140 THE entomologist's recokd. 



some apple trees and captured one. The capture of Ccenoiiympha 

 pa)nphilus is interesting, as it does not occur at all in Guernsey. Amongst 

 moths, Euchelia jacobcece was very abundant, one specimen of Cainpto- 

 granima bilineata occurred, and I took one specimen of Phytogophora 

 meiiculosa on a small rocky mound called Crevichou, which is con- 

 nected with Jethou only at low water. — -W. A. Luff, Mansell Street, 

 Guernsey. July 2,rd, 1890. 



Keeping Pup/E through the Winter. — Might I inquire in your 

 columns if any one could advise me as to the best way of keeping pupae 

 of lepidoptera alive through the winter, and whether I ought to moisten 

 them or not? For the sake of experiment, some I have moistened, 

 others I have kept dry. The result of my experiments is that some 

 pupje always produced moths in due time, under whatever conditions I 

 may have kept them, wet or dry ; whilst others have nearly always 

 died. I cannot account for the fact that scores of pupie of various 

 kinds, that I dug up last autumn, all died in the spring, although I 

 had not moistened them. I opened some of them, and found perfectly 

 formed, but dead and dried up moths inside. I have larvae of Nofo- 

 donta trepida and chaoaia, which I have reared from the egg, and 

 shall be extremely disappointed if I am unable to produce the imagines. 

 — F. H. Wallev Dod, Wellington College, Wokingham. Ji/ue 2gth, 1890, 



Sugaring. — As sugaring has been one of my chief methods of cap- 

 turing lepidoptera during the past five years, perhaps some of my obser- 

 vations may prove of service to others. I always use coarse brown 

 sugar when procurable, but have found the old black treacle quite as 

 effective, when unable to get the former. Blackberries, gathered when 

 ripe, and boiled down with sugar, are also an excellent substitute, 

 especially attractive to the Xanthid^. When laying it on it is advisable 

 to carry a small phial of rum in the waistcoat pocket, and add a little 

 every dozen trees or so, which is no doubt preferable to mixing alto- 

 gether previous to starting. It is also desirable to commence in sufficient 

 time to allow finishing the last tree on the round before dusk ; the first 

 hour as a rule being the most productive. A great number of entomo- 

 logists sugar only a small patch at a convenient height from the ground ; 

 my plan is to make a long thin line (the width of the brush) almost to 

 the foot of the tree ; which, in my opinion, has its advantages, for, when 

 all the insects are clustered together in a small compass, some that are 

 required are almost certain to escape whilst taking the others ; whereas, 

 with the thin streak, the insects are more scattered, and by commencing 

 with the light at the bottom of the tree, almost every individual may be 

 secured. Again, on a windy night the majority of moths are invariably 

 found on the lowest part of the sugar, the higher portion being nearly 

 deserted ; many Noctuaj fly close to the ground, and so stand a much 

 better chance of scenting the bait. What sort of weather constitutes 

 a good time for sugaring it is difficult to say with any certainty ; for my 

 part, the evenings that have paid me best are those on which there is 

 a slight breeze with light showers at intervals. Sometimes a good many 

 visitors come during a wet night, and even on moonlight nights. The 

 least prolific with me are those during a continued spell of dry weather, 

 when everything seems stagnant, and a shower rouses things up a bit. 

 It is well worth while to sugar a quantity of small limbed trees under 



