l^STRTfCT^IONS FOE. COLLECTING INSECTS. 51 



Pins, corked boxes, forceps (curved and fine), brushes, gum, card, 

 round punch, pocket-lens, fine-pointed scissors. 



Naphthaline in flakes, carbolic acid, chloroform, spirit. 



Nets of at least two kinds are necessary for general collecting : 

 an umbrella-net for beating, sweeping, etc. ; and a cane-net for 

 catching insects on the wing. It is, however, desirable to have a 

 large kite-net for catching butterflies, and a strong iron ring-net 

 for water insects. 



Pill-boxes of all sorts are useful, and common chip-boxes are very 

 handy ; but it is especially desirable to have as many glass-bottom 

 boxes as practicable.* 



Cyanide Killing-hoUle. — This should be a wide-mouthed bottle. At 



* These boxes can be obtained from Messrs. Crockett, 7A, Princes Street, 

 Cavendish Square, London, W., or Messrs. Walkins & Doncaster, 8G, Strand, 

 London, W.C, ; but care should be taken to see that tlie bottoms — and 

 not the tops, as is often the case— are made of glass. Since the boxes 

 are constructed of cardboard, they are liable in tropical countries to go to 

 pieces in the rains ; and to prevent this they should be covered with jaconet 

 in the following manner, the important point to remember being that the 

 jaconet must be cut in strips 07i t/ie cro-ss: — Obtain, say, a square yard of the 

 material, and fold it into a triangle by bringing two opposite corners together. 

 Consider how wide the strips must be, according to the varying depths of the 

 boxes to be covered, and rule them off in pencil by drawing lines parallel to the 

 hase of the triangle. Cut up the strips, or if possible get them cut by a book- 

 binder's machine. Paint the box over with liquid glue, .and wrap the jaconet 

 round it : it is particularly important that the edges of the glass and lid should 

 be well protected ; and it will be found that by gently pulling the jaconet it 

 will wrap itself round these without dithculty. When quite dry, say the 

 following day, the box should be given a coat of Aspinall's enamel, or of paint, 

 a second (and if necessary a third) coat of paint being added after the first is 

 dry. Any paint or glue on the glass can be removed with a penknife ; if the 

 jaconet protrudes too far over the glass, cut it round with a penknife and 

 remove it. (Glass-bottomed boxes already protected in this manner can be 

 obtained from Miss E. M. Bowdler Sharpe, 4, Barrovvgate Road, Chiswick, 

 London, W.) 



A simpler method of protecting the boxes is to coat them (especially the 

 joints) with sheila-; dissolved in absolute alcohol. 



Glass-bottomed boxes of this kind constructed of tin are sometimes sold ; but 

 since when in use in warm climates they are apt to become very hot, with 

 the result that insects contained in them are killed and become dry pre- 

 maturely, those covered with jaconet are preferalde. 



