FIELD BOOK OF INSECTS. 



canvas. Now resift, using a mesh about four or five to 

 an inch. The flat-bottomed sieves, six or eight inches 

 in diameter, which are used for making French fried 

 potatoes, and the new wire pie-pans are excellent. Sift 

 a very thin layer on to the white cloth and examine 

 carefully the coarse stuff for relatively large things 

 before it is thrown away. Be patient with the small 

 stuff. Insects have a habit of "playing possum" and 

 have plenty of patience themselves. They do not 

 seem to like tobacco smoke. If you do, blow some 

 on the litter. It will hasten matters, at least, smokers 

 think so. 



This is a good place to mention collecting forceps, 

 as they are almost necessary in picking up very small 

 . insects as well as insects concerning whose ability and 

 inclination to sting there may be some suspicion. The 

 bast forceps for handling very delicate insects do not 

 seem to be on the market. They are made of strips 

 of German silver and have small but rounded points. 

 However, small steel ones do very well. Steel for- 

 ceps about a foot long are handy for picking caddice 

 cases, etc., out of water, but they are of little use 

 in general work. Dealers also carry forceps having 

 gauze-covered frames at the tips. They are meant 

 for holding stinging insects while they are being ex- 

 amined, but they, also, are of very little use to the general 

 collector. 



A strong knife for cutting off galls, stripping bark, 

 splitting infested branches, etc., is essential. A trowel is 

 useful in following insect burrows or digging for root 

 borers. The entrenching tool used in the army is a 

 handy, all-around substitute for trowel, hatchet, and large 

 knife. 



There are two chief methods of night-collecting in 

 general use: "sugaring" and at light. Another, while 

 not so productive of specimens, is more interesting. It 

 consists in simply prowling around with lamp, examining 

 the center of flowers, the underside of leaves, tree-trunks, 

 etc., to find out what the nocturnal insects are doing and 

 also where and how the day-flying insects are passing the 

 night. 



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