204 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



all that he sees ? The genera Noctua and Agrotis, especially, are 

 represented ; N. glareosa and iV^. castanea in the one, and 

 A. agathina in the other. Where it occurs, Celcena haivorthii 

 frequents this bloom ; but we need not expect that moth if no 

 cotton-grass occurs thereby. 



Several Geometers affect heather-bloom, such as the handsome 

 Triphosa duhitata, in all the freshness of recent emergence. In 

 all, I know no more intei'esting collecting than this : associated 

 with balmy weather of early autumn, brilliant colours of pink 

 flowers and green leaves, intensified by the concentrated lamp- 

 light, an occasional patch of grey lichen or brightly-coloured 

 fungus for change ; a stillness of night that is almost oppressive, 

 broken only perhaps b}'^ another ardent lepidopterist, more 

 assiduous than yourself, who is heard diligently making his way 

 through the little paths between the bunches of heather, with 

 sundry grunts and snufiles loud enough to attract attention long 

 before he reaches your range of light. Turn on your lantern to 

 welcome him, and silence again reigns. You soon find the 

 culprit with little bright black eyes and a half- eaten Noctua 

 neglecta, the richest red variety you have seen, still held fluttering 

 in his teeth. Touch him, and he coils round, the fattest hedgehog 

 you would wish to meet. Many have I seen, especially in Scot- 

 land ; and experience has taught that it is little use following 

 them, for hardly a moth is missed by them. 



Where hemp-agrimony grows, the flowers are well worthy of 

 examination both by day and by night, as are also those of the 

 devil's-bit scabious, which by day are most attractive to Diurni, 

 especially Vanessidae ; Vanessa c-albiim is very fond of these 

 flowers. On chalky soil in the south, more especially in the 

 daytime, a series of Eremobia ochroleuca may be taken early in 

 August, on the flowers of the other scabious (arvensis). 



Curiously, autumnal moths seem more susceptible to the 

 attractions of light than their spring brethren. Gras lamps 

 should be carefully examined and a fixed light placed in 

 convenient places. Some nights, as is so well known, are much 

 more suitable than others. There are some nights when any- 

 thing may be expected. I remember one especially good night, 

 a few years ago, near Gravesend, when I saw at the lamps that 

 evening almost every division of the Lepidoptera, the butterflies 

 being represented by a lively specimen of Vanessa atalanta and 



