xxxii £rj^or£AA' Butterflies and Moti/s. 



appreciated by the motlis in the height of summer, when so many flowers are in bloom, than at 

 other times of the year when there are fewer. Some genera of NocUice, especially those which fly 

 by day or at early twilight, are seldom or never attracted by sugar ; among these we may 

 mention Nonagria, Ciiciillia, P/iisia, &c. Most of the moths which are attracted by sugar are 

 Noctiice ; but it is also visited by many Gconictrce 2iX\A Micro-Lcpidoptera, and occasionally even by 

 a stray Boinbyx. Nor do Lepidoptera alone visit the sugared trees ; for ants, earwigs, beetles, 

 &c., may frequently be seen enjoying the sweets intended for moths. 



On Scarcliiiig for Lcpidoplcra atRest.—\la.\\y moths may be found at rest on walls, fences, 

 tree-trunks, and stones and rocks, especially in dark corners. They may also be found between 

 boards or behind window-shutters, especially when these are seldom opened. We have already 

 spoken of beating bushes, but moths may often be beaten or shaken from overhanging trees, 

 thatch, &c. The hybernating butterflies may often be found in outhouses, faggot-stacks, &c., in 

 winter ; and in dull weather small butterflies may often be found at rest, sitting on the tops of 

 long grass or rushes. Noctua and Tinece which are hidden among tufts of grass and weeds may 

 be induced to creep out or fly up by gently shaking the tuft from below with a stick, and 

 repeating the shake as often as necessary. The moths are disturbed and creep up to the ends 

 of the grass, and are then easily captured. They may also be driven out by tobacco-smoke 

 blown into the grass or bushes where they are hidden. If the material of our net be sufficiently 

 strong, we may sweep the grass and bushes for small moths, as coieopterists do for beetles. 



ON BREEDING LEPIDOPTERA. 



By breeding Lepidoptera we obtain perfectly fresh and unblemished specimens, in better 

 condition than any caught specimens which can be found. Besides, we may often obtain many 

 species in abundance by breeding which can only be found casually and sparingly in any other 

 way. Many species, especially among the Alicro-Lcpidoptcra, have never yet been met with at 

 large in their perfect state, and therefore cannot be procured at all except in this manner. There 

 is another great advantage in rearing Lepidoptera, as it makes us acquainted with their appearance 

 and habits in all stages. In many of the more obscure genera, too, a knowledge of the 

 transformations is almost indispensable to their identification, for caught specimens cannot always 

 be determined, partly because they are not always in sufficiently good condition, and partly 

 because allied species are sometimes so similar in their perfect state that they can only be 

 separated by a knowledge of their previous individual transformations. These remarks will 

 apply to such genera as Eupithccia and Ncpticjila, for instance. Although the rearing of 

 Lepidoptera is much more troublesome, and not so attractive, perhaps, as the pursuit of the perfect 

 insects, it must on no account be neglected, and will ultimately be found worth all the care and 

 attention that the collector can bestow upon it. As he pursues this part of the study, he will 

 not only find it becoming more and more attractive and profitable as he proceeds, but he may 

 perhaps be able to make important additions to our scientific knowledge. 



Lepidoptera may be reared from the egg, or from the partly-grown larvae or pupaj which we 

 may meet with. 



On Breeding from the Egg. — The eggs of Lepidoptera are deposited in various situations : 

 sometimes in a ring around a twig, sometimes in a cluster, or singly on a plane surface, and 

 frequently on or under the surface of a leaf. Some species lay their eggs in flowers or in the 

 chinks of bark. Those eggs which are laid in clusters are frequently covered with down ; and 

 apterous females often lay their eggs in or upon their old cocoon. When we discover eggs, we 



