Terry Newson. age 121 Tulsa. Okla..

How do you start an insect collection?

School will soon be out. Summer invites us outdoors. There are more things to fascinate us. More questions come up ‑ if that is possible. We cant run to Miss Patience. Andy's favorite teacher. for she is on vacation too. So. lets start a collection.. It is one happy. natural way to satisfy the curiosity without headaches.

Choose something you like ‑ rocks. shells. leaves. flowers. Terry chose insects so he has a fine summer ahead. For there are plenty of specimens everywhere. Facts about them are easy to get. A little practice. and the skills of mounting the collection are simple..

An insect collection is arranged in boxes.. A beginner can use cigar boxes with floors of corrugated cardboard. The specimens are displayed on special. long thin pins. Each is labeled; You may use the everyday name or the fancy Latin name: Andy prefers both names. for each name usually tells something about a creature.

So far. over 625.000 different insects have been named and classified by the experts. They have divided the huge tribe into families. Flies. beetles' butterflies. grasshoppers and bees belong in different inaeot families. A butterfly won't look right mounted in a box of beetles. Your gift encyclopedia will help you get this straight. And libraries are open all summer for extra information. A small insect field book will also help.

Every boy knows how to catch bugs. You may figure out some new tricks and learn others from books and friends. Put the live catch into a gauze covered glass Jar. Have ready another Jar with sawdust in the bottom.

Sprinkle in drops of carbon tetrachloride a sort of cleaning fluid. This is the insect's gas chamber. Don’t worry when you put him inside. He wont feel a thing. Cover the top with a card filled with pinpricks. Naturally the insect must be quite dead before you mount him.

Your fingers need practice to get the pins in straight. Begin with grasshoppers. When you can mount one high and dry on his display pin. you are ready to tackle smaller and then smaller insects. Fingers need know‑how to mount a little fly or a fragile moth. This practice is not boring. For each insect is fascinating and you are getting in shape for real expert stuff.

Add the treasured specimens one by one. Each deserves his name written neatly on a label. This too may take practice. Use a magnifying glass to study each specimen on his perch. Place a moth ball in each box to keep other bugs from dining on your collection. And be sure to take plenty of time to look over: enjoy and admire your work.

Just one more item for bug collectors. Track down information on strange specimens in museums. libraries and zoos. Don’t mail the fascinating fellow to Andy.  He is not able to write you a special letter