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FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT 



desired, it should be in the way of a joint or knuckle about the mid- 

 dle of the handle, which will facilitate its packing and using. The 

 trowel is valuable for prying off the loosened bark from old trees, 

 whether felled or standing, and for digging into the ground or into 

 decaying stumps and logs. The haversack is for the carriage of differ- 

 ent kinds of boxes (those made of tin being best) intended for larvae 

 and other forms which it is necessary to bring home alive for breed- 

 ing purposes ; and if made with a partition so that the filled and 

 empty boxes may be separated, all the better : it may also be used 

 for nets and other apparatus to be mentioned, and for such provender 

 as is necessary on the trip. The knapsack may be made on the plan 

 of a cartridge-box, of stout canvas or leather, and should be of mode- 

 rate size and slung on to the belt so as to be slipped to any part of 

 the waist and not hinder free bodily motion. It may be used to carry 

 bottles, phials and many other small appliances, and should be accord- 

 ingly partitioned and furnished with loops or pockets on the inside. 

 The cigar-box is for the reception of pinned specimens, and may be 

 slipped on to the belt, or buttoned to the pants, by means of leather. 

 The greatest requisites in collecting are a pair of sharp Syes 

 and ready hands, with coolness and self-possession; but a few traps 

 will materially aid. One of the most important is the hand-net, 

 which may be made so as to subserve the two purposes of a sweep- 

 ing and an air-net. The frame of the net which I use is illustrated 

 herewith (Fig. 11), and will be found strong and serviceable and con- 

 [Fig. 11.] veniently portable. It is con- 



structed as follows : Take two 

 pieces of stout brass wire, each 

 about 20 inches long; bend 

 them half-circularly and join 

 at one end by a folding hinge 

 having a check on one side (J). 

 The other ends are bent and 

 beaten into two square sock- 

 ets (/') which fit to a nut sunk 

 and soldered into one end of a 

 brass tube (d). When so fitted, 

 they are secured by a large- 

 headed screw (e) threaded to 

 fit into the nut-socket, and 

 with a groove wide enough to 

 receive the back of a common 

 pocket knife-blade. The wire 

 hoop is easily detached and folded, as at c, for convenient carriage ; 

 and the handle may be made of any desired length by cutting a stick 

 and fitting it into the hollow tube a, which should be about six inches 

 long. It is well to have two separate hoops — one of lighter wire fur- 



