Directions for Collecting and Preserving InsectsRiley, Charles V. (Charles Valentine)
Science
Directions for Collecting and Preserving Insects
Riley, Charles V. (Charles Valentine)
Insects -- Collection and preservation
First, I cut two or three narrow pieces of paper from 3 to 6 lines wide,
or rather wider, according to the size of the largest and smallest
specimens I have to set. I then double each of these strips and cut it
up into braces by a number of oblique cuts. Now I turn out the contents
of the canister and damp the sponge with a few drops of fresh ammonia,
refilling with boxes containing live insects. Those which have been
taken out will be found to be all dead and in a beautifully relaxed
condition for setting. Had the smallest specimens been placed in the
canister over night there would have been some fear of their drying up,
owing to the small amount of moisture in their bodies.
If the weather is very hot there is some danger of killed insects
becoming stiff while others are being set, in which case it is better to
pin at once into a damp cork box all that have been taken out of the
canister, but under ordinary circumstances I prefer to pin them one by
one as I set them.
Taking the lid off a box, and taking the box between the finger and
thumb of the right hand, I roll out the insect on the top of the left
thumb, supporting it with the top of the forefinger and so manipulating
it as to bring the head pointing toward my right hand and the thorax
uppermost. Now I take a pin in the right hand and resting the first
joint of the middle finger of the right against the projecting point of
the middle finger of the left hand to avoid unsteadiness, I pin the
insect obliquely through the thickest part of the thorax, so that the
head of the pin leans very slightly forward over the head of the insect.
After passing the pin far enough through to bring about one-fourth of an
inch out below,[6] I pin the insect into the middle of the groove of a
setting board so that the edge of the groove will just support the under
sides of the wings close up to the body when they are raised upon it.
The board should be chosen of such a size as will permit of the
extension of the wings nearly to its outer edge. The position of the pin
should still be slanting a little forward. The wings should now be
raised into the position in which they are intended to rest, with
especial care in doing so not to remove any scales from the surface or
cilia of the wings. Each wing should be fastened with a brace long
enough to extend across both, the braces being pinned at the thick end,
so that the head of the pin slopes away from the point of the brace;
this causes the braces to press more firmly down on the wing when fixed.
The insect should be braced thus: The two braces next the body should
have the points upwards, the two outer ones pointing downwards and
slightly inwards towards the body, and covering the main portion of the
wings beyond the middle. Antennae should be carefully laid back above the
wings, and braces should lie flat, exercising an even pressure at all
points of their surface. The fore wings should slope slightly forwards
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