NEW MODES OF CAriUKING INSECTS. 165 



each other. The ants I saw, were very busy feeding from the aphides, 

 on the oaks in the vicinity. I never before witnessed such a colleclioii 

 of ants : the ground and trees were ahiiost alive with tliem. Taking 

 out my watch and counting the number that passed up a tree under 

 which I stood, in a minute, I found the number was 7-% making 4500 in 

 an hour. Rusxicus. 



NEW MODES OF CAPTURING INSECTS. 



In the ''Naturalist's Library" for Entomology, vol. iv, which treats 

 of British IMoths ( Crepuscular ia Lat.j pp. 102 — 107, we find the fol- 

 lowing simple modes of capturing these beautiful insects. The first is 

 given by Rev. C. S. Bird, of Berkshire, England, as follows : 



"My success in obtaining lepidoptera, to which I am particularly at- 

 tached," says he, "1 owe to the use of a lamp to attract moths. Du- 

 ring the moonless nights of summer, I sit with lamps, placed on a table 

 close to the window. The moths speedily enter the room, if the weath- 

 er be warm. 1 have had a levee of more than a bundled between 

 the hours of ten and twelve. In the spring, too, and autumn, I have 

 frequently been fortunate, though generally having my patience suffi- 

 ciently tried. In March, for instance, I have taken many specimens of 

 Biston prodromarius in one evening ; GltBci ruhr'icosa and Lyfcea leuco- 

 graplia have accompanied them, in April and May, CuculVia jisslna 

 and Peridcca scrrata have visited me. When November has arrived, Pe- 

 tasia cassinea and Pdcilocampa popidi have crowded into my room. 

 Of course at such cool times of the year the window must ke kept .shut 

 till the moths knock for admittance. If at any time of the year a warm 

 mist pervade the air, there is almost a certainty of success. But should 

 any one be induced by this account to try the lamp, he must make up 

 his mind to experience more of unfavorable evenings than favorable. 

 There is, however, this advantage in my sedentary plan of mothing, that 

 it can be combined with reading or writing; and the intervals between 

 the arrivals need not be lost. 



"Moths are extremely sensible of any keenness in the air; a north 

 or east wind is very likely to keep them from venturing abroad. Dif- 

 ferent species have diflerent hours of flight. Thus, on a mild and dark 

 November evening, Poicilocavipa pojmli will occupy from seven to ten 

 o'clock after which it will make way for Pefasia cassinea., which will 

 fly till one or two in the morning. I have, for experiment's sake, sat up 

 in the morning till three o'clock, vvhen the whole heaven was bright 

 with the rising sun, and moths of various kinds have never ceased arri- 

 ving in succession till that time. Some of them nui.u cume iVom a coii- 



