25 



really abundantly repay one for the trifling trouble and expense involved in its construc- 

 tion. It consists first of a gallon glass jar, heavily charged with cyanide of 

 potassium. To the top of this is fitted a funnel the spreading mouth of which opens 

 at right angles to the axis of the poisoned jar. The lower end of the funnel is four or 

 five inches below the mouth of the jar and has an opening three inches in diameter, the 

 fuimel mouth being twelve or thirteen inches across. Opposite the mouth of the funnel, 

 and on the opposite side of the jar, is soldered to the funnel a sheet of tin so bent as to 

 thoroughly enclose a lamp. The lamp is supported by a piece of tin hinged to the outer 

 edge of this projection. The lamp being placed in position, the tin support is made to 

 rest upon the projecting part of the jar below its neck. Immediately in front of the light 

 is placed a sheet of mica. The whole contrivance is placed within a tight wooden box, 

 and a tin flap is also arranged above the lamp chimney as a precaution against an un- 

 desired conflagration. 



The moth attracted by the light, flies into the mouth of the funnel, is stepped by 

 the mica, and after fluttering a very short time, is so far overcome by the fumes of the 

 potassium as to fall within the poisoned jar, whence it cannot emerge. A p)rojecting lip 

 of an inch or so in height is soldered to the lower edge of the mouth of the funnel in 

 such a way as to catch any insect that falls outside the mouth of the jar. It thus is 

 most likely to return to the light. I have taken with this contrivance hundreds of Noc- 

 tuidfe and Coleoptera, among the former many things — especially among the Tineidae — 

 entirely new to my cabinet. 



A CHEAP ENTOMOLOGICAL CABINET. 



BY W. H. HARRINGTON, OTTAWA, ONT, 



I have recently been looking over the back volumes of the Entomologist, and have 

 found them, as I do the later numbers, very interesting and instructive reading. Among 

 other valuable items, I have noticed suggestions regarding the construction of cheap 

 cases for holding specimens, and as the question of expense is always an important one 

 especially to young collectors, I will, if you can ppare me space, briefly describe the style 

 of cabinet I am now using, and which has been adopted by one of my friends. 



Among the substitutes for cork mentioned by Packard (in his Guide to the Study of 

 Insects) are thin frames covered on each side with paper and fitted into the bottom of 

 drawers in a cabinet. Now I have gone a step farther, and discarding the drawers entirely, 

 have adopted the frames and adapted them to a cabinet without drawers. This cabinet can 

 be made of any size and be divided by upright partitions to suit the taste of the owner, 

 and the frames can run in grooves made in the sides and partitions before it is put to- 

 gether, or between movable strips tacked or screwed in afterward at suitable distances, 

 say two inches. The one I now use (a small one made as an experiment) is three feet 

 two inches wide inside, with two partitions, so that there are three spaces each one foot 

 in width. It is fifteen inches deep and two feet high. Placing the frames two inches 

 apart gives me twelve in each section, or thirty-six in all, and as each has a surface of 

 twelve by fifteen inches, I have an aggregate expanse of thirty-six square feet. The ad- 

 vantages claimed for this cabinet are its lesser weight and expense. It is easily handled 

 and can stand pretty rough usage without fear of damaging specimens, as the pins are 

 firmly held, and the frames, running in grooves or between strips, cannot stir when the 

 door shuts close against them. It does away with the expense of drawers, the cork alone 

 for which (thirty-six feet at 18 cents per foot) would be $6.48. The frames constructed 

 of thin stuff (say quarter-inch) cost at the most five cents each, and suitable stiff' cart- 

 ridge paper is very cheap. It the frames are made slightly smaller than those mention- 

 ed one sheet will cover both sides of two frames. The paper is put on when damp, but 

 should not be too wet. The frames can be easily re-papered if needful, and if the sec- 

 tions are made of equal width, they will all be interchangeable, which will be found a , 

 great convenience. 



