86 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
The blossoms of plum and damson trees, in suitable localities, 
are almost as tempting to insects as are the sallows; and at 
blackthorn bloom in the New Forest, two or three seasons ago, 
I found moths feeding plentifully after dusk; but as the bushes 
did not bear more than searching I could not say whether 
moths get as stupefied on the nectar of blackthorn as their 
neighbours on that of the sallows. 
At spring bloom we have our good nights just as at our 
summer and autumn sugaring, only I think we have more bad 
nights in spring than at other times of the year, if we except such 
wretched seasons as.the last, which in some localities produced 
bad nights, and bad days as well, all the year long. East winds 
are much against us in the spring, and may be looked upon as the 
chief enemy for the time of the collector. An old northern saying 
runs, ‘‘ When the wind is in the east, it is good for neither man 
nor beast;” and as we ought to accept the modern term, 
“animal,” as applied to every creature possessing the power of 
locomotion, certainly moths may be classed among the beasts, as 
regards east winds. When, however, we get a dark night with a 
soft south wind, with just enough moisture in the air to verge 
upon our calling it rain, we may go to our woods, when the 
sallows are in bloom, and expect a good night. 
Those sallow bushes which are isolated, and where there are 
not too many, are the best, and moths seem rather to favour those 
which are not too high; although I have had some really good 
nights at bushes which might almost be called trees. These 
are best worked, as are all which are clear from undergrowth, 
with an ordinary bed-sheet. While spreading this under the bush 
we must take care not to disturb the tree in the least, or even to 
turn our light on the catkin-bearing branches. All being ready, a 
sharp shake will cover the sheet with a variety of moths, which 
stay still for some time in half-inebriated condition. Of course 
the genus Teniocampa is strongest in representatives, though 
this depends much upon the locality in which we work. In 
a good old fir plantation we may expect our visitors to be 
chiefly Trachea piniperda, which, contrary to the sullen habits 
of the species of the above genus, go tumbling about “heads 
and tails,” performing most absurd acrobatic feats before 
settling down to be quietly boxed. When I went for my first 
series of this species how astonished was I to see some 
