74 
HOW TO COLLECT 
thorax of the specimen, until about : 1 inch protrudes beneath. 
If the fly has rows of bristles on the thorax, care should be taken 
to insert the pin between them, and not to damage them in any way. 
Next grasp the pin with the forceps near the tip, and thrust it 
through the disc, drawing it well down. Lastly, thrust a No. 16 
or an ordinary pin through the disc near the margin for the 
purpose of carrying both disc and specimen, and draw the disc a 
good half-way up the carrying-pin. 
The last thing to be done is to arrange the legs and wings as far 
as possible. The wings must be made to project at an angle from the 
body, and must not be allowed to lie closed over it; if they can be got 
to remain at right angles to the body, so much the better. In the 
case of any specimen that is not too small and fragile, the wings can 
be best arranged by means of the fine-pointed forceps, by making 
a gentle simultaneous pressure with the tips of the forceps at the 
bnse of each wing, repeating it until the wings assume the desired 
position. The legs also must be disposed symmetrically (and as far 
as possible in a natural position) on the card disc, so that all parts 
of them can be readily seen, and must not be allowed to remain 
crumpled up beneath the body, since important characters are 
often found upon them. In the case of a fairly large specimen 
it will generally be found possible to cause the legs to remain in 
the desired position by hooking the claws on the edge of the disc, 
gently drawing the legs out one after another by aid of a needle 
or one leg of the fine-pointed forceps. The manipulations in 
connection with the legs and wings must be performed as gently as 
possible, and care must be taken that bristles, hairs, or scales 
are not rubbed off in the process. As soon as these operations 
are completed, the specimen should be transferred to a store box, 
or to one lined with cork-carpet or pith, as described above. Since, 
however, the tissues contract in drying, the legs and wings are very 
apt to get pulled out of place, and, to correct these changes, the 
specimens should be examined once or twice during the next day 
or two after being pinned. 
Very minute or fragile specimens (such as Ceratopogon or Simulium) 
are best pinned from the side, and the legs should then be straightened 
out by means of a No. 20 pin held in the entomological forceps. 
