December i, 1888.J THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
377 
A NOTE ON THE APPARATUS REQUIRED 
FOR COLLECTING INSECTS IN INDIA. 
Killing bottle. — A simple and effective killing bottle 
is made as follows:— 
Two or three lumps of cyanide of potassium, each 
as big as ail acorn, are dropped into au empty quinine 
or other wide-mouthed glass bottle: enough plaster 
of Paris, made by mixing the dry powder with water 
to the consistence of cream, is poured in to cover 
up the lumps of cyanide. The bottle is left open for 
a few hours, uutil the plaster has set hard, when 
it is tightly corked up, and after remaining closed for 
a day or two, is ready for use. 
The plaster and cyanide set into a solid mass, which 
sticks cast at the bottom of the bottle, the object of 
the plaster being to hold the cyanide in place, and 
the whole ma>s has a smooth, even surface, from which 
insects can be easily picked up, the glass sides of the 
bottle enabling the insect to be easily seen. 
A few minuti s in a good killing bottle, thus made, 
is sufficient to kill most small insects, but some of 
the larger species of insects require to be kept in it 
for several hours to insure their not reviving. 
A killing bottle, when carefully used, should last 
for a good many months, the great thing b-ing to 
keep it tightly corked up and always to close it quickly, 
after taking out or putting in an insect, thus allowing 
as little as possible of the cyanide vapour to escape. 
Old quiniue bottles do very well for all ordinary 
purposes, as killing bottles, they are cheap and of a 
convenient size, but are not big enough to take the 
largest moths and beetles, so for these a larger size 
of bottle should he obtained. 
Killing butterflies. — All insects can be killed in a 
killing bottle, but for butterflies it is quite suflicicut 
to fold the wings together over the back, and then 
to pinch the thorax between the finger and thumb; 
ttiir> kills the insect without injuring its wings. 
Preserving insects t>i alcohol. — Eggs, pupa; and soft- 
bodied insects (such as catterpillars and grubs,) can 
be at once killed and preserved by dropping them 
alive into strong alcohol, where they do not putrefy 
or shiivel up, as tbey would be liable to do if it 
were attempted to dry them. 
Small insects. — All small insects, when taken out of 
the killing bottle, should be at once pinned, or else 
gummed on to little pieces of cardboard or mica, 
great care being taken in gumming them not to smear 
tho gum over their bodies; the little bits of card or 
mica mu be pinned down into carboard boxes, and 
thus closely packed to travel. 
Medium-sized instcts. — Meuium-si/.. d insects (inclu- 
ding all butterflies ami most moths) can be wrapped 
in soft paper, when they come out of tho killing 
bottle, and as soon as they are dry, can be packed 
lightly but closely together into tight-fitting tin boxes, 
with a tew lumps of camphor or naphthaline ; in tQis 
way they can be sent long distances by post without 
(ear of injury. Simply drying tho packets, which con- 
tain the insects, separately in the sun and air for 
two or three days l> ing quite sufficient to preserve 
tli> i r contents. 
Large insects. — Large insects, especially those with 
•tout ubdoim us, require to have the contents of the 
abdomen removed, and the shell stuffed with cotton 
wool, at ti r width they can be dried and packed like 
th>< medium-sized insects above. 
Kt(f>tmj dried insects. — All insects, when thoroughly 
dm d| can be kept in any close-fitting box or case 
which contains a little ctmphor or naphthaline. It 
' is essential, however, tor tin- case to be itself per- 
fectly dry and practically air-tight. 
Insect net. — A simple ami serviceable net for catching 
nisi -eti e 111 lm iim.ii- nt i>l imi-i|iiii i curtain stretched 
. 011 a oino hoop with a bamboo handle attached. 
Forceps. — A pair "( forceps, which can generally he 
ruadv locally, will alway. he useful for picking up .-mall 
insects. 
On sendiui miectt for iictern\initi»i). — Iu sending 
specimens of iiisuat pests to entomologists for determina- 
tion: each pest should bu kept carefully by itself, and 
when possible specimens should be sent, in all stages 
of development and in considerable numbers, accom- 
panied by any notes on the habits of th - insect, an 1 
a full account of the nature and extent of the damage, 
also any specimens (such as half eaten leaves, bored 
wood, damaged grain, &c.,) which throw light on tho 
nature of the attack. Live specimens are always easier 
to make out than dead ones, so they should always 
be sent when there is a reasonable probability of 
their surviving the journey; chrysalides and cocoons, 
especially, should be sent alive, packed in a perforated 
box with leaves or grass. So little is at present known 
of Inilian entomology, that the exact determination of 
species is often a matter of very great difficulty. Hence 
the necessity of furnishing full particulars and also of 
collecting a considerable number of specimens in each 
case, as these are often of great assistance in making 
out the affinities of au insec,anil iu any case forma 
most valuable record for comparison. 
Materials, — The following materials are sufficient for 
collecting a vast number of insects, and would pronably 
last one collector for at least a year, 
In the absence of price list, it is impossible to say 
what the exact coat would be, but from R5 to 20 
would probably buy all that could possibly be wanted 
by one collector. 
For collecting ordinary dried insects the following 
will he sufficient: — 
Four ounces of cyanide of potassium. 
A pint bottle full of dry plaster of Paris. 
One pound of camphor (or betti r naphthaline). 
A couple of wide-mouthed bott es with corks. 
Three yards of mosquito net. 
A few pieces of cane and bamboo. 
Some small tin boxes. 
A packet of thin white brown paper. 
A pair of forceps. 
A needlo and thread. 
A ball of string. 
A yard or two of mulmul. 
A pocket knife. 
If larv;e and other soft-bodied insects are to be collect- 
ed, the following should be added : — 
One quart of strong spirit ( or better pure alcohol). 
Same empty bottles with corks. 
A little wax for closing bottles. 
If very small insects are to be collected, the follow- 
ing should also be provided: — 
Two or three sheets of fine cardboard. 
Two or three packets of small pins. 
An ounce of gum arabic. 
Small cardboard boxes of various sizes. 
Hough collecting. — The above list contains all that 
is likely to be wanted by a collector ; but a great deal 
can bo done with very much simpler materials; for 
instance, when other apparatus is not at hand, any 
insect cau be killed and preserved by droppiug it alive 
into a bottle of alcohol (or even whisky), though 
its colours will always be more or less damaged in 
the process, and it will consequently not make a good 
cabinet specimen afterwards. — E. C. Cotes. — Indian 
Forestry. 
COFFEE PRUNING. 
We have had tho pleasure of reading a very interest- 
ing article in a contemporary on the subject of "Coffee 
Pruning." The matter is thoro treated iu au able nud 
exhaustive manner, aud as we agree with the theories 
there laid down, there is hut little left for u» to wriio 
on tho subject excep to add our experience «s regards 
the practice of different systems, which may be termed 
" Pruning " "light)" "medium," or "heavy," and 
wi'hout condemning our neighbour's heavy "spue" 
pruning on the one sido, we do not advocate th» very 
" light or, in some ca-o», total neglect ol tho oper- 
ntiou by our friend, ou tho other. Being uwaro of 
tho importance of '' Priming" as apart of the cul- 
tivation ofcolTeo.it has received our elo.est stUtution. 
II itU i view to gam a knowledge of the actual requiri - 
incuts of tho troe iu this respect. Wo h»ve watched 
this work moro particularly in order tj pruuu accord- 
