A thought on the labelling:  if the larger theme of the exhbit is"Life on
a Fallen Log," then I'd have to agree that the classical entomological
flag-tag thingy's aren't so good.

Rather than focusing on an encyclopedic, "This is a palmetto bug, this is
a banana slug, this is a red ant.." type label, why not have labelling
that shows the relationship between the insects and the other parts of
the micro-system of the fallen log.  For instance, a diagram that shows
the energy flow from sun to tree to insect to predator to another
decomposer, or one that shows the relationship between two of the
insects/invertebrates in the log.

The diagrams could have pictures of select insects, but wouldn't have to
show exactly where they were in the log itself.  Ideally this would
encourage the visitors to not only try and find/identify the insect
themselves, but also to think about the connections between the insects
and the other parts of the community.

Just a thought, since diagrams like these might show up in another part
of the exhibit.
 I'm still stuck on the idea of having the diagram as a panel
stuck on the
outside (but I'm sure more creative folk than i will have suggestions
there..)

On Sun, 29 Oct 1995, Fred R. Reenstjerna wrote:

> I apologize in advance for doing what I disapprove of in so
> many queries - going to email before searching the literature -
> but this just came up, so I thought I'd ask:
>
> Our Natural History Curator is developing an exhibit about
> life in a fallen log on the forest floor.  He's designing a
> series of window cut-outs, with various ants, beetles, termites,
> and whatever in situ [preserved specimens, not live] in
> lifelike moving/eating/whatever poses.  Classical entomological
> labeling practices for specimens in cabinets are to affix the
> label somewhat flag-like at the top of a pin through the insect
> and down into the foam base.
>
> In these log views, with lots of small specimens, labels on
> each one would obscure the view of the insects.  Are there any
> brilliant alternatives to a sketch-type illustration alongside
> the log with number codes showing which insects are where?  This
> would put the interpretive text in blocks, so visitors could
> look back & forth between the text & the log view.
>
> This raises a more general questions about labels in dioramas.
> Since every factor in the landscape - soil type, fungi, moss,
> invertebrates, and small vertebrates - is a significant component
> of the particular setting, what alternatives exist other than:
> a) labeling nothing - just having a general interpretive text
> b) labeling everything - so the diorama looks more like a
>         cemetery full of headstones than a living system;
> or the traditional
> c) labeling the "important" [i.e., biggest] items - so people
>         know that a Roosevelt elk lives among hemlocks, but they
>         don't know why all the ferns, voles, fungi, etc. are all
>         arond the big items.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
>
> Fred R. Reenstjerna
> Research Librarian
> Douglas County Museum of History and Natural History
> ROSEBURG, OR USA  97470
> [log in to unmask]
>
> --
>