FIELD BOOK OF PONDS AND STREAMS 



are fresh from the pond and more beautiful than they may 

 ever be again. A few vials of alcohol (p. 27) should be taken 

 along to hold the small, fragile forms which must be preserved 

 at once. A canvas knapsack is almost indispensable but its 

 size and the arrangement of pockets depend upon its uses and 

 the collector's own taste. It is essential to have a pocket 

 note-book so that observations may be written down on the 

 spot. 



3 ' ^■'^^^i w 



Fig. 27. — Collecting bags and jar: A, open bag; B, 

 bag tied for frogs; C, bag tied for snakes; D, Mason 

 jar used for frogs' eggs. 



For carr^'ing larger animals, like frogs and turtles and snakes, 

 stout cotton bags are most convenient (Fig. 27) ; those about 

 six inches wide and ten inches long are handy sizes but larger 

 ones are desirable for the bigger or fiercer game. The tie- 

 string should be sewed on so that it will always be ready 

 when needed. Covered Mason fruit jars (Fig. 27, D) are use- 

 ful for carrying frogs' eggs in water but they should be uncov- 

 ered as soon as possible after one reaches home with them. 



There are a few other necessary tools. An air-net (Fig. 

 28) is essential for capturing flying insects and a killing bottle 

 for insects (Fig. 28) which are to be preserved dr>\ The air- 

 net is made like the water-net except that its bag is deep and 

 its frame is about a foot in diameter. For killing bottles 

 both potassium cyanide and carbona are used, the former 



28 



