THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 103 



For several seasons I have endeavoured to obtain some of the late- 

 flying moths by sugaring, but met with indifferent success. The evenings 

 at this season of the year are nearly always cold, especially in the dales of 

 our undulating country. Therefore, the much -desired Scopelosoma, 

 Xylina and other more or less rare species did not accumulate very fast 

 in my cabinet. About the middle of October, when the nights became 

 too cold for collecting at light, my season was practically ended. If we 

 peruse the various local lists of Lepidoptera published in our periodicals, 

 we are impressed with the fact that the collecting carried on is, with a few 

 exceptions, rather superfiical, and that little or no efforts are made to 

 obtain the very early and the iate appearing kinds. The interested 

 student always finds a source of knowledge in looking over the collections 

 of his colleagues. We observe material collected by certain methods and 

 during periods which we have hitherto neglected. The various species 

 which appear very early in the spring have been found quite successfully 

 by the local collectors. My friend, Mr. Fred Marloff, some years ago 

 initiated the sugaring method in this section for the late-occurring kinds. 

 His home is about one mile farther south from Pittsburgh than mine, on 

 top of a hill. Mr. Marloff continued sugaring until late in November, and 

 was quite successful in getting material. The bait consisted of rotten 

 apples and pears rubbed on the trees in his orchard. Overripe, mushy 

 apples are by far the best material for luring moths that has come to my 

 knowledge, and there is only one objection, they discolor the hands of the 

 operator. This may be avoided by wearing a pair of rubber gloves. 



On October 2nd, I spent the day with Mr. Marloff and was informed 

 of the capture of Xylina Bethunei the previous week. The first visit to 

 the baited trees that evening resulted in the capture oi Xylina pexata and 

 signosa, one Glcea sericea and a number of common species. So here was 

 the beginning of the harvest, and 1 concluded to try the hill near my home. 

 On the following day the consent of a farmer was obtained to take all the 

 rotten apples I wanted if they were of any use to me. A bushel was taken 

 home, and more subsequently as I needed them. Commencing with the 

 fence posts in my lot, each one of which received a patch of crushed apples, 

 I extended my line along a path in the woods for about 200 yards to the 

 pasture field. Then along the edge of the woods for a quarter of a mile 

 on a row of trees at right angles from the woods to the highest part of the 

 hill, about 150 yards, then along a dividing fence down hill towards the 

 starting point. All the conveniently situated trees and every third fence 



