86 MOTH HUNTING. 



to peep from their hiding-places in considerable numhers, hut still I 

 kept my busy path. Now moving slowly, now a little quicker, now a 

 dead halt or nearly so, and now — no, not yet — it is gone; but now, yes 

 now, a run, a run, and a swoop; but no, it is gone — yes, fairly oflF: 

 but here is another. Come away my fine fellow! O you may dart 

 and dance as you like, but I'll snap you as soon as you come a little 

 nearer; so here goes, and down he falls; a specimen is boxed, a drop or 

 two of the drowsy liquid and all is right; the insect sleeps its last slumber, 

 and as perfect as if still in nature's hands. 



Away I go again; now stooping, now erect, now bending forward, and 

 stretching out a neck as long as any gander's, and with strained eyeballs 

 peeping here and peeping there, now to this and now to that side, and 

 now turning suddenly round, as if fire or something worse had been at my 

 heels; and another run, then a halt. It has gone, no, see, there it is 

 again; yes, and see how it goes, how it bobs up and down; but I must 

 fly, so away I run again, with arms going round like the wings of a 

 windmill; and — bravo; another captive is boxed, pinned, and dosed, and 

 as perfect as the last. 



So on I went, and all the same time listening to the doleful and 

 melancholy wailing of the Owl, the spinning-wheel-like hirr, bin; of the 

 Nightjar, (Caprimulgtts Europoeus,) and the occasional barking of the fleet 

 and lightsome little Roe, the pride of our lowland woods, as they now, 

 too, had stealthly crept out of their secret retreats to pursue their night's 

 peregrinations, and now and then all the while boxing another culprit. In 

 this fashion, time, as it always does on such and similar occasions, passed 

 rapidly — too rapidly but pleasantly — away; nay, flew unconsciously, as it 

 were, so that the shades of night were now fast settling down, but yet I 

 thought not of home or giving up the chase. I still could in some measure 

 see the objects of my solicitude and search, as they passed between the 

 branches of the trees, and betwixt me and the sky; or dropped from the 

 luxuriant foliage overhead, or darted like an arrow or shadow by, or lightly 

 fanned the tops of the long and waving grasses and graceful ferns — all pur- 

 suing their little joys. Some to sip the nectar from the juicy flowers, and 

 others to woo their fond and expectant mates, and hold their sweet embraces 

 until morning's dawn. 



Thus far and all went well, but a change was about to come over the 

 scene. I had succeeded wonderfully, having managed to secure a pretty large 

 number of first-rate specimens, amongst which I found a good many of the 

 rarer species, such as the Oak Egger-Moth, {Lasiocampa quercus,) Unicorn 

 Hawk-Moth, (Sphinx convolvuli,) Cream-spot Tiger-Moth, {Arctia villica,) 

 Angle Shades, {I'hlogophora meticulosa,) Beautiful China-Mark, [Hydrocampa 

 nymphceata,) and Green Silver-lines, (Hylophila prasinana^ etc., and some 



