it causes the leaves on which they feed to retain their freshness many days. Tin boxes are also useful to bring home Diptera alive: in this case a cylinder of tin passes through the lid of the box, and is corked at the top.

The clap-net, represented at the head of this chapter, is the grand weapon of the entomologist. This is a large piece of muslin, four feet long and nearly three wide, supported on two light rods, a, a, which pass along a border, b, b, made of brown holland, or other strong substance, bend towards each other at an obtuse angle, and meet at the top of the net, c: one of these rods is held in each hand, the handles being the parts uncovered, and lettered a, a, the net is fixed to each rod by means of a piece of tape, which passes through a hole made in the rod at d, d, and is tied firmly in a bow.

The rods of the clap-net are each composed of five pieces, united by ferules; when taken to pieces and placed in the net, the latter may be folded in a very moderate compass, slipped into a brown holland case, and put in the coat pocket. For this kind of net both green and white muslin are used; but white is much the best, as the small insects are more readily distinguished on it; green muslin however has the merit of being less conspicuous, which under some circumstances is an advantage, for instance, in those country lanes where the pedestrians are unused to such an exhibition, the white net never fails to attract a little crowd, which causes some slight inconvenience to the entomologist as well as loss of time, for he is invariably under the necessity of explaining to the by-standers what he is doing.

This net is the best for pursuing butterflies and moths on the wing; the hunter tries to get the net under the object, and strikes upwards, closing the rods at the same

time. A loose bag is formed, by a fold of the muslin, across the bottom of the net, e; this prevents any thing from getting out. The same net is held in one hand under the boughs of trees, &c., while these are beat by the stick of the water-net held in the other hand; and thus, besides perfect insects, a great number of caterpillars may be obtained.

The other nets used by entomologists are of many kinds; these two are the best: first, the forceps, with handles like

those of scissors, with holes for the finger and thumb, and two circular or octagonal frames of iron, on which muslin or cheese cloth is stretched. This instrument is particularly useful for taking the Diptera and Hymenoptera, which settle on umbelliferous flowers. The forceps should be kept in the right hip pocket of the coat, to afford a greater facility in taking them out when wanted to be used with celerity: but it must be borne in mind that this weapon is never to be trusted when insects are on the wing; because its size is so small that the object at which you snap is beyond your reach before the forceps can close, however correct your aim and a repetition of the snap is seldom attended with better success.

The second net is the water-net. It is composed of a strong hoop of iron, jointed so as to fold up in a convenient form; on this hoop is fastened a strong bag net, made of cheese cloth; the hoop has a male screw which fits a female screw at the end of a stout stick, about four feet in length. With this instrument all water insects are taken; the water straining off through the net, and the insects remaining at the bottom: the manner in which it is used is shown at the end of this chapter.

The same net, or a lighter one of similar form, screwed on a similar or the same stick, is called the sweeping net, and is used for sweeping grass, on which myriads of minute insects are always to be found: the weeds on the banks of rivers and canals are also excessively productive in insects, which can only be taken in this manner. In walking through meadows it will be found a good plan to hold this net in such a position that it may continually strike the projecting blades of grass.

The entomologist should be provided with two widemouthed vials; one empty and perfectly dry, having a quill passing through the cork, and going a considerable way below it: this quill may be stopped at top by a second small cork: within the vial some blotting-paper may be kept, which not only absorbs any moisture, but serves as something to crawl on for the living insects which are taken from time to time and dropped through the quill. The other vial should be made very strongly, well corked, and three parts filled with spirit: common whisky is the best spirit; pure alcohol injures the colours of beetles, and gin makes them sticky.

A digger is another useful instrument: it is simply a piece of round iron, about fifteen inches long, bent round at one end, and furnished with a wooden handle at the other. This serves to rip the bark off dead trees, and to dig at the roots of living ones for chrysalides.

Quills cut off close to the feather are very useful for bringing home minute insects of all classes. The aperture should be most carefully corked, the corks being cut expressly for the purpose, and should be of sufficient length to go half an inch into the quill, and thus not liable to come out in the pocket.

Finally, pill-boxes, obtainable of any druggist, complete

the outfit of the entomologist. There is now an excellent kind manufactured, the tops and bottoms of which never come out it is important to get these. It is important also to avoid sitting on pill-boxes, as it must interfere with their structure: to avoid this, the author carries them in a breast pocket.

ON COLLECTING INSECTS.

LEPIDOPTERA fly mostly in the night: when the air is warm and the sky serene, and the moon is lighting up the fringes of the clouds, the downy moths wing their way from the bushes and crevices where they have spent the hours of daylight, and wander in the woods and over the meadows, each bent on the task of continuing its kind, or seeking food in the nectaries of flowers. Hundreds may be seen fluttering round the blossoms of brambles, ivy, martagon But although these noc

lily, honeysuckle, and jasmine. turnal wanderers delight in the moonbeams, some of them vaulting in graceful aerial dances round the tops of trees, it is not on such nights that the collector will meet with

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