THE HABITS AND STRUCTURE OF MOTHS. 
XXXI 
of various sizes can be obtained from natural history 
dealers. 
A collection of moths may be kept in store-boxes or cabi¬ 
nets. A convenient size for the store-boxes is about 18 
inches by 14, and they should be arranged on shelves like 
books. The advantages of this are that the insects are less 
likely to be infected by mites, and they are handy to move, 
and look more tidy than if stacked one on the other. More¬ 
over, they can be obtained covered with cloth and backed 
like books, which looks very neat. Cabinets can be obtained 
containing twenty or fifty drawers, the lids of the drawers 
being made of glass. At either end there is a compartment 
for holding camphor. The bottom of the drawer is usually 
lined with cork, covered with thin white paper; but some¬ 
times the bottom of the drawer is made of glass as well as 
the lid, with narrow strips of cork to receive the pins of the 
insects. By this means the under sides can be examined 
simply by inverting the drawer, and without moving the 
specimens, as is necessary in the other case, unless there 
are some specimens in the series set to show the under side. 
Every drawer should run easily in its grooves, and each 
should be exactly the same size, so that any one of them can 
be transferred to another position if desired. The insects 
should be arranged in columns, divided off by black lines or 
threads. The names of the family and genus are placed at 
the head of the column, and the name of the species below 
the series. Label-lists can be obtained for this purpose. In 
arranging a series of moths, the males should be placed first, 
then the females, and lastly one or two specimens of each, 
set to show the under side. A number referring to a note¬ 
book giving the place and date of capture may be attached 
to the pin of each specimen. 
Moths sometimes become stiff before we have had time to 
set them, or we may receive specimens which are badly set 
and require re-setting. It is then necessary to relax them. 
This may be done by taking a metal box (a biscuit tin will 
do very well), and placing in it about one inch of silver sand. 
This is well moistened with water, the insects to be relaxed 
are placed on the sand, and the lid put on. A more simple 
way still is to float the insects on a piece of cork in a basin, 
and place a wet towel over it, taking care that the towel does 
not touch the specimens. They must be set as soon as they 
are limp enough, or they will become mouldy. 
The great pests of the collection are mites; these can 
generally be avoided by setting the insects high on the pin, 
and placing a little camphor in the box or drawer. 
