INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTING INSECTS. 195 



manifested so raucli interest in the collection of specimens belonging 

 to other classes, to the advantages which may result from it both to 

 those under their care and to entomology itself. If we remember 

 aright, the British government authorized such collections to be made 

 some years since in the neighborhood of the military stations in 

 Canada, with the most gratifying results, both to those engaged in 

 collecting and to this branch of natural history. 



CABINETS, IMrLEMENTS, ETC. 



The ring net is made of bobbinet of fine mesh, or, what is much 

 better, book muslin, and should be cut in three pieces, the sides of 

 which are rounded from the base to the apex, so that when sewed 

 together the net will have the form of a sugar loaf. It should be 

 rounded at the apex, and the circumference of the base, previous to 

 being fixed on the ring, should be somewhat more than the ring itself. 

 This may be moderately thick iron or brass wire, and should be from 

 eight to twelve inches in diameter. The depth of the net should be 

 at least once and a half that of the diameter of the ring, so that the 

 bottom may be thrown over the top of the ring by a twist of the rod. 

 This is frequently necessary, when a large and active moth has been 

 taken. An iron socket, with a male screw on the end, may be made 

 to receive the bent ends of the ring; or these may be fixed in a piece of 

 tubing by means of melted lead, one end being left open to receive the 

 rod ; or the bent ends of the wire may be fixed directly to the end of 

 the rod itself. The rod should not be more than three or four feet 

 long. 



Any substitutes for cork will answer only for cabinet use ; there is 

 nothing that will supply its place in the exchange box. The follow- 

 ing substitutes have been recommended on account of their cheapness: 

 ''Inodorous felt" is cut to fit the bottom of the boxes and glued to 

 the surface, and then covered with paper, or thick ironing blanket is 

 used for the same purpose. "Cut the blanket the size of the drawer 

 or box and glue it down with good fresh glue; when perfectly dry^ 

 soak it well with fresh paste, and paste one side of the paper also, 

 place the paper on the blanket, and smooth it well down with a warm 

 linen cloth. In four days it will, in a favorable situation, be fit to 

 hold insects." The sheet cork may be cut into strips, if one wishes to 

 economize, and glued in drawers or boxes, at a sufi^icient distance from 

 each other to admit of the specimens being arranged in rows. 



The preservation of specimens after a collection has been once made 

 is by no means simple or easy; they should not be exposed to the light 

 of day, because many species in the course of time are deprived by 

 the light of their brilliancy of color, and become faded ; and hence 

 being kept in darkness, and the objects generally of merely occasional 

 inspection, they are apt to be destroyed by various insects that live on 

 dried animal substances, such as mites, the larvae of a species of coleop- 

 terous insect, an Anthrcenus, and the larva of a species of Tinea, which 

 makes its case of the scales and portions of the moths. When the 

 two latter have been permitted through neglect to accumulate in a col- 

 lection, the only certain mode of putting an end to their ravages, and 



