92 

 Tweezers anil Forceps. 



A variety of implements for collecting', pinning, mounting', and hand- 

 ling insects is essential to satisfactory work. These include tweezers 

 for collecting' small and delicate specimens and transferring them to 

 bottles and vials j and various pinning' and transferring forceps and 

 brushes. 



735. PINNING FORCEPS FOR LETIDOPTERA. 



These are peculiar, in being stronger and in having more or less de- 

 cidedly kneed handles, to adapt them for the heavier work of transfer- 

 ring and setting the larger Lepidoptera. The knee in the handle allows 

 the forceps to be thrust beneath the insect, and allows the pin to be 

 more securely thrust into the cork. 



736. COMMON PINNING FORCEPS. 



The form exhibited is the one usually employed by entomologists, 

 and serves for all ordinary operations of pinning. Other styles, prac- 

 tically of the same character, are also shown. 



737. COLLECTING TWEEZERS. 



For this purpose any light, pliable, fine-pointed forceps are suitable, 

 the points being either straight or curved at the tip, according to indi- 

 vidual preference. They are used not only for picking up specimens 

 from the collecting cloth or umbrella, but are indispensable for extract- 

 ing insects from cracks or holes in timber, their burrows, etc. Of the 

 two or three styles exhibited, the larger can be used for collecting 

 scorpions or ferocious insects which one does not care to take with the 

 hand. 



738. THE COLLECTING BRUSH. 



A common camel's-hair brush is shown, which, being first slightly 

 moistened, is used for collecting very delicate specimens or in trans- 

 ferring them, to avoid the injury which would certainly result from 

 handling them with tweezers or the fingers. 



739. THE COLLECTING PILL BOX. 



This is a device for collecting Micro- Lepidoptera used by Lord 

 Walsingham. It consists of an ordinary pill box, the bottom of which 

 has been removed and a piece of glass substituted. This pill box ad- 

 mits of the immediate examination of specimens, so that worthless or 

 common species can be discarded. 



Boxes for First Preservation of Living Specimens. 



In collecting insects it is frequently necessary to keep the specimens 

 obtained alive for purposes of future study or for breeding, and a 



