26 MOTH-COLLECTOllS. 



of nature's miniature masterpieces of painting and mechanism ; 

 and, for once, we may fairly claim for ourselves " le droit du 

 plus fort" as one which, if it so please us, we may justly exercise. 



For Aurelians, or collectors of Moths and Butterflies, this 

 month and the following constitute one of the great harvest 

 seasons. Trowel in hand, they are now repairing to the leafless 

 woods, where carefully digging a few feet around the trunks of 

 the trees, they "disquiet and bring up" from their winter 

 catacombs, the mummy-like aurelias of various Moths which, 

 as Caterpillars, have fattened in summer on the foliage above. 

 Such as are disposed to become Aurelians themselves, must 

 have in readiness for their treasures, thus exhumed, boxes of 

 wood or pasteboard partly filled with vegetable earth, and 

 covered at top with gauze. The Chrysalides consigned to their 

 earthy bed, there should be laid over them a green coverlet of 

 moss, which, once a fortnight in winter and oftener in summer, 

 should be steeped in water for the purpose of giving moisture 

 to the mould beneath. 



Among the numerous " projets '' of Reaumur, suggested by 

 his favourite pursuit, was one for the establishment of a sort of 

 public menagerie for Insects, and perhaps, in the present 

 speculative era, a worse scheme might be hit on than the 

 opening of an Entomologic Garden. Who knows but that, 

 by help of such adjuncts as flowery walks and Petes al Fresco, 

 ladies might be tempted to face Ant-lions " at home " in their 

 sandy pit-falls, as well as Man-lions, not at home, in their iron 



