57 



place for an hour and then wipe the dry plaster of Paris from 

 its sides, put in the cork, and it is ready for use. The plaster 

 of Paris forms a porous cement which, while it holds the cyanide 

 fast in the bottom, also allows the fumes of the poison to escape 

 and fill the bottle. It should be labeled " poison." If kept 

 corked when not in use a killing bottle made like this will last 

 a whole season. 



The first rule in using the killing bottle is this : Do not kill 

 any more insects than you need for your collection. The second 

 rule is : do not breathe the fumes of the bottle ; for they smell 

 badly and are not good for you. When you uncork the bottle 

 to put an insect in it hold it away from your face and cork it 

 up again as quickly as possible. 



Some insects may be caught from flowers, etc., directly into 

 the bottle by holding it uncorked beneath them for a mohient; 

 the fumes of the poison soon overcome them and they drop into 

 the bottle. In taking insects from the net take the bottle in 

 the right hand and the cork in the left; insert the bottle into 

 the net and place the mouth of it over an insect crawling on 

 the inside of the net, then put the cork on the outside of the 

 net into the mouth of the bottle, net and all, for a moment until 

 the insect falls into the bottom of the bottle ; then remove the 

 cork and take the rest of the imprisoned insects in the same 

 way. Insects should be left in the bottle at least an hour, and 

 may be left in there over night without injury to the specimens. 



Insect Pins. Fig. 3. 



After the insects are caught they should be 

 pinned so that they may be arranged in the 

 collection in an orderly manner. Common pins 

 are not good for pinning insects ; they are too 

 thick and they corrode very soon, covering the 

 specimens with verdigris. Regular insect pins 

 are desirable as they are very slender and do 

 not corrode so quickly. These may be 

 obtained of any dealer in entomological sup- 

 plies at a cost of fifteen cents per hundred. 



Ask for the German insect pins Nos. i, 3 

 and 5. If these pins are too expensive you 



S Z 1 t 



Fig. 3. Insect pins 

 1. 3. 5. are German 

 insect pins. 2, is a 

 steel ni ourning 

 pin. 



