At any desired time the dry specimens may be relaxed and mounted. A
relaxing box or jar is easily made. In the bottom of a wide-mouthed jar
with a screw-on lid, put an inch or two of clean sand; saturate the sand
with water containing a small amount of phenol (carbolic acid) and place
over it a piece of cork, cardboard, or wood cut to fit the jar. Place
the dry specimens on the cork or other material, and cover the jar
tightly with the screw-on lid. The lid must be practically airtight. In
a day or two the specimens will be soft and pliable enough for pinning
or spreading, the next steps toward permanent arrangement of the
collection.
[Illustration: Fig. 10.--Pillbox for temporary storage of insects.
Enough cotton packing is placed in the box to keep the specimen from
rattling about but not so much that it crushes the specimen.]
The relaxer will sweat if kept in too hot a room and will spoil the
specimens. Also, the insects will be spoiled if left in the relaxer too
long. The correct length of time varies with each relaxer and can be
learned only by experience.