26 



COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS 



be taken not to leave the bottle open, after it is in use, for any 

 length of time, lest it should lose its strength. A very useful style 

 of bottle is shown in figure 33. This is provided at one end with 

 a metal cap, which can be removed, and either cyanide or chloro- 

 form placed on cotton in the lower end. A small straight-side vial 

 made into a cyanide bottle is useful for very small insects, and takes 

 up but little room in the pocket. In fact, one should take more 

 than one cyanide bottle into the field to forestall any accident 

 which might befall one, and to have one to use before insects are 



Fia. 32. Home-made cyanide bottle. 



FIG. 33. A more elaborate killing bottle. 



dead in the other. It is well to leave specimens, except delicate 

 moths, over night in the cyanide bottle, or at least for several 

 hours. Strips of paper in a cyanide bottle prevent undue rattling 

 about of insects, and serve to absorb injurious moisture. 



A serviceable net can be made out of mosquito bar (or, better, 

 of bobbinet), strung on a wire hoop fastened to a pole about five 

 feet long. It is a very good plan to fasten a narrow strip of cloth 

 to the wire hoop, and sew the net to that. Better nets and jointed 

 poles can be purchased. Figure 34 shows a folding net, which can 

 be packed in a small space. One may prefer a net which tapers 



