HINTS ON COLLECTING. 39 



had in December (though of course in a state of inac- 

 tivity) than in July; during which, and the other hot 

 months, the spring insects die away, and those coming 

 to maturity are either in the pupa state or not yet suffi- 

 ciently hardened. 



In the winter, very many beetles can be obtained by 

 cutting isolated tufts of grass, pulling moss, etc., and 

 shaking them over brown paper ; the proceeds need not 

 be examined on the spot, but can be taken home in a bag 

 and carefully investigated indoors at leisure. In this 

 way, by a judicious selection of likely -looking spots, a 

 few hours' work out of doors will often furnish occupa- 

 tion for several evenings. 



In the autumn, examining fungi and puff-balls, and 

 sweeping among dead leaves under trees are very pro- 

 ductive ; and later still, the leaves (especially the black, 

 damp, bottom layers) may be sifted or shaken over the 

 brown paper with great results. On the sea-shore, 

 heaps of decaying seaweed harbour many species, and 

 dead fish or birds become capital traps ; but a " keeper's 

 tree " in a wood, with dead vermin nailed to it, is the 

 luckiest thing to find. Many species come to the 

 running sap of the stumps of felled trees, and a great 

 number haunt the wet burrows of the caterpillar of the 

 Goat Moth in the solid wood ; whilst ants' nests, both in 

 woods, tree trunks, and sandy places, produce an enor- 

 mous number both of specimens and species, many of 

 them being very rare. 



Tapping rotten twigs and sticks, and shaking the 

 damp bottom layers of grass and rubbish heaps and 

 hay-stacks, will produce many species in profusion. 



It is, however, manifestly impossible to give full di- 

 rections, in our limited space, for the pursuit of a race 



