34 



The Scottish Naturalist. 



looking at the sugar :— ist, To be "sharp" in doing so ; and 2d, not to mix empty 

 and full boxes. Having done with one tree, go on to the next, always remem- 

 bering not to throw light on the sugar before the net is in position. It is there- 

 fore advisable to know the path well, and to cultivate the habit of feeling one's 

 way quickly with the toes. When we have boxed all the moths that have come 

 to the sugar, or when we are satisfied with the quantity and quality of our cap- 

 tures, we may go home, and the first thing we should do, if it is not intended 

 to set them at once, is to place our captures in a dark room or press, where 

 neither artificial nor day light can reach them, as thereby they may be roused 

 and spoil themselves by fluttering. The pinned moths may be either set at 

 once, or placed in the relaxing jar till we have time to attend to them. If eggs 

 are wanted, female specimens of rare moths should not be killed, but placed 

 in a suitable box, (with a little " sugar" for food), and kept till they lay, an event 

 which will usually take place in a few days. 



The following are some details of my experience in sugaring during the last 

 three years : — 



The statistics are derived from a "Record of Sugaring," in which par- 

 ticulars of each night's sugaring is entered. The record is kept thus : -a 

 series of parallel columns are ruled off, and each has a heading indicating the 

 observation to be recorded. The following are the headings, — ist, Date ; 2nd, 

 Wind ; 3rd, Weather and Sky ; 4th, Moon ; 5th, Hour of examining the Sugar ; 

 6th, Number of trees, &c, sugared; 7th, The Results ; 8th, Number of species 

 of Noctuce; 9th, Number of other species of Lepidoptera ; 10th, Greatest Num- 

 ber of Moths on one Tree ; nth, Number of Hours (limited to 12) within which 

 rain may fall after Sugaring ; 12th, Hour of concluding the examination ; 13th, 

 The Locality ; 14th, Remarks, —such as the composition of the sugar ; the sup- 

 posed reason of the success or non-success, &c. On another page is written the 

 name of every species (common or rare) that is observed on the sugar each night. 



From the above mentioned record I find that between June 4, 1868, and 

 August 31, 1870, I sugared 119 times,* on, altogether, 7615 trees or stones. The 

 following were the results :— 



On 7 occasions, no moths ; on 57 occasions, few moths, i.e., under 40 spe- 

 cimens ; on 39 occasions, many moths ; on 16 occasions, swarms of moths. 



The greatest number of species of Noctuce taken on one night was 35 ; the 

 greatest number of species of Noctuce taken on one night, on one tree, was 27 ; 

 the greatest number of specimens of Noctuce seen at one time on one night, on 

 one tree, was 200. In the three years, 93 species of Noctuce came to sugar. 



An analysis of the results of each month shows the following— 



AH in Scotland. 



