The punches mentioned may be obtained of the manufacturers[5] of such instruments at from $2 to $3. Care should be observed in ordering to state explicitly the length, width at base and point, or, what is better, to inclose sample of the size of point it is desired to cut; but above all, to state that the block of paper to be cut out is the result desired, and that the instrument should cut clean and even, with no ragged edges. [5] Montgomery & Co., 105 Fulton street, New York City. [Illustration: FIG. 97.--Insect punch for cutting triangles or points (original).] For mounting different forms and sizes the fastidious collector uses four or five sizes of points, but for all practical purposes one to cut a card point not less than 1.3 mm at the base and prolonged as nearly as possible to a point, and another a trifle wider at the base, say 11/2 or 1 2/3 mm and with a point about 11/2 mm in width will suffice. [Illustration: FIG. 98.--Points for mounting insects (original).] For mounting most long-bodied insects, _e. g._, Staphylinidae and Elateridae, an oblong card say 11/2 mm in width is desirable. With a little care these may be cut with sufficient uniformity with scissors. Seven and one-half millimeters may be taken as a standard of length, as this is about the size used by the majority of our best collectors. Shorter points, say 6 mm or one-quarter inch long, are sometimes preferred, where economy of space is a desideratum. A series of four points of different sizes for mounting insects is shown in the accompanying illustration. The sharp-pointed one, _a_, is designed for the minutest forms and the larger points for large insects. The largest should be mounted on points of a nearly rectangular shape, shown at _d_. The dimensions of these points as adopted by most entomologists, are as follows:-- +------+---------+----------+--------+ | | Length. | Breadth. | Point. | +------+---------+----------+--------+ | _a_ | 7.5mm. | 1.5mm. | .0mm. | | _b_ | 7.5 | 1.5 | .4 | | _c_ | 7.5 | 1.5 | .6 | | _d_ | 7.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | +------+---------+----------+--------+