ENTOMOLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS, &C. 535 



modes may be adopted. You may either watch the mo- 

 tions of an individual insect, and secure it by darting 

 the net beyond it and drawing it towards you ; or by 

 placing it quietly under it, and then elevating it suddenly; 

 or you may push your net at random along the margins 

 of the pools and rivers amongst the weeds, &c. ; amongst 

 the duck-weed (Lemna) on their surface, or the mud at 

 the bottom ; and when you examine its contents, you 

 will often find valuable captures. I have thus sometimes 

 got rich booty in the most unlikely places; such as 

 Hydrtena Iongipalpis 9 and an allied nondescript species, 

 &c. ; and by fishing amongst Zanichellia palustris^ Hce- 

 monia Zosterte. If at any time you do not happen to 

 have your water-net with you, with a common rake you 

 may take the duck-weed from the surface of a pool, and 

 upon examination you will often detect amongst it many 

 minute water-beetles. 



But besides all these implements you will find your 

 ^finger and thumb a very handy forceps when insects are 

 stationary or walking upon the ground ; and even when 

 flying, minute ones that you would not otherwise meet 

 with may be taken by the palm of your hand, wetted 

 with saliva, if, when you see them swarming in the air, 

 you pass it to and fro amongst them. When such are 

 stationary, or moving on the ground, on rails, the trunks 

 of trees, &c., the fore-finger, so wetted, will often best 

 secure them : but if ,they are perched on a summit or a 

 vertical surface, before you approach near enough to 

 alarm them bring forward quietly your bag-net, and 

 hold it so that they may fall into it, if they attempt by 

 falling to escape you. Other methods of entrapping in- 

 sects may also be pursued with success. A table-cloth 



