28 COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS 



Jarring. Some insects may be knocked off of shrubbery or 

 branches of trees by jarring, the net being held below. 



Water insects, such as "water boatmen/' skippers and 

 " whirligig-beetles/' can be captured by using the net. Some 

 larva can be found under stones, in ponds and streams. Those 

 that frequent the bottom can be obtained by the use of a metal 

 sieve-scoop, transferring the material small sticks, mud, leaves, 

 etc. to a jar, whence the specimens can be separated later. 



Where to Look for Insects. Insects of various kinds are found 

 in a host of localities, upon flowers, upon shrubbery, along the 

 edges of woods, in the woods themselves, in pastures and meadows, 

 along the banks of streams, lakes and ponds and in the waters of 

 the same; in rotten logs and stumps, under logs and rubbish, under 

 bark, in fruits, and in nuts, etc. The collector who has the keenest 

 eyes is the one, other things being equal, most likely to succeed. 



Baiting and Night Collecting. 

 -While broad daylight and 

 bright sunshine are the best con- 

 ditions under which to collect the 

 majority of insects, many are best 

 collected at twilight, and night 

 collecting by the use of baits is 

 fascinating. 

 FIO. 35. Method of handling butterflies An acceptable bait is made of 



caught in net. (After H br()wn sugar ^ ^^ forming 



quite a thick syrup, and adding a goodly amount of stale beer or 

 rum ; put this on, say, twenty trees (it may also be used on fences 

 or stumps) in the woods, just after sundown, spreading it with a 

 brush over a space about three by eight inches, and noting care- 

 fully the baited trees, so that they can be found in the dark. If 

 one starts out between nine and ten with a lantern, preferably a 

 dark lantern, or electric flashlight, and several cyanide bottles, 

 and visits the treated trees, flashing the light carefully on the 

 anointed portions, one will probably discover moths and other 

 insects at work sipping the attractive mixture. A collect- 

 ing bottle is placed cautiously over one of these insects and 

 moved to right or left slightly, thus loosening the insect from its 

 hold, whereupon it falls into the bottle, the latter is tipped quickly 

 and corked, placed in one's pocket, and a second bottle used for 

 another insect. These insects are later united in one bottle, leav- 

 ing one or more bottles free for use in capturing. Warm, still 

 nights are best suited for this work. 



