COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS. 



41 



What are known as "Simplex" nets are advocated by some ento- 

 mologists. The ring is made of a piece of flat steel, which readily 

 coils up, and may thus be carried in the coat pocket. The ends of the 

 steel strip are fastened to the stick by various devices; usually by a 

 ring or brass ferrule passing over them. These nets are, however, not 



Fig. 82. — An aquatic sieve net. 



as steadv in use as one with stiff wire, but will last a lono- time and 

 are cheap. They can be obtained in various sizes and with nets of 

 several kinds. 



Mr. Viereck has used with success a net made as follows: An ordi- 

 nary insect net with an open bottom which has two rings close 

 together. To this bottom is fastened a small bag with drawstring 

 to close it tightly between the two bottom rings. The insects swept, 

 fall into the bottom bag, which may be removed and placed in a 

 cyanide jar. Another small bag is put on the net, and one can go on 

 collecting while the first lot of insects is being killed by the cyanide. 

 This apparatus will be especially useful in collecting Homoptera. 

 The umbrella. — An umbrella can be used to great 

 advantage in collecting insects from foliage and 

 dead twigs. If the handle is jointed, as shown in 

 the illustration (fig. 84), it is more convenient. 

 The inverted umbrella is held in the left hand 

 under the branch, and with a stick in the right 

 hand one can suddenly jar the branch, so that the 

 insects clinging to the leaves or twig will be dis- 

 lodged and fall into the umbrella. The branches 

 should be jarred vertically and not horizontally, 

 else some insects will be thrown beyond the um- 

 brella. A curved handle to the umbrella is best, 

 as with it one may often reach and pull down a 

 bough, while a suitable stick is not always quickly 

 found. A small cyanide vial with a quill through 

 the cork is the best instrument to take insects from the umbrella. 

 A substitute for the umbrella, and in many cases better than it, is 

 the beating cloth. It consists of a piece of common unbleached cot- 

 ton cloth, 1 yard square, to each corner of which a loop of stout twine 

 is sewed, or a corner turned over. Upon reaching the woods, two 

 straight sticks, each about 5 feet in length, and not too heavy, but 



Fig. 83.— A fokceps 

 net. (After Kie- 

 senwetter.) 



