Collections during Vacation. 189 



their families, having a separate box for each order of in- 

 sects, i.e., one for butterflies, one for beetles, one for flies, 

 one for crickets, etc. 



(d) How to Preserve. All entomologists complain of 

 the ravages of dust, lice, etc. These pests will get into the 

 tightest cabinet and eat away the most beautiful portions ; 

 and then " chankings " may always be seen in the bottom 

 of every box of insects. This can be very largely prevented, 

 at least greatly checked, by wetting the insects once in a 

 while with benzine or gasoline. This may be done with- 

 out opening the case. Take a large dripping-pan and pour 

 in about one inch deep of gasoline. Set your " bug-box " 

 into it until the insects inside are wet. Each box may be 

 set in, and so all insect pests are killed. Such treatment is 

 not needed oftener than once or twice a year. 



II. Mollusks. 



One need not be a conchologist to enjoy the beauty of 

 shells. Their colors, their exquisite shapes, their infinite 

 variety, all furnish material of keenest interest to teacher 

 and pupil. 



If you should spend your summer at the seaside, you will 

 have the best opportunity for such collections ; but if among 

 the mountains or in the country near a stream or inland 

 lake, you also have a chance to collect shells. Land-shells 

 are also interesting. Scarcely a moist stone but has its mo) 

 lusca living in their delicate shells beneath it ; hardly a 

 plant in the deep woods but will be found on examination 

 to have them somewhere upon it. In collecting the teacher 

 should be supplied with a large number of phials for small 

 shells. Into a phial put all of one kind and cork. Label 

 each phial with the locality where found. If there are liv- 

 ing mollusks in the shells, a few drops of alcohol in the phial 

 will preserve. A convenient mode of arrangement is to put 

 small shells in such phials, while larger shells may be kept 

 in small boxes. A friend of mine purchased one of Clark's 

 frhread-cases of drawers, made compartments m each drawer, 



