The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-05-30
HOW TO COLLECT BUTTER. FLIES.
Continued from Fourth Page.)

3 N$OiiStiiuSu lLolil IDuttu IdSe.t , net should now be made, and sewed to the hoop with strong thread. Silk veil- ing is the best material for the net, but this is expensive, and tarletan, or even mosquito netting, if thoroughly washed, to take out the stiffening. will answer very we'll. The net should be about twenty inches deep, and the color should be either green or brown; white or blue net will frighten the insects away. Next you will want a collecting-iar. Any wide mouthed jar will do, if it has a tight-fitting cover. Cover the bottom with half an inch of cyanide of potas- sium. broken small, and over this pour half an inch of plaster of Paris, mixed to the consistency of thick cream. As soon as the plaster hardens, the jar is ready for use. Of course cyanide of potassium is deadly poison, and it is dangerous to even breathe the fumes. Insects placed within the jar will be killed in few minutes. You are now ready to go into the field. When you see butterfly which you wish to catch, clap your net over him, being careful not to break his wings on brambles or bushes, and then turn your net half over so as to cut off his escape. Fold the wings gently over the back, remove the insect from the net, and place it in the corner of an old envelope, torn off for that purpose or into regular collecting paper. and drop it into the collecting jar. If 1t is not thus wrapped in paper of some sort, the butterfly will f1utter about inside the jar for few moments, and is liable to injure it's wings.
 When you have collected sufficient number of specimens. place them still in the papers, in a jar of benzine or gasoline. and leave them in for two weeks. This is to remove the grease of the bodies, which would otherwise ooze out sooner or later, and spoil the ap- pearance of the butterflies. At the end of a fortnight remove the specimens
 and allow the benzine to evaporate be- fore removing them from the papers. They will now be found to be extremely dry and brittle and before they can be handled they must be relaxed" This may be easily be done by placing them, still in the collecting papers, in a tightly box between several thicknesses of damp cloths. In twen- ty-four hours, as rule, they will have absorbed sufficient amount of water to render pliable.
 While the insects are in the benzine jar, you will have time to prepare for the spreading" and mounting. Pro- vide yourself with a number of small blocks of soft pine, cover one side ot each with glazed paper, and upon this rule series of lines, lengthwise of the blocks, and about quarter of an inch apart. When the insects are properly relaxed, take one by the thorax and push insect pins through from the under side until 1t comes out at the back Then, with a pair of broad-tipped tweezers, take hold of the edge of ont front wing, as near to the point where it joins the body as possible, and gently bend the wing open. Do the same witt all the wings, and then lay the butter l fly, upper side downward, upon one O the glazed blocks, and pin it there Now with the tweezers gently draw on. of the front wings forward until it hind margin is about at rightangle'