LEPIDOPTERA AND HYBIENOPTEKA. 23 



encouraging that I always made it, whenever possible, part of my 

 season's campaign to try and extend my list of local species by 

 this means. It is a most fascinating pursuit, and if I had more 

 time I could give you some curious examples of surprises as well 

 as successes experienced in that direction. It is, in my opinion, 

 by far the best and surest method of capturing specialities, and if 

 I could persuade half-a-dozen members who are resident in 

 Middlesex to take it up energetically, the list of Lepidoptera cap- 

 tured in this county would compare with any, and probably be 

 ahead of many, of the southern counties. 



The next method is applicable only to the Sesidce and Zeuze- 

 ridcE, the larvae of which live on the solid wood or in the twigs of 

 certain trees and shrubs. The imagos of these emerge from 

 about May to July, and if pieces of muslin are tied loosely round 

 so as to form a sort of bag, over the notches, on young apple, 

 pear, birch, or alder trees, about April, many of this family can be 

 obtained in splendid condition, fresh from the pupae. I took 

 three specimens of S. tnyojxpformis from one notch of a young 

 apple-tree, and a great many of S. tipuliformis from dead currant- 

 twigs. I have brought also a specimen of 6". tipuliforjiiis, which 

 is interesting from having been captured in this room at our first 

 general meeting, showing that even among the streets of London 

 specimens of this sunny little creature can occasionally be found 

 if properly looked for. 



Beside the foregoing methods, there are, to be acquired only 

 by experience, the two great desiderata for a successful entomolo- 

 gist — namely, the " habit of keeping one's eyes open " and " the 

 knowledge of where to look for specimens." These habits 

 become gradually so engrained in one's nature that they take the 

 character almost of a second sight. I will try to explain what I 

 mean : — I have repeatedly, when walking in the country or some- 

 times even in town, and during conversation, come to a full stop 

 for, apparently even to myself, no reason whatever ; in a few 

 seconds, however, I generally found that some little excrescence- 

 or patch on paling, tree, or wall had riveted the eye, which on 

 closer examination generally turned out to be a specimen either in 

 the imago, larva, or pupa state. At times, however, the cause was 

 not so apparent, the eye having probably wandered from the 



