COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 65 



information often put in a note book could be placed on a small 

 label, and is thereby more certain to be always connected with the 

 specimen. Bits of colored paper should never be used for labels. 

 Where one has a considerable variety of labels it is handy to place 

 each kind in an envelope and arrange the envelopes alphabetically 

 in a small tray. Pencil labels that have been for years in alcohol 

 sometimes become illegible. Mr. Henshaw has discovered that the 

 writing can be brought out by gently washing the labels in yellow 

 ammonium sulphide. This, however, will not permanently restore 

 them. 



In the matter of keeping notes collectors follow their personal 

 idiosyncrasies to the limit, but some sort of a card system is con- 

 sidered best by practically all who have had much experience. In 

 the making of notes follow Professor Comstock's advice, "Be sure 

 you are right, and then look again." 



STORAGE OF SPECIMENS. 



A familiar method of collecting Lepidoptera and dragonflies is to 

 put them in folded papers and store them in boxes until one has more 

 leisure to mount and spread them. These papers are prepared as 

 shown in the figure, the piece of paper being about one-half or one- 

 third longer than wide. It is folded in the order of the numbering in 

 the figure. After folding the papers they should be ironed so that the 

 creases will stay put, These papers should be made of various sizes 

 to accommodate the different sizes of insects. A number should be 

 prepared in the winter time, This method of preparing insects is 

 known as "papering" the specimens (fig. 111). The paper should 

 not be too stiff nor glazed. Newspaper usually makes very good 

 material, although some of these now are hardly good enough for 

 this purpose. 



After the specimens have been put in the paper with the wings 

 folded over the back, one can write on the outside of the paper, 

 beyond the edges of the insect, the locality and date, They should 

 be stored in boxes. If the insects are perfectly dry, they may be 

 kept in tin boxes, but tight wooden boxes are perhaps better, and 

 in either case some flake naphthalene should be sprinkled over them. 

 Insects thus prepared can be sent through the mails with safety. 

 Some arrange these papered specimens in long card trays, with a 

 card here and there to indicate the contents or localities. 



Many of the minute Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera may 

 be stored in pill boxes nearly filled with torn bits of tissue paper. 

 Beetles and Hemiptera may be packed in a small flat box between 

 layers of velvet. Cotton should not be used, but when covered 

 with soft paper will do for all except fragile insects. These met hods 



