COLLECTING AND PRESERVING 

 INSECTS 



COLLECTING APPARATUS 



The old-fashioned entomologist used to go out armed simply 

 with a net, and pin his captures to the top or brim of his hat. 

 Some of the modern entomologists go into the field laden down 

 with all sorts of apparatus — a large haversack filled with boxes 

 and bottles, two or three different kinds of nets, and with pockets 

 bulging with hatchet, trowel, saw, forceps, knives and other 

 small things. It is just as bad for an entomologist to go out laden 

 down in this way as it is for soldiers to take long marches with 

 unnecessary impedimenta. As a rule one should go out after one 

 class of objects, prepared, however, to capture other interesting 

 specimens, and he should take with him as prime necessities one 

 liet (and a proper sweeping net is the most useful), one or two 

 cyanide bottles for killing specimens, a few small pill boxes and 

 a few assorted vials containing dilute alcohol or formalin, and 

 that is really all that is necessary, unless he is after aquatic insects 

 or those which live in old logs or in trunks or branches of trees, 

 in which case a water net or a hatchet will be necessary. Most 

 collecting apparatus can be purchased from dealers in such things. 

 The following firms issue price lists which may be had on appli- 

 cation, viz: Queen & Co., Inc., loio Chestnut St., Philadelphia, 

 Pa.; A. Smith & Sons, Fulton Street, New York City; John 

 Akhurst, 78 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; The Kny-Scheerer 

 Co., 225 Fourth Ave., New York City; American Entomological 

 Co., 1040 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; Noyes Bros, and 

 Cutler, ^96 Sibley St., St. Paul, Minn. 



The Net. — There are three main kinds of nets — the light 

 butterfly net, the strong beating or sweeping net and the water 

 net. The butterfly net, which is a very handy one for catching 



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