1 14 Kansas Academy of Science. 



the glass globe of the lantern, over the surface of which they ran 

 actively, but were captured, one at a time. The open mouth of a 

 poison bottle was dexterously placed over a specimen, confining it 

 against the globe of the lantern until it entered the bottle, which 

 was then quickly closed with the cork held ready in the other 

 hand. Two bottles at least are needed by each person engaging 

 in this process ; after a specimen is captured, the bottle should 

 be set aside to allow time for the captive to succumb to the 

 deadly fumes and cease struggling ; else, if the bottle is opened 

 too soon, the specimen will escape; meanwhile the other bottle is 

 used for catching a specimen, after which it, too, is set aside, and 

 then the first bottle is used again. Such operations often become 

 quite exciting in efforts to catch exceptional specimens or others 

 that were more or less prized. My little daughter was exceedingly 

 entertained, and many times awaited impatiently for the evening 

 to grow dark enough to begin collecting. Although but nine 

 years old, she has developed quite a knowledge of entomology, and 

 can rattle off big technical names that would perplex the average 

 grown person. Moreover, she has no fear in handling live insects, 

 such as the harmless ones, which are often attentively observed, 

 and besides she has learned to pin up specimens after they are dead 

 as neatly and properly as a professional collector can do. Other 

 children, following the examples of their parents, detest the "crawl- 

 ing things," as they are called, usually with fearful, though need- 

 less, abhorrence. Thus, what should provide entertainment and 

 instruction even for children is too generally condemned, and much 

 that could be learned from nature in a simple way is lost. On the 

 other hand, influence once started in the right direction often 

 spreads rapidly. Before very long the neighbors' children had 

 acquired outfits similar to what was provided for my little girl, and 

 their combined excursions in daytime made the vicinity a fateful 

 one for unwary insects, especially butterflies. 



The stronger the light the more attractive it becomes to insects; 

 consequently, the electric arc lights on the streets of town or city 

 probably draw insects from long distances. However, collecting 

 at night on the streets or at public places brings a person thus en- 

 gaged more to notice than in day collecting, when the collector can 

 seek the country. But electric lights cannot be forsaken without 

 q, lack of valuable specimens, particularly moths. Therefore, the 

 collector is obliged to take a position directly under the glare of a 

 light, where his movements draw the attention of people passing 

 along the sidewalks. Ofttimes an inquisitive spectator will call 



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