ENTOMOLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS, &C. 533 



Under this head I may mention a very ingenious net 

 for taking Lepidoptera, particularly butterflies, invented 

 by Dr. Maclean of Colchester, which I would call Mac- 

 lean's elastic net. It is constructed of two pieces of 

 stout split cane, connected by a joint at each end and 

 with a rod which lies between them, in which a pulley is 

 fixed ; through this a cord fastened to the canes passes ; 

 a long cane with a ferrule receives the lower end of the 

 rod and forms a handle ; and to the canes is fastened a 

 net of green gauze. Taking the handle in your right 

 hand, and the string in your left, when you pull the lat- 

 ter the canes bend till they form a hoop, and the net 

 appended to them is open ; when your prey is in it, re- 

 lax the cord, and the canes become straight and close the 

 mouth of the net, keeping them close with your left hand, 

 you may soon disable your prey with your right. Dr. 

 Maclean has scarcely ever found this net fail. 



5. Another instrument which should be constantly in 

 the hands of the Entomologist is the forceps*. This is 

 particularly useful for catching Diptcra and Hymeno- 

 ptera chiefly while at rest on the leaves and flowers of 

 plants. Both these tribes are usually too agile to be 

 taken by the hand alone, which besides without this 

 contrivance would be exposed to the stings of many of 

 the latter. The leaves of the forceps should be octagonal, 

 five or six inches in diameter, and covered with green 

 gauze, or rather very fine catgut, which will enable the 

 head of a lace-pin to pass through it. You must direct 

 your artisan to make the joint of the handle nearer the 

 rings for the finger and thumb than to the leaves, or the 

 instrument will not open well. An old pair of curling- 

 a PLAIJE XXIV. FIG. o. 



