at practical 



765 



ther; they delight in warmth ; and the 

 close heavy atmosphere which precedes a 

 thunderstorm is peculiarly grateful. There 

 are a few moths which fly by day i most 

 of them fly at an early hour in the night, 

 and again before sunrise. Many a rare 

 beetle of darkling habits will reward the 

 wakeful collector, who will sweep in likely 

 places, putting the contents of his net into 

 a good-sized hag tied at the mouth : this 

 period, then, is the collector's harvest. Au- 

 tumn likewise has its rarities, especially 

 amongst the moths, and certain lively tribes 

 of two-winged flies of parasitical habits ; 

 but with the advancing season many an old 

 familiar form disappears, and in the languid 

 movements of others, which were once the 

 very types of animal enjoyment, the ap- 

 proach of stern winter is no less certainly 

 foretold, than by the fading and falling leaf. 

 He is a sorry collector indeed who cannot 

 make the most of every opportunity for 

 adding to his stores that may occur ; to 

 knock down an insect with his hat or pocket- 

 handkerchief, to seize and transfix it before 

 it recovers from the shock, and then to pin 

 it into the crown of his hat ; to form a paper 

 twist for a second, and a box made from the 

 hollow stem of some of the hemlock tribe, 

 with a paper stopper for a third : but a phial 

 containing some bruised leaves and crumpled 

 blotting paper, a collecting quill or two, and 

 a few small pill-boxes, fitting the one within 

 the other, should constitute part of the daily 

 equipment of every collector. He will make 

 most progress if he confines his attention to 

 a particular order throughout the season, or 

 during a part only of a season : he should 

 also choose a favourite locality where in- 

 sects abound, for every day will probably 

 bring some new species to light ; but at 

 the same time, he should ever be ready to 

 capture a rare insect belonging to other than 

 his favourite order, whilst by so doing he 

 may confer a boon to science and gain a 

 friend in need by a timely and acceptable 

 gift. 



PECULIAR METHODS OF COLLECTING IK- 

 SECTS.- COLEOPTERA. {Beetles.) A white 

 sheet spread on the grass will attract many 

 species ; others may be captured on walls and 

 wall tops, and other localities already men- 

 tioned: the collector pushesfthe sweeping net 

 before him amongst the grass, or strikes it 

 from side to side, and up amongst the branches 

 of trees ; or these may be violently shaken, or 

 beaten over a piece of cotton cloth spread 

 below, or an open umbrella lined with cotton 

 cloth, or the little net itself. The tin forceps 

 are useful for seizing insects in crevices, or 

 amongst a tangled mass of leaves and flowers 

 in the bottom of the net : the largest sized 

 beetles are put into spirits: the smaller ones, 

 and especially the most brilliantly coloured 

 species, into the collecting bottle. 



ORTHOPTEKA. (Hmtse and Field Crickets, 

 ^. c .) Collected by the hand, or in the 

 sweep-net, and popped into the collecting 

 bottle. 



NEUROPTERA. (Dragon-flies, May-flics, 

 #c.) They are most easily captured during 



dull cloudy weather, or at a late or early 

 hour ; they are transfixed in the centre be- 

 tween the fore wings by a pin, and placed 

 in the collecting box, near the bruised laurel 

 leaves, and the wings of Dragon-flies con- 

 fined by braces : the latter are very tena- 

 cious of life ; the May -flies die very speedily. 



HYMENOPTERA (Bees, Wasps, #c.) and 

 DIPTERA, or two-winged flies, are struck at 

 with the gauze net, and secured by giving it 

 a pecular twist ; the captured insect is then 

 placed on the collector's knee, and confined 

 by tightening the net over head, and held in 

 that position between the fore finger and 

 thumb of the left hand ; a pin is drawn with 

 the right, and the insect is transfixed in 

 the thorax, and in the centre between the 

 wings : the pin is seized by the point, the 

 head is easily worked clear of the net, the 

 insect is then pressed in the breast with the 

 thumb-nail under the wing, and then placed 

 in the collecting box. 



HEMIPTERA (Aphides or Plant-lice, Water 

 boatmen, and Water clearers) are taken by 

 the hand or by sweeping. The aquatic 

 species may be taken with the net in almost 

 every brook and pond : according to their 

 size they are either transfixed by a pin or 

 placed in a bottle of spirits, or in the collect- 

 ing bottle. 



LEPIDOPTERA. (Butterflies and Moths.) 

 The former have a chosen locality ; hence 

 their capture is in some respects pretty easy. 

 They may be sometimes induced to stoop 

 from their flight, and settle near a stone 

 which has been thrown into the air before 

 them. They are taken with the bag -net, 

 seized by the thorax or breast, which is 

 violently pressed between the finger and 

 thumb, so as to stupify the insect -, it is then 

 lifted by the antennae or feelers, laid on the 

 palm of the hand, and transfixed with a 

 pin. Practice will make the collector expert 

 in handling the insects of this order, so 

 as not to injure the delicate scales with 

 which the wings are clothed. For moths, 

 which are a very " peculiar people," he must 

 resort to various flowers by night, especially 

 those of the sallow, ivy, and, above all, 

 the honeysuckle, in their season ; also to 

 those of the French marigold, fuschia, lo- 

 belia, pansy, jessamine, and misletoe ; and, 

 amongst wild flowers, to the white bladder 

 wort, and the common bag reed, in autumn : 

 some species are exceedingly fond of the 

 juice of the berries of the yew-tree. Go to 

 your hunting-ground just before the bat 

 conies forth ; kneel down near the flowers, 

 having your face turned towards that quarter 

 of the sky whence there is most light, and 

 with poised net, and eye and ear attuned, 

 await their coining. Having caught one, 

 gather up your net around your captive : 

 take a pill-box from your right pocket, and 

 placing the lid between your lips, carry the 

 box carefully past your left hand, holding 

 the bag, and place it over the insect ; con- 

 fining the latter by pressing the box against 

 the gauze till the lid is fixed, by slowly 

 withdrawing the net from between the lid 

 and the box, which is then placed in the 



