DAY BUTTERFLIES. 9 



Besides the butterflies proper there are various moths (Heterocera) that 

 also fly in day time, among them the Humming-bird Hawk-moths (Sesia 

 Thysbe, S. dijinis, S. Buffcdoensis, &c.) ; these must be treated in capturing 

 the same way as the Hesperidae but as they are large waistcd things pressure 

 would spoil their beauty, therefore the killing is done by inserting a needle 

 dipped in oxalic acid or Cyanide of Potash, thrusting it into the head, pass- 

 ing it lengthwise through the body once or twice, and they will fold their 

 wings and silently go to rest. 



In putting them in the temporary boxes (carried for the purpose) after they 

 are killed, you can put as many on one pin as it will conveniently hold, but 

 with the exception of the Hesperidae and Humming-bird Hawk-moths, all so 

 far alluded to should be temporarily pinned through the side with the wings 

 closed, which preserves the upper and more susceptible surface from being 

 rubbed or scratched by the one pinned above it, as perhaps might accidentally 

 happen if life were not quite extinct. 



The Hesperidae and smaller butterflies as well as all night butterflies, (of 

 which more hereafter,) should be at once pinned through the middle of the 

 thorax, from the back, and whenever practicable only one on each pin. 



The best time of the day for collecting is from early morning, when they 

 may be picked off the leaves whilst their wings are yet heavy with dew, until 

 two o'clock P. M., of course on cloudy, windy or rainy days, you will get 

 nothing but disappointment and discomfort for your pains, but on a pleasant 

 June, July or August day, with a clear sun and no air stirring, you may 

 reap a rich harvest. If a desirable butterfly be hovering near you, 

 it is ever better not to be too rash, for if you stand still he will 

 flit here and there around you until finally he will come within the 

 sweep of your net or alight, then if you don't secure him you scarcely de- 

 serve to, that's all, but to give chase and try to run them down under a July 

 sun, with the occasional slight obstacles offences, creeks, rocks, logs, farmers' 

 dogs and farmers' boys, (just as bad,) and to find your expected prey wind 

 up snugly in a grain or clover field within sight of the farmer's homestead, 

 farmer's self in shirt sleeves on porch, farmer's shot-gun within easy reach of 

 farmer's fingers, forms a combination of circumstances by no means conducive 

 to one's respecting the third commandment. 



The best localities for finding butterflies are gardens in the country, marshes 

 and meadows along the edges of woods, and above all wherever plenty of 

 thistles and sumac are growing, but unfortunately these valuable plants are 

 continually doomed to destruction whenever detected, because they will take 

 possession of ground that some unlettered boor wants for cereals, just as if we 

 couldn't get our wheat from California if the crops failed here, or if there 

 wasn't room enough to grow it; why, you can buy California flour here any- 

 time at the same price as that ground from wheat raised east. But it is use- 

 less to complain, we must, alas, take things as they are, not as we would make 

 them, as the millenium is still a day or two distant. 



Occasionally fine butterflies may be captured sitting in roads on the mud, 

 especially if it be full of little puddles of water. I have often taken fine 

 Swallow-tails, Limenitis, &c., in such positions. 



Cow-dung, decayed fish or a dead snake have a powerful attraction; I have 

 often taken three or four at once that were enjoying themselves at such 

 attractive objects. 



Do not go on hills in dry, stony woods for butterflies; bear in mind 

 always that swamps, meadows, woods near such, flower and vegetable gar- 

 dens in the country, and pieces of waste land with creeks running through 



