HINTS ON COLLECTING. 
49 
month the spring insects die away, and those coming 
to maturity are either in the pupa state or not yet 
sufficiently hardened. 
In the winter, very many beetles can be obtained 
by cutting isolated tufts of grass, pulling moss, &c., 
and shaking them over brown paper; the proceeds 
need not be examined on the spot, but can be taken 
home in a bag and carefully investigated indoors at 
leisure. In this way, by a judicious selection of 
likely-looking spots, a few hours' work out of doors 
will often furnish occupation for several evenings. 
In the autumn, examining fungi and puff-balls, and 
sweeping among dead leaves under trees are very 
productive; and later still, the leaves (especially the 
black, damp, bottom layers) may be sifted or shaken 
over the brown paper with great results. On the sea- 
shore, heaps of decaying seaweed harbour many 
species, and dead fish or birds become capital traps ; 
but a “ keeper’s tree ” in a wood, with dead vermin 
nailed to it, is the luckiest thing to find. Many 
species come to the running sap of the stumps of 
felled trees, and a great number haunt the wet burrows 
of the caterpillar of the Goat Moth in the solid wood; 
whilst ants’ nests, both in woods, tree trunks, and 
sandy places, produce a large number both of speci- 
mens and species, many of them being very rare. 
Tapping rotten twigs and sticks, and shaking the 
damp bottom layers of grass and rubbish heaps and 
hay-stacks, will produce many species in profusion. 
It is, however, manifestly impossible to give full 
directions, in our limited space, for the pursuit of a 
race so numerous and varied in habit: the young 
collector will soon acquire the requisite “ cunning ” 
