COLLECTING. 19 



person should attempt to charge a cyanide bottle himself. In 

 fact, chemists are not permitted to supply the poison to 

 unknown customers. Under certain conditions, however, a 

 chemist might consent to make up a killing bottle, and the 

 following instructions may help him in doing this. A fairly 

 strong, clear glass bottle, holding about 4 to 6 ounces ; the 

 mouth must be pretty wide, and closed with a well-fitting bung 

 that has been dipped in melted wax ; if the bung is of fine 

 grained cork, the wax will not be needed. At the bottom of 

 the bottle place a thick layer of the cyanide, and over this 

 pour plaster of Paris which has been mixed with water and con- 

 verted into a cream-like paste : one-third of the depth of the 

 bottle to be occupied by the poison and plaster, but only a thin 

 layer of the latter should cover the former. 



Dealers who supply cyanide bottles (uncharged) also have 

 in stock a brass bottle for chloroform, which some people 

 prefer as a killing agent because it does not change the 

 colour of insects as cyanide is occasionally apt to do. In using 

 this, the insect should be boxed, then a drop of the chloroform 

 may be allowed to run from the bottle over the perforated lid 

 or bottom of the box, and a finger put over the hole or holes for 

 a short time. 



The majority of butterflies, if transferred to pill boxes from 

 the net, settle down quietly. In this way they may be taken to 

 one's home and there placed, boxes and all, into the ammonia 

 jar, a simple but very effective contrivance. To start one of 

 these lethal chambers, procure a good sized pickle jar, one of 

 the brown earthenware kind, holding about 2 gallons. At the 

 bottom put in several layers of stout blotting-paper, and have 

 ready a covering for the mouth of the jar. This covering may 

 be of skin, waterproof-apron material, or even thick brown paper. 

 Before turning the boxes into the jar, lift up the blotting-paper, 

 drop in about half a teaspoonful of strong liquid ammonia ('886) 

 and replace blotting-paper. Directly the boxes are in the jar, 



