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‘Collecting Lachnosterna. 
By C. H. Roserts. 
As the season approaches for collecting this genus, I am induced to 
tell of a method which was new to me until last Spring, and which 
proved very remunerative. It was my good fortune to spend a couple 
of weeks in Washington, D. C., last May with that band of well-known 
entomologists and enthusiastic collectors, gathered there, and they initi- 
ated me—taught me the trick 7. e.—beating. 
Given a clump of Oak or Hickory trees (young ones Be 
situated near a lawn, meadow or pasture; an umbrella, beating stick, 
lantern, plenty of.good sized bottles, charged with cyanide or chloroform, 
and if possible a companion, and you are ready—when night comes. 
The beetles begin to emerge from the ground at about dusk and 
fly to the trees to feed. 
As long as any light remains you can hand-pick them, but when it 
becomes dark, or if they appear in large numbers, you open your um- 
brella and the beating process begins. If the locality be a good one you 
will be astonished at the result. You want the lantern to examine the 
umbrella with, and your companion to hold it and the umbrella. 
While in Washington four of us went out in this way and we took 
nearly /wo guaris, or almost a ¢housand specimens in an hour and a half. 
Six or seven species were represented. Oak and Hickory are of course 
not the only food plants, but seem to be favorites. 
One species, afimis, was quite commonly taken upon an old oak 
which grew near my friend’s house, and seemed to be rare everywhere 
else. Affinis suddenly disappeared after a few days, and then the pear 
trees in the garden were savagely attacked by Azr/rcuda and fusca, or rather 
arcuada, Smith, n. sp. It for some time seemed as if they would destroy 
the trees, so vast were their numbers ; and I am not sure but that they 
would, were it not for the hand-picking of myself and friend. 
After my leaving, my friends took many hundreds of specimens, 
and many species in this way. 
Upon my return to New York I tried the same method in one of 
our small parks and succeeded very well, although the season was getting 
late. I was once disturbed by a gray-coated ‘* guardian of the peace,” 
but I finally persuaded him that he was wanted in another part of the 
park and the good work went on. 
Collecting about electric lights, especially when they are near parks, 
and not too far from the ground, is productive of very good results, but 
beating goes beyond anything in my experience. 
The beetles seem to fly mostly from dusk until ten o’clock, although 
some specimens have been taken as late as midnight. 
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