May, '04] 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



166 



in the field the screw-top glass vials shown at Fig. 17. Their 

 advantages are that they are light in weight and occupy but 

 little room ; several dozen can be carried in the khaki cartridge- 

 bag ; they are transparent, and it is easy to select an empty 

 vial or pick out one that contains some particular kind of larva 

 to which we wish to add more specimens, and finally if no 

 further study of the larvse is required, they can be placed in 

 racks at home without further attention and used as breeding 

 bottles. I usually carry along a few tin boxes, quarter-pound 

 tobacco or cocoa tins are of a convenient size, to provide for 

 such larvae as may be found in large numbers, or that feed in 

 such a way that larger receptacles are necessary. 



These vials come in several lengths. I use two sizes, one 

 three and a half inches and the other five and a half inches 

 long, both about seven-eights of an inch diameter. 



It is ver}^ convenient, and often avoids 

 the danger of mixing different species, to 

 carry a small pad of paper and pencil, and 

 slip in each bottle as it is put in use a nar- 

 row slip with name of food-plant written on 

 it or, if name is not known, some word or 

 two of identification. 



The time for collecting larvae begins when 

 the buds are first swelling and bursting in 

 the very early spring, and can be continued 

 as long as the leaves remain in the fall, — 

 in fact, during the entire winter in the 

 stems of weeds and other plants, in nuts 

 and seeds and many other places, — which 

 latter subject — winter collecting— is another 

 story — for the fall. 



But we now have to do with the first 

 spring crop of caterpillars, and will start 

 out together this warm May morning, and 

 see how soon we can get all of our vials and 

 boxes filled, and resolved not to be diverted 

 by a single flying specimen, no matter how 

 attractive it may look. By the quickest 

 route we arrive at the outskirts of the town 



Fig. 17. 



