180 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



SUGGESTIONS FOE DECOYING BUTTERFLIES. 



By H. G. Knaggs, M.D., F.L.S. 



(Continued from p. 157). 



In the contrivances, suggested for snaring butterflies, which 

 follow, doubtless many shortcomings will be found, upon which 

 it is to be hoped your readers will look indulgently. Still if the 

 principle of mechanical decoying should be adopted by collectors, 

 the work here commenced will assuredly be perfected by others. 

 The plan proposed may, at first sight, appear to be a little com- 

 plicated, but there is really nothing which cannot be overcome, 

 at trifling expense, by a moderate amount of ingenuity — a com- 

 modity with which the entomological fraternity are supposed to 

 be well stocked. And now for business. Fig. 1 shows a side 

 view of the apparatus for working the decoy, and gives the 

 position of the insect ; but in the completed mechanism the 

 wings would be covered beneath by the card B, Fig. 1, while the 

 thorax and abdomen, being encased in J) a, Fig. 3, would not 

 be visible from below. Fig. 2 shows the action, viz., the alter- 

 nate depression and elevation of the wings. Fig. 3 explains how 

 the decoy is made. 



Firstly. — File flat the top of the horizontal part of a medium 

 sized " dresser-hook," F, and whip on with " waxed end " three- 

 quarters of an inch of watch-spring, 

 G. Next solder (or whip) on a metal 

 loop, H, about half-way down the 

 brass perpendicular part, and then 

 screw the iron portion into the top of 

 a peg of hard wood, about an inch 

 square at the upper part and tapering 

 downwards, some six inches, to a 

 point, but screw it into one of the 

 corners in such a manner that the 

 rest of the top surface may be avail- 

 able for driving the peg into the 

 ground. 



Secondly. — Bend another piece of 

 watch-spring, D, two or three inches 

 long according to the size of the 

 decoy to which it has to be fitted, 

 into the shape indicated in Fig. 2. 

 In doing this no heat must be used, 

 or the temper of the steel will be lost ; 

 on the other hand, no sudden or ex- 

 cessive pressure must be applied, or 

 the spring will snap. The best way 

 is to cautiously and patiently work 

 it with the fingers in the direction of the original curve, until 

 the requisite angle is obtained, and then to straighten out the 



