THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S METHODS 



Although it is always well for the collector to have the 

 implement with him when on an entomological foray, 

 the net is not the all-important article it may be con- 

 sidered. There are collections of butterflies which for 

 the most part comprise only bred specimens. In some 

 cases the net may have been used to capture female 

 butterflies from which to obtain a stock of eggs, but the 

 majority of the specimens contained in such collec- 

 tions have been reared from eggs, or from caterpillars 

 obtained by searching or beating among the food 

 plants of the various species. It would be possible, 

 too, to acquire a very respectable collection of moths 

 without using the net at all. 



Searching low-growing herbage by day, or by the 

 aid of a lantern at night, is a bit trying at first, no doubt, 

 and some collectors may think the business too weari- 

 some. Success in this kind of work is probably a mat- 

 ter of temperament. A good stock of patience and a 

 sharp eye are the essential requirements, and being 

 armed with these the egg or caterpillar hunter will find 

 that practice overcomes seeming difficulty and leads 

 to proficiency. 



To obtain leaf-eating caterpillars from trees or 

 bushes, the collector with one hand holds an open 

 umbrella under the branches, whilst with a stick 

 in the other he strikes from above in the direction of the 

 receptacle held below. Sudden sharp thumps on the 



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