, etc. If kept cold mold is not likely to cause trouble; and 
naphthalin is very useful as at least a partial preventive of mold. 
Mounting. — Very small specimens, — e.g., Tridactylus and the 
smaller species of Nemobius, and early stages of many other 
species, — are conveniently mounted across the end of a card- 
board point mounted on a moderately stout pin. For this pur- 
pose use the best thin white bristol-board. Take a strip |- or 
^-inch wide and cut it obliquely across into triangles of about 
/a -inch base. With the forceps take up a point, dip one side 
of the tip into alcoholic white-shellac solution, and apply to the 
left side or underside of the specimen in such a way that when the 
insect's head is away from you the point is at its right. Let the 
shellac dry thoroughly and mount on a No. 4 white pin, placing 
the label on the pin. 
For pinning specimens, use a 39-mm. japanned steel pin of the 
best quality. The mode of pinning varies somewhat with the 
family. Earwigs, Roaches, and Crickets are best pinned after 
the fashion of beetles, i.e., through the right wing-cover; so also 
the Long-horned Grasshoppers and their kin, usually; Phasmids, 
and Mantids through that part of the body which will best sup- 
port the strain and carry the weight. Acrididae should be 
