THE ENTOMOLOGIST 



Vol. XLVL] OOTOBEE, 1913. [No. 605 



THE BERLESE FUNNEL. 



By C. B. Williams, B.A., F.E.S. 



(Plate XI.) 



It is remarkable that so little use has been made in this 

 country of the interesting piece of apparatus invented by 

 Berlese, in Italy, for collecting minute insects from soil, moss, 

 or other similar materials. Although initially a little expensive, 

 it is so simple to use and so efficient in collecting that it should 

 appeal to all who take any interest in the smaller insects, 

 Acarids, and other Arthropods. 



The apparatus (Plate xi.) consists essentially of a double 

 walled metal funnel (fig. a), with a fine mesh sieve across the 

 top and a tube leading to a small bottle at the bottom. The 

 space between the two walls of the funnel is filled nearly to the 

 top with water, which is kept warm by means of a small ring 

 burner.* The material to be examined is broken up, if necessary, 

 and spread out on the sieve, when the numerous small animals 

 which it contains, moving downwards towards the warmth and 

 away from the light, pass through the holes in the sieve, slip 

 down the sides of the funnel and fall into the bottle at the 

 bottom. 



The dimensions of the apparatus shown on the plate are as 

 follows ; — Total height on stout iron tripod stand, 3 ft. 4 in. ; 

 outside diameter of funnel, 24 in. ; depth of funnel, 20 in. ; 

 space between the two walls at the top, 2 in. ; the tray sieve 

 which rests in the top of the funnel is 3 in. deep and has a 

 projecting lip (fig. b) to prevent any rubbish getting down 

 between it and the funnel. The tube at the bottom, leading out 



''•'• In the plate the burner is shown attached to a retort stand. This, of 

 course, is unnecessary, as it could easily be fixed to one of the legs of the 

 stand. 



ENTOM. — OCTOBER, 1913. Y 



