APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING AND PRESERVING 47 



the setting-board, may suffer from the attacks of Psoci, 

 or " dust-lice," generally, though improperly, termed 

 mites. 



When the insects are quite dry, they can be removed 

 from the setting-board and be placed in store boxes pre- 

 paratory to being placed in the collection. A collection 

 may be kept in boxes or in a cabinet ; perhaps it is as 

 well to begin with boxes, and not to indulge in an ex- 

 pensive luxury like a cabinet till we have something to 

 put in it. Store boxes, tight-fitting and corked top and 

 bottom, are supplied by most dealers in entomological 

 apparatus ; they should be of sufficient depth, that when 

 the insects are placed in them there may be no risk of 

 the pins in the top coming in contact with those in the 

 bottom of the box. 



It is of extreme importance that a journal or diary be 

 kept of all the captures made, and each specimen should 

 bear a number referring to this journal, by means of 

 which at any time the collector can ascertain precisely 

 when and where such an insect was caught. Beginners 

 sometimes have extraordinary luck, and catch rarities ; 

 and yet it may often happen that, having supposed this 

 rarity was some common insect, they have misnamed it, 

 and not discovered their mistake for years. Now, if the 

 specimen bears a number referring to a journal written 

 at the time of capture, when they discover the prize they 

 have caught they can at once give the date and locality. 

 What a mass of errors and blunders would have been 

 avoided if every one had done this ! 



Our Continental friends use very much longer pins 

 for their insects than we do, and one great advantage of 

 this is, that they can attach to each insect a legible 

 notice of its locality and date. If we, with our short 



