374 



INSECT MISCELLANIES. 



troduced into the holes of such insects as burrow in 

 the earth or sand, to direct us in digging down to 

 their nests, the hole being certain to be filled up, and 

 probably lost, without such a contrivance. When a 

 piece of whalebone is not at hand, a long straw will 

 form a good substitute. 



When insects are caught merely for the cabinet, 

 and not with reference to their habits and economy, 

 collectors provide themselves with a quill-barrel, 

 sealed at one end with wax, and having a cork stop- 

 per at the other, for very minute specimens ; with 

 a wide-mouthed phial, containing weak spirits of 

 wine, into which dark-coloured beetles, wasps, and 

 bees, are put, the spirits instantly killing them, and 

 preserving them for future purposes ; and with a 

 pocket collecting box or boxes for winged insects. 

 An oblong chip wafer-box, lined at top and bottom 

 with cork, and covered with white paper, will form a 

 very good collecting box, taking care that it is neither 

 too shallow nor too deep ; but some have a square 



Chip collecting-box, opened. 



box, made of mahogany, deal, or cedar, with hinges 

 on one side and a spring on the other, so that it can 

 be opened by the left hand while an insect is held in 

 the right, and figured above (6, p. 368). Sparmann, 

 when travelling at the Ca^x), used to stick his insect 



