14 The Ottawa Naturalist. [April — May 



In view of this it is altogether likely that some time will 

 elapse before information as to the local forms frequenting such 

 districts will be made known. In the United States a vast 

 amount of work has been done in studying- the fauna of the dif- 

 ferent States, but little is known about the habits of the greater 

 number of moths native to Canada. 



Collectors of moths use various methods in order to 

 secure specimens. Some entomologists record good success in 

 securing the imagoes by certain means, which others find un 

 profitable. For instance, traps made of sheets of glass so arranged 

 in a wooden box, that when a moth once enters it cannot return, 

 have given excellent results in the hands of some. The attrac- 

 tion to such a trap is due to the rays of a bright light, which is 

 placed behind the sheets of glass, and, when the moth gets as far 

 into the box as the trap allows it, the fumes of some poisonous 

 substance, such as chloroform, either kills the insect at once, or 

 else keeps it quiet until the collector comes to examine the cap- 

 tures of the night. 



In cities and large towns the attraction which the electric 

 light has for night-flying insects, probably furnishes the best 

 o-eneral results for a collection of moths. Where the electric 

 light is placed on the outskirts of a settlement, particularly close 

 to the woods, a visit on dark, close nights, in the month ot June 

 especially, will generally be very productive. Some moths, how- 

 ever, which mature in early spring or in August, and even as late 

 as October and November, are, of course, to be looked for in 

 these months, but those which hibernate in the mature form may 

 be tound both in the autumn and in the spring. 



Another way in which these insects are collected is that of 

 "sugaring" trees, that is, painting a daub of molasses mixed 

 with sour beer over a small portion of one side of a tree. Moths 

 are very fond of such mixtures, and if the application is made in 

 localities where insects are at all plentiful good results will be 

 certain. June and July I have found to be the best months for 

 " sugaring," and if warm, close evenings are selected many moths 

 undoubtedly will be secured. 



Another plan is to visit flowers in the early part of the even- 

 ing, as many species are exceedingly fond of nectar and will be 



