CH. XXIII.] HINTS FOR STUDENTS. 305 



of five or six inches in diameter, closing upon each 

 other by means of a hinge like that of a pair of curl- 

 ing-tongs, and furnished with handles like those of 

 a pair of scissors. The rings are covered with 

 gauze, or strong open net, so as to allow the pins' 

 heads to pass through, which is very essential in 

 capturing stinging insects especially. The object 

 of its being made in an octagonal form is, that it 

 may be used when insects are stationary on palings 

 and walls, &c., where it would not be equally ser- 

 viceable if made round. For the water, a net may 

 be employed consisting of a strong ring of brass or 

 iron, five or six inches in diameter, fixed to the end 

 of a stick. To this ring a piece of canvass, of at 

 least three inches in depth, should be attached ; and 

 a piece of strong net sewn round the edge of the 

 canvass completes the bag. This last is not in fact 

 really wanted; the net may be made entirely of 

 canvass, which would no doubt be better for very 

 minute insects, many of which inhabit the water. 



The next object is to know how to put the insects 

 captured to speedy death, as many are very tena^ 

 cious of life. The hard-winged tribes, as beetles 

 and field-bugs, are placed, when collected, in a bottle 

 of spirit of wine, which usually destroys their vi- 

 tality almost immediately, or in a tin collecting-box, 

 which is peculiarly constructed for the purpose. It 

 is about three inches in length and one and a half in 

 diameter, and rather flattened ; from the centre of 

 the lid there projects inwards a small spout of tin, 

 which is made fast by a tin cover. But the collector 

 must not forget that many insects are cannibals, and 

 eat one another without any sort of discrimination. 

 Several boxes are therefore generally carried, in 

 which the different kinds are placed. On returning 

 home, the insects thus collected are turned into a 

 vessel of boiling water, which kills those which had 

 not been previously put to death by the spirit of 

 wine, and relaxes their limbs so that they can after- 

 Cc2 



