CATCHING BUTTEBFLIES AND MOTHS 67 



the insect ; but as both hands are required to manage it, it is almost 

 siu'prising that it ever had any advocates at all. 



When your frame is completed, sew round it a strip of strong- 

 calico, to which the net itself may be afterwards sewn, for the lighter 

 material of the net is too delicate to stand the constant friction 

 against the metal or cane frame. 



The material usually employed in making the ' bag ' is called 

 leno. It can be purchased at most of the drapers' shops, and three 

 colom's — white, yellow and green — are usually kept in stock 

 Measure the circumference of your net frame, and see that you get 

 sufficient leno to make a good full net. Suppose, for instance, that 

 the circle of your frame measures thirty-six inches round, then your 

 leno should be at least forty inches in length. Fold this double, 

 and then cut out two pieces of the shape shown in fig. 42, letting 

 the depth of the net be nearly or quite equal to the width of the 

 material. There is nothing to be done now but to 

 stitch the bag together and sew it to the calico on 

 the ring. 



At first you will find the leno rather stifi' and 

 harsh, but a damping and good rubbing between 

 the hands will soften it down ; or, if you prefer it, 

 you may soften the material by a slight washing 

 before cutting out the net. The latter is perhaps 

 the better plan, for the washing will remove the 

 objectionable 'dressing' that renders the material 

 rather hard and stiff. 



Of the three colours mentioned above, green is the one most 

 generally chosen, because it is more in harmony with the sur- 

 roundings of a butterfly catcher ; but many prefer the white leno 

 to the green, as the insects are more easily seen in a net of this 

 colour. Yellow is certainly not a desirable tint. 



As a rule it will be necessary to kill an insect as soon as it is 

 captured. This is alwajs the case with butterflies unless you 

 require to keep them alive either to watch their movements or to 

 obtain eggs. For this purpose you wiU require a killing bottle or 

 box containing some volatile substance. 



The selection of this necessary piece of apparatus is a point 

 deserving of much consideration, for so many different forms are in 

 use by different entomologists, and so many advocates each declare 

 that his own plan is far superior to that of any of the others, that 

 the final decision is not to be worked out in a moment. The best 



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