RESEARCH IN BRITISH WEST AFRICA. 227 
APPENDIX. 
Hints ror CoLuecrors. 
In 1909 a pamphlet of “Instructions to Collectors” was prepared by the 
Entomological Research Committee and printed by the Colonial Office. Much 
of what follows is taken from this pamphlet, but several points have been 
amended and others added. The following hints refer more especially to blood- 
sucking insects and other arthropods, and are intended mainly for those who 
have had little or no experience in such work, but who wish to study the insect 
fauna of their district. The particulars here given emphasise, therefore, the 
points to which special attention should be paid, and present the more 
simple methods of collecting, preserving and despatching for examination and 
identification. 
I—APPARATUS AND GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS. 
The following is a list of the more important apparatus required for entomo- 
logical collecting :— 
Nets.—The most serviceable net is that known as the “ kite net,” the frame 
of which is in three pieces, the two side pieces being of wood and the top of 
curved cane; the rigidity of this frame permits of its being used also as a 
sweeping net. For winged insects the bag of the net may be of the ordinary 
green gauze; but this should be thoroughly soaked before use to get rid of 
the starch, otherwise the stiff material will damage all delicate insects ; tulle 
bags last much longer and are softer, but they are a good deal more expensive. 
It is well to have one or two spare net-bags. The Y which holds the frame 
should be of brass, the parts being brazed together and not soldered, for solder 
is very apt to give. 
Glass-bottomed pill-boxes.—These are indispensable for bringing home fragile 
insects or such as have easily detachable scales, e.g., moths, mosquitos, &e. 
The most useful sizes are 1 inch, 14 inch, 14 inch and 2 inch diameter. Before 
using these a small hole should be pierced in the lid by means of a strong pin. 
A brass chloroform-bottle—Chloroform is especially useful when delicate 
insects, such as mosquitos, moths, &c., have been brought home alive in the 
glass-bottomed boxes. The chloroform-bottle is constructed so that the liquid 
comes out in single drops. When it is desired to stupefy an insect contained in 
a glass-bottomed box before transferring it to the killing-bottle, apply the nozzle 
of the chloroform-bottle to the small hole in the lid, and sufficient liquid will 
come out to attain this object without damaging the insect. 
Killing-bottles—These should be made as follows: Into a wide-mouthed bottle 
put a layer of plaster of paris, from } to } an inch deep ; cover this with small 
lumps of cyanide of potassium; then add another quarter-inch layer of dry 
plaster, and cover the whole with a thin layer of plaster moistened to the 
consistency of cream. As the chemical union of water with the plaster generates 
heat, the bottle should be heated by placing it in warm water before the last 
layer is added ; othérwise it is liable to crack. A large prune- or jam-jar is the 
best for home use, and smaller ones for the field, A large glass tube makes a 
