74 



(8) Beating disturbs many imagines from their hiding places. 



(9) Breeding. This is a good way of getting fine specimens, 

 and will enable you to study the early life history of an insect. 

 In all branches of the Insecta our knowledge of early stages is 

 very imperfect, but insects selected for special study must be 

 segregated, and great care taken not to mix them with other 

 insects, or confusion will assuredly arise. 



This is especially so with regard to introducing food plant 

 into the breeding cages, unless great care be taken small larva? 

 of other species are introduced and give rise to incorrect and 

 unsatisfactory results.* 



Breeding ex ova likewise pays well, and many species lay 

 quite readily, others require special inducements to lay and pro- 

 longed feeding. 



As an example of the kind of work that may be done with 

 breeding from the egg in quantities I instance Professor Poulton's 

 experiments, recorded at Trans Ent. Soc, London, 1892 and 1898. 



For obtaining the larvae themselves, searching the food 

 plant, beating with a Bignell tray and sweeping are the usual 

 methods. Searching is the only way with many larvae, and teaches 

 more of their habits than any other method, it is trying to the 

 patience and requires considerable perseverance, but on occasions 

 is well rewarded. 



Beating. The Bignell beating tray is the best apparatus. 

 It is 10/6 to buy. I prefer making my own, as they cost me 2/3 

 to make and are vastly superior when home made. The bigger 

 the tray the better, but a big tray requires a strong wrist, so 

 don't overgun yourself or beating becomes a painful exercise. 

 The longer the stick the more larvae you will secure, as the moths 

 lay their eggs at different altitudes, depending greatly on the 

 state of the weather at the time of ova depositing. Again, don't 

 overgun yourself with a stick or you will find you cannot give 

 the branches that smart, sudden jar which causes the larvae to 

 drop off the boughs into the waiting tray. 



Sweeping with the sweeping net. A big handle, a strong iron 

 ring and a stout calico net, plenty of elbow grease and per- 

 severance are the necessary fit out. It is most excellent exercise, 

 and warranted to reduce the most persistent deposit of adipose 

 tissue. 



The free end of the bag is best attached to the handle by a 



sheet. On the oth*»r hand lack of a scrubber meant taking down tubing to clear it of moisture, 

 whilst I could go alt night without any trouble. He set his sheet on three stout poles, one in 

 a rebate of stout calico each side of the sheet, then stuck the poles in the ground and 

 stretched them with a single cord to the ground tennis net fashion. No 3, planted in the 

 centre of the sheet, was strained away from the lamp, the sheet being carried to ground level. 

 The arrangement is good but not portable, and as portability ia important to me I use jointed 

 bamboo poles and s^t my sheet by strained cords as if I were setting a flat sail, relying on my 

 cords for stiffness and not upon my poles, the latter being very light. I think the sheet ought 

 to touch the ground. 



* Breeding from wild larvae often results in the emergence of parasitic flies of the orders. 

 Hymenoptera and Diptera. Such parasites, when you can trace the actual host with 

 certainty, are of great interest, but it is a tine qua non that the host should be certain. 



