MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 627 



is composed of two light slender rods, five or six feet 

 long, bent at the top, and connected by a piece of 

 leather, which serves as a hinge ; on this frame-work 

 is placed a net of gauze (green is perhaps the best 

 colour) which extends to within about six inches of 

 the lower extremity, and falls in a bag, to prevent 

 the escape of any insect folded in it. 



Another instrument, the forceps, will prove very 

 useful, particularly for the capture of Hymenoptera. 

 The handles are somewhat like those of curling- 

 irons, having at their tips a frame, which should be 

 of brass; over the frame is fastened a piece of gauze, 

 strained tight, and round the rim should be sewn a 

 piece of calico, or thin leather, as a protection to the 

 gauze. A supply of gauze should be provided, to 

 re-cover the frames when needed. 



A strong knife and a digger are requisite, for 

 raising the bark of trees in searching for such in- 

 sects as lurk there, and for exploring the burrows 

 of those which inhabit subterranean retreats. 



For collecting - bottles, common wide -mouthed 

 phials, fitted with corks, will be found to answer ; 

 one should contain camphorated spirit, which does 

 not injure some insects ; and in another, bruised 

 laurel-leaves may be put, when they can be obtained ; 

 or a collecting-bottle can be simply made thus : into 

 the cork of the bottle tightly fix a small glass tube 

 open at each end, containing a piece of sponge, the 

 outer extremity of the tube to be fitted with a 

 cork ; a few drops of chloroform, allowed, from time 

 to time, to fall on the sponge, will speedily kill any 



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