TYPICAL INSECTS 181 



mouthed bottle, like a vaseline bottle, and place some lumps 

 of potassium cyanide in it. This can be obtained at a drug- 

 store and is a deadly poison. On the lumps of cyanide pour 

 a paste of plaster of Paris, and allow this to set or harden. 

 The poison will give off fumes all the time, which rise through 

 the porous plaster and kill the insects in the bottle. Label 

 the bottle "Cyanide Bottle Poison." 

 Keep it tightly corked. Leave the 

 insects inside long enough to be sure- 

 ly dead. Larger insects, like but- 

 terflies, etc., may be placed under a 

 larger vessel with an open cyanide bot- 

 tle, or they may be killed with ether 

 soaked in some cotton under a glass. 

 Gasoline or kerosene poured upon 

 them quickly kills them. In the field, FlG ' 42 ' Mounted Beetle " 

 butterflies may be quickly killed by tightly pinching the thorax 

 for a short time. If left to flutter in boxes or bottles till taken 

 home, they are liable to injure their wings by knocking off 

 the beautiful scales. But, if killed in the field, they may be 

 carried home uninjured in little packets or envelopes. 



The insects collected should be neatly mounted. This may 

 be done by sticking pins through them after they are killed, 

 and pinning them to the bottom of light boxes. Cigar boxes 

 do very nicely. 



The insects should be straightened out and arranged 

 naturally, and pinned before they are dry. The wings, at 

 least those on one side, should be spread out so as to display 

 them. This applies to grasshoppers, locusts, beetles, bugs 

 etc., which fold their wings when at rest. Moths and but- 

 terflies should be especially treated before mounting. Their 



