258 ENTOMOLOGY. 



at the present day the rule is generally followed by entomol- 

 ogists, who have also given the same terminations to the 

 names of the smaller species of Pyralides, such as Pempelia, 

 Crambus, and allied genera. 



We may also add Lord Walsiugham's directions for col- 

 lecting Micro-lepidoptera, published in the "American 

 Naturalist" (vol. vi., No. 5): 



" I go out with a coat provided with large pockets inside and out, 

 containing an assortment of pill-boxes (generally of thtfee sizes, 

 glass-bottomed pill-boxes preferred), a bag slung over my shoulder, 

 and a net. Unless searching for particular day-flying species, I pre- 

 fer the last three hours before dark. As the sun goes down, many 

 species move which do not stir at other times. I watch the tops of 

 the grass, the stems of the flowers, the twigs of the trees ; I disturb 

 leaves and low-growing plants with a short switch, and secure each lit- 

 tle moth that moves, taking each out of the net in a separate pill-box, 

 selected according to the size of the insect, as he runs up the net to 

 escape. Transferring the full boxes to the bag, I continue the pro- 

 cess until moths cease flying or night sets in. Many species can be 

 taken with a lamp after dark. 



" Returning to camp, I put a few drops of liquid ammonia on a 

 small piece of sponge and place it in a tin canister with such of the 

 boxes as do not contain the smallest species, and put these and the 

 remainder away until morning in a cool place. In the morning I 

 prepare for work by getting out a pair of scissors, a pair of forceps, 

 my drying-box containing setting-boards, a sheet of white paper, 

 and some pins. 



" First, I cut two or three narrow pieces of paper from three to 

 six 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 overnight, 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 

 17 



