ON COLLECTING, PREPARATION, AND MOUNTING. 377 



cyanide of potassium and cliopped young laurel-leaves, — a fciw setting- 

 boards, with the accompanying entomological pins and braces. 



With regard to the killing-bottles, the cyanide should be prepared by 

 a local chemist ; and as regards the laurel bottle, only the young leaves, 

 about three-quarters groAvn, of laurel (Cerasiis laurocerasus) should 

 be used. To the rural student, or the young forester enthusiastic of 

 spending his spare time profitably, the above-mentioned outfit will 

 suffice for a season or two. And as regards storage of captures for a 

 time, the collected insects may be placed in store-boxes and labelled. 



Having devoted some time to the study in general, it becomes 

 essential to begin the study of pure forest entomology. The student 

 must decide to do so in earnest, and to be prepared for difficulties and 

 failures. It will now be obvious that a more expensive outfit is 

 necessary, but again there will be no harm even if the more or less 

 wealthy student "make haste slowly." 



So far as the actual forester is concerned, the one on a small estate 

 has the advantage, inasmuch as he can supervise most of his work on 

 foot, and therefore have greater opportunities for observation, than 

 one on a large property, whose time is' largely taken up in travelling. 



It is necessary, first of all, to recognise the actual damage, and then 

 ascertain the cause of it. A little practice will soon enable him to 

 distinguish between insect and fungoid damage. It will be necessary 

 to take the damaged portion home, together with the injurious grub 

 or insect, and submit it to some arrangement for development and 

 observation. The observations should be most carefully tabulated in 

 a note-book. 



It is, of course, essential to carry a simple outfit of boxes and 

 collecting apparatus in the pocket ; but they are so light that they will 

 not in any way interfere with clothing, nor will the placing of a 

 specimen in a box interfere with his duties. On the contrary, the 

 cultivating of this habit of observation will do a very great deal to 

 improve the individual. 



In addition to collecting the damaged portion during the actual 

 hours of duty, it is also advisable to go out in the evenings and beat 

 the larvjB or perfect insects from their respective trees. Thus we 

 should have a double method of study — viz., recognising the actual 

 damaged part, striving to ascertain the cause of it, and also discovering 

 the special insects which attack any particular tree. In the latter 

 method the comparatively young student may place all his captures 



