EASTERN UNITED STATES. 37 



may consist of three parts, the bag, hoop, and handle, 

 as shown in Fig. 8. The hoop, c, should be made of 

 about No. 8 wire, and nine inches in diameter will be 

 a convenient size. Any tinsmith can make this. The 

 wire, after being bent in the form of a circle, should have 

 the two ends bent out so that they may come together as 

 in c, though not left so long, an inch and a half being 

 long enough. The second part of the hoop, shown at b, 

 consists of a tin ferrule which may be a socket for the re- 

 ception of the handle. This should be four and a half 

 inches long, three-fourths of an inch wide at the large 

 end, and tapering down so that the two ends of the 

 wire when placed close together will just fit in. Place 

 these in the small end of the ferrule till the tin comes 

 against the circle, and fasten with solder. Many use a 

 patent brass socket with an adjustable wire fastened with 

 a screw, but I find these heavier than the one here de- 

 scribed, besides being more expensive, this not costing 

 more than from fifteen to twenty-five cents. The bag 

 part of the net, a, should be made of some strong but 

 light material, such as " Swiss," though mosquito bar will 

 do very good service. If the material used is a yard 

 in width, this may be taken for the length of the bag, and 

 the dimensions the other way so much as will go round the 

 hoop. The bottom of the bag should be rounded, the cloth 

 of the other end put over the wire, and over this a piece 

 of strong muslin, and the whole sewed close to the wire. 

 For a handle a stick about the size of a walking-cane 

 will answer, or one two and a half feet in length, made 

 of some light but stout wood. Black walnut and ash 

 are preferable to any of the softer woods, as they are not 

 so easily broken. The handle should not be more than 

 4 



