COLLECTING INSECTS. 
51 
Card. — A hard white card or two-sheet Bristol board should be used. 
Round Punch. — This should have a diameter of about | inch for 
cutting out circles of card the use of which is explained further on. 
A 20-bore gunwad-punch answers well. 
Law a- preserving Apparatus. — This consists of spirit-lamp, small 
oven, and infiator. Instead of an oven a piece of copper gauze 
placed over the flame of the spirit-lamp answers very well. The 
whole apparatus can be obtained from entomological agents. 
Collecting. 
Besides those which may be caught on the wing with a butterfly- 
net, insects should be looked for on flowers, under bark of trees, in 
rotten wood, in decaying animal and vegetable matter, under stones, 
under fallen leaves (where there is moisture), at the roots of grass 
and trees, in ants' nests, in ponds and streams. When circumstances 
permit, and small insects are being sought for in dead leaves, etc., the 
leaves should be sifted over a sheet of paper. If the insects appear 
numerous, the siftings should be put into a holland bag, and examined 
at home. Many small insects which would be overlooked out of 
doors may be found in this way. Many insects are obtained by 
sweeping herbage with a net ; others by beating trees while a large 
net or umbrella is held beneath. 
Ground-beetles may often be caught by putting a piece of meat or 
bone in a pickle-bottle, and burying it so that the mouth is just on a 
level with the ground. 
Moths, some beetles, and other nocturnal insects are obtained by 
painting patches of sugar on the trunks of trees, and looking for 
them with a lantern after dark. The mixture used should be made 
with brown sugar, beer, and a little rum. Apples cut into quarters, 
smeared with sugar and hung up, also attract moths. 
Moths may also be caught by hanging up a sheet with a lantern 
behind it. They are attracted by the light, and, settling on the sheet, 
may be picked off with glass-bottom boxes or with the killing-bottle. 
Some beetles and other insects may be obtained by hanging up 
skins of animals, or the carcases of small mammals or birds. 
Strangely enough, some butterflies are attracted in this way, as well 
as by strong cheese. 
