BUTTER FLY-NET. 



431 



food, they furnish excellent materials for interesting ob- 

 servation. It is easy, indeed, in this way to have several 

 successive generations ; and when gnats' eggs are procured 

 the whole history of these curious insects may be traced 

 with little difficulty. AVhen the pupae are observed to be 

 about to be transformed into winged insects, a gauze 

 covering may be employed to prevent their escape. 



Analogous to the water-net in size and constiuction is 

 the butterfly-net, which is chiefly used on the Continent, 

 though seldom, we believe, in this country. It consists of 

 a hoop, about a foot in diameter, of brass or iron wire, 

 jointed or not, so as to fold up into a narrow compass, with 

 a bag-net of gauze or thin muslin, two feet deep, attached 

 to it. This is screwed into a polo about six feet long, for 



Butterfly-net. 



ordinary purposes ; but for the purple emperor butterfly 

 (^Apatura Iris), and other high-flying insects, thirty feet is 

 not too long. 



The instrument chiefly used for the same purpose in 

 this country is much more unwieldy, though more easily 

 manao-ed by the inexperienced. It is a clap-net, similar to a 

 bird-catcher's bat-fowl in g-net, but of slighter materials. 

 The rods of the one which we use are about five feet long, 

 when the three pieces are joined by means of brass ferules. 

 They ought to be made, tapering like a fishing-rod, of 

 hazel or any tough wood, with two bent pieces of cane at 

 the end, tightly fitted in so as not to slip when the appa- 

 ratus is used. The net may be made of fine white muslin, 

 for small insects ; but green gauze is best for moths and 



