93 



variety of boxes will be required to accommodate the insects or their 

 early stages of different orders. These boxes Bhould be nearly air- 

 tight to prevent drying, and this will not endanger the life of the cap- 

 tures, because insects require very little air. 



740-743. SEIDLITZ-POWDER BOXES. 



These can be obtained of druggists, or made by any tinsmith, of 



various sizes, the corners being carefully rounded to permit of the 

 proper bending of the sides. They can be left in the flat until ready 

 for use, and tlieu bent into shape. Two or three convenient sizes are 

 illustrated. The circular tin box used by watchmakers is also excel- 

 lent. 



744. COLLECTING AND PRESERVING SUBSTANCES. 



Under this head the chief agents for collecting and preserving and 

 mounting insects are exhibited — alcohol, chloroform, ether, cyanide 

 of potassium, benzine, gasoline, naphtha, creosote, benzole, Wickers- 

 heimer's preserving fluid. Spalding's glue, shellac (solid), shellac (fluid), 

 naphthaline cones, naphthaline crystals, gum camphor, bisulphide of 

 carbon, mercury, carbolic acid. 



Collecting* Bottles. 



These consist of any wide-mouthed bottle, or specimen tubes may 

 be used, and they may be of a variety of sizes, to accommodate the dif- 

 ferent orders of insects. A number of styles are exhibited. Nearly 

 all the collecting bottles now used are charged with cyanide of potas- 

 sium, which is put in in the solid form and held in place on the bottom 

 of the vial by pouring in liquid plaster of Paris, which subsequently 

 hardens, or by fastening it down with a paper wad. 



745. THE CYANIDE BOTTLE WITH PAPER STRIPS. 



This is an ordinary cyanide bottle with plaster of Paris covering the 

 cyanide, but to prevent the insects from grating on each other and also 

 to absorb the moisture the vial above the cyanide is partially tilled with 

 strips of bibulous paper. 



746. THE CYANIDE BOTTLE WITH PAPER LINING. 



The absorption of moisture, which is so injurious to delicate small 

 specimens, is also accomplished by putting a strip of blotting paper 

 around the inner side ofthe bottle and covering the plaster of Paris with 

 circular pieces of blotting paper just fitting the interior of the bottle. 



747. VEST POCKET CYANIDE BOTTLE 



This is made of a small test tube, the cyanide being broken up some- 

 whal finely, and held in place by crowding in some soft and bibulous 

 paper. 



