THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 209 
A little improvement, however, may be made. If the collector, instead 
of putting in his “ Cyanide of Potassium” in “lumps,” will pound it to 
a fine powder, intimately mix it with the necessary amount of Plaster of 
Paris, and then pour in water till the mixture has by stirring assumed the 
consistency of cream, he will have a more efficacious, as well as a more 
lasting box (or bottle). When lumps, particularly large lumps, are used, 
it is difficult without using too much plaster, to cover the cyanide so that 
it shall not deliquesce. Of course if it begins to do so more and more 
of the surface is exposed and the box is always damp, and is liable to act 
on the colors of the captured insects. 
Mr. Mead uses a bottle. I use a box. For general purposes the box 
commonly used for putting up Baking Powders will answer all purposes 
except in the “Catocala” season. But a box of that size, or as I think 
of any size, necessitates the making of a larger one on the same plan. 
That is a “transfer box,” which remains in the house, or remains on the 
hunting ground, according to circumstances. 
After making two or three captures from one tree, I never think of 
injuring the plumage of those by making an addition to them by intro- 
ducing a lively moth; but immediately remove these to the “ transfer 
box.” By the next morning they are in good setting order. Thus I go 
through the night, the “transfer box” ultimately containing all the 
captures. 
Of course it matters little whether a box ora bottle is used. In fact, 
it may be well to have a bottle for home service, and a box for the field. 
A box, as described, is a much better collecting vessel for Coleoptera 
than any alcohol bottle. 
The best “ transfer box ” that I have ever used is a tin one about six 
inches in diameter and about two and a half inches in depth—used 
legitimately, I believe, for holding coffee samples. 
Now, all these supposed improvements are based on the idea that 
having two or more dead moths in your collecting box, the third one, 
when introduced, will be absurdly lively for a time. This, at any rate, is 
my experience. The little fellows seem to have no idea of the important 
part they have to fill in Entomological Science, and dart about in the 
most reckless manner. Mr. Mead seems not to have met with such an 
inconvenience, but my captures have been uniformly obstreporous. 
Besides, I cannot help thinking that to doulverse a box of dead moths, 
say a hundred times a night, must do some little damage to them. 
