28 INSECT LIFE. 



LESSON X. 



THE FIRST COLLECTING TRIP. 



Material needed for the Excursion. — " A sharp pair 

 of eyes," a cyanide bottle, and an insect net if you 

 have one. 



Where to look for Specimens. — On flowers and 

 leaves, on the surface of the ground, under stones 

 and pieces of wood lying on the ground, in rotten 

 stumps, and under the bark of decaying logs and 

 trees. 



What to collect. — We plan to study all kinds of 

 insects and also some animals that are not true in- 

 sects, but are closely related to them. It will be best, 

 however, on this first excursion to collect only winged 

 insects. Other forms may be collected and studied 

 later in the course. 



Suggestions. — Do not leave your cyanide bottle 

 open unnecessarily, for if you do it will lose its 

 strength in a short time. With proper care a cyanide 

 bottle will last several months. 



Do not hold your face near the open cyanide 

 bottle so as to breathe the fumes that escape from it. 

 With ordinary care there is no danger in the use of 

 a cyanide bottle. 



You can take bees and wasps from flowers with- 

 out danger of being stung by shutting them into the 

 bottle with the cork. Take the bottle in one hand 

 and the cork in the other, and bring the two together 

 quickly, one on each side of the insect. 



The insects collected can be left in the cyanide 

 bottles or on damp sand in a jar or tight box till 



