84 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
only too happy. — Rev. H. Harpur 
Crewe, The Rectory, Drayton- Beau- 
champ, near Tring ; Dec. 5. 
A PRACTICAL HINT. 
When first I commenced collecting, I 
often on a hot day toiled under a load of 
boxes that distended every pocket, and 
considerably interfered with my move- 
ments when giving chase to some of 
the strong-flying Lepidoptera, such as 
S. Pavonia-minor or L. Qucrcus ; aud 
often have I found, even when I had 
been careful to put only one specimen in 
each box, that when I had captured a 
good specimen aud expected a beauty 
added to my collection, that on opening 
the box the insect was scarcely to be 
identified. I am sure many collectors 
must have been similarly disappointed, 
for no insect will remain quietly in a box 
for the length of a day in the pocket of 
one who is rushing about after every in- 
sect he wishes to capture. I therefore 
think that it may be useful to describe 
the method I now adopt, by which I save 
myself from carrying such a load of 
boxes, and also am able to bring in 
specimens in the evening as perfect as 
when I caught them. 
My usual supply of boxes is three: — 
1st. A wooden collecting-box, 9 inches 
by 4 inches, corked both above 
and below : this for the dead 
specimens. 
2udly. My killing-boxes : these are of 
tin, one larger than the other, 
for the larger kinds of butterflies 
and moths; the smaller one I 
use is a tin percussion-cap box. 
For each of these I have a false 
bottom of cork, which fits sufficiently 
tight to prevent its shaking, but can 
easily be taken out or put in. 
Before going out for a day’s collecting, 
I lift tbese false bottoms and put under 
each a small piece of cyanide of potas- 
sium wrapped in a piece of cotton (as 
the salt is so liquescent that it would 
speedily soak through the cork and spoil 
the insect, unless there was something 
to absorb it). 
In the larger wooden box I stick ento- 
mological pins of the numbers likely to 
be required for the insects I hope to 
catch. When an insect is captured it is 
immediately boxed in one of the killing- 
boxes, according to its size, and in two 
minutes, sometimes much less, is quite 
insensible, and may be removed to the 
wooden box and there transfixed, so that 
no down can be knocked off its wings or 
body. So rapid is the effect of the 
cyanide of potash upon almost every 
species of Lepidopterous insect that even 
when catching insects with great rapidity 
I always found the two killing-boxes 
sufficient. 
A wooden box, of the dimensions given 
above will hold a very large day’s col- 
lecting, when the insects are closely 
pinned, if it be corked upon the lid as 
well as on the bottom. A piece of cy- 
anide should be placed in the corner of 
the wooden box, or else the insects will 
revive if taken rapidly out of the killing- 
boxes. 
This method I have used with un- 
