264 GRAMMAR OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



mahogany, opening readily, on brass hinges ; 

 length seven inches, breadth four inches, depth two 

 inches ; the top and bottom should be lined with 

 fine soft cork, and covered with white paper. The 

 pockets of a shooting jacket will readily carry 

 three or four such boxes as these. 



847. Besides these boxes, there should be two 

 long cylindrical tin boxes for the caterpillars of 

 Lepidoptera : the tin not only keeps the cater- 

 pillars cool, but it causes the leaves on which they 

 feed to retain their freshness many days. Tin 

 boxes are also useful to bring home Diptera alive : 

 in this case a cylinder of tin passes through the 

 lid of the box, and is corked at the top. 



848. The nets used by entomologists are of 

 many kinds ; the following are the best : first, the 

 forceps with a handle like that of scissors, with 

 holes for the finger and thumb, and two circular or 

 octagonal frames of iron, on which muslin or cheese 

 cloth is stretched. This instrument is particularly 

 useful for taking the Diptera and Hymenoptera, 

 which settle on umbellate flowers. The forceps 

 should be kept in the right hip pocket of the 

 coat. 



849. The second net is the water net. It is 

 composed of a strong hoop of iron, jointed so as 

 to fold up in a convenient form ; on this hoop is 

 fastened a strong bag net, made of cheese cloth ; 

 the hoop has a male screw which fits a female screw 

 at the end of a stout stick, about four feet in length. 



