ROSS: HOW TO COLLECT AND PRESERVE INSECTS 9 



Care and Use. — Each collector should have several cyanide 

 bottles and follow carefully these practices. 



1. Transfer insects from net to bottle by holding the un- 

 corked bottle in a fold or corner of the net and crowding one 

 or more of the specimens into it, or "running" the open bottle 

 up the side of the net beneath the specimen or specimens. Most 

 insects can be maneuvered into the bottle easily and the opening 

 temporarily closed by the thumb, or the stopper can be put on. 

 In obstinate cases, it may be desirable to stopper the bottle 

 through the cloth of the net until the specimen is stupefied, after 

 which the insect will drop to the bottom of the bottle. 



2. Keep small, delicate insects in a bottle by themselves. 

 Such insects as large beetles are apt to mutilate small flies and 

 other delicate insects in the same bottle. 



3. Keep a special bottle for moths and butterflies. When 

 these die they shed large quantities of scales which stick to and 

 partially spoil other insects. 



4. Keep the inside of the bottle dry. Cyanide bottles 

 "sweat" ; that is, moisture both from the insects and the plaster 

 condenses on the inside of the bottle. Moisture will mat the 

 hair and appendages of insects and discolor the bodies. Do not 

 crowd the bottle with large insects, especially juicy ones like 

 grasshoppers. Change the paper frequently. Wipe out the bottle 

 with paper or cloth, which should be disposed of in such a way 

 that it cannot poison persons or pets. 



5. Take insects out of the bottles as soon as they are dead. 

 Cyanide fumes soon turn many yellows to red or orange, and also 

 make small specimens brittle so that legs and other parts break 

 off easily. 



6. Empty the insects out of the bottles before they have 

 accumulated in a ball at the bottom. To do so will prevent damage 

 to the smaller specimens and discoloration due to "sweating." 



7. Discard a cyanide bottle that no longer kills quickly. 

 Substitute a fresh one and you will save untold time in the field. 

 Be sure to dispose of old bottles so that their deadly contents 

 will be out of reach of children and pets. 



SPECIAL COLLECTING EQUIPMENT 



Frequently, after a certain amount of general collecting, 

 the student wishes to focus his efforts on some particular group 

 such as flies, ants, or spiders, or on a particular habitat. For 



