THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



285 



INSECT COLLECTIONS. 



A collection of the representative economic insects of California is 

 of great value to the office of a connty horticultural commissioner and 

 the building up of such a collection is easy and exceedingly instructive. 

 Every State or county official who is required to have a knowledge of 

 insects cannot improve his spare moments to a greater advantage to 

 himself or to his work. 



Most of such officials thoroughly realize this and have already col- 

 lected and preserved the most important insects of their respective 

 counties. It is with the desire that all parties interested in building 

 up an entomological collection will be helped that the following sug- 

 gestions are made. 



Fig. 2 86. — Insect net. The 

 shape is excellent, but the netting 

 is too frail. (After Riley.) 



COLLECTING. 



Most of the horticultural officials do not have time to greatly develop 

 the collecting of insects as a specialized part of their work, and feeling 

 this, some do not bother with it at all. It is not necessary or possible 

 to build up a complete insect collection in one year, even by the most 

 thorough and persistent efforts, but it is possible to gradually acquire a 

 very representative lot of insects by careful observation in the orchards, 



