172 INTEODUCTION TO ZOOLOGY. 



Dragon flies of the larger kind are hard to cap- 

 ture in quantities. Smaller species of Agrion naay be 

 used instead of the larger Libellulidge. The larvae may 

 be dragged from a pond with a minnow seine or a dip 

 net. 



It is very advantageous to have a wire net for dip- 

 ping specimens from the water. A hemispherical fly 

 screen, such as is sometimes used for covering table 

 dishes is very convenient for this purpose, when 

 soldered to the wire hoop of an insect net. 



Bumblebees are easily captured in a clover field. 

 They are most abundant in early fall. They are most 

 easily captured in an insect net, although on a cool 

 morning a net is superfluous. 



Every farm boy knows how to jug bumblebees. 

 When a nest is found, a jug containing a small quan- 

 tity of water is unstopped and set near the opening of 

 the nest. The nest is then stirred up lively with a 

 pole, and the operator retires with celerity to a safe 

 distance. The bumblebees that come out of the nest, 

 finding no one to attack, will begin to settle down, but 

 instead of returning to the nest, most of them will go 

 by pairs into the jug. 



Hornets may be captured by closing the aperture 

 of the nest and injecting chloroform until all commo- 

 tion ceases. 



Mud nests should be procured whenever they are 

 finished. If necessary, wasps may be collected from 

 the flowers. 



House flies may be most easily secured from a 

 wire trap. 



Spiders may be captured with the hands. There 

 is no danger from a spider bite, and spiders very 

 seldom bite. The brilliant Argiope riparia is 

 frequently found in great numbers along hedges or 

 on low bushes where cattle and other stock are not 

 allowed to run. 



