CATCHING BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 81 



only stupefying, but immediately killing the insects ; and as soon as 

 you are sure that each specimen is quite dead, you may pin it in 

 your collecting box. 



You must be cautious, however, on the one hand, that you do 

 not take it out too soon. If you do you may find that it recovers 

 from the mere stupefying effect of the poison, even after it has been 

 pinned, and when you open your collecting box for the next butter- 

 fly, you are horrified at the sight of the poor victim struggling to 

 free itself. 



On the other hand, don't keep the insects in the killing bottle 

 too long. If you do you will soon have a number, one lying on 

 another, and all tumbled about together while you are on the chase. 

 Of course, under such circumstances you are sure to damage them 

 more or less. 



Many collectors, although they may always use a killing bottle for 

 moths, never employ one for butterflies, but kill them by pinching 

 the thorax. It is well to know how to do this, for it sometimes 

 turns out to be a really quicker process than that we have just been 

 considering ; and, more than this, you can resort to it should you 

 break or lose your bottle while in the field. It is done in this 

 manner : Bring the two opposite sides of the net together, closing 

 them on the insect so that it cannot flutter. If now the wings are 

 brought together over the back, all is right, but if not, give it just 

 a little room to flutter till you have the opportunity of closing the 

 gauze upon it with the wings in the desired position. Now pinch 

 the thorax smartly between the finger and the thumb, applying the 

 pressure outside the net, but be careful not to squeeze the abdomen. 

 In a moment you will find the insect quite dead, and not in the 

 least damaged unless you performed the operation clumsily. 



Now as to pinning. Hold the dead butterfly between the finger 

 and thumb of the left hand, and pass a pin of convenient size through 

 the centre of the thorax above, and push it through so that the point 

 appears centrally on the under surface. It is now ready for your 

 collecting box. 



So you work on till the sun begins to get low, and the butterflies 

 become fewer and fewer, till only a few stragglers of common species 

 are to be seen. Still there are a few hours of daylight and perhaps 

 even of bright sunshine before you, and if you are not weary with 

 the work done, you may very profitably spend these hours in the 

 collection and study of the habits of moths. 



