4 AMERICAN MUSEUM GUIDE LEAFLETS 



great hiders and should be looked for under bark; in rotten wood; 

 under stones, dead leaves, etc.; among the roots of plants; in their 

 stems and flowers — in short, everywhere at all times. 



COLLECTING APPARATUS AND HOW TO USE IT 



The great essentials for insect collecting were given each of us 

 at birth and need only be improved by us — an inquiring mind, eyes 

 and fingers. Only a very few insects sting to such an extent that 

 collecting wdth unaided fingers is uncomfortable, and even the swiftest 

 fliers can be caught by hand when they are young or asleep. How- 

 ever, certain tools are handy. They can either be made at home or 

 purchased rather cheaply from dealers.^ 



Mention of insect collecting immediately suggests a net. For the 

 capture of adult butterflies, moths and other deUcate flying creatures 

 this should be of the Hghtest possible material. Fine Brussels net or 

 bobbinet is used for the larger sizes (one or two feet in diameter) and 

 silk veiling for the pocket sizes. The depth of this net should be at 

 least twice the diameter of its rim, so that when an insect is caught a 

 twist will fold the bag against the rim and leave the insect imprisoned 

 in the lower end of the bag. Some collectors prefer green nets, be- 

 lieving that insects do not see them so weU ; and others black, because 

 one can see through black netting readily; but most collectors use 

 white. The beginner is apt to choose too long a handle and can then 

 take only long slow strokes even if he does not get all mixed up with 

 the vegetation and his fellow collectors. Three feet is long enough to 

 handle, especially if one handles w^ell the two feet wliich are covered 

 with shoes. 



The sweeping net should be made of stout white musUn or light 

 duck on a strong rim well fastened to a handle of such a length that 

 the user can just touch the ground with the rim of the net without 

 stooping. The diameter of the net depends somewhat on the strength 

 of the user and its depth may be from lH-2 times its diameter. It 

 is used to sw^eep blindly through the grass, bunches of flowers, light 

 bushes, etc., in a fairly certain expectation of getting something. Much 

 of the material will be damaged by the rough handUng, but it is the 

 quickest way to get large mmibers of specimens, and the only w^ay to 

 get certain things quickly. The tendency seems to be to make the 



*The principal dealers in this vicinity are Kny-Scheerer Corporation, 56 West 23d St., New York 

 City; Ward's Natural Science Establishment, Rochester, N. Y.; New Jersey Entomological Co., Box 

 432, South Amboy, N. J., and O. Foulda, 63 Fifth Ave., New York City. 



