128 



THE YOUNG NATUBALIST. 



the principal outlines of classification into orders, families, &c. I feel sure 

 that the exhibition of such cases as those I have described would be atttended 

 with the best practical results, as by these means the insects, and some im- 

 portant facts connected with them, would be brought under the notice of an 

 immense number of individuals in the most attractive and agreeable manner. 



But to return to the requirements of a young collector, evidently the plan 

 we have been considering will not suit his purpose, therefore, some other form 

 of cabinet or box must be chosen. Whilst he is considering how he shall get 

 a cabinet, and is trying to induce his friends to purchase one for him, it not 

 unfrequently happens that some one who is not an entomologist, and there- 

 fore knows nothing of the requirements of the science, and only too often 

 looks upon it as a mere childish hobby, and likely to lead to the spending of 

 more money than is warranted by such a pursuit, suggests that some boxes 

 or drawers already in the collector's possession, or that some friend will per- 

 haps give him, will do very well. These and all other makeshifts will in every 

 case be found to be quite unsuited for the purpose. In the first place it is 

 absolutely necessary that whether boxes or drawers are used, they must be 

 dust-tight and practically air-tight when closed, and in the second place they 

 should be lined with cork, so that the pins may stick in easily, and be held 

 firmly in position. If this is not attended to, many specimens will get dam- 

 aged, either owing to the collapsing of the pin when the collector is trying 

 to stick it in firmly, or by one specimen getting loose and breaking the 

 antennse or otherwise damaging other specimens near it. Again, if the boxes 

 or drawers are not very close-fitting, the specimens will be sure to be des- 

 troyed by mites, for it is useless to put camphor or napthaline into the box 

 as a preservative unless the box is sufficiently air-tight to keep in the fumes. 

 If you wish to rid a chamber of insect pests by fumigating with sulphur, you 

 take care to stop up every chink and crevice ; for the same reason bruised 

 laurel leaves will have no effect on any insect unless enclosed in a securely 

 corked or stoppered bottle. I mention this because I remember once meeting 

 with a young entomologist who had collected a great many species of lepi- 

 doptera. and I chanced to ask him if he used laurel leaves for killing moths, 

 when he replied that he had tried it and found it not to answer ; and no 

 wonder, for on enquiry I found that he had placed the leaves with the moths 

 in a cardboard box ; of course, no poisonous vapour would have acted 

 efficiently under the circumstances. 1 have heard persons say that they did 

 not think camphor any protection against mites, and have always found on 

 investigation, that the cause of failure was not in the inefficiency of the cam- 

 phor as a preservative, but becauses the case in which the insects were kept 

 was not sufficiently close fitting. It may be thought that the carrying out 



