THE CAPTURE, PREPARATION, AND PRESERVATION OF SPECIMENS
"What hand would crush the silken-wingèd fly,
The youngest of inconstant April's minions,
Because it cannot climb the purest sky,
Where the swan sings, amid the sun's dominions?
Not thine."
SHELLEY.
"Do not mash your specimens!"--THE PROFESSOR.
COLLECTING APPARATUS
[Illustration FIG. 43.--Plan for folding
net-ring: _c_, halves of ring detached; _b_, upper joint of the halves;
_a_, ring set; _d_, cap of ferrule; _f_, cap of ferrule, showing screw
in place; _e_, screw (Riley).]
_Nets._--In the capture of insects of all orders, and especially of
butterflies and moths, one of the most important instruments is the net.
German naturalists make use of what are known as shears (_Scheren_),
which are made like gigantic scissors, having at the end two large oval
rings upon which wire gauze or fine netting is stretched. With this
implement, which looks like an old-fashioned candle-snuffer of colossal
size, they succeed in collecting specimens without doing much injury.
Shears are, however, not much in vogue among the naturalists of other
countries. The favorite instrument for the ordinary collector is the
net. Nets may be made in various ways and of various materials. There
are a multitude of devices which have been invented for enabling the net
to be folded up so as to occupy but little space when not in use. The
simplest form of the net, which can be made almost anywhere, is
constructed as follows: A rod--preferably of bamboo, or some other
light, stiff material--is used as the handle, not more than five feet in
length. Attached to this at its upper end, a loop or ring made of metal,
or some moderately stiff yet flexible material, should be tied
securely. Upon this there should be sewed a bag of fine netting,
preferably tarletan. The bag should be quite long, not less than
eighteen inches deep; the ring should be not less than a foot in
diameter. Such a net can be made at a cost of but a few cents, and will
be, in most cases, as efficient as any of the more expensive nets which
are more carefully constructed. A good, cheap ring for a net may be made
by using the brass ferrule of a fishing-rod. The ferrule should be at
least three quarters of an inch in diameter. Into this insert the ends
of a metal ring made by bending brass, aluminium, or iron wire into the
proper form. When the ends have been inserted into the ferrule, melted
solder or lead may be poured into it, and the ends of the wire forming
the ring will be thus firmly secured in the ferrule. The ferrule can
then be inserted into its mate placed at the end of a bamboo rod. I have
commonly obtained for this purpose the last joint or butt of a
fishing-rod as the handle of a net. Such a handle can often be purchased
for a small sum from a dealer in fishing-rods. It can be made very
cheaply. Any kind of a stick, if not too heavy, will do. It is sometimes
convenient to have it in your power to lengthen the handle of your net
so as to reach objects that are at some elevation above the head, and
for this purpose I have had nets made with handles capable of being
lengthened by jointed extensions. In collecting in tropical countries,
among tall shrubbery and undergrowth, nets thus made, capable of having
their handles greatly lengthened, have often proved serviceable. One of
the most successful collectors I have ever had in my employment made his
net by simply bending a piece of bamboo into the form of the frame of an
Indian snow-shoe, to which he attached a handle about a foot and a half
in length, and to this he affixed a bag of netting. He was, however, a
Japanese, and possessed a singular dexterity in the capture of specimens
with this simple apparatus to which I myself never attained. When
tarletan cannot be had, ordinary mosquito-netting will do as the
material for the bag. It is, however, too coarse in the mesh for many
delicate and minute species. Very fine netting for the manufacture of
the bags is made in Switzerland, and can be obtained from reputable
dealers.
[Illustration FIG. 44.--_a_, net; _b_, ferrule to receive handle; _c_,
wire hoop to be fastened in the upper end of the ferrule (Riley).]
[Illustration FIG. 45.--_a_, ring of metal tied with wire at _a_; _b_,
ferrule; _c_, plug put in before pouring in solder (Riley).]
In order to protect and preserve the net, it is well to bind it with
some thin muslin at the point where it is joined to the ring. Nets are
sometimes made with a strip of muslin, about two inches wide, attached
to the entire circumference of the ring, and to this strip of muslin the
bag is sewed. For my part, I prefer gray or green as the color for a
net. White should be avoided, as experience shows that a white net will
often alarm an insect when a net of darker material will not cause it to
fly before the collector is ready to bring the net down over the spot
where it is settled.
_Collecting-Jars._--In killing insects various methods have been used.
In practice the most approved method is to employ a jar charged with
cyanide of potash or with carbonate of ammonia. For large moths and
butterflies cyanide of potash and carbonate of ammonia serve very well,
but it must be remembered that carbonate of ammonia bleaches insects
which are green in color. It is well, in my judgment, to use a drop or
two of chloroform in the jar charged with carbonate of ammonia, for the
collection of diurnal lepidoptera. By putting a few drops of chloroform
into the jar, the insect is anesthetized, and its struggles are made
quickly to cease. The principal objection to chloroform is the fact that
it induces rigidity of the thoracic muscles, which subsequently
sometimes interferes with handsome setting.
[Illustration FIG. 46.--Cyanide-jar prepared for use: _P_, perforated
cardboard; _Cy_, lumps of cyanide of potash.]
[Illustration FIG. 47.--Piece of paper punctured and slit for pasting
over the cyanide in the collecting-jar.]
In the preparation of the poisoning-jar it is well to use a jar which
has a ground-glass stopper, and the mouth of which is about three inches
in diameter. This will be large enough for most specimens. The one-pound
hydrate of chloral jars, provided with glass stoppers and sold by
Schering, make the neatest collecting-jars that are known to the writer.
I have found it well to have such jars partly covered with leather after
the fashion of a drinking-flask. An opening in the leather is left on
either side, permitting an inspection of the contents of the jar. The
leather protects from breakage. At the bottom of such a jar a few lumps
of cyanide of potash, about the size of a filbert, should be placed.
Over this may be laid a little cotton, to prevent the lumps from
rattling about loosely at the bottom of the jar. Over the cotton there
is pasted a sheet of strong white paper, perforated with a multitude of
holes. In securing the white paper over the cyanide, the writer has
resorted to a simple method which is explained in the annexed diagram. A
piece of paper is placed under the jar, and a circle the size of the
inside of the jar is traced upon it. Then a disk is cut out about three
quarters of an inch greater in diameter than the original circle (Fig.
47). The paper is punctured over the entire surface included within the
inner line, and then, with a scissors, little gashes are made from the
outer circumference inward, so as to permit of the folding up of the
edge of the disk. A little gum tragacanth is then applied to these
upturned edges; and it is inserted into the jar and pasted securely over
the cyanide by the upturned flaps. A jar thus charged will last for a
long time, if kept properly closed when not in use. Cyanide of potash
has a tendency to deliquesce, or melt down in the presence of moisture,
and in very humid climates or damp places, if the jar is not kept well
stoppered, the cyanide will quickly become semi-fluid, the paper will
become moist, and specimens placed in the jar will be injured or
completely ruined. It is well, however, to bear in mind the fact that
the fumes of hydrocyanic acid (prussic acid), which are active in
producing the death of the insect, will not be given off in sufficient
volume unless there is some small amount of moisture present in the jar;
and in a very dry climate the writer has found it sometimes necessary to
add a drop or two of water from time to time to the cyanide. The same
method which has been described for charging a jar with cyanide of
potash can be employed in charging it with carbonate of ammonia.
[Illustration FIG. 48.--Method of disabling a butterfly by pinching it
when in the net.]
_Field-Boxes._--In collecting butterflies it is often possible to kill,
or half kill, the specimens contained in the net by a smart pinch
administered to the insect by the thumb and the first finger, the
pressure being applied from without the net (Fig. 48). This mode of
procedure, however, unless the operator is careful, is apt to somewhat
damage the specimens. The writer prefers to hold the insect firmly
between the thumb and the first finger, and apply a drop or two of
chloroform from a vial which should be carried in the upper
left-hand vest-pocket. The application of the chloroform will cause the
insect to cease its struggles immediately, and it may then be placed in
the poisoning-jar, or it may be pinned into the field-box. The
field-box, which should be worn at the side, securely held in its place
by a strap going over the shoulder and by another strap around the
waist, may be provided with the poisoning apparatus or may be without
it. In the former case the box should be of tin, and should have
securely fastened in one corner some lumps of cyanide, tied in gauze.
The box should be very tight, so that when it is closed the fumes of the
cyanide may be retained. The bottom should be covered with cork, upon
which the specimens, as they are withdrawn from the poisoning-jar,
should be pinned. It is well to bear strictly in mind that it is a
mistake to continue to put one specimen after another into the
poisoning-jar until it is half filled or quite filled with specimens. In
walking about the field, if there are several insects in the jar at a
time, they are likely to become rubbed and their beauty partially
destroyed by being tossed about as the collector moves from place to
place; and a large insect placed in a jar in which there are one or two
smaller insects will in its death-struggles possibly injure the latter.
So, as fast as the insects are partially asphyxiated, or deprived of the
power of motion, they should be removed from the poisoning-jar to the
poisoning-box, where they are pinned in place and prevented from rubbing
one against the other. Some collectors prefer simply to stun the
insects, and then pin them into the field-box, where they are left, in
whole or in part, to recover their vitality, to be subsequently put to
death upon the return of the collector from the field. This mode of
procedure, while undoubtedly it yields in the hands of a skilful
operator the most beautiful specimens, appears to the writer to be
somewhat cruel, and he does not therefore approve of it.
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| EXPLANATION OF PLATE IV |
| |
| Reproduced, with the kind permission of Dr. S.H. Scudder, |
| from "The Butterflies of New England," vol. iii, Plate 83. |
| |
| |
| CHRYSALIDS IN COLOR AND IN OUTLINE--NYMPHALIDÆ |
| |
| 1. _Anosia plexippus._ Side view. |
| 2. _Anosia plexippus._ In outline. |
| 3. _Anosia plexippus._ Dorsal view. |
| 4. _OEneis semidea._ |
| 5. _OEneis semidea._ Dorsal view. |
| 6. _Debis portlandia._ |
| 7. _Satyrus nephele._ |
| 8. _Satyrus nephele._ Dorsal view. |
| 9. _Satyrodes canthus._ Side view. |
| 10. _Neonympha phocion._ Side view. |
| 11. _Neonympha phocion._ Side view. |
| 12. _Basilarchia astyanax._ Side view. |
| 13. _Basilarchia astyanax._ Side view. |
| 14. _Basilarchia arthemis._ Side view. |
| 15. _Chlorippe clyton._ Side view. |
| 16. _Chlorippe clyton._ Side view. |
| 17. _Chlorippe clyton._ Dorsal view. |
| 18. _Basilarchia disippus._ Ventral view. |
| 19. _Basilarchia disippus._ Side view. |
| 20. _Basilarchia disippus._ Side view. |
| 21. _Grapta interrogationis._ Dorsal view. |
| 22. _Grapta interrogationis._ Side view. |
| 23. _Basilarchia arthemis._ Dorsal view. |
| 24. _Grapta interrogationis._ Outline of |
| mesothoracic tubercle from the side. |
| 25. _Grapta interrogationis._ |
| 26. _Grapta interrogationis._ Outline of |
| head from in front. |
| 27. _Grapta comma._ Outline of head |
| from in front; enlarged. |
| 28. _Neonympha eurytus._ Side view. |
| 29. _Grapta comma._ Outline of mesothoracic |
| tubercle from the side. |
| 30. _Grapta comma._ The same from |
| another specimen. |
| 31. _Grapta faunus._ Outline of head |
| from in front. |
| 32. _Grapta progne._ Outline of head |
| from in front. |
| 33. _Grapta faunus._ Side view. |
| 34. _Grapta faunus._ Side view in outline. |
| 35. _Grapta faunus._ Ventral view in |
| outline. |
| 36. _Vanessa j-album._ Outline of mesothoracic |
| tubercle from the side. |
| 37. _Grapta progne._ Side view. |
| 38. _Grapta progne._ Side view. |
| 39. _Grapta comma._ Side view. |
| 40. _Grapta interrogationis._ Side view. |
| 41. _Grapta satyrus._ Side view. |
| 42. _Grapta satyrus._ Ventral view. |
| 43. Vanessa milberti. Side view. |
| 44. _Vanessa j-album._ Side view. |
| 45. _Vanessa j-album._ Ventral view. |
| 46. _Grapta comma._ Side view. |
| 47. _Grapta comma._ Side view. |
| 48. _Grapta comma._ Dorsal view. |
| 49. _Vanessa milberti._ Side view. |
| 50. _Vanessa milberti._ Dorsal view. |
| 51. _Vanessa antiopa._ Side view. |
| 52. _Pyrameis atalanta._ Side view. |
| 53. _Pyrameis atalanta._ Dorsal view. |
| 54. _Pyrameis huntera._ Side view. |
| 55. _Pyrameis atalanta._ Side view. |
| 56. _Junonia coenia._ Side view. |
| 57. _Junonia coenia._ Dorsal view. |
| 58. _Vanessa antiopa._ Side view. |
| 59. _Vanessa antiopa._ Dorsal view. |
| 60. _Pyrameis cardui._ Side view. |
| 61. _Pyrameis cardui._ Side view. |
| 62. _Pyrameis cardui._ Dorsal view. |
| 63. _Pyrameis huntera._ Dorsal view. |
| 64. _Pyrameis huntera._ Side view, with |
| nest woven before pupation. |
| 65. _Junonia coenia._ Side view. |
| 66. _Junonia coenia._ Side view. |
| 67. _Junonia coenia._ Side view. |
| |
| [Illustration PLATE IV.] |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
_The Use of the Net._--In the use of the net the old saying is true that
"practice makes perfect." The bag of the net should be sufficiently long
to allow of its being completely closed when hanging from the ring on
either side. It is possible to sweep into the net an insect which is
fluttering through the air, and then by a turn of the hand to close the
bag and to capture the specimen. When the insect has alighted upon the
ground it is best to clap the net over it and then to raise the net with
one hand. Very many species have the habit of flying upward. This is
particularly true of the skippers, a group of very vigorous and
swift-flying butterflies. The writer prefers, if possible, to clap the
net over the specimens and then to allow them to rise, and, by inserting
the wide-mouthed collecting-jar below, to capture them without touching
them at all with the fingers. So far as possible the fingers should not
be allowed to come in contact with specimens, whether in or out of the
net, though some persons acquire an extremely delicate yet firm touch
which enables them to handle the wings of frail species without removing
any of the scales. Nothing is more unsightly in a collection than
specimens that have been caught and rubbed by the fingers.
_Baits._--Moths are frequently taken by the method of collecting known
as "sugaring." But it may also be employed for butterflies. For this
purpose a mixture of beer and cheap brown sugar may be used. If the beer
be stale drippings, so much the better. In fact, it is well, if the
collector intends to remain in one locality for some time, to make a
mixture of beer and sugar some hours or a day in advance of its
application. In semi-tropical countries a mixture of beer and sugar is
hardly as good as a mixture of molasses and water into which a few
tablespoonfuls of Jamaica rum have been put. A mixture thus prepared
seems to attract more effectually than the first prescription. Having
provided a pail with a quart or two of the mixture, the collector
resorts to the point where he proposes to carry on his work. With an
ordinary whitewash brush the mixture is applied to the trunks of trees,
stumps, fence-rails, and other objects. It is well to apply the mixture
to a series of trees and posts located on the side of a bit of woodland,
or along a path through forests, if comparatively open and not too
dense. The writer has rarely had success in sugaring in the depths of
forests. His greatest success has always been on paths and at the edge
of woods. Many beetles and other insects come to the tempting sweets,
and separate jars for capturing these should be carried in the pocket.
The collector never should attempt to kill beetles in the same jar into
which he is putting butterflies. The hard, horny bodies and spiny legs
of beetles will make sad havoc with the delicate wings of butterflies.
Many other baits besides this may be employed to attract insects. Some
writers recommend a bait prepared by boiling dried apples and mashing
them into a pulp, adding a little rum to the mixture, and applying this
to the bark of trees. In tropical countries bananas, especially rotten
bananas, seem to have a charm for insects. The cane-trash at sugar-mills
is very attractive. If possible, it is well to obtain a quantity of this
trash and scatter it along forest paths. Some insects have very peculiar
appetites and are attracted by things loathsome. The ordure of
carnivorous animals seems to have a special charm for some of the most
magnificently colored and the rarest of tropical butterflies. A friend
of mine in Africa, who collected for me for a number of years, used to
keep civet-cats, the ordure of which was collected and placed at
appropriate points in the forest paths; and he was richly rewarded by
obtaining many insects which were not obtained in any other way. Putrid
fish have a charm for other species, and dead snakes, when rankly high,
will attract still others. It may be observed that after the trees have
been treated for a succession of days or nights with the sweetening
mixture spoken of above, they become very productive. When collecting in
Japan I made it a rule to return in the morning to the spots that I had
sugared for moths the evening before, and I was always amply repaid by
finding multitudes of butterflies and even a good many day-flying moths
seated upon the mossy bark, feasting upon the remnants of the banquet I
had provided the evening before. There is no sport--I do not except that
of the angler--which is more fascinating than the sport derived by an
enthusiastic entomologist from the practice of "sugaring." It is well,
however, to know always where your path leads, and not to lay it out in
the dusk, as the writer once did when staying at a well-known summer
resort in Virginia. The path which he had chosen as the scene of
operations was unfortunately laid, all unknown to himself, just in the
rear of the poultry-house of a man who sold chickens to the hotel; and
when he saw the dark lantern mysteriously moving about, he concluded
that some one with designs upon his hens was hidden in the woods, and
opened fire with a seven-shooter, thus coming very near to terminating
abruptly the career of an ardent entomologist.
_Beating._--There are many species which are apparently not attracted by
baits such as we have spoken of in the preceding paragraph. The
collector, passing through the grove, searches diligently with his eye
and captures what he can see, but does not fail also with the end of his
net-handle to tap the trunks of trees and to shake the bushes, and as
the insects fly out, to note the point where they settle, and then make
them his prey. It is well in this work, as in all collecting, to proceed
somewhat leisurely, and to keep perfectly cool. The caricature sometimes
found in newspapers of the ardent lepidopterist running like a
"quarter-back" across a ten-acre lot in quest of some flying insect does
not represent the truly skilful collector, whose movements are more or
less stealthy and cautious.
THE BREEDING OF SPECIMENS
By breeding it is possible to obtain specimens in the most perfect
condition. Bred specimens which have not had an opportunity to fly are
always preferred on account of their freshness of color and perfection
of form. A great many species which apparently are exceedingly rare may
often be obtained in considerable numbers by the process of breeding,
the caterpillar being more readily found than the perfect insect.
Although the process of breeding involves a good deal of labor and care,
it affords a most delightful field for observation, and the returns are
frequently of the very greatest value.
_How to Get the Eggs of Butterflies._--The process of breeding may begin
with the egg. The skilful eye of the student will detect the eggs of
butterflies upon the leaves upon which they have been deposited. The
twig may be cut and placed in a vase, in water, and kept fresh until the
minute caterpillar emerges, and then from time to time it may be
transferred to fresh leaves of the same species of plant, and it will
continue to make its moults until at last it is transformed into a
chrysalis, and in due season the butterfly emerges. Eggs may frequently
be obtained in considerable numbers by confining the female under gauze,
with the appropriate food-plant. A knowledge of the food-plant may often
be obtained by watching the female and observing upon what plants she
deposits her eggs. The exceedingly beautiful researches of Mr. W.H.
Edwards were largely promoted by his skill in inducing females to
oviposit upon their food-plants. He did this generally by confining the
female with the food-plant in a barrel or nail-keg, the bottom of which
had been knocked out, and over the top of which he tied mosquito-netting.
The plant was placed under the keg. The insects thus confined may be
fed with a mixture of honey and water placed upon the leaves.
In collecting caterpillars it is well to have on hand a number of small
boxes in which to place them, and also a botany-box in which to bring
from the field a supply of their appropriate food.
The process of breeding may begin with the caterpillar. The collector,
having discovered the caterpillar feeding upon the branch of a certain
plant, provides the creature with a constant supply of the fresh foliage
of the same plant, until it finally pupates.
[Illustration FIG. 49.--Cheap form of breeding-cage: _G_, lid covered
with mosquito-netting; _E_, pan of earth; _B_, bottle for food-plant.]
_Breeding-Cages._--Various devices for breeding caterpillars and rearing
moths and butterflies are known. One of the most important of these
devices is the breeding-cage, which is sometimes called a vivarium. The
simplest form of the vivarium is often the best. In breeding some
species the best method is simply to pot a plant of the species upon
which the larva is known to feed, and to place the potted plant in a box
over which some mosquito-netting is tied. The writer frequently employs
for this purpose cylinders of glass over the top of which perforated
cardboard is placed. This method, however, can be resorted to only with
the more minute forms and with plants that do not attain great height.
Another form of vivarium is represented in the adjoining woodcut (Fig.
50). The writer has successfully employed, for breeding insects upon a
large scale, ordinary store boxes provided with a lid made by fastening
together four pieces of wood, making a frame large enough to cover the
top of the box, and covering it with gauze. The food-plant is kept fresh
in bottles or jars which are set into the boxes. Be careful, however,
after you have put the branches upon which the caterpillars are feeding
into the jars, to stuff something into the neck of the jar so as to
prevent the caterpillar from accidentally getting into the water and
drowning himself--a mishap which otherwise might occur. When breeding is
undertaken on a still larger scale, it may be well to set apart for this
purpose a room, preferably in an outbuilding, all the openings leading
from which should be carefully closed so as to prevent the escape of the
caterpillars.
[Illustration FIG. 50.--Breeding-cage: _a_, base, battened at _g_ to
prevent warping; _b_, removable body of cage, inclosing zinc pan, _f_,
_f_, containing jar for plant, _d_, and filled with five inches of soil,
_e_; _c_, removable top, covered with wire gauze. The doors and sides
are of glass (Riley).]
_How to Find Caterpillars._--Many species of caterpillars are not hard
to discover; they are more or less conspicuous objects, and strike the
eye. Some species conceal themselves by weaving together the leaves of
the plant on which they feed, or by bending a single leaf into a curved
receptacle in which they lie hidden. Others conceal themselves during
the daytime about the roots of trees or under bark or stones, only
emerging in the night-time to feed upon the foliage. The collector will
carefully search for these. The presence of caterpillars is generally
indicated by the ravages which they have committed upon the foliage. By
carefully scanning a branch the collector will observe that the leaves
have been more or less devoured. Generally underneath the tree will be
found the frass, or ejectamenta, of the caterpillar. The presence of the
ejectamenta and the evidence of the ravages committed by the larvæ upon
the foliage will give the collector a clue to the whereabouts of the
caterpillar. The writer has found it generally advantageous to search
for caterpillars that feed upon trees along the wide, sandy margins of
brooks and rivers. The frass is easily discovered upon the sand, and by
casting the eye upward into the foliage it is often easy to detect the
insect. The pavements in towns and cities which are bordered by trees
may also very well be scanned for evidence of the presence of
caterpillars. A favorite collecting-ground of the writer is one of the
large cemeteries of the city in which he lives, in which there are
numerous trees and a great quantity of shrubbery. Wood-boring species,
as a rule, are more difficult to obtain and rear than those that feed
upon the foliage.
_Hibernating Caterpillars._--While some difficulty attends the
preservation of chrysalids in the case of those species which pupate in
the fall and pass the winter in the chrysalis state under the ground,
far more difficulty attends the preservation of species which hibernate
in the caterpillar state. As a rule, it is found best to expose the
boxes containing these species in an ice-house or other cold place,
keeping them there until there is available an abundant supply of the
tender shoots of the plant upon which they are in the habit of feeding.
They may then be brought forth from cold storage and placed in proximity
to the food-plant, upon which they will proceed to feed.
THE PRESERVATION OF SPECIMENS
_Papering Specimens._--When time and opportunities do not suffice for
the proper preparation of butterflies for display in the permanent
collection, the collector may, in the case of the larger species,
conveniently place them in envelopes, with their wings folded (Fig. 51),
and they may then be stored in a box until such time as he is able to
relax the specimens and properly mount them. Thousands of insects are
thus annually collected. The small drug envelopes, or the larger
pay-roll envelopes, which may be bought in boxes by the thousand of any
stationer for a comparatively small sum, are preferable because of
their convenience. Many collectors, however, paper their specimens in
envelopes which they make of oblong bits of paper adapted to the size of
the insect. The process of making the envelope and of papering the
insect is accurately depicted in the accompanying cut (Fig. 52). The
writer finds it good in the case of small butterflies to place them in
boxes between layers of cheap plush or velvet. A small box, a few inches
long, may be provided, and at its bottom a layer of velvet is placed;
upon this a number of small butterflies are laid. Over them is placed a
layer of velvet, with its soft pile facing the same side of the velvet
at the bottom. On top of this another piece of velvet is laid, with its
pile upward, and other specimens are again deposited, and over this
another piece of velvet is laid, and so on. If the box is not filled
full at once, it is well to have enough pieces of velvet cut to fill it,
or else place cotton on top, so as to keep the layers of velvet from
moving or shaking about. A yard or two of plush or velvet will suffice
for the packing of a thousand specimens of small butterflies.
[Illustration FIG. 51.--Butterfly in envelope.]
[Illustration FIG. 52.--Method of folding paper for envelopes: first
fold on line _AB_; then on _AD_ and _CB_; then on _BF_ and _EA_.]
_Mounting Butterflies._--When the collector has time enough at his
disposal he should at once mount his specimens as they are intended to
be displayed in the collection. We shall now proceed to explain the
manner in which this is most advantageously accomplished. The insect
should first of all be pinned. The pin should be thrust perpendicularly
through the thorax, midway between the wings, and at a considerable
elevation upon the pin. It should then be placed upon the setting-board
or setting-block. Setting-boards or setting-blocks are pieces of wood
having a groove on the upper surface of sufficient depth to accommodate
the body of the insect and to permit the wings to be brought to the
level of the upper surface of the board (Fig. 53). They should also be
provided either with a cleft or a hole which will permit the pin to be
thrust down below the body of the insect for a considerable distance.
As a rule, the wings of all specimens should be mounted at a uniform
elevation of about seven eighths of an inch above the point of the pin.
This is known as the "continental method" of mounting, and is infinitely
preferable to the old-fashioned "English method," in which the insect
was pinned low down upon the pin, so that its wings touched the surface
of the box.
[Illustration FIG. 53.--Setting-board designed by the author. The wings
of the insect are held in place by strips of tracing-muslin, such as is
used by engineers. The grooves at the side serve to hold the board in
place in the drying-box. (See Fig. 59.)]
[Illustration FIG. 54.--Setting-block: _A_, holes to enable the pin to
reach to the cork; _C_, cork, filling groove on the bottom of the block;
_B_, slit to hold thread.]
[Illustration FIG. 55.--Setting-block with butterfly expanded upon it.]
Setting-blocks are most advantageously employed in setting small
species, especially the _Hesperiidæ_, the wings of which are refractory.
When the insect has been pinned upon the setting-board or setting-block,
the next step is to set the wings in the position which they are to
maintain when the specimen is thoroughly dry. This is accomplished by
means of what are known as "setting-needles" (Fig. 56). Setting-needles
may be easily made by simply sticking ordinary needles into wooden
matches from which the tips have been removed. In drawing the wings into
position, care should be taken to plant the setting-needle behind the
strong nervure on the costal margin of the wing; otherwise the wings are
liable to be torn and disfigured. The rule in setting lepidoptera is to
draw the anterior wing forward in such a manner that the posterior
margin of this wing is at right angles to the axis of the body, the axis
of the body being a line drawn through the head to the extremity of the
abdomen. The hind wing should then be moved forward, its anterior margin
lying under the opposing margin of the front wing. When the wings have
thus been adjusted into the position which they are to occupy, slips of
tracing-muslin or of paper should be drawn down over them and securely
pinned, the setting-needles being removed.
[Illustration FIG. 56.--Setting-needle.]
In pinning down the strips which are to hold the wings in place, be
careful to pin around the wing, but never, if possible, through it. When
the wings have been adjusted in the position in which they are to
remain, the antennæ, or feelers, should be attended to and drawn forward
on the same plane as the wings and secured in place. This may ordinarily
be done by setting pins in such a position as to hold them where they
are to stay. Then the body, if it has a tendency to sag down at the end
of the abdomen, should be raised. This may also be accomplished by means
of pins thrust beneath on either side. The figure on the next page shows
more clearly what is intended. When the insect has been set, the board
should be put aside in a place where it will not be molested or attacked
by pests, and the specimens upon it allowed to dry. A box with shelves
in it is often used for this purpose. This box should have a door at the
front covered with wire gauze, and the back should also be open, covered
with gauze, so as to allow a free circulation of air. A few balls of
naphthaline placed in it will tend to keep away mites and other pests.
The time during which the specimen should remain on the board until it
is dried varies with its size and the condition of the atmosphere. Most
butterflies and moths in dry weather will be sufficiently dried to
permit of their removal from the setting-boards in a week; but large,
stout-bodied moths may require as much as two weeks, or even more time,
before they are dry enough to be taken off the boards. The process of
drying may be hastened by placing the boards in an oven, but the
temperature of the oven must be quite low. If too much heat is applied,
great injury is sure to result. Only a careful and expert operator
should resort to the use of the oven, a temperature above 120°F. being
sure to work mischief.
[Illustration FIG. 57.--Setting-board with moth expanded upon it
(Riley).]
[Illustration FIG. 58.--Butterfly pinned on board, showing method of
holding up body and pinning down antennæ.]
[Illustration FIG. 59.--Drying-box: _a_, setting-board partly pulled
out; _b_, T-shaped strip working in groove on setting-board; _c_, front
door, sliding down by tongue, _d_, working in a groove at side in
front.]
_Relaxing Specimens._--When butterflies or moths have been put up in
papers or mounted on pins without having their wings expanded and set it
becomes necessary, before setting them, to relax them. This may be
accomplished in several ways. If the specimens have been pinned it is
best to place them on pieces of sheet-cork on a tray of sand which has
been thoroughly moistened and treated with a good dose of carbolic acid.
Over all a bell-glass is put. A tight tin box will serve the same
purpose, but a broad sheet of bibulous paper should always be put over
the box, under the lid, before closing it, and in such a way as to leave
the edges of the paper projecting around the edges of the lid. This is
done to absorb the moisture which might settle by condensation upon the
lid and drop upon the specimens. In a bell-glass the moisture generally
trickles down the sides. Earthenware crocks with closely fitting lids
are even better than tin boxes, but they must have paper put over them,
before closing, in the same way as is done when tin boxes are used. When
specimens have been preserved in papers or envelopes these should be
opened a little and laid upon damp, carbolized sand under a bell-glass
or in a closed receptacle of some kind. Papered specimens may also be
placed in their envelopes between clean towels, which have been
moistened in water to which a little carbolic acid has been added. The
towels should be wrung out quite dry before using them. The method of
placing between towels should never be used in the case of very small
and delicate species and those which are blue or green in color. Great
care must be exercised not to allow the insects to become soaked or
unduly wet. This ruins them. They should, however, be damp enough to
allow the wings and other organs to be freely moved. When the insects
have been relaxed they may be pinned and expanded on setting-boards like
freshly caught specimens. It is well in setting the wings of relaxed
specimens, after having thrust the pin through the body, to take a small
forceps and, seizing the wings just where they join the body, gently
move them so as to open them and make their movement easy before pinning
them upon the setting-board. The skilful manipulator in this way quickly
ascertains whether they have been sufficiently relaxed to admit of their
being readily set. If discovered to be too stiff and liable to break
they must be still further relaxed. Dried specimens which have been
relaxed and then mounted generally require only a short time to dry
again, and need rarely be kept more than twenty-four hours upon the
setting-boards.
[Illustration FIG. 60.--Drying-box (Riley).]
The process of setting insects upon setting-blocks is exactly the same
as when setting-boards are used, with the simple difference that,
instead of pinning strips of paper or tracing-muslin over the wings, the
wings are held in place by threads or very narrow tapes, which are wound
around the block. When the wings are not covered with a very deep and
velvety covering of scales the threads or tapes maybe used alone; but
when the wings are thus clothed it becomes necessary to put bits of
paper or cardboard over the wings before wrapping with the threads.
Unless this is done the marks of the threads will be left upon the
wings. Some little skill, which is easily acquired by practice, is
necessary in order to employ setting-blocks to advantage, but in the
case of small species and species which have refractory wings they are
much to be preferred to the boards.
_The Preparation and Preservation of Eggs._--The eggs of butterflies may
be preserved by simply putting them into tubes containing alcohol, or
they may be placed in vials containing dilute glycerine or a solution of
common salt. The vials should be kept tightly corked and should be
marked by a label written with a lead-pencil and placed within the
bottle, upon which the name of the species and the date of collection
should be noted, or a reference made to the collector's note-book.
Unless the eggs of insects are preserved in fluid they are apt in many
cases to dry up and become distorted, because, on account of their small
size, it is impossible to void them of their contents. The larvæ
escaping from eggs often void the shell very neatly, leaving, however, a
large orifice. Such remnants of shells may be preserved, as they often
are useful in showing some of the details of marking; but great
vigilance in securing them should be exercised, for almost all the larvæ
of butterflies have the curious habit of whetting their appetites for
future repasts by turning around and either wholly or partially
devouring the shell of the egg which they have quitted. Eggs are most
neatly mounted in the form of microscopic slides in glycerine jelly
contained in cells of appropriate depth and diameter. It is best, if
possible, to mount several specimens upon the same slide, showing the
side of the egg as well as the end. A cabinet filled with the eggs of
butterflies thus mounted is valuable and curious.
_The Preservation of Chrysalids._--Chrysalids may be deprived of their
vitality by simply immersing them in alcohol, or they may be killed by
means of chloroform, and they may then be fastened upon pins like the
imago, and arranged appropriately in the collection with the species.
Some chrysalids, however, lose their color when killed in this way, and
it is occasionally well to void them of their contents by making an
opening and carefully removing the parts that are contained within,
replacing with some material which will prevent the chrysalis from
shrinking and shriveling. This method of preserving need, however, be
resorted to only in exceptional cases. When a butterfly has escaped from
its chrysalis it frequently leaves the entire shell behind, with the
parts somewhat sundered, yet, nevertheless, furnishing a clear idea of
the structure of the chrysalis. If no other specimen of the chrysalis
can be obtained than these voided shells they should be preserved.
_The Preservation of Caterpillars._--The caterpillars of butterflies
when they first emerge from the egg, and before they make the first
moult, are, for the most part, extremely small, and are best preserved
as microscopic objects in cells filled with glycerine. After each
successive moult the larva increases rapidly in size. These various
stages in the development of the caterpillar should all be noted and
preserved, and it is customary to put up these collections in vials
filled with alcohol or a solution of formaline (which latter, by the by,
is preferable to alcohol), or to inflate them. The method of inflation
secures the best specimens.
In inflating larvæ the first step is carefully to remove the contents of
the larval skin. This may be done by making an incision with a stout pin
or a needle at the anal extremity, and then, between the folds of a soft
towel or cloth, pressing out the contents of the abdominal cavity. The
pressure should be first applied near the point where the pellicle has
been punctured, and should then be carried forward until the region of
the head is reached. Care must be exercised to apply only enough
pressure to expel the contents of the skin without disturbing the
tissues which lie nearest to the epidermis, in which the pigments are
located, and not to remove the hairs which are attached to the body.
Pressure sufficient to bruise the skin should never be applied. A little
practice soon imparts the required dexterity. The contents of the larval
skin having been removed, the next step is to inflate and dry the empty
skin. A compact statement of the method of performing this operation is
contained in Hornaday's "Taxidermy and Zoölogical Collecting," from
the pen of the writer, and I herewith reproduce it:
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| EXPLANATION OF PLATE V |
| |
| Reproduced, with the kind permission of Dr. S.H. Scudder, |
| from "The Butterflies of New England," vol. iii, Plate 84. |
| |
| CHRYSALIDS IN COLOR AND IN OUTLINE--NYMPHALIDÆ, LYCÆNIDÆ, |
| PIERINÆ |
| |
| |
| 1. _Argynnis cybele._ Side view. |
| 2. _Argynnis cybele._ Dorsal view |
| 3. _Argynnis cybele._ Side view. |
| 4. _Argynnis idalia._ Side view. |
| 5. _Argynnis aphrodite._ Side view. |
| 6. _Argynnis atlantis._ Side view. |
| 7. _Melitæa phaëton._ Side view. |
| 8. _Euptoieta claudia._ Side view. |
| 9. _Euptoieta claudia._ Side view. |
| 10. _Brenthis bellona._ Side view. |
| 11. _Brenthis bellona._ Side view. |
| 12. _Brenthis myrina._ Side view. |
| 13. _Brenthis myrina._ Side view. |
| 14. _Brenthis myrina._ Dorsal view |
| 15. _Melitæa phaëton._ Side view. |
| 16. _Melitæa phaëton._ Dorsal view. |
| 17. _Melitæa barrisi._ Side view. |
| 18. _Melitæa barrisi._ Dorsal view. |
| 19. _Phyciodes nycteis._ Side view. |
| 20. _Phyciodes tharos._ Dorsal view. |
| 21. _Phyciodes tharos._ Side view. |
| 22. _Phyciodes tharos._ Side view. |
| 23. _Libythea bachmani._ Side view. |
| 24. _Libythea bachmani._ Side view. |
| 25. _Thecla calanus._ Side view. |
| 26. _Thecla irus._ Side view, enlarged. |
| 27. _Thecla calanus._ Side view. |
| 28. _Thecla liparops._ Side view. |
| 29. _Thecla edwardsi._ Side view. |
| 30. _Thecla damon._ Side view. |
| 31. _Thecla damon._ Side view, enlarged. |
| 32. _Thecla irus._ Dorsal view. |
| 33. _Thecla irus._ Side view. |
| 34. _Thecla irus._ Side view. |
| 35. _Thecla acadica._ Side view. |
| 36. _Lycæna pseudargiolus._ Side view. |
| 37. _Thecla titus._ Side view. |
| 38. _Thecla niphon._ Side view. |
| 39. _Thecla melinus._ Side view. Copied |
| from Abbot's drawing in the British |
| Museum. |
| 40. _Thecla niphon._ Side view. Copied |
| from Abbot's drawing in Dr. Boisduval's |
| library. |
| 41. _Lycæna scudderi._ Side view, enlarged. |
| 42. _Lycæna comyntas._ Side view. Copied |
| from Abbot's drawing in Dr. Boisduval's |
| library. |
| 43. _Lycæna pseudargiolus._ Side view, |
| enlarged. Copied from Abbot's |
| drawing in Dr. Boisduval's library. |
| 44. _Lycoena pseudargiolus._ Side view. |
| 45. _Feniseca tarquinius._ Side view. |
| 46. _Feniseca tarquinius._ Side view. |
| Copied from Abbot's drawing in |
| the British Museum. |
| 47. _Lycæna comyntas._ Side view, enlarged. |
| 48. _Lycæna comyntas._ Side view. |
| 49. _Chrysophanus bypophlæas._ Side view. |
| 50. _Chrysophanus thoë._ Side view. |
| 51. _Terias nicippe._ Side view. |
| 52. _Terias nicippe._ Dorsal view. |
| 53. _Colias eurytheme._ Side view. |
| 54. _Colias philodice._ Dorsal view. |
| 55. _Colias philodice._ Side view. |
| 56. _Terias lisa._ Side view. |
| 57. _Pieris napi_, var. _oleracea_. Side view. |
| 58. _Pieris rapæ._ Side view. |
| 59. _Euchloë genutia._ Side view. |
| 60. _Callidryas eubule._ Side view |
| 61. _Callidryas eubule._ Side view. |
| 62. _Callidryas eubule._ Dorsal view. |
| 63. _Pieris napi_, var. _oleracea_. Side view. |
| 64. _Pieris rapæ_, var. oleracea. Dorsal view. |
| 65. _Pieris rapæ._ Dorsal view. |
| 66. _Pieris protodice._ Dorsal view. |
| 67. _Pieris protodice._ Side view. |
| |
| [Illustration PLATE V.] |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
[Illustration FIG. 61.--Apparatus for inflating larvæ: _B_,
foot-bellows; _K_, rubber tube; _C_, flask; _D_, anhydrous sulphuric
acid; _E_, overflow-flask; _F_, rubber tube from flask; _G_, standard
with cock to regulate flow of air; _H_, glass tube with larva upon it;
_I_, copper drying-plate; _J_, spirit-lamp.]
"The simplest method of inflating the skins of larvæ after the contents
have been withdrawn is to insert a straw or grass stem of appropriate
thickness into the opening through which the contents have been removed,
and then by the breath to inflate the specimen, while holding over the
chimney of an Argand lamp, the flame of which must be regulated so as
not to scorch or singe it. Care must be taken in the act of inflating
not to unduly distend the larval skin, thus producing a distortion, and
also to dry it thoroughly. Unless the latter precaution is observed a
subsequent shrinking and disfigurement will take place. The process of
inflating in the manner just described is somewhat laborious, and while
some of the finest specimens which the writer has ever seen were
prepared in this primitive manner, various expedients for lessening the
labor involved have been devised, some of which are to be highly
commended."
[Illustration FIG. 62.--Tip of inflating-tube, with armature for
holding larval skin.]
[Illustration FIG. 63.--Drying-oven: _A_, lamp; _B_, pin to hold door
open; _C_, door open; _D_, glass cover.]
"A comparatively inexpensive arrangement for inflating larvæ is a
modification of that described in the 'Entomologische Nachrichten'
(1879, vol. v, p. 7), devised by Mr. Fritz A. Wachtel (Fig. 61). It
consists of a foot-bellows such as is used by chemists in the
laboratory, or, better still, of a small cylinder such as is used for
holding gas in operating the oxyhydrogen lamp of a sciopticon. In the
latter case the compressed air should not have a pressure exceeding
twenty pounds to the square inch, and the cock regulating the flow from
the cylinder should be capable of very fine adjustment. By means of a
rubber tube the air is conveyed from the cylinder to a couple of flasks,
one of which contains concentrated sulphuric acid, and the other is
intended for the reception of any overflow of the hydrated sulphuric
acid which may occur. The object of passing the air through sulphuric
acid is to rob it, so far as possible, of its moisture. It is then
conveyed into a flask, which is heated upon a sand-bath, and thence by a
piece of flexible tubing to a tip mounted on a joint allowing vertical
and horizontal motion and secured by a standard to the working-table.
The flow of air through the tip is regulated by a cock. Upon the tip is
fastened a small rubber tube, into the free extremity of which is
inserted a fine-pointed glass tube. This is provided with an armature
consisting of two steel springs fastened upon opposite sides, and their
ends bent at right angles in such a way as to hold the larval skin
firmly to the extremity of the tube. The skin having been adjusted upon
the fine point of the tube, the bellows is put into operation, and the
skin is inflated. A drying apparatus is provided in several ways. A
copper plate mounted upon four legs, and heated by an alcohol-lamp
placed below, has been advocated by some. A better arrangement, used by
the writer, consists of a small oven heated by the flame of an
alcohol-lamp or by jets of natural gas, and provided with circular
openings of various sizes, into which the larval skin is introduced
(Fig. 63).
"A less commendable method of preserving larvæ is to place them in
alcohol. The larvæ should be tied up in sacks of light gauze netting,
and a label of tough paper, with the date and locality of capture, and
the name, if known, written with a lead-pencil, should be attached to
each such little sack. Do not use ink on labels to be immersed, but a
hard lead-pencil. Alcoholic specimens are liable to become shriveled and
discolored, and are not nearly as valuable as well-inflated and dried
skins."
[Illustration FIG. 64.--Drying-oven: _a_, sliding door; _b_, lid; _c_,
body of oven with glass sides; _d_, opening for inserting
inflating-tube; _e_, copper bottom; _f_, spirit-lamp; _g_, base
(Riley).]
"When the skins have been inflated they may be mounted readily by being
placed upon wires wrapped with green silk, or upon annealed aluminium
wire. The wires are bent and twisted together for a short distance and
then made to diverge. The diverging ends are pressed together, a little
shellac is placed upon their tips, and they are then inserted into the
opening at the anal extremity of the larval skin. Upon the release of
pressure they spread apart, and after the shellac has dried the skin is
firmly held by them. They may then be attached to pins by simply
twisting the free end of the wire about the pin, or they may be placed
upon artificial imitations of the leaves and twigs of their appropriate
food-plants."
THE PRESERVATION AND ARRANGEMENT OF COLLECTIONS
The secret of preserving collections of lepidoptera in beautiful
condition is to exclude light, moisture, and insect pests. Light
ultimately bleaches many species, moisture leads to mould and mildew,
and insect pests devour the specimens. The main thing is therefore to
have the receptacles in which the specimens are placed dark and as
nearly as possible hermetically sealed and kept in a dry place. In order
to accomplish this, various devices have been resorted to.
[Illustration FIG. 65.--Detail drawing of front of box, made to
resemble a book: _s_, _s_, sides, made of two pieces of wood glued
together across the grain; _t_, tongue; _g_, groove; _c_, cork; _p_,
paper covering the cork.]
[Illustration FIG. 66.--Detail drawing of front of box: _t_, top; _b_,
bottom; _e_, side; _f_, strip, nailed around inside as at _n_; _c_,
cork; _p_, paper lining.]
_Boxes._--Boxes for the preservation of specimens are made with a tongue
on the edges of the bottom fitting into a groove upon the lid, or they
may be made with inside pieces fastened around the inner edge of the
bottom and projecting so as to catch the lid. The accompanying outlines
show the method of joining different forms of boxes (Figs. 65-67). The
bottom of the box should be lined with some substance which will enable
the specimens to be pinned into it securely. For this purpose sheet-cork
about a quarter of an inch thick is to be preferred to all other
substances. Ground cork pressed into layers and covered with white
paper is manufactured for the purpose of lining boxes. Turf compressed
into sheets about half an inch thick and covered with paper is used by
many European collectors. Sheets of aloe-pith or of the wood of the
yucca, half an inch thick, are used, and the pith of corn-stalks (Indian
corn or maize) may also be employed, laid into the box and glued neatly
to the bottom. The corn-pith should be cut into pieces about half an
inch square and joined together neatly, covering it with thin white
paper after the surface has been made quite even and true. Cork is,
however, the best material, for, though more expensive than the other
things named, it has greater power to hold the pins, and unless these
are securely fixed and held in place great damage is sure to result. A
loose specimen in a box will work incalculable damage. Boxes should be
made of light, thoroughly seasoned wood, and should be very tight. They
are sometimes made so that specimens may be pinned both upon the top and
the bottom, but this is not to be commended. The depth of the box should
be sufficient to admit of the use of the longest insect-pin in use, and
a depth between top and bottom of two and a quarter inches is therefore
sufficient. Boxes are sometimes made with backs in imitation of books,
and a collection arranged in such boxes presents an attractive external
appearance. A very good box is made for the United States Department of
Agriculture and for the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh (Fig. 68). This
box is thirteen inches long, nine inches wide, and three inches thick
(external measurement). The depth between the bottom and the lid on the
inside is two and one eighth inches. The ends and sides are dovetailed;
the top and bottom are each made of two pieces of light stuff, about
one eighth of an inch thick, glued together in such a way that the
grain of the two pieces crosses at right angles, and all cracking and
warping are thus prevented. The lids are secured to the bottoms by brass
hooks fitting into eyelets. Such boxes provided with cork do not cost
more than fifty-five cents apiece when bought in quantities. Boxes may
be made of stout pasteboard about one eighth or three sixteenths of an
inch thick, with a rabbet-tongue on the inside. Such boxes are much used
in France and England, and when well and substantially made are most
excellent. They may be obtained for about thirty-five cents apiece lined
with compressed cork.
[Illustration FIG. 67.--Detail drawing of box, in which the tongue,
_z_, is made of strips of zinc let into a groove and fastened as at _n_;
_g_, groove to catch tongue; _s_, _s_, top and bottom; _c_, cork.]
[Illustration FIG. 68.--Insect-box for preservation of collections.]
_Cabinets and Drawers._--Large collections which are intended to be
frequently consulted are best preserved in cabinets fitted with
glass-covered drawers. A great deal of variety exists in the plans which
are adopted for the display of specimens in cabinets. Much depends upon
the taste and the financial ability of the collector. Large sums of
money may be expended upon cabinets, but the main thing is to secure the
specimens from dust, mould, and insect pests. The point to be observed
most carefully is so to arrange the drawers that they are, like the
boxes, practically air-tight. The writer employs as the standard size
for the drawers in his own collection and in the Carnegie Museum a
drawer which is twenty-two inches long, sixteen inches wide, and two
inches deep (inside measurement). The outside dimensions are: length,
twenty-three inches exclusive of face; breadth, seventeen inches;
height, two and three eighths inches. The covers are glazed with
double-strength glass. They are held upon the bottoms by a rabbet placed
inside of the bottom and nearly reaching the lower surface of the glass
on the cover when closed. The drawers are lined upon the bottom with
cork five sixteenths of an inch thick, and are papered on the bottom and
sides with good linen paper, which does not easily become discolored.
Each drawer is faced with cherry and has a knob. These drawers are
arranged in cabinets built in sections for convenience in handling. The
two lower sections each contain thirty drawers, the upper section nine.
The drawers are arranged in three perpendicular series and are made
interchangeable, so that any drawer will fit into any place in any one
of the cabinets. This is very necessary, as it admits of the easy
rearrangement of collections. On the sides of each drawer a pocket is
cut on the inner surface, which communicates through an opening in the
rabbet with the interior. The paper lining the inside is perforated over
this opening with a number of small holes. The pocket is kept filled
with naphthaline crystals, the fumes of which pass into the interior and
tend to keep away pests. The accompanying figure gives the details of
construction (Fig. 69). Such drawers can be made at a cost of about
$3.50 apiece, and the cost of a cabinet finished and supplied with them
is about $325, made of cherry, finished in imitation of mahogany.
[Illustration FIG. 69.--Detail drawing of drawer for cabinet: _e_, _e_,
ends; _b_, bottom; _c_, cork; _p_, _p_, paper strips in corners of lid
to exclude dust; _g_, _g_, glass of cover, held in place by top strips,
_s_, _s_; _m_, _m_, side pieces serving as rabbets on inside; _po_,
pocket in ends and sides, sawn out of the wood; _x_, opening through the
rabbet into this pocket; _y_, holes through the paper lining, _p^1_,
allowing fumes of naphthaline to enter interior of drawer; _f_, front;
_k_, knob; _o_, lunette cut in edge of the top piece to enable the lid
to be raised by inserting the fingers.]
Some persons prefer to have the bottoms as well as the tops of the
drawers in their cabinets made of glass. In such cases the specimens are
pinned upon narrow strips of wood covered with cork, securely fastened
across the inside of the drawers. This arrangement enables the under
side of specimens to be examined and compared with as much freedom as
the upper side, and without removing them from the drawers; but the
strips are liable at times to become loosened, and when this happens
great havoc is wrought among the specimens if the drawer is moved
carelessly. Besides, there is more danger of breakage.
Another way of providing a cheap and very sightly lining for the bottom
of an insect-box is illustrated in Fig. 70. A frame of wood like a
slate-frame is provided, and on both sides paper is stretched. To
stretch the paper it ought to be soaked in water before pasting to the
frame; then when it dries it is as tight and smooth as a drum-head.
The beginner who has not a long purse will do well to preserve his
collections in boxes such as have been described. They can be obtained
quite cheaply and are most excellent. Cabinets are more or less of a
luxury for the amateur, and are only a necessity in the case of great
collections which are constantly being consulted. The boxes may be
arranged upon shelves. Some of the largest and best collections in the
world are preserved in boxes, notably those of the United States
National Museum.
[Illustration FIG. 70.--_A_, _A_, side and bottom of box; _B_, frame
fitting into box; _C_, space which must be left between frame and bottom
of box; _P_, _P_, paper stretched on frame.]
_Labeling._--Each specimen should have on the pin below the specimen a
small label giving the date of capture, if known, and the locality.
Below this should be a label of larger size, giving its scientific name,
if ascertained, and the sex. Labels should be neat and uniform in size.
A good size for labels for large species is about one inch long and five
eighths of an inch wide. The labels should be written in a fine but
legible hand. Smaller labels may be used for smaller species. A
crow-quill pen and India ink are to be preferred in writing labels.
_Arrangement of Specimens._--Specimens are best arranged in rows. The
males should be pinned in first in the series, after them the females.
Varieties should follow the species. After these should be placed any
aberrations or monstrosities which the collector may possess. The name
of the genus should precede all the species contained in the collection,
and after each species the specific name should be placed =Fig. 71= shows
the manner of arrangement.
[Illustration FIG. 71.--Manner of arranging specimens in cabinet.]
_Insect Pests._--In order to preserve collections, great care must be
taken to exclude the various forms of insect pests, which are likely,
unless destroyed and kept from attacking the specimens, to ruin them
utterly in comparatively a short time. The pests which are most to be
feared are beetles belonging to the genera _Dermestes_ and _Anthrenus_.
In addition to these beetles, which commit their ravages in the larval
stage, moths and mites prey upon collections. Moths are very
infrequently, however, found in collections of insects, and in a long
experience the writer has known only one or two instances in which any
damage was inflicted upon specimens by the larvæ of moths. Mites are
much more to be dreaded.
[Illustration FIG. 72.--Naphthaline cone.]
In order to prevent the ravages of insects, all specimens, before
putting them away into the boxes or drawers of the cabinet in which they
are to be preserved, should be placed in a tight box in which
chloroform, or, better, carbon bisulphide, in a small pan is put, and
they should be left here for at least twenty-four hours, until it is
certain that all life is extinct. Then they should be transferred to the
tight boxes or drawers in which they are to be kept. The presence of
insect pests in a collection is generally first indicated by fine dust
under the specimen, this dust being the excrement of the larva which is
committing depredations upon the specimen. In case the presence of the
larva is detected, a liberal dose of chloroform should at once be
administered to the box or tray in which the specimen is contained. The
specimen itself ought to be removed, and may be dipped into benzine.
Naphthaline crystals or camphor is generally employed to keep out insect
pests from boxes. They are very useful to deter the entrance of pests,
but when they have once been introduced into a collection neither
naphthaline nor camphor will kill them. Naphthaline is prepared in the
form of cones attached to a pin, and these cones may be placed in one
corner of the box. They are made by Blake & Co. of Philadelphia, and are
in vogue among entomologists. However, a good substitute for the cones
may very easily be made by taking the ordinary moth-balls which are sold
everywhere. By heating a pin red-hot in the flame of an alcohol-lamp it
may be thrust into the moth-ball; as it enters it melts the naphthaline,
which immediately afterward cools and holds the pin securely fixed in
the moth-ball. In attaching these pins to moth-balls, hold the pin
securely in a forceps while heating it in the flame of the lamp, and
thrust the red-hot pin into the center of the ball. Naphthaline crystals
and camphor may be secured in the corner of the box by tying up a
quantity of them in a small piece of netting and pinning the little bag
thus made in the corner of the tray. By following these directions
insect pests may be kept out of collections. It is proper to observe
that while carbon bisulphide is more useful even than chloroform in
killing pests, and is also cheaper, it should be used with great care,
because when mixed with atmospheric air it is highly explosive, and its
use should never take place where there are lamps burning or where there
is fire. Besides, its odor is extremely unpleasant, unless it has been
washed in mercury.
_Greasy Specimens._--Specimens occasionally become greasy. When this
happens they may be cleansed by pinning them down on a piece of cork
secured to the bottom of a closed vessel, and gently filling it with
benzine, refined gasoline, or ether. After leaving them long enough to
remove all the grease they may be taken out of the bath and allowed to
dry in a place where there is no dust. This operation should not take
place near a lighted lamp or a fire.
_Mould._--When specimens have become mouldy or mildewed it is best to
burn them up if they can be spared. If not, after they have been
thoroughly dried remove the mould with a sable or camel's-hair pencil
which has been rubbed in carbolic acid (crystals liquefied by heat).
Mildew in a cabinet is hard to eradicate, and heat, even to burning, is
about the only cure, except the mild use of carbolic acid in the way
suggested.
_Repairing Specimens._--Torn and ragged specimens are to be preferred to
none at all. "The half of a loaf is better than no bread." Until the
torn specimen can be replaced by a better, it is always well to retain
it in a collection. But it is sometimes possible to repair torn
specimens in such a way as to make them more presentable. If an antenna,
for instance, has been broken off, it may be replaced neatly, so that
only a microscopic examination will disclose the fact that it was once
away from the place where it belonged. If a wing has been slit, the rent
may be mended so neatly that only a very careful observer can detect the
fact. If a piece has been torn out of a wing, it may be replaced by the
corresponding portion of the wing of another specimen of the same sex of
the same species in such a way as almost to defy detection. The prime
requisites for this work are patience, a steady hand, a good eye, a
great deal of "gumption," a few setting-needles, a jeweler's forceps,
and a little shellac dissolved in alcohol. The shellac used in replacing
a missing antenna should be of a thickish consistency; in repairing
wings it should be well thinned down with alcohol. In handling broken
antennæ it is best to use a fine sable pencil, which may be moistened
very lightly by applying it to the tip of the tongue. With this it is
possible to pick up a loose antenna and place it wherever it is desired.
Apply the shellac to the torn edges of a broken wing with great delicacy
of touch and in very small quantity. Avoid putting on the adhesive
material in "gobs and slathers." Repairing is a fine art, which is only
learned after some patient experimentation, and is only to be practised
when absolutely necessary. The habit of some dealers of patching up
broken specimens with parts taken from other species is highly to be
reprobated. Such specimens are more or less caricatures of the real
thing, and no truly scientific man will admit such scarecrows into his
collection, except under dire compulsion.
[Illustration FIG. 73.--Butterflies pinned into a box overlapping one
another, or "shingled."]
_Packing and Forwarding Specimens._--It often becomes necessary to
forward specimens from one place to another. If it is intended to ship
specimens which have been mounted upon pins they should be securely
pinned in a box lined with cork. A great many expanded specimens may be
pinned in a box by resorting to the method known as "shingling," which
is illustrated in Fig. 73. By causing the wings of specimens to overlap,
as is shown in the figure, a great many can be accommodated in a small
space. When the specimens have been packed the box should be securely
closed, its edges shut with paper, after some drops of chloroform have
been poured into the box, and then this box should be placed in an outer
box containing excelsior, hay, cotton, or loose shavings in sufficient
abundance to prevent the jarring of the inner box and consequent
breakage. Where specimens are forwarded in envelopes, having been
collected in the field, and are not pinned, the precaution of
surrounding them with packing such as has been described is not
necessary, but the box in which they are shipped should always be strong
enough to resist breakage. Things forwarded by mail or by express always
receive rough treatment, and the writer has lost many fine specimens
which have been forwarded to him because the shipper was careless in
packing.
_Pins._--In the preceding pages frequent reference has been made to
insect-pins. These are pins which are made longer and thinner than is
the case with ordinary pins, and are therefore adaptable to the special
use to which they are put. There are a number of makers whose pins have
come into vogue. What are known as Karlsbader and Kläger pins, made in
Germany, are the most widely used. They are made of ordinary pin-metal
in various sizes. The Karlsbader pins have very fine points, but, owing
to the fineness of the points and the softness of the metal, they are
very apt to buckle, or turn up at the points. The Kläger pins are not
exposed to the same objection, as the points are not quite so fine. The
best pins, however, which are now made are those which have recently
been introduced by Messrs. Kirby, Beard, & Co. of England. They are made
of soft steel, lacquered, possessing very great strength and
considerable flexibility. The finest-sized pin of this make has as much
strength as the largest pin of the other makes that have been mentioned,
and the writer has never known them to buckle at the tip, even when
pinned through the hardest insect tissues. While these pins are a little
more expensive than others, the writer does not fail to give them an
unqualified preference.
[Illustration FIG. 74.--Butterfly-forceps, half-size.]
_The Forceps._--An instrument which is almost indispensable to the
student of entomology is the forceps. There are many forms of forceps,
and it is not necessary to speak at length in reference to the various
shapes; but for the use of the student of butterflies the forceps made
by the firm of Blake & Co. of Philadelphia is to be preferred to all
others. The head of this firm is himself a famous entomologist, and he
has given us in the forceps which is illustrated in Fig. 74 an
instrument which comes as near perfection as the art of the maker of
instruments can produce. The small forceps represented in Fig. 75 is
very useful in pinning small specimens. In handling mounted specimens it
is well always to take hold of the pin below the specimen with the
forceps, and insert it into the cork by the pressure of the forceps. If
the attempt is made to pin down a specimen with the naked fingers
holding the pin by the head, the finger is apt to slip and the specimen
to be ruined.
[Illustration FIG. 75.--Insect-forceps.]
IMMORTALITY
A butterfly basked on a baby's grave,
Where a lily had chanced to grow:
"Why art thou here with thy gaudy dye,
When she of the blue and sparkling eye
Must sleep in the churchyard low?"
Then it lightly soared thro' the sunny air,
And spoke from its shining track:
"I was a worm till I won my wings,
And she, whom thou mourn'st, like a seraph sings;
Would'st thou call the blest one back?"
SIGOURNEY.