THE yOUNG 



NATUEALIST. 



391 



CAPTURING AND SETTING 

 INSECTS. 



By S. L. Mosley. 



As I anticipate that many young beginners 

 will take advantage of the "exchange" I 

 have inserted in this weeks Y.N., a few notes 

 on capturing and setting the various insects 

 may not be out of place. 



DiPTERA. — These may be taken on flowers 

 chiefly, in the windows of houses and various 

 other places. They may be pinned and set 

 like Lepidoptera, using a setting-board with 

 a widish grove with a flat bottom, so that 

 the fore and hind legs can be brought into 

 position. Very small species may be set as 

 recommended at page 358. i would particu- 

 larly direct attention to those which produce 

 galls on various plants. The galls may be 

 gathered when mature and kept until the 

 flies appear, and the galls should, in all 

 cases, be sent along with the insects. 

 Parasites on other larvas should also have 

 particular care. 



Hymenoptera. — The larger species may 

 be set on ordinary boards with wide groves, 

 or with cardboard braces below and above 

 the wings. Often the wings are very rigid 

 and cannot be got into position ; in this 

 case, press the wings forward and give them 

 a nip just where they join the thorax. They 

 are best killed with chloride of ammonia or 

 the fumes of sulphur — cyanide makes insects 

 very stiff. The small species may be set as 

 given in No. 148. Ichneumons which are 

 bred from lepidopterous larvae should 

 always have a note attached to the pin 

 showing what species they were bred from. 

 Larvse of saw-flies should be forwarded in 

 the larva state, with the name of the plant 

 upon which they were found. Particular 

 attention should also be directed to the gall- 

 producers (see above). Galls often contain 

 parasites which do not emerge until some 

 time after the real gall-makers have flown. 



Now is a good time to collect many kinds of 

 galls, just when the leaves are falling, or 

 after they have fallen from the trees. 



Neuroptera. — The larger species may be 

 captured and set in the usual way. Near 

 water is best. The minute kinds may be 

 carded as above. In the case of caddis flies, 

 when any species is found in abundance the 

 water near should be examined for the larva- 

 case, which should accompany the perfect 

 insect. Many a small species (Psocus, 8cc.) 

 may now be beaten from fir and other trees 

 into an inverted umbrella. Large bright- 

 coloured dragon-flies should have a slit cut 

 up under the body and the viscera scraped 

 out and a piece of thin white paper rolled 

 and placed inside, otherwise the colours will 

 soon fade. These should be sent fresh, if 

 possible, before the colours change in any 

 way, as I am wishful to make drawings for 

 future use. 



CoLEOPTERA. — Many beetles may now be 

 found under stones, moss, loose bark, &c., 

 where they have resorted for their winter 

 quarters ; and as we shall soon be making 

 use of figures of these insects, workers in 

 this order are particularly desired. When 

 collecting, a wide-necked bottle with a large 

 quill inserted through the cork is a very 

 useful receptacle ; a piece of rag should be 

 put into the bottle so that the beetles may 

 run among its folds, otherwise the carnivo- 

 rous kinds will be liable to bite off each 

 other's legs. A good many may be obtained 

 by placing a piece of raw meat in a pickle 

 bottle and inserting it in the ground in a 

 wood, with the neck level with the earth : it 

 should be examined every day or two. All 

 beetles may be killed by upsetting them 

 into hot water. They should then be taken 

 out and placed upon blotting paper to dry. 

 The larger species may be pinned through 

 the right wing case, and the legs and an- 

 tennas set out. The smaller kinds must be 

 carded on card about the thickness of 

 " stout " post-cards. 



