64 NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



catchers — f ally a foi-tiiigkt late — and these are western route 

 birds, at least they are among th-e commonest of the few 

 migrants which find their way to Ireland, 



A f-eature this year is the exti^ordinary late nesting of 

 the chiffehaff. The nightingale had a full clutch before I 

 could find a chiff chaff's. I think the hen chiff chaffs must 

 have been caught on passage, and badly handled by the 

 cold. 



D. T. Price. 



ENTOMOLOGY. 



A NE\\r Bait for Moths.. 



/^N September 22nd, 1894, Mr. R. M. Prideaux and the 

 ^^ writer sugared for moths in Steyme Wood, Bembridge, 

 Isle of Wight. As on many other occasions during this most 

 disappointing season, our sugar proved unattractive, none of 

 the patches being visited by even a single moth. 



On leaving the wood, however, a Phlogophora meticulosa 

 flew out from a hedge, and on Mr. Prideaux turning his lamp 

 in that direction, he found that a pile of dead hawthorn 

 branches, trimmed from the trees and left at the hedge- side 

 to wither, was covered with moths. These branches were 

 smelling strongly with the peculiar scent of decaying leaves, 

 and were very wet, as drenching showers had fallen at 

 intervals during the day. All the insects were eagerly 

 sucking up the moisture, which no doubt was sweetened by 

 some saccharine product formed in the process of decay. 

 The number of moths found upon this heap of clippings 

 must have been at least twenty, and they consisted of six 

 species, of which the pretty Xanthia Silago was the most 

 numerous. The attractive power was not confined to this 

 particular pile of dead branches, as we found moths on 

 several similar heaps elsewhere in the hedge ; neither was it 



