COLLECTION AND CARE OF DIPTERA 11 



able size should be used and it will be found that good, steel No. 00 pins 

 may be used for quite small insects for pinning through the thorax. 

 Some collectors seem to have a craze for double mounts, not realizing 

 that the value of their collection is greatly lessened due to the increased 

 risk during shipping and many of them place the accessory mount much 

 loo Iiigh on the ])in. Another practice, that of placing specimens (nicely 

 spread, it is true) on a circular or oval mount of cardboard by use of 

 minute pins, is to be condemned as the characters available on the under 

 side of the specimen are concealed. 



LaheUing is an important detail and insufficiently labelled specimens 

 are of little more value than none at all. The fact that a proud collector 

 knows exactly when and where he captured a certain prize is of no value 

 to the student who must needs study the specimen in the absence of the 

 collector. Every si)ecimen should be labelled with the locality, date and 

 name of the collector. Labels should be small and neat and should be 

 I)laced on the pin along the long axis of the insect, the locality on the 

 right hand side. Labels should never be placed crosswise as they are 

 liable to damage adjacent specimens when the insect is being removed 

 for examination. One guide to labelling all insects is to remember that 

 the label should afford protection to the specimen and not be so large 

 that the collection looks like a collection of locality labels rather than 

 one of insects. The labels should be printed, either by machine or by 

 hand and the month should always be in Roman numerals. 



In various places in the following pages will be found instructions 

 for the care of those flies which require special attention. No doubt 

 there are many people who will neglect to read the instructions here but 

 to tliose who do I offer a few pertinent hints. Never place Diptera in 

 vials or bottles with other insects. Never cram a vial full of flies. Shake 

 them loose occasionally so that the wings will not become folded. Never 

 place small flies in a vial with large ones and be careful not to place 

 more than a few specimens of flies which rub easily in a vial. Always 

 K'eep mating pairs together ; a good plan is to have a vial for this purpose 

 and to put only different species in it. 



Collecting outfits need not be elaborate. I usually carry six to eight 

 test tubes and a bottle about an inch across and four inches long. If the 

 collecting is to be general a bottle Iavo inches across may be carried. 

 Such an outfit will suffice for a half day of very good collecting and if 

 the trip be an all-day one the catch may be transferred to a box and 

 stored in a cool place. Enijity match boxes are convenient receptacles 

 for the transference of fragile specimens and pairs. 



The making of the bottle is a simple affair. Oct .some fine sawdust, 

 place in the vial or bottle a small amount of sodium or potassium cyanide 



