COLLECTING INSECTS. 13 



a dozen different ages — the spirit of them all different. I have seen the 

 age of Toil ; I have seen the age of Industry, of Plunder, of Honesty, 

 of Piety, of Enterprise, of Indolence, of Learning. I like this age least 

 of all — it is the age of Insincerity. Nothing is true — nothing is what 

 seems ; no one does as he says — no one says what he means. I am 

 tired of life; it has no charms now. 1 am tired of life — / am tired of 

 life— I am tired of lifeP ***** 



The old tree in his eloquence hecame too loud — / aicoke, and found 

 that the rising breeze had increased the rustling of the leaves so much 

 as to disturb my slumbers. It appears that 1 had fallen asleep. The lan- 

 guid atmosphere of Spring, and the music of the stirring leaves, are (next 

 to a long Greek lesson in a hot afternoon) the best soporifics I know of. 



About a year from the time of this "musing of the old tree," I 

 chanced to stroll that way — the tree was gone — the woodman had not 

 spared it ; a stump only remained. I visited the spot again — the worm 

 was rioting in the rottenness of that old tree, and time and decay were 

 fast wasting it away. Q. C. X. 



EASY METHOD OF COLLECTING INSECTS. 



Over a planed board stretch a piece of strong white paper, which is 

 glued only at the edges, so that small pieces may be conveniently cut 

 off the board. Daub the paper over with a sticky varnish which does 

 not dry too fast, and then place it in an orchard or other favorable loca- 

 tion. If on the next day you find insects on it (whicli are of course 

 fast,) you can just cut out as mucl^^of the paper as the insect occupies, 

 and transfer it to your cabinet. In this way many rare and even new 

 species may be captured, and that too without any mutilation. 



This plan would of course, not suit for very large beetles or butterflies 

 I have heard of a method persued by a Lepidopterologist which is at 

 least curious. If he had a living female butterfly of a rare species, he 

 carried it to the woods or under the shade of a tree, and fixed it to the 

 tree with a pin, not through the body, but through both wings, and with- 

 drew a short distance. Usually it was not long before the male of the 

 -same species would come flying along, flutter about for a while and 

 then discharge his destined duty, lie would then take the impregnated 

 female home, carefully preserve her eggs, and roar a numerous family of 

 the species. 



The great distance in which tlie male butterfly can perceive (not see) 

 the female in certain seasons, is one of the most remarkable facts con- 

 nected with the natural history of these interesting animals. 



