[December, 1884. 



168 



Now we proceed to mate ready for night. Two pairs of irons, into 

 the form of an X, with the bottom half enormously expanded at the ex- 

 pense of the top, are fitted into sockets in the boat, the mast.s laid npon 

 them, and a cover of heavy unbleached calico stretched over and tied 

 down tightly all round. Under this tent we spread our cushions, and 

 then sally forth to work. We now light up at once, two of the boys 

 taking one pair of lamps, I and the third the other, about 50 ya.ds off,| 

 orratL more. Our boat is situated at N.W. angle of a low alder-car 

 or marshy plantation of alder and sallow. The wind has now dropped 

 away, and the night promises to be perfect, warm and close, with hazy 

 clouds thickening fast as darkness comes on. We have not long to 

 wait : it is scarcely dark when NoctucB begin to dash about, not exactly 

 coming to the lamp at first, but yet passing within reach, and m quick 

 succession, Leucania impura, L. phragmitidis, Apamea fibrosa, A. 

 oculea, Noctua plecta, N. augur (worn out), JEpunda viminalis, Nonagria 

 fulva, despecta, and hrevilinea are announced, together with abundance 

 of Acidalia immutata and scutulata, Calera exanthemaria, Fidoma da- 

 thrata, Lomaspilis marginata, Coremia unidentaria, &c., while Eudore<.^ 

 pallida, Faraponyx stratiotalis and Cataclysta lemnalis are perfeci 

 pests. As the night draws on, N. hrevUinea becomes more numerous 

 probably more so than any other single species of Noctua, and othel 

 things add to the excitement ; the " footmen " are there, Litliosia com ^ 

 planula, three or four, L. griseola and var. stramineola by dozens, am 

 a few L. muscerda, the latter unusually scarce and already somewha 

 worn ; one or two Odonestis potatoria and Bomhyx neustria das 

 wildly about, exciting B. S. to high-pressure pitch, presently he make 

 a furious rush, waves his net about, and returns in triumph with- 

 Ahraxas grossulariata ! This now appears in force, but, though ne^ 

 ting and examining scores of specimens, we did not detect a smgl 

 variety. Presently comes a bang on the lamp-glass, followed by 

 noisy fluttering in the herbage, and Smerinthus populi is in the ne 

 Then a big white moth proves to be Liparis salicis, a species tk 

 swarmed in parts of the Norfolk fens 12 or 13 years ago, but seen 

 fast following in the steps of Lyccena dispar in this locality. Moi 

 white Bomhyces follow, but they prove to be only L. auriflua. Ar 

 so the sport goes on, now active and exciting, with four or five motl 

 round the lamps at once, now slacking off till, for several minutes ; 

 a stretch, nothing is to be seen but a " magpie " or two, and a few . 

 immutata and P. stratiotalis. 



Meanwhile, the ground-lamp has been doing but little ; on the 

 still nights moths of all kinds will rise to the upper light, whereas wil 



(. 



