NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



company with one who has done some collecting, and plan the course so 



that diversified country will be traversed. Insects may be found in 



almost any place, but experience will soon teach the most favorable 

 localities. At first take everything, thus training eye 

 and muscle, and learning a little of the varied forms 

 of hfe. The collector will soon find that beetles, bugs 

 and other insects can not be put in the same bottle 

 with certain forms without becoming covered with 

 scales, and if ambitious to secure nice specimens, he 

 will have a special bottle for butterflies and moths. 

 Dragon flies are also best kept in a large bottle by 

 ifr-*'%jmw themselves. Large insects injure the smaller ones 



and it will be found that numbers of water insects 

 can not be put in with others without injury to many 

 of the more delicate terrestrial forms. Hence, the 

 Fig. 7 Pistol case bearer neccssity of treating Collected insects differently, and 

 the immense number of forms to be studied, will 



soon compel specialization to a certain extent. That is, all those be- 

 longing to one order, as the butterflies and moths, the beetles, etc., or 



those attacking a few related plants or occurring in 



certain localities will be collected in preference to 



all others, and in this way many valuable facts are 



ascertained, which would be impossible were general 



collecting continued indefinitely, and at the same 



time much pleasure may be derived from the pursuit. 

 The actual method of procedure can hardly be 



described. In a general way walk rather slowly, 



pausing to examine a cluster of flowers, to look 



under stones, to examine the trunk and branches 



of trees, rotting wood, etc. After a Httle practice it 



will be surprising to see how many species on flowers 



can be taken with nothing but the collecting bottle. 



Many insects belonging to the bee and wasp family, 



some very handsome beedes, interesting members 



of the true bug family and a few flies can be captured 



in this manner. As some beetles and bugs drop 



readily to the ground, the bottle should be held a Bueeuiatrix ^original). 



little below the insect. Dark colored, rapid running ground beetles may 



be found under stones and will require quick work to catch them. 



Trunks and branches of trees repay a careful examination. On the 



Fig. 8 Cocoons of apple 



