30 
THE NATURALISTS’ COMPANION. 
LABLES. 
Below we show a lable most need¬ 
ed by collectors. The lable is to be 
attached to boxes or packages sent 
through the mails, and will prevent 
their loss, and also inform the person 
to whom sent of the sender. Price 
10 cents per 100. 
JfATURAL EISTOR Y 
SPECIMENS ONLY. 
POSTMASTER. 
Should this package miscarry or 
if not called for, please inform me 
of the amount necessary to prepay 
its return. C. P. GUELF, 
BROCKPORT, SIOIIROE COUNTY, NEW YORK, U.8.A 
HOWTO KILLINSEOTS, 
To A. N., BreslaWjN. Y.— There 
are two very good ways known to us 
for quickly dispatching butterflies 
and moths. A red-hot needle pass¬ 
ed through the thickest parts of in¬ 
sects will kill them instantly. But 
the most convenient way is to use 
the cyanide bottle,wiiich is made in 
this manner : Procure a quart 
glassjar with a large mouth, (a bake- 
ing powder jar is most commonly 
used) 5 cents worth of cyanide potas¬ 
sium,and some powdered plaster-of- 
paris. Break the cyanide into small 
pieces and place it within the jar, 
then mix a sufficient quantity of the 
plaster-of-paris with water to just 
cover over'the cyanide. The plaster 
should be mixed as thickly as possi¬ 
ble, and poured in the jar as soon as 
mixed,as it dries very quickty. Af¬ 
ter the mixture is sufficiently dry the 
plaster should be removed from the 
sides of the jar, and a piece of 
card-board cut the size of the inside 
of the jar should be placed on the 
composition, and the cork given a 
coating of sealing wax. The bottle 
can be conveniently carried in the 
coat pocket, when in the field. 
When an insect is captured place it 
in the jar and the poisoned atmos¬ 
phere will kill it quickly. The jar 
should be handled with care and 
suitably labled, for it is a deadly 
poison. 
This Column is open free to yearly subscribers only. 
R. W. Mercer, Cincinnati, 0. — 
G an any one inform me of the address 
of T. H. Wise, late of Wheaton, Ill., 
also his antecedents. 
C. A. S., N. A. city.—The color 
of crow’s eggs varies considerably, 
some being very thickly spotted, 
while others have but a very few 
markings. 
B. T. P., Detroit, Mich. —The 
egg of the pewee sometimes has 
small brown dots atthe largest end, 
T. 0. Q., Rochester, N. Y.— 
The meadow lark sometimes remains 
with us all winter, although it is a 
migratory bird. 
R. C., Bath, N. Y.—I would like 
to get the address of the Rev. J. Gr. 
Wood, also that of Prof. J. D. Dana. 
Dana, we believe, resides at New 
Haven,Conn. We will refer Wood’s 
address to our readers. 
T. N. M., Boston, Mass.—What 
is the highest elevation attained by 
anyone in a balloon. Will some of 
our readers please answer him. 
M. O, L., Savannah, Ga. —The 
first microscope was made by Zach- 
arias Jansens, a Dutchman, in the 
year 1590. 
