36 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 
red, which will shine brilliantly when varnished, and will 
excite the curiosity of every one. If you can not find 
wing-covers enough of this insect, take those also of 'Ti- 
ger Beetles, Lady-bugs, Carabi, Cetonias, and a hundred 
others with bright colors, and you will have a variety of 
colors such as Nature only can paint, and such as can not 
fail to captivate the eye of every observer, or to reward you 
for your trouble. Such occupation would form a delight- 
ful amusement for the long winter evenings; and while 
storms and snows are raging without, what more genial 
employment than to be admiring the creatures of a sunny 
clime and studying the character and uses of these spangled 
ornaments of Nature’s tropical dress ! 
Now, in order to accomplish this, you must amuse your- 
selves during the summer by catching Beetles and presery- 
ing them. You will find hundreds of them running in the 
roads, or concealed under stones, or sitting on the leaves of 
plants, or flying in the air. If you keep your windows open 
‘during the warm nights also, those insects which are active 
only at night will fly into the room toward the light, and 
may thus be taken by the hand, for none of the Beetles are 
venomous. But in order to preserve them and make them 
die as quick as possible, you must be provided with a wide- 
mouthed bottle (a horse-radish vial answers this purpose 
very well), containing a small quantity of whisky or dilute 
alcohol, and put them into it as soon as caught. When 
they are dead take them out, and stick a long pin or needle 
through the right wing and body, so far that their legs can 
not touch the bottom, and then place them in a box the 
bottom of which is lined with beeswax or cork. In order 
to prevent the entrance of destructive living insects, it is 
also necessary to stick a pin in each corner of the box, with 
a piece of sponge on it, which you must from time to time 
saturate with spirits of camphor. Beetles may be also kept 
in a vial of whisky or alcohol, and thus be preserved for 
