i34 
1. Prepare a disc by cutting with scissors a 
circular piece of Bristol board (or very thick paper). 
The diameter should be slightly less than that of the 
specimen tube. 
2. Push a fine 4 silver ’ pin two-thirds of its 
length through the centre of this. 
3. Place the mosquito upon its back on a clean 
sheet of paper. (In this and other manipulations use 
a pin for moving or steadying the mosquito). 
4. Take the head of the fine pin in the finger 
and thumb, or hold it near the head end with a pair of 
forceps. Endeavour to place the point of the pin 
exactly in the centre of the origin of the legs, which 
all arise very close together from the under surface 
of the thorax. Bear in mind, that the more the insect 
is touched the more scales are rubbed off, and that a 
crookedly mounted specimen is better than a 4 rubbed 5 
one. 
5. Push the pin steadily through the thorax, so 
that it emerges as near the centre of the dorsum of the 
thorax as possible. 
6. Having transfixed the mosquito, force the 
point of the pin one millimetre beyond the back, by 
pressing it against the smooth surface of a cork or 
tissue paper. The pin should not be pushed through 
too far, as it prevents the lens of the microscope being 
brought near enough for examination. 
7. Placing the disc against a cork, pass carefully 
through the edge a stout pin. This is passed in the 
reverse direction to the fine pin. Force three-quarters 
of the length of the large pin through the cardboard 
disc, and then firmly press the point into the cork of 
a specimen tube, so that when the tube is corked the 
mosquito is inside (Fig. 49). 
It is wise to fix inside the tube a pledget of wool 
