LEPIDOPTERA AND HYMENOPTERA. 2l 



and, providing the evening is fairly propitious, it will not be many 

 minutes before a dozen or so of moths are dashing madly about 

 the ceiling ; others will be seen resting on the window-sashes or 

 on the glass itself, and may be taken at leisure or turned out of 

 doors again if not required. From eleven o'clock onwards they 

 gradually come in ever-increasing numbers — sometimes singly, at 

 other times in threes and fours — until the whole room seems alive 

 with insects of all sorts, Lepidoptera predominating. This used 

 to be my favourite method of capture during my Surrey cam- 

 paign, when time was of less ob ject than at present ; many a 

 night in June and July have I sat up with the sport fast and 

 furious till the sun began to show itself in the north-east. I have 

 not been able to give much time this season to this method, but 

 have taken the following species.* 



The next method I have to speak of is one in which advan- 

 tage is taken of the attractiveness of the ladies among the Lepi- 

 doptera gentry, and to those who have not had experience or 

 have not persevered in this art, the result is truly marvellous, and 

 will sound very much like a fairy-tale. The " good taste " pos- 

 sessed by the males of Lepidoptera is shown to the greatest perfec- 

 tion among the Bonibycidce. On several occasions when on 

 botanical excursions in Hertfordshire I have taken with me a 

 female of Bombyx qucrcus or other Bombycidcc, fresh from the 

 pupa, and, in a wooded country, provided the sun was hot and a 

 gentle breeze blowing, I was certain of having within ten minutes 

 a dozen of the opposite sex flying round me, and from time to 

 time even settling on my shoulder or hand. On one occasion, 

 after remaining, as an experiment, for some time on the same spot, 

 we counted over forty of these large moths within fifty yards of 

 us. By this method, if persevered with, it is possible to secure, 

 in the finest condition, many specimens which, owing to their 

 rapid flight, are otherwise difficult to capture, except when, 

 towards the end of their career, they become battered and less 

 vigorous in their flight. The Nociurni, as a rule, seem much 

 more susceptible than any of the other groups. The Cuspidates 

 come next, Dicranura vinnla especially falling an easy prey- 

 wherever poplars and willows abound ; on the other hand, the 

 * See list at the end of this paper. 



