COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF INSECTS 23 



2. Date : The day, month, and year should be given. 



3. Collector : The collector should be indicated as a possible source of further 

 information omitted from the label. 



4. Source: If known, the host, food plant, or material attacked should be 

 indicated. 



If a system of lot numbers is used to associate specimens with field 

 notes, of course the lot number should appear on the label also. A 

 convenient method of filing field notes without the necessity of using 

 lot numbers is to arrange them according to year, month, and day, 

 so that the date on the label also serves as a key to the notes. 



Properly prepared field notes enable the careful observer to retain 

 much detailed information that cannot be included on the labels 

 attached to the specimens. The type of information needed usually 

 involves further details as to locality, the general ecological aspects 

 of the area, the exact conditions under which the insect was found, 

 its abundance, its behavior, how it looks in life, and so on. 



HOW TO MAKE LABELS 



Labels should be on good-quality paper, heavy enough so that it 

 will stay flat when the labels are cut out, of a texture so that it will 

 not come loose on the pin, and with a surface that can be written on 

 with a fine pen ; linen ledger paper, "substance 36," is recommended. 

 The ink should be permanent and should not "run" if the labels are 

 placed in jars containing liquid preservative. 



Labels may be lettered by hand or printed with small type. The 

 latter method is much better from every standpoint and is usually 

 advisable if more than a few labels of a kind are needed. Complete 

 or partially printed labels may be purchased from supply houses. 

 Some sample arrangements for pin labels are shown in figure 15. 

 To conserve space on small labels, it is well to omit punctuation and 

 to abbreviate long locality names whenever possible. 



The size of the pin labels will depend somewhat upon the insects 

 for which they are intended. Very small labels, necessary for small 

 specimens mounted on points, are not suitable for large moths, butter- 

 flies, cicadas, etc., because they cannot be easily read when pinned 



CallfaCAL Maripoaa Garrison Whitehall 



£2? e ,«.*£* L &« MONTvii- MONTvii- 

 Oraan 1935 Oman 1935 Oman 1535 Oman 1935 

 CalUaCAL Mariposa Garrison Whitehall 



June CAL6- MONTvii- MONTvii- 



Oman 1935 Oman 1935 Oman 1935 Oman 19SS 

 CallfaCAL Maripoaa Garrison Whitehall 

 Joae CAL6- MONTvii- MONTvii- 



Onsn 1935 Oman 1935 Oman 1935 Oman 

 CufaCAL Mariposa Garrisor 

 Juae CAL6- MONTv 



Orran 1935 Oman 1935 



Oman 1935 Oman 



rj.:'af~Al M«rtTw><i« Garrison Whitehall 



Ca^aCAL Mariposa MONTvii . MONT vii- 



-Ctaan 1935 Oman 1935 Omai. 1935 Oman 1935 

 CtKaCAL Mariposa M a ™° n ii ,„ JJ£S#3J ,„ 

 Oma e n 2 193S Oman 1985 Oman IMS Omai . 19SS 

 CalliaCAL M.ripoa. Garnson WhuahaU^ 



Om'an 1935 Oman US5 Oman 1935 Omen 193S 

 rjiiifaPAl MnrinnaA Garrison Whitehall 



CalliaCAL. *fi9™L MO NTvii-10 MONTvii-10 

 Oma e n 2 1935 Cta.. IKS Oman 1935 Oman .935 

 CalUaCAL Mariposa Garrison Whitehall 



June 12 CAL6-22 montvii-10 MONTvii-10 



Oman 1935 Oman 1935 Oman 1^35 Oman 1935 

 CallfaCAL Mariposa Garrison Whitehall 



June 12 CAL6-22 MONTvii-10 MONTvii-10 



Oman 1935 Oman 1935 Oman 1935 Oman "* 



Figure 15. — Sample strips of pin labels, some complete and some with the date 

 omitted, so that by writing in the date with a fine pen a single lot of labels 

 will serve for many different days of collecting in the same locality. 



