ROSS: HOW TO COLLECT AND PRESERVE INSECTS 29 



the safety of the collection but makes for easily handled units 

 once the specimens have been named. 



Several satisfactory types of boxes for housing insect speci- 

 mens may be bought from commercial supply companies. These 

 are usually much better than boxes of home construction, being 

 more nearly dustproof and pestproof . Homemade boxes, however, 

 are quite practical for the beginning collector, due to their ease 

 of construction and extremely low cost. Cigar boxes 2 inches 

 deep or more make ideal insect boxes if a layer of cork or balsa 

 wood or two layers of soft, corrugated cardboard are glued in the 

 bottom. Other wooden or cardboard boxes may be provided with 

 such a bottom pinning surface and used for storing specimens. 

 Boxes of this type, however, afford the specimens no protection 

 against pests, and great care must be exercised in keeping the 

 boxes fumigated. 



Manufactured boxes, cabinets, and cases may be selected from 

 catalogs that various firms send free upon application. 



Precaution Against Pests 



Certain insects such as flour beetles and carpet beetles feed 

 upon dried insects, and unless precautions are taken these may 

 entirely destroy a collection. To guard against them, various 



chemical repellents in cones or bags 



©may be placed in the boxes contain- 

 ing specimens. Naphthalene, of 

 which ordinary moth balls are com- 

 posed, is one of the best repellents. 



ball and common A few moth balls may be put in a 



pin and serves as . ij.-i.--i,. 



a repellent to bag and this pinned securely in one 



keep away from corner of the box, or, more neatly, 



the collection live , , , , ,, , , 



insects that might naphthalene cones may be made 



cause damage. of the moth balls and pins, and 



stuck in the corners. To make such 

 a "cone," stick a pin in a cork, heat 



its head in a flame and then push the head into a moth ball. The 



pin will melt its way into the naphthalene, which will cool and 



harden again almost immediately. Neat "cones," fig. 17, can with 



a little practice be made in this way. 



Naphthalene is a repellent only ; its odor keeps out pests, but 



if they are already in the collection the naphthalene will not kill 



them, and some other substance must be used. 



