t) ii\-rKODUCTiu:s. 



damp layer at the bottom of haystacks, heaps of vegetable 

 refuse, dung, the bark of trees, the sap flowing from 

 wounded trees, and solid wood, both in and out of houses, 

 each furnish their contingent of beetles, and during the 

 summer, when ponds, etc., are partially dried up, the small 

 residue of water provides a good supply for the water net, 

 which must have a stronger frame than is required for the 

 sweeping net, in order to resist the pressure of the water. 

 The muddy banks of ponds contain many species, and in 

 general damp ground is better than dry. 



Besides the nets and umbrella above referred to, it is 

 well to carry a fern trowel and chisel, the former for lifting 

 tufts of grass, etc., to be shaken over brown pa})er, the 

 latter for tearing oft' bark and dividing wood. For the 

 reception of the beetles when taken a wide mouthed bottle 

 is required, having a quill or small glass tube (stopped 

 with a small cork or wooden plug) passed through the 

 cork. The beetle being lifted with a wet finger may be 

 passed through this tube into the bottle (which sliould con- 

 tain some pieces of paper to give foothold to its occupants), 

 and on arrival at home can be instantly killed by being 

 turned into quite hoiling water, which may easily l)e pre- 

 pared in the lid of a tin box over a candle or spirit lamp. 

 If the insects be thus carried home alive care must be 

 taken to exclude from the bottle such rapacious species as 

 the Geodephaga, larger Brachelytra, and Telephori ; these 

 must be put into a separate bottle, containing young laurel 

 loaves bruised, or a piece of paper soaked in lienzine. If 

 it 1)6 not convenient to set the beetles at once they may l)e 

 ke])t in a state of readiness by placing them (in pa])C!r or 

 iiMisliii bags) in a wide-mouthed stoppered bottle, partly 

 filled with young laurel leaves chopped finely. 



For setting, the retpiisites are a blotting pad, some fine- 

 pointed camel's hair brushes, a setting needle [i.e., a needle 

 hooked at the point and fixed into a paint brush stick) and 

 some white, moderately thick cardboard. The beetle being- 

 placed upon the blotting pad upon its back, the legs, 

 antennae, and ])alpi must be brushed out ; a little gum 



