AND AT SEA 189 



logical Society in October, 1885 ; Dr. C. Hart 

 Merriam was quoted as having mentioned that 

 a light-house keeper on Lake Ontario had been 

 greatly annoyed by the large swarms of the Mon- 

 arch (Anosia plexippus) that flew against it and 

 obscured the light. These are the only instances 

 that I have been able to find, either in this coun- 

 try or elsewhere, of the attraction of butterflies 

 to ordinary light ; but since the introduction of 

 electric lights into our cities, entomologists have 

 made use of them for the capture of insects, many 

 nocturnal animals being attracted from all the 

 surrounding country by the brilliancy of the light, 

 and among them, according to Mr. Henry Edwards 

 and others, several species of butterflies. Most of 

 them, like the preceding, were members of the 

 highest family, Nymphalidae, viz., Anosia plexip- 

 pus, Vanessa atalanta, V. cardui, V. huntera, and 

 Euvanessa antiopa ; and, besides these, Cyaniris 

 pseudargiolus and Euphoeades troilus. As all 

 these instances, excepting that mentioned by Miss 

 Murtfeldt, were cases of exceptional brilliancy and 

 magnitude in the light, it is hardly to be presumed 

 that we shall change our opinion that butterflies, 

 as a rule, are insects of the day, although, as is 

 well known, there are certain groups, especially of 



