COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS. 45 



than ten persons, with all the fatigue and patience possible, would be able to collect 

 in the same length of time, and, besides, I have the assurance that scarcely an indi- 

 vidual insect has escaped. (Entomological News, 1906, p. 49.) 



Chisel, trowel, and hatchet. — These tools, of which a variety may 

 be obtained at any hardware store, are useful in digging insects or 

 larvae from the ground, examining ants' nests, for loosening the bark 

 of trees, and for cutting into trees to obtain wood-boring species. 

 However, a good pocket knife can be used, though not so successfully, 

 for this purpose. 



Tin boxes and fill boxes. — One should, for general collecting or for 

 gathering larva?, take into the field a number of tin boxes and pill 

 boxes. The tin boxes can be used for caterpillars and other larvae, 

 and a few leaves of the food plant may be inclosed with them. Cole- 

 opterous larvae from rotting wood should be placed in boxes filled 

 with the decayed wood, so that they will not shake around and injure 

 themselves. Galls and leaves with mining insects should also be 

 gathered in these tin boxes. Some dealers have for sale tin boxes 

 especially made for collecting larva?. Aquatic larvae should be packed 

 in tin boxes with wet moss, for they will die if carried long in a vial 

 filled with water. 



Lights and other traps. — Many insects can be obtained by various 

 traps. These are principally lights and " sugaring," and are em- 

 ployed to attract night-flying insects. Many ground-loving species, 

 however, can be trapped under pieces of bark, placed in likel}* situa- 

 tions, such as at the edge of meadows, cultivated fields, dense woods, 

 along streams, etc. Particularly in the autumn, when many insects 

 are seeking winter quarters, it will be found profitable to put out 

 these traps. Dead animals will serve to attract necrophagous in- 

 sects. Pieces of cloth may be wrapped around trees and examined 

 from time to time, and will be found to harbor many insects'. Tin 

 cans or bottles sunk in the earth with the tops even with the ground 

 will trap many larvae and other insects. More elaborate traps may 

 be readily made; for example, a large tin funnel with cyanide jar at 

 end, and a central plate in top for a dead mouse, bird, or other car- 

 rion. Such a trap, buried in the ground with top even with the sur- 

 face, will attract and capture quantities of beetles. 



The use of lights in attracting moths and other insects has been 

 followed by all entomologists, and a great variety of these lamps is 

 obtainable from dealers. A strong portable lantern, hung so as to 

 throw its light upon a white sheet, the latter supported by a couple 

 of sticks, or suspended from a branch, will serve to attract a variety 

 of nocturnal insects, and has the great advantage of being carried 

 and set up anywhere in the woods. Many insects, upon reaching 

 the light, have the habit of flying upward. If the white cloth is 

 stretched upon a frame and set obliquely above the lantern many 



