Insects. 



155 



to myself. When I meet with a tree that has a hollow passage 

 bored in it, and 1 suspect the residence of an insect therein, 

 I fit to it a Florence flask or bottle, the mouth of which is 

 sufficiently wide to completely cover the entrance. The insect, 

 upon coming out, finds no difficulty in its exit, but readily slips 

 into the bulb of the flask, and will seldom crawl back again, 

 owing to the steepness and smoothness of the sides. In this 

 manner I have several times succeeded in entrapping beetles, 

 caterpillars, and sometimes moths. Should the tree have 

 many holes, it should be endeavoured to cover all, or as many 

 as possible, as some insects have several exits. I may remark, 

 that the shape of the Florence flask is preferable, as the steep- 

 ness and smoothness of the instrument are the two points upon 

 which the success depends. — James Fennell. Nov. 1832. 



Device for securing captured Insects. — Fig. 1 8. represents 

 a small tin box, which 1 have found very convenient in col- 

 lecting insects, particularly the larger species 

 of Hymenoptera and Diptera : it consists of 

 a tin bottle, having movable covers {a a), 

 fitting tight, both on the top and bottom ; 

 the upper one having a tube (b) let into it. 

 A short distance from the lower end there is 

 a false bottom (c), pierced with very minute 

 holes. In using this I place a small piece of 

 sponge, saturated with liquor ammonite for tis, 

 below the false bottom, the fumes rising from 

 which kill any insects which may be placed 

 in the box. Insects with very bright colours 

 should not be put in, as they are liable to be 

 injured by the ammonia. It is manifest that, 

 by leaving out the ammonia, the box may be 

 used as a common collecting bottle. The 

 figure is half of the size which I have found most convenient. 

 — Charles C. Babington. 



A cheap and easily practicable Method of providing Cases for 

 the Reception of preserved Insects. — Sir, I have been agreeably 

 led to the study of natural history, by perusing your valuable 

 Magazine. When I commenced making a collection of but- 

 terflies, moths, &c.j I was entirely at a loss in what portable 

 shape to preserve them ; for the museums and private collec- 

 tions which I have seen have their specimens preserved in 

 bulky glass cases, which method I had no chance of following, 

 for want of room. I therefore invented the following : — 



I cut a sheet of milled board into a folio size, squared it 

 round the edges, and covered one side, for the back, with neat 

 coloured paper ; and the other side being to lay the specimens 



