WINTER MEETING, 1879. 



43 



more than eight inches deep, and made of strong fish netting, with the meslies 



of the twine about one quarter of an 



inch across, Fig. 8. A third net, made 



like the first one described, except that 



strong factory rephices the muslin for 



a bag, is very serviceable in whipping 



bushes and sweeping over weeds and 



grass, with which one may often do 



the most rapid and satisfactory col- 



lectinc^. 



During the warm 



nights of June and 



July, and especially of 



August and September, 



no entomologist will 



nesjlect susraring for 



insects. By this pro- 

 cess he will secure some 

 ■p'Jg^g-^of the rarest gems 



of his cabinet. The 



method of sugaring is 



as follows : A liquid, 



consisting of two-thirds 



of the cheapest New 

 Orleans molasses, and one-third of stale beer, is placed, as night approaches, 

 upon tree trunks, small boards fastened horizontally to the top of stakes, 

 on fence rails, wood piles, etc. I have had the best success with the horizontal 

 boards, placed among the thick foliage of grape vines. As twilight deep- 

 ens, even to 10 or 11 o'clock, the exciting captures follow thickly one after 

 the otiier. A dozen sugar traps will often keep a person fully occupied. To 

 make the captures we cautiously approach a trap, lighted by a lantern either 

 strapped to the body or held by an assistant. We next decide which motli we 

 shall take, for often there will be a score sipping the sweet from a single board ; 

 then carefully place the mouth of an open cyanide bottle over the moth of your 

 choice. If successful, the captured frightened moth rises in the bottle when 

 we quickly apply the stopple, and exchange the bottle for a second one in our 

 right coat pocket. With this we proceed to operate as before at another board, 

 as the moths were probably all frightened away from the first board. This 

 time we not only exchange bottles, but carefully empty the now quiet moth, 

 first captured, into a third bottle, kept in the left pocket. We keep on till we 

 make the entire circuit, when we repeat the round, and thus on so long as 

 success attends our eft'orts. 



Figr. 7. 



APPARATUS rOR PRESERYING OUR SPECIMENS. 



All insects, except those preserved in alcohol or other liquids, mostly for pur- 

 poses of study, are kept in place in the cabinet by use of pins. That our 

 collection may appear better, and that we may be able to exchange with other 

 collectors, it is always desirable and best to secure special insect pins, and pin 

 according to the uniform method generally adopted by entomologists all over 

 the globe. These pins are longer and more slim than common pins, and cost 

 from 11.35 to $1.50 per 1,000. All mature insects, except beetles and bugs. 



