THE MUSEUM 



A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. 



Vol. IV. 



ALBION. N. Y., OCTOBER 15, 1898. 



No. 12 



Pleasures of Entomology, and 

 Some Sugiieslions to Be- 

 ginners. 



BV BENJ. O. P. KITTLEM.AN. 

 SUGGESTIONS TO BEGINNERS. 



Perhaps the most enjoyable part of 

 entomology is the collectinfj. With a 

 net over his shoulder and his pockets 

 filled with boxes and vials the "bug- 

 hunter" goes forth bringing back many 

 a treasure in the shape of a rare beetle 

 or butterfly to be examined later at 

 his study window. 



A beginner will no doubt be very 

 much "at sea" when it comes to start- 

 ing a collection. The great number 

 of tools and apparatus he is advised 

 to get that are "quite handy" makes 

 it very perplexing. An amateur has 

 no need of expensive and complicated 

 apparatus and will find that all "new 

 fangled" appliances can be discarded, 

 one by one, and he will soon learn to 

 get along very well with a very few 

 tools and simple ones at that — tools 

 you can in most cases make yourself. 



In all my experience, and I am but 

 an amateur as I presume the majority 

 of my readers will be, I have gotten 

 along with but few. Of these a net, 

 a few wide mouthed bottles, a cork- 

 lined box or two, some insect pins of 

 assorted si/es, a small pair of spring 

 forceps, a spreading-board and a cab- 

 inet of some kind in which to keep 

 your specimens are all the tools or 

 outfit you need. .Vn outfit simple and 

 inexpensive. 



I have found a common thread-case 

 with close-fitting cork-lined drawers 

 to answer the purpose admirably. 

 This cork comes in sheets measuring 

 I2x4x^ inches and can be cheaply 

 purchased at any naturalists' supply 

 house. It should be glued to the bot- 



tom of the cabinet drawer?, with a few 

 brads to hold it in place ami the w'hole 

 covered with white paper. 



The net spoken of above is neces- 

 sary for all kinds of tlying insects or 

 for holding under a bush while shak- 

 ing it or beating it with a stick. The 

 loop is made of heavy iron-wire and 

 should be at least twelve inches in di- 

 ameter. The ends of the hoop-wire 

 should be soldered into a ferule which 

 fits tightly into that at the end of your 

 net handle. The handle should be 

 about f Mir feet long, of any wood you 

 like, tht- straighter the better. I use 

 the 1 ■ u-end of a common, light, wil- 

 low, jointed fishing pole for the han- 

 dle of ni\' net and I would not ex- 

 change ic lor the best net you could 

 buy at any Natural History store. 

 Green mosquito-bar does nicely for a 

 net. The bag should be at least eigh- 

 teen inches deep and have a narrow 

 cloth welting sewed around the top 

 and then it will not tear off from the 

 hoop so easily. If you so desire the 

 hoop can be soldered directly into the 

 ferule at the end of your handle and 

 you will have your net in one piece, 

 but personally I prefer the jointed ar- 

 rangement. 



The vials are used for killing pur- 

 poses or as receptacles in which to car- 

 ry home your treasures. When used 

 for this latter purpose they should be 

 two-thirds full of alcohol. Or, after 

 killing your specimen you can pin it 

 to the bottom of the cork-lined col- 

 lecting box, being careful not to spoil 

 a specimen by breaking off a leg or 

 scraping off some of the scales on a 

 butterfly's wing. 



Insect pins can be obtained very 

 cheaply of The Walter F. Webb Co. , 

 or any dealer in supplies for the nat- 

 uralist. There are several varieties. 



