COLLECTING INSECTS. 
37 
rally be found the best part of the day for 
collecting. As to prognostics of the weather, 
the best often fail. The pimpernal is not 
always to be relied on, for it will open in the 
sun in the morning although it may rain in an 
hour; nor the bees, for though busy in the 
morning they will often be found collecting in 
the rain. And though Moses Harris says, 
it seldom or never happens but a fine day 
ensues,” when the cabbage white butterfly is 
on the wing in the morning, yet the converse is 
often experienced. The high flight of swallows, 
however, will generally be found to indicate 
dry weather, at least for the day. 
The collector should consider before he starts 
on an excursion, the particular class of insects 
he intends to search for, and not incumber 
himself with more instruments than are conve- 
nient. He should also bear in mind that the 
specific characters of many insects are very 
minute, and that distinct species often bear so 
close a resemblance to each other, that it is 
not advisable to attempt to discriminate them 
abroad, but collect all he can find, as otherwise 
he may run the risk of losing many new' species. 
Nor should he, wdiile collecting, make a selec- 
tion of species, nor consider the most beautifiil 
D 
