BUTTERFLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS. 215 
ENTOMOLOGICAL FORCEPS. 
The forceps is a very useful instrument for col- 
lecting day-flying lepidopterous insects. 
Some of these are formed with octagonal leaves, 
and others circular or oyal ; they ought to he five 
or six inches in diameter, and covered with muslin 
or green gauze, or very fine catgut, the meshes of 
which ought to allow the head of a lace pin to pass 
through it. The joint of the handle should be 
placed nearer the rings for the finger and thumb, 
than to the leaves of the instrument, or it will not 
open well. The handles may be made of iron, but 
the hoop should always be of brass, to prevent its 
rusting, or, if made of iron, it ought to be painted. 
The objection to the leaves of forceps being round 
is, that when the insect wished to he seized is 
perched upon a wall, or other Vertical situations, 
they cannot be applied with such certainty of se- 
curing the object. 
