FIELD BOOK OF INSECTS. 



in Plate V. Never put more than one specimen in an 

 envelope. Other insects can be packed between layers of 

 cotton and cheese-cloth, with naphthalene flakes put in 

 to keep out ants, etc., or they can be put in sawdust. In 

 the latter case it is well to sprinkle carbolic acid on the 

 sawdust to prevent mold. An excellent method of 

 packing insects (except butterflies and moths) which are 

 to be dried, is to make tubes of unglazed paper around a 

 lead pencil, after writing the data on that part of the 

 paper which comes outside. One end is closed by folding 

 in the paper there, and then the tube is nearly filled with 

 freshly killed insects. Finally, the other end is closed by 

 folding in the paper. These tubes and the triangular 

 envelopes can be packed in a cigar box and, if sprinkled 

 with naphthalene to keep out ants and Dermestids, will 

 keep indefinitely. Never pack moist insects in a tin box 

 and never close even a wooden box tightly if there are 

 many moist insects in it. Mold will result if you do. 



IDENTIFICATION 



For this work a magnifying glass of some sort is usually 

 necessary except for the larger Lepidoptera, and even with 

 these it is useful when mouth-parts, and the like, are to be 

 examined. If you collect at all extensively, you will get 

 many species which are not mentioned here, at least in 

 sufficient detail to enable you to fix on their names. 

 Separate these into their orders and, if possible, families 

 and even genera. Then await your chance to consult 

 more technical books, or identified collections. Possibly 

 you can arrange to have some specialist identify them 

 for you, but this deprives you of the pleasure and benefit 

 of doing it yourself. Furthermore, specialists usually 

 have more than they can do, although they frequently are 

 willing to look over collections which are not too mis- 

 cellaneous for the privilege of retaining duplicates of the 

 species they identify. If the species is undescribed, they 

 usually wish to describe it and keep a set, one specimen of 

 which is designated a "type" of that species. A very 

 large majority of entomologists are kind, helpful individ- 

 uals; I merely wish to say that laymen are often unwit- 

 tingly unreasonable in their requests. 



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