Hints and Suggestions* 1 3 



piece of cane about 8 or 10 inches in length. Over this 

 stretch a piece of mosquito-netting, tacking it to the 

 edge of the box all round, except at one side, where it 

 should be left loose, so as to be fastened down at will 

 with two or three stout pins. The loose side can then 

 be raised to give the caterpillars fresh food, and to 

 remove dirt or refuse. Breeding-cages that one can 

 purchase at any naturalists' outfitters are made very 

 handily of wood, zinc, and glass, and of course are very 

 durable, but those described above last well for a season, 

 and have the merit of being of no expense. 



To procure good moths and butterflies with bright 

 and uninjured plumage, it is best to rear them from the 

 caterpillar stage of development, but as all varieties are 

 not easily found, the net is usually the collector's first 

 resource. Raising caterpillars from the ^gg is a very 

 interesting process, but it is rather tedious, and requires 

 more knowledge and experience to meet with success 

 than finding the insects in the next stage of develop- 

 ment, and keeping them till they reach the perfect 

 state. 



When starting for a day's ramble butterfly-hunting, 



