S-1141001_COMPLETO.pdf

APHORISMATA ENTOMOLOGICA. 25
N.B.—Do not dry recent specimens in this Avay.—Cardinal Mazarin's
motto, "I and Time," should be yours, as it is mine—practically speaking.
"TRANSPARENCIES."
I HAVE found by experience that the silver paper over the Avings
presents one hindrance, namely, that it prevents your seeing through it
to ascertain whether on their final adjustment the wings are perfectly
even on both-sides or not. To remedy this defect, I have adopted the
expedient of procuring transparent silver paper, through which you can
see sufficiently well for the purpose; it should of course be the thinnest
and finest that can be obtained. It is to be had of any bookseller,
and is called Tracing paper; you can, if necessary, make it for yourself,
by slightly oiling common silver paper.
"CLAPTRAP."
As I have before said, the large net which I have already described
is by far the best for all ordinary purposes; others, however, may be
used with more or less advantage; and a "Sweepingmachine" is necessary
for obtaining Water-beetles, and those insects both Coleopterous and
other, which are procurable among the long grass on the bank or hedge-
side. It may be made as follows: —
Get a good strong walking-stick, Avhich will be often found useful in
more ways than one, and have a small round strong Avire rim or hoop
made to fit to the end of it with a screw. To the rim attach a pretty
strong canvas net, of any convenient size, say two feet in diameter, and
a foot and a half in depth. You can procure the whole complete "for
a consideration"—say some five shillings. By reversing it every now
and then, you get rid of all oddments that you do not Avant, for "all
is not fish that comes to (the net." <
To catch the Purple Emperor, and other flies that frequent the tops
of the highest trees, you want a small round net with a handle some
fifty or sixty feet long. This is a very difficult thing to accomplish,
and it is but an unwieldy implement Avhen made in the ordinary way,
but I haA-e built a castle in the air in the shape of a very long fishing-
rod, made of light bamboo, all the upper part to be kept from bending