138 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



have an insect in your net, select a 

 box of suitable size and get it over 

 the insect. You can then in most 

 cases examine your capture through 

 your net, and if it is nothing you 

 want, set it at liberty. If you have 

 any doubt, or know you want it, you 

 must then get the lid on without let- 

 ting the insect loose in the net again. 

 Very little practice will enable you 

 to do this most expeditiously. Some 

 species should never be boxed, as 

 they are so restless that they destroy 

 themselves. Most of the Bombycina 

 and some few others are included. 

 Butterflies may safely be boxed, as 

 the comparitive darkness quietens 

 them instantly. You will find it an 

 advantage to leave your captures in 

 the boxes till next morning. During 



the night some of them will deposit 

 eggs on the sides or bottom. Some, 

 such as Tragopogonis will glue them 

 into the comers or any uneven place 

 for concealment ; others will deposit 

 them in batches with great regularity, 

 some will attach them singly, while 

 again, some, such as the Swifts, and 

 Eubolia Cervinata will deposit them 

 loosely. We shall have something 

 to say about rearing insects from the 

 egg on another occasion. 



The next thing to be done is to 

 kill your insect. Various means of 

 accomplishing this are adopted. 

 Bruised laurel leaves are sometimes 

 used, and they have the advantage of 

 keeping the specimens moist and soft 

 for a few days, but we have found 

 insects left among bruised laurel were 



apt to mould, and it destroys the 

 color in green insects. We have 

 used chlorform, benzoline, oxalic 

 acid, and several other things, but 

 have now settled to Cyanide of 

 Potassium. This is a dangerous 

 poison, and our younger readers will 

 not be able to buy it themselves. 

 They can, however, buy a killing 

 bottle of some of the dealers who 

 advertise on the last page ; and this 

 is safer than the Cyanide in crystal. 

 A killing bottle is a wide-mouthed 

 phial, with a closely fitting cork, 

 some pieces of Cyanide are at the 

 bottom, safely covered with plaster 

 of paris, which is porous enough to 

 let the poisonous fumes ascend, yet 

 keeps the poison out of harms way, 

 and as Cyanide of Potassium melts 

 when exposed to the air, it also pre- 

 serves it longer for use. Some of 

 our readers may be able to make 

 killing bottles for themselves. We 

 have tried several times without 

 success, for the plaster expands in 

 setting and cracks the bottle, and 

 we do not know how the dealers 

 manage t® avoid this. The insects 

 are put into the killing bottle, and in 

 a very few seconds succumb to the 

 poisonous vapour. If they are put 

 in one at once they will die almost as 

 they sit. If several are put in to- 

 gether they will disturb one another, 

 andfluttering about will do themselves 

 more or less damage. But we must 

 leave the subject till next week, when 

 we will speak of setting. 



To be continued 



