The Capture, Preparation, and Preservation of Specimens 
fined may be fed with a mixture of honey and water placed 
upon the leaves. 
In collecting caterpillars it is well to have on hand a number 
of small boxes in which to place them, and also a botany-box in 
which to bring from the field a supply of their appropriate food. 
The. process of breeding may begin with the caterpillar. The 
collector, having discovered the caterpillar feeding upon the branch 
of a certain plant, provides the creature with a constant supply 
of the fresh foliage of the same plant, until it finally pupates. 
Breeding-Cages. —V arious devices for breeding caterpillars and 
rearing moths and butterflies are 
known. One of the most impor¬ 
tant of these devices is the breed¬ 
ing-cage, which is sometimes called 
a vivarium. The simplest form 
of the vivarium is often the best. 
In breeding some species the best 
method is simply to pot a plant 
of the species upon which the lar¬ 
va is known to feed, and to place 
the potted plant in a box over 
which some mosquito-netting is 
tied. The writer frequently em- cage: G, lid covered with mosquito- 
ploys for this purpose cylinders of food^ant’ Pan ofearth; 5 > bottIefor 
glass over the top of which per¬ 
forated cardboard is placed. This method, however, can be re¬ 
sorted to only with the more minute forms and with plants that 
do not attain great height. Another form of vivarium is repre¬ 
sented in the adjoining woodcut (Fig. 50). The writer has suc¬ 
cessfully employed, for breeding insects upon a large scale, ordi¬ 
nary store boxes provided with -a lid made by fastening together 
four pieces of wood, making a frame large enough to cover the top 
of the box, and covering it with gauze. The food-plant is kept 
fresh in bottles or jars which are set into the boxes. Be careful, 
however, after you have put the branches upon which the caterpil¬ 
lars are feeding into the jars, to stuff something into the neck of the 
jar so as to prevent the caterpillar from accidentally getting into 
the water and drowning himself—a mishap which otherwise 
might occur. When breeding is undertaken on a still larger scale, 
it may be well to set apart for this purpose a room, preferably in 
35 
