COLLECTING. 55 



not be mixed, otherwise much confusion and error may result. 

 To obtain the winged sexes is more difficult, as their times of 

 appearance vary, and also when the collector requires males of a 

 certain species, winged females are often alone present, or vice 

 versa. By carefully noting the situations of nests belonging to 

 species of which the sexes are wanted, and visiting them continually 

 at the times when the winged forms should be present, they may 

 at last be secured. Males and females may also be bred by col- 

 lecting the larger (sex) pupae or cocoons ; these should be placed 

 with a few workers in tins containing damp earth and a little honey. 

 By these means I have secured the sexes of practically all our 

 British species. 



My outfit for collecting consists of a very strong fern-trowel, 

 12 inches long which fits into a sheath fastened to a leather belt 

 this is most useful both as a digger, and also to rip off bark, break 

 up wood, etc. ; some strong brown holland bags about 18 inches 

 long and 14 inches in circumference ; a white linen sheet, 66 inches 

 long and 60 inches broad, one corner holding a pocket, into which 

 debris, etc., placed on the sheet can be shaken, and the whole 

 rolled up, thus forming a temporary bag ; a small sieve with a 

 fairly fine mesh ; a pair of long tweezers with flat round edges, to 

 pick up ants, etc., with ; a pocket lens ; a small cyanide bottle ; 

 a few glass-topped boxes ; some tins, such as have contained 

 cocoa, baking-powder, etc., and a flat tin box containing tubes, 

 half of them empty, in which to bring ants, etc., home alive, the 

 others being filled with the following mixture : 



5 ccs. strong acetic acid. 

 35 ccs. absolute alcohol. 

 60 ccs. of a g-g-g- solution of perchlor. mercury in water. 



100 



Ants, myrmecophilous coleoptera, etc., can be dropped into this 

 solution, which quickly kills them, preserves them, and also does 

 not render them too stiff to be set. 



A note-book should be taken, in which to write down the ants 

 observed, the condition and position of their nests, myrmecophiles 

 present, etc. This note-book I copy out in full into a Journal at 

 the end of each year, a record being thus kept of all observations 

 made on ants from year to year. 



I also possess a compact, but strong, two-edged saw one edge 

 being composed of coarser teeth than the other to cut through 

 thick roots of trees, etc. Sometimes a spade, and even an axe, 

 are required, but it is best not to carry more than is wanted for 

 the day, or place, in question, as the less one has to carry the more 

 usefully one can work. 



A coleopterist's sweeping-net is sometimes of assistance, as 

 any ants swept up indicate that they come from a nest near at 



