1891.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 63 



a short distance to another tree, or perhaps not leave the tree on 

 which disturbed, only alight a few feet lower, higher or around 

 on the other side. It is also well known that after being dis- 

 turbed they are more alert and quicker to take flight, whether 

 it be from sound, sight or shadow of the hunter, I leave for con- 

 jecture. The next thing the student must learn is the bark of 

 the trees; all barks are not alike, neither in color, shape, or mark- 

 ings; I mention this for Catocalae resemble the barks so nearly 

 that one must become practiced to anything out of the line of the 

 usual markings of the tree to detect them. 



Now, with this brief introduction, we will go to some piece of 

 wood-land; a good place would be where there is a fair quantity 

 of large trees, some young beech, plenty of underbrush, and 

 better still where the owner does not turn his cattle in. On ar- 

 riving we arrange our tools and collecting-box; the collecting-box 

 should be made of as light material as possible, book-shaped, 

 cork-lined, and in depth to pin on each side, hang by a strap over 

 the shoulder, and a little in front of the body on the left side, this 

 will give the collector ample play with both arms and hands. The 

 collecting-bottle can be made either of tin or a wide-mouthed glass 

 jar, and charged with cyanide of potassium or ether; should I 

 be going a long distance I take the former, if near by the latter. 

 To make the former I get from the druggist a glass jar, some 

 four or five inches high, with a mouth not under two inches in 

 diameter, take one ounce or so of cyanide of potassium, break it 

 into small pieces, and put into your jar, then pour on dry plaster 

 of Paris to nearly cover the cyanide, next mix some plaster of 

 Paris with water about the consistency of thick cream, pour this 

 over the r'est, about a quarter of an inch thick; when dry your 

 bottle is ready for work. If you use ether, place a wad of raw 

 cotton, say one-half an inch thick at the bottom of the jar and 

 make a tight fitting piece of perforated card board or cork to 

 cover it, charge it by pouring the ether in, about a tablespoonful; 

 keep this well corked, and always take a small vial of ether with 

 you to recharge when necessary. The next instrument, and the 

 most important to me, I call a gig or stabber, made from a me- 

 tallic pen-holder, or even a smooth stick would do, by fastening 

 on the end three needles, triangular shaped, thus '. ' ; this instru- 

 ment I find extremely useful in capturing any moths at rest, by 

 piercing them through the thorax, they adhering to the instru- 



