LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS 243 ■ 



these boxes suitable for Lepidoptei'a, as, in opening them, 

 there is much suction, and the wings of rather small 

 specimens nw)ve up and down ; this, when often repeated, 

 is sure to cause damage. Most other store boxes have 

 no glass lids, the idea being to shut off all light and thus 

 prevent the fading of colours. This can be accomplished, 

 however, by simply placing one box on top of another 

 and always covering the uppermost with a piece of card 

 board or paper. The drawback of an opaque top is that 

 one has to open the box every time the contents are ex- 

 amined. This refreshes the air inside the box. and some 

 time elapses before the air is again saturated with naph 

 thaline Moreover, it exposes the insects to all sorts of 

 dangers, breaking, insect-pests, dust, etc. Store boxes are 

 arranged on shelves, sometimes in the way books are 

 placed. 



Drawers are so made that the}^ fit in a special cabinet, 

 in which they are arranged in one, two, or more columns, 

 sliding in grooves or on ledges so that each ("ue can be 

 taken out without disturbing the others. In my opinion^ 

 every earnest beginner should aim at housing the collec- 

 tion in such drawers. 



So as to reduce the re-arranging of the collection to a 

 minimum, the drawers should all be of a standard size 

 and very correctly made, every drawer being interchange 

 able. Cabinets of various sizes and prices are on the 

 market^ but one of a moderately good quality is expen- 

 sive and usually beyond the average collector. For this 

 reason I think that if the beginner is at all handy and 

 not too well off, he might start from the very beginning 

 by making his own boxes, which will cost about one-fifth 



Fi£ 



