F. M. Howlett 
487 
particularly so when used by people who have not had much practice 
in setting insects ; their only advantage is that they are easily made. 
It is far preferable to use round or rectangular slabs of pith, papered or 
unpapered cork, or thin strips of polyporus: any of these gives a firm 
hold for both pins and will stand comparatively rough usage. It is 
difficult to get cork free from holes, and as an improvement on papered 
cork we have used cork carpet or “ suberit ” covered with an elastic 
quick-drying enamel called “Paripan” and cut to standard sizes. The 
supports should be pinned in the box with good stout pins, not thin 
elastic ones, and should not be put higher than about half-way up the 
pin; this gives protection to the specimen and makes it easier to 
handle. It is generally very much easier and quicker to pin specimens 
through the side than through the back, and great care should be taken 
that no part of the insect overlaps the support. If possible a small 
label bearing the date and locality should be gummed or pinned on the 
support, so that it can be seen at once : other labels at the bottom of 
the pin. 
Fig. 1. The Y-piece is a solid aluminium casting, the hoop of wood, the screws of brass 
with deep and broad cuttings in the screw heads. 
When pinned in the box the supports should be all at one uniform 
level. 
The best pattern of net for hard work is that used at Cambridge 
(Fig. 1). The “ Swiss bolting-silk ” of which the bag is made is expensive, 
but quite worth its cost in the long run, as it is extremely durable and 
improves with wear: it should be well soaked and crumpled before use. 
Mosquito-netting and a wire ring does very well for mosquitos, but 
for Simulium and particularly for Ceratopogon a very small mesh is 
necessary. Messrs Winkler and Wagner sell a handy little pocket-net 
(kleines Fangnetz), but the bag is of such delicate material that it soon 
wears out. An old tennis-racket makes quite a good net-frame. 
