Dec, 1915 Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society 93 



It is not difficult to collect specimens alive by pushing them into 

 a glass tube with the aid of a brush. Then, if one puts into the 

 tube bits of damp wood, pieces of decaying leaves, or a little moist 

 earth, the springtails can be kept alive for many days, if 

 necessary. 



There are certain special methods of collection that may be 

 employed. For collecting minute specimens — half a millimeter 

 or less in length — a watchmaker's or engraver's glass, fastened 

 to the head, or a reading glass is helpful in diminishing eyestrain. 

 Two pieces of cloth, one black and one white, are useful on which 

 to shake green plants, fungi, dead leaves, or other material. The 

 Berlese apparatus for collecting minute arthropods yields im- 

 mense numbers of Collembola. This apparatus is essentially a 

 large metal funnel surrounded by a can of hot water, with a wire 

 screen across the mouth of the funnel. On the screen are placed 

 soil, decaying leaves, fungi, moss, bark, or other material con- 

 taining specimens. The organisms move downward toward the 

 heat and pass through the funnel into a bottle of alcohol. If the 

 alcohol is hot it will fix the specimens properly. To get the most 

 out of the Berlese apparatus use " siftings." In other words, sift 

 the material as soon as it is collected through a wire screen with 

 a quarter-inch mesh into a canvas bag, thus getting rid of most of 

 the debris, and use this concentrated material in the apparatus. 



Collembola on the surface of a pool can frequently be lifted 

 from the water on a brush, but too often it happens that they 

 escape. They can be collected with a net, of course, a small 

 wire strainer lined with cheese cloth serving the purpose. When 

 after these forms in earnest, I use an atomizer to spray the 

 surface of the water with chloroform, and then collect the dead 

 specimens with a net. One of Professor Needham's students 

 sent me hundreds of specimens of these water-frequenting species 

 that were collected in an ingenious manner. Little tents were 

 placed on damp soil on the borders of pools and streams, and into 

 these tents the Collembola came in immense numbers. 



When collecting Collembola be sure to get several or many 

 specimens of the same species if possible. This is usually not 

 difficult to do, as most species occur in colonies. I have many 

 new species that I have preferred to leave undescribed on ac- 



