January— Feliriiarv 1S84. ' 



PS}-CNE. 



i;u 



^\•llich, altliough objected to by Euio- 

 ])eaii dipterologists, I liave found the best 

 and most convenient. lUit I tlo not 

 mean an ordinary cyanide-bottle, for 

 specimens collected in such are worth- 

 less for scientific or otiier purposes. I 

 select several two ounce [60 c. c], wide- 

 mouthed bottles of the same form, and 

 carefidly line the bottom and >ides with a 

 good quality of blotting-paper. Good, 

 firm corks are selected, which are inter- 

 changeable in the difierent bottles: in 

 one of these corks a small hole is made, 

 in which it is better to fit a small metal- 

 lic ferule; a strip of blotting-paper is 

 then coiled witiiin this cavitv, and it is 

 over this that a few drops of a solution 

 of cyanide of ])otash is poured. It is 

 useless to colL-ct flies in a iiare bottle ; 

 the insects soon exliale miMsture suf- 

 ficient to ruin them. The blotting- 

 paper prevents tliis. and the cork can 

 readily be removed from one bottle and 

 put into another when a sufficient cpian- 

 tity of flies is collected. Moisture of 

 a/iv kind iii/nrcs /i/is. Some flies, 

 such as the hairy honihvliidae, .should 

 always be pinned when caught. For 

 this purpose a small, tight, pith-lined 

 box may be carrieil in the pocket, 

 together with a via! of benzine to kill 

 the flies. 



In the earlier part of the season man\ 

 rare specimens of diptera uKn' be oli- 

 tained 1)\ beating. P"or this puipose a 

 I emplo\ rather heavier net- wire, to 

 which a pointed net of cheese-cloth is 

 attached. On such occasions it is neces- 

 sary to carry with one a larger bottle 

 witli a little cotton-wool in the bottom. 



and a \ial of chloroform in the pocket. 

 Hy tlu-usting the end of the net. with its 

 contents, for a few seconds into the 

 chloroform bottle, one can then remove 

 tlie specimens undistmbed. \'ery mi- 

 nute flies it is e\pe<Hent to preserxe 

 alive in small Itottles filled with paper 

 clippings and through the cork of 

 which a small glass tube is thrust 

 nearly to the bottom. For a collecting 

 net, after man\- experiments and fail- 

 ures. 1 have found most serviceable a 

 simple, rather light, brass wire, soldered 

 together to form a ring about 2S cm. in 

 diameter and firmly attached to a light 

 handle about one metre long. The net 

 is made of ver\- coarse bobbinet lace, 

 the most serviceatile and. in the end. 

 cheapest material. The net should be 

 I'eadih handled with one hand. 



For the collection of diptera a few- 

 hints liere will suflice. The best sea- 

 son in New England is June, yet speci- 

 mens may lie collected every month 

 \\\ the year. In May and the early part 

 of June, beating will give excellent 

 results. A little later, patches of black- 

 berry {Riilti/s). wild cherry (Priuiiis), 

 dogwood ( Conn/s), Canada thistle 

 (Cirsiniii). or other melliferous blos- 

 soms, will art'ord desirable specimens. 

 It is better to let specimens come to the 

 collector than to go hastily about look- 

 ing for them. I ha\e spent six hours 

 about a patch of Coriiiis paniculata 

 not ten metres in diameter, and been 

 amply repaid. But few specimens are 

 found in shady woods ; those few are 

 to be sought for there. The favorite 

 ijlace for tahaiiidac. as indeed for most 



