BUTTERFLY-HUNTING. 



it. Most people affect green, though white is sometimes 



used I prefer the former, as being less conspicuous to an 



onlooker, if not to the butterfly. The bag should be a little 



shorter than one's arm, so that the bottom may be easily 



reached, and should on no account end in a point, or 



butterflies will seem to take a delight in finding their 



way there, and require a great deal of getting out, to the 



almost certain damage of their plumage. 



The bag must be fastened to a ring of 



cane or stiff wire, and this again firmly 



fixed to a handle at least as long as an 



ordinary walking-stick. The top of the 



net had better be bound with some 



material stouter than gauze, or it will 



very soon be torn away from the ring. 



It is especially important that the net 



should be firmly made, for nothing is 



so tantalising as to lose a good insect 



in consequence of the net falling to pieces 



at the moment of striking. 



Many entomologists have a dislike 

 no doubt a natural one to be seen in 

 the streets of a town carrying a net 

 to the field of operations, so dealers 

 in natural history requisites supply nets 

 of various kinds that can be folded up 

 and put out of sight. The most convenient one, in 

 my opinion, consists of a three-jointed cane ring 

 (Fig. 2) on which the hem of the net slides, the 

 parts being hinged together and finished with brass 

 fittings. The ends of the ring fit into the two forks 

 of a brass Y- tu b e > while a walking-stick fits into 

 the stem. This net is a very neat affair, and can be 

 thoroughly trusted to do the work required of it. I 



FIG. i. 

 GAUZE RING-NET. 



