CHAPTER II 



THE CAPTURE, PREPARATION, AND PRESERVATION OF SPECIMENS 



" What hand would crush the silken-winged fly, 

 The youngest of inconstant April's minions, 



Because it cannot climb the purest sky, 

 Where the swan sings, amid the sun's dominions ? 



Not thine." Shelley. 



" Do not mash your specimens! "—The Professor. 



COLLECTING APPARATUS 



Nets. — \n the capture of insects of all orders, and especially of 

 butterflies and moths, one of the most important instruments is 

 the net. German naturalists make use of what are known as 

 shears (Scberen), which are made like gigantic scissors, having at 

 the end two large oval rings upon which wire gauze or fine netting 

 is stretched. With this implement, which looks like an old- 

 fashioned candle-snuffer of colossal size, they succeed in collect- 

 ing specimens without doing much injury. Shears are, however, 

 not much in vogue among the naturalists of other countries. The 

 favorite instrument for the ordinary collector is the net. Nets may 

 be made in various ways and of various materials. There are a 

 multitude of devices which have been invented for enabling the 

 net to be folded up so as to occupy but little space when not 

 in use. The simplest form of the net, which can be made 

 almost anywhere, is constructed as follows: A rod— preferably 

 of bamboo, or some other light, stiff material— is used as the 

 handle, not more than five feet in length. Attached to this at its 

 upper end, a loop or ring made of metal, or some moderately stiff 



26 



