54-2 ENTOMOLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS, &C. 



and next, those of your phials; giving each, before you 

 take out the cork, a smart rap, that the insects adhering 

 to the latter may drop to the bottom : or you may im- 

 merse the phial itself, with the cork in, which soon de- 

 stroys them, and is the safest plan. This done, with a 

 darners-hair pencil or feather take them out of the water, 

 lay them upon blotting-paper to dry, and put them by for 

 a few hours till you have leisure to impale and set them. 

 Those insects that are caught by the forceps would for 

 the most part escape you, were you to attempt to get 

 them out before you had transfixed them. You must 

 therefore do this while the leaves of the instrument are 

 closed ; and then opening them, and taking the pin by 

 the point, the head will readily pass through the catgut ; 

 and thus you may safely take, and more effectually kill 

 your specimen by pressing it as before directed. With 

 respect to Lepidoptcra, it is necessary to disable them 

 while yet in the fly-net, immediately after their capture. 

 To effect this, while one hand holds both the rods of the 

 closed net, with the other stretch the gauze so as to con- 

 fine your insect within a narrow space ; bring its wings 

 into an erect position, and prevent its fluttering : which 

 being done, with your finger and thumb give its breast a 

 strong pinch below the wings ; and then unfolding your 

 net, and taking it up by one of its antenna?, place it 

 between the finger and thumb of your left hand, stick a 

 pin through it, and deposit it in your pocket-box. 



But though nipping the breast will kill many small 

 Lepidoptera, the larger ones will live long after it ; as will 

 likewise many Neuroptera, Hymenoptera, and Diptera : 

 and besides this, in some Bombycidcc the thorax pre- 

 sents a very conspicuous and interesting character, which 



