234r ZOOLOGY. 



darkness. Expertness in using the nets, is only to be ac- 

 quired by practice ; so soon as an Insect is captured, con- 

 siderable caution must be used, as on killing it properly, its 

 beauty in a great measure depends : it must not be taken 

 hold of in any part, but by means of the net the wings must 

 be, if possible, brought into an erect position, which done, 

 the under side of the thorax or breast, should be taken be- 

 tween the thumb and fore-finger, and pressed sufficiently 

 hard to destroy it : which may be done without injury to the 

 wings, either by distortion or hurting the plumage. 



The Sphinges or Hawk Moths, as well as all Moths that 

 possess large fleshy bodies, as the Puss and Goat, are very 

 tenacious of life, we have found the most speedy method, as 

 well as the one least injurious to the markings of the Insects, 

 is as soon as the Moth is taken, to squeeze the breast, and 

 then pass a pin through the thorax, but as this will not 

 destroy the Insect, we recommend it to be placed either under 

 a glass, or in a box, within the influence of a fire, for a few 

 seconds, which quickly deprives it of life ; and though this 

 mode may appear cruel, yet it is certainly merciful compared 

 to the practice of suffering Insects to linger out their exist- 

 ence for days ; we have known the Goat Moth survive 

 ten days, with a pin through its thorax, and at the expira- 

 tion of that time, have sufficient strength to loosen the 

 pin from the cork, and even to fly : if the heat they are ex- 

 posed to exceeds 110 degrees of Farenhiet's Thermometer, 

 and they are covered with a glass, so as to exclude atmos- 

 pheric air, a few seconds will destroy them without external 

 injury. 



The wings of Butterflies and Moths are of so delicate a 



