THE FIRST CAMP 
there was just the chance that they would waste their 
employer's time in the forest, smoking and telling 
stories; or, if they had killed and caught any- 
thing, they would immediately sit down and cook 
it. If this happened they would come home empty- 
handed, quite shamelessly, saying ‘“‘awpapoo achi” (no 
butterflies). 
Kach boy was supplied with a large butterfly net 
and collecting box. In every box we stuck a certain 
number of pins, and told the boy that if he filled his 
box with good specimens he would receive a stick of 
tobacco. Bad specimens I always discarded in the 
culprit’s presence, so that his iniquity might come 
home to him. I had, of course, to undertake the 
training of the collectors myself, although Sam helped 
to explain the method. 7 
First, I got a butterfly and showed how to handle 
it and pin it sideways into the box. The crucial - 
matter was the seizing of it once it was in the net. 
It must be carefully taken between finger and thumb 
and the thorax pinched on the under-side. If it be 
pinched from above—as every butterfly collector 
knows—the operator’s finger-marks would show on 
the wings and betray slovenly handling. Some of 
the boys became very neat-fingered after a time, but 
others would not learn at all, and were so shameless 
that they would bring in part of a wing carefully 
stuck on the pin—in fact, it was ‘“‘anything to fill 
your box.” Occasionally the less scrupulous would 
appropriate the pins to their own use. Of course 
there was nothing for it but to pay off and send 
away such useless fellows. 
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