l6 DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTING INSECTS 



braces must be deep enough to prevent the pins from touch- 

 ing anything on which the stretcher may be laid; and by 

 attaching a ring or loop to one end, the stretcher may 

 be hung against the wall out of the way. — Riley. 



(5) Mounting Pins and Box. — These should be kept 

 handy for mounting the specimens as soon as they are in 

 proper condition. 



II. Localities. ( i ) Electric Lights. — Electric 

 lights are so easy of access and provide such an abundance 

 and variety of animals that they are naturally the first fields 

 visited. They should be visited at all seasons from April 

 to November, so that the complete range of specimens fre- 

 quenting them will be obtained. The most abundant speci- 

 mens under the lights are beetles; but moths, bugs, grass- 

 hoppers, crickets and spiders may also be found there. Col- 

 lecting is most profitable at the lights dilring warm, damp 

 (not rainy) nights and it is useless to visit them on a cold, 

 dry night. The beetles will be found under the lights, the 

 moths generally on the post near the lights, the spiders and 

 centipedes in the grass near by. 



(2) Woods. — A profitable place for collecting is also 

 found in the woods or on rocky ledges. Here the insects 

 are more timid and are found under stones or logs, in de- 

 cayed trees or stumps, or under the bark of decayed trees. 

 The most common forms are beetles, centipedes, several 

 genera of hymenopters, bugs and spiders. Heavy logs or 

 stones should not be moved since they contain usually no 

 specimens, and the lighter ones should be replaced after the 

 specimens are obtained. 



Care should be taken not to injure the specimens in catch- 

 ing them since an injured specimen is worthless. 



