THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCES. 
93 
be beat or brushed from them. Beating 
and brushing trees, bushes and hedges, 
are now the grand modes of capturing ; 
don’t stop to select, but put the lot into a 
bottle of laurel-leaves cut small, and 
there they will keep for a week, or more, 
until you have leisure to attend to them, 
and be all the belter for keeping. Elder 
bloom on the coast should be well looked 
after for the chance of taking the rare 
Elater , Atho'us Campyloides. Sweeping 
in woods and on banks will give hosts of 
species, Drilus ftavescens among them, 
besides Cryptocephali, Chrysomelidce, 
Galerucidce , &c. ; and if you find a dead 
beast, large or small, don’t turn up your 
nose at it, though it may not smell like 
flowers, but examine it carefully ; it is a 
dainty morsel to many a EUow-creature. 
Nor is any spot to be lightly passed over: 
grass, clods and stones, the latter espe- 
cially, if near ant’s-nests, should be care- 
fully scanned ; and to make a long story 
short, in the words of the late Abel 
Ingpen, “search everywhere.’’ — J.W. D. 
MISCELLANEA. 
Revivifying Influence of the ‘In- 
telligencer’ ON LATENT ENTOMO- 
LOGISTS. 
Dear Sir, — Encouraged by what I 
read in the ‘Entomologist’s Annual,’ -I 
am induced to write to you to ask a few 
favours. I have been collecting insects 
for the last three years, and I had no 
idea that there was such a regular sys- 
tem of communicating between entomo- 
logists as I am much pleased to find 
there is, and I eventually got tired of 
collecting and parted with my collection 
(my head-quarters for collecting being 
the New Forest) ; but I lately took in 
the ‘ Weekly Intelligencer,’ and from 
what I read there I am induced to re- 
commence collecting on a different style 
altogether. A. C. D. 
Southampton, 
June 13, 1856. 
Dear Sir, — From what I have seen of 
your writings I am led to suppose that 
any one seeking knowledge (especially 
one like myself, an ardent admirer of 
Nature,) may safely unfold his short- 
comings to you without fear of ridicule. 
Entomology has occupied a great deal 
of my spare time for several years, yet I 
am in a dreadful state of ignorance on 
some points, arising chiefly from my 
isolated position, never having had the 
happiness to meet with any one who 
knew more, if so much, as myself. 
Thanks to your ‘ Annual,’ I think T have 
now gained a good starting-point, which 
I shall endeavour to make the best of. 
Chippenham, Neivmarket, E. W. 
June 13, 1856. 
New device for sending Insects 
safely by Post. — Mr. Norcombe 
has hit upon a very ingenious plan, 
yet one so simple that every one 
will wonder why it was never thought 
of before. What is it that damages 
insects sent by post? The stamp- 
ing being applied to the top and 
bottom of the box. Can nothing be done 
to lessen or remove this evil ? Already 
those who forward larvas by post bad 
found the advantage of so rolling up 
the little tins that the direction should 
not be on the flat top or bottom of the 
tin, but on the curved side ; the post 
office is obliged to stamp where the 
direction and postage stamp are; hence 
instead of squashing in the top or bottom 
of the tin, as used formerly to be the 
case, they now stamp on the curved side 
of the tin, where of course a good blow 
excites little apprehensions among the 
larvae within. Mr. Norcombe improves 
still further by having the direction and 
stamp on a piece of parchment waggling 
quite free from the box ; of course the 
post-office authorities duly stamp the 
parchment on both sides, but let the box 
alone. How simple, yet how useful ! 
How many broken legs and heads might 
