32 COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS. 



who have also given the same terminations to the names of the 

 smaller species of Pyralides, such as Pempelia, Crambus and 

 allied genera. 



We may also add Lord Walsingham's directions for collecting 

 Micro-lepido2~>tera, published in the "American Naturalist" 

 (Vol. vi, No. 5.) 



"I go out with a coat provided with large pockets inside 

 and out, containing an assortment of pill-boxes, generally of 

 three sizes, glass bottomed pill-boxes preferred, a bag slung 

 over my shoulder, and a net. Unless searching for particular 

 day flying species I prefer the last three hours before dark. 

 As the sun goes down many species move which do not stir at 

 other times. I watch the tops of the grass, the stems of the 

 flowers, the twigs of the trees ; I disturb leaves and low grow- 

 ing plants with a short switch and secure each little moth that 

 moves, taking each out of the net in a separate pill-box, 

 selected according to the size of the insect, as he runs up the 

 net to escape. Transferring the full boxes to the bag I con- 

 tinue the process until moths cease flying or night sets in. 

 Many species can be taken with a lamp after dark. 



"Returning to camp I put a few drops of liquid ammonia on 

 a small piece of sponge and place it in a tin canister with such 

 of the boxes as do not contain the smallest species, and put 

 these and the remainder away until morning in a cool place. 

 In the morning I prepare for work by getting out a pair of 

 scissors, a pair of forceps, my drying box containing setting 

 boar.ds, a sheet of white paper and some pins. 



"First, I cut two or three narrow pieces of paper from three 

 to six lines wide, or rather wider, according to the size of the 

 largest and smallest specimens I have to set. I then double 

 each of these strips and cut it up into braces by a number of 

 oblique cuts. Now I turn out the contents of the canister and 

 damp the sponge with a few drops of fresh ammonia, refilling 

 with boxes containing live insects. Those which have been 

 taken out will be found to be all dead and in a beautifully 

 relaxed condition for setting. Had the smallest specimens 

 been placed in the canister over night, there would have been 

 some fear of their drying up, owing to the small amount of 

 moisture in their bodies. 



" If the weather is very hot there is some danger of killed 



