216 Instructions for collecting Insects. 



plate of tin, which should move round on the cover, being fixed at 

 only one point, around vi'hich it is moveable. 



This box is to be half filled widi sawdust, on which should be 

 turned some drops of the essence of turpentine. This being mere- 

 ly to give a strong odor to the box, it should not be turned on in suffi- 

 cient quantity to make the sawdust glutinous. The sawdust should 

 have been previously passed through a large sieve, to cleanse it from 

 all the powder, that it might contain ; that only to be used, which re- 

 mains in the sieve. 



7. The wooden box, (or, it may be of pasteboard,) should also 

 be portable. It may have the form of an octavo volume, and should 

 be about two inches in thickness. The bottom is to be lined with 

 cork, or, for want of it, with a substance sufficiently tender to be 

 easily penetrated by a pin, as the pith of elder or of certain plants 

 from warm countries. Pure wax may also be used in the same way, 

 which it is necessary to melt and mix with a certain quantity of the 

 oil of turpentine, as the wax alone would be too dry and brittle. 



It is necessary that the cork should be fine, and that it should be, 

 at least, two hnes and a half in thickness. The wax having more 

 tenacity, a layer from a line and a half to tvvo lines thick will be suffi- 

 cient. The pith, on the contrary, retaining the pins with less strength, 

 should be thicker. 



8. The triangles of paper being intended principally for containing 

 the butterffies, it will be well to have them of several sizes. They 

 are prepared in this way : The paper is first cut into squares, which 

 are folded diagonally; then one of the little sides of the triangle is 

 closed by a double fold. The third side is left open till a butterfly 

 is put into the triangle. If, instead of folding over the little sides, 

 they should be closed with paste, it would be still better. 



It would be well to be furnished with a box with two compartments, 

 one of which may contain the triangles, in which the butterflies are 

 placed, and the other the empty triangles. 



In order to secure the butterflies from destructive insects, that 

 easily pierce the paper, it is very desirable that the sheets, before ma- 

 king the triangles, should be dipped into a saturated solution of alum. 



9. The pins to be used for insects should be of difl^rent sizes. 

 It is necessary that they should be very fine. Their length should 

 be, at least, from twelve to fourteen lines. They are known among 

 the merchants by the name of lace pins. It is well to be furnished 

 with a ball, into which they nray be stuck, separating the different 



