174 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
been said and written on the subject of light in the fens to show 
its success. I need, therefore, simply wish that our reader may 
on his visit to Wicken have the good fortune to see a “real 
night for light,” and hope he may use his time to good 
advantage. 
Sugar has latterly been somewhat at a discount amongst 
collectors at Wicken, but at times it produces a rich harvest. 
There are several clumps or rows of poplar trees near Upware on 
either side of the river. These may be often found very profitable 
if sugared. These trees do not stand in the fen itself, but are ~ 
surrounded by dykes and fenny land in every direction. At these 
trees, when sugared, have been taken all the following and many 
other species :—Acronycta strigosa, Cymatophora ocularis, some- 
times a dozen in a single night, Apamea ophiogramma, A. fibrosa, 
Hadena atriplicis, H. suasa, &e. A sharp look-out should 
always be kept for the exceedingly rare Hadena satura, which 
might be overlooked for an odd H. thalassina. One of the very 
limited number of places where this great rarity was taken was 
in Cambridgeshire. Many of the commoner Noctue taken at 
sugar in the fens are well worth looking over, for many odd forms 
appear amongst them from time to time. These bear examination 
from other views beyond those of the mere collector, and are 
curious to those who study development of varieties or types as 
associated with surrounding circumstances. 
I have already mentioned a couple of nearly extinct species 
which used to occur commonly at Wicken. Space will not now 
permit us to discuss the causes which have led to this apparent 
extermination of certain species in certain localities. I must not, 
however, forget to remind our readers that at one time the now 
rare Phibalapteryx polygrammata used to occur between Upware 
and Wicken villages in some abundance. Mr. Bond informs me 
that at one time he could have taken large numbers in Burwell 
Fen, which was immediately south-east of Wicken Fen and 
adjoining. P. polygrammata was also taken in Wicken, but more 
sparingly than in Burwell. There were two broods, one in 
April and the other in June, and, like its relative, P. lignata, the 
summer form was the larger. Not for years has this species been 
seen, although carefully searched for by many collectors. Burwell 
Fen, the headquarters of this imsect, has been drained, and 
is under a rough kind of cultivation, but Wicken still remains, 
