MEMOIR OF DRURY. fl 



ever invented. Let me therefore entreat you, my 

 dear friend, when you get to Africa, not to let them 

 remain idle. Indeed, your own time, I am very 

 sensible, will be too valuable for you to bestow in 

 that manner, but I apprehend you may for a very 

 trifle hire a boy or a man to collect them in the 

 fields and woods, who at night can bring home to 

 you what he has procured, which you may place in 

 one of the green square boxes whose bottoms and 

 tops are lined with green wax. For this purpose I 

 send you three smaller boxes, with pieces of cork in 

 the bottoms and tops ; one or two of these may be 

 taken by your agent into the fields when he goes 

 collecting, and having caught an insect with the 

 forcep-net, let him stick it through the body with a 

 pin and fasten it in one of these boxes, where it 

 will remain secure till it is removed to one of the 

 square green boxes. If he catches a butterfly or 

 moth, let him give the body a good squeeze, which 

 will kill it, and then stick it in one of the boxes. 

 Each of these, observe, is capable of containing a 

 great number, if he sticks them close to each other ; 

 the pins for this purpose I have also sent, with pin- 

 cushions to be used by the collector when he goes 

 on this business. When you have got as many in- 

 sects as you can well stow in one of the square 

 boxes, I will get you to send it to England, enclosed 

 in a packing-case, sending me advice by letter. But 

 I must, previously to your packing it up, desire you 

 to paste a slip of linen or paper outside round the 

 joinings of the box, to prevent the ants, cockroaches, 



