Collecting and Preserving Insects 



in which to place these specimens, writing the date, locality, 

 name of plant, collector, and any other remarks that may seem 

 desirable. Nothing air-tight, such as tin boxes or closed tubes, 

 should be used for fresh material as it nearly always molds. Pill- 

 boxes are sometimes used but are too small to contain a good 

 quantity of material. A good-sized twig or several leaves should 

 be collected for each species. 



Diptera. — Most flies frequent flowers and may be collected 

 with the sweeping net. So many of them are very delicate that 

 the greatest care must be exercised both in collecting and 

 handling. A light sweep net is the best implement and the con- 

 tents should frequently be emptied into cyanide bottles with plenty 

 of blotting paper to absorb the excess of moisture. Collecting 

 shears are successfully used with these insects. 



Orthoptera. — These insects are best collected by using the 

 sweeping net. 



Collecting Aquatic Insects. — For collecting forms which live 

 upon the bottom of ponds and streams, Dr. Needham advises the 

 use of the common garden rake. With it the debris may be 

 drawn ashore and the insects picked out by hand. Withdrawn 

 from the water they generally make themselves evident by their 

 active efforts to get back. The rake is especially useful in the 

 spring while there is as yet no new growth of well-rooted water 

 weeds to interfere with hauling it. The sieve net previously 

 described is used for bringing ashore mud and sand from the 

 bottom. Those specimens which live above the bottom in still 

 or slowly running water or which crawl among the submerged 

 branches or erect aquatic plants are most of them easily taken by 

 sweeping the plants with any of the forms of water nets. Some 

 of the little ones which cling closely to the water plants can only 

 be discovered by taking the plants out of the water and examining 

 them, a small bunch at a time, in a white dish of clean water. 

 Those forms which live in rapids can be had by picking up the 

 stones and examining them. Some may be taken with a water 

 net. Some are captured by wading into the rapids holding the 

 water net with the left hand and lifting the stones in advance 

 with the rake, the disloged insects floating into the water 

 net. 



In carrying home a day's catch a large quantity of water is 

 not necessary. Needham says that it is well to have a pail and to 



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