886 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



pointed. The chrysalids of the Catocalse 

 are covered with delicate powder, which 

 exactly resembles the bloom on a plum. 



The MOTHS have rather long and slender 

 antennae, always decreasing in si? : /ro i\ the 

 base to the tip ; those of the male generally 

 appear slightly stouter than those of the 

 female, rom their being downy or pubes- 

 cent and some are as decidedly pectinated 

 as tno.se of the Bombyces. Their trunks, 

 or 'maxillae, as I have called this organ at 

 p. 205, are long and robust : when at rest 

 by day, they are tightly coiled up under the 

 head, but when abroad at night, expanded 

 to their full length, and in constant use for 

 sucking the honey of flowers. This honey- 

 sucking propensity makes the Noctuas an 

 easy prey to the entomologist, who avails 

 himself of this taste for sweets, not only by 

 searching their favourite flowers, but also 

 by providing artificial sweets exactly to 

 their taste. At night, Noctuas swarm on 

 the blossoms of honeysuckle, jasmine, red 

 valerian, and a number of other plants. 

 It is, indeed, a beautiful sight to see the 

 Noctuas revelling on the plant last named ; 

 if you take a bull's-eye lantern, and throw 

 the light full on a party of moths feasting 

 off these saccharine flowers of the valerian, 

 the sight is one not soon to be forgotten ; 

 the glare of the lamp is reflected from a 

 hundred pairs of the brightest eyes, and as 

 these change their position in moving from 

 flower to flower, the scene is almost magical 

 Sallow bloom in the spring and ivy bloom 

 in the autumn, are quite as attractive as 

 valerian in the summer. Still more attrac- 

 tive is sugar, an artificial substitute for 

 flowers. This discovery was first made 

 known in the pages of the Entomologist, 

 and has been the means of revolutionizing 

 the science : species previously unknown 

 have been discovered ; and species previ- 

 ously of excessive rarity have become 

 abundant. I will describe the process of 

 sugaring for Noctuas. Buy three or four 

 pounds of the strongest moist sugar, it is 

 usually called " Jamaica foots ; " mix it with 

 hot beer until it becomes of the consistence 

 of treacle ; carry it to the field of opera- 

 tions in a small tin -can suspended by a 

 strap passing over the shoulder. In a 



separate phial carry a modicum of rum, 

 and, before using the mixture already de- 

 scribed, add a few drops, perhaps a tea- 

 spoonful of rum. Select a tree with toler- 

 aily smooth Lark, and, with a painter's 

 brush, lay on the mixture in narrow stripes ; 

 then paint another tree ; then a third, 

 fourth, fifth, and so on in the same way. 

 In twecty minutes return to the first tree, 

 and the Noctuas will be found, with spark- 

 ling eyes, extended trunks, and gently 

 quivering wings, revelling on the banquet 

 thus provided. Now throw the light of 

 the bull's-eye lantern full on the revellers, 

 and box those you want in chip pill-boxes, 

 holding the box below the moth, and the 

 lid above, and so proceed until your coat- 

 pockets are filled with pill-boxes, a rarity 

 in each. I have always found a mild, 

 damp, dark night the best for this occupa- 

 tion. The reader will please observe that 

 this plan of entoinologizing is often attended 

 with some unpleasantness ; such, for in- 

 stance, as the obtrusive visits of game- 

 keepers, who always require a bribe to 

 leave you alone ; and, in Ireland, the atten- 

 tion of the police, who are excited by a 

 lantern, just as a turkey-cock is by a red 

 rag, or a bull by a scarlet cloak or coat. 

 Then, if the evening turn out rainy, the 

 herbage becomes loaded with moisture, and 

 boots, stockings, and trousers get saturated 

 with moisture. Juvenile collectors are 

 greatly comforted in the belief that they 

 possess some nostrum with a long Greek 

 name that will keep out wet ; but this de- 

 lusion is evaporated by experience, which, 

 after all, is the most satisfactory guide. A 

 writer in the Intelligencer says that aniseed 

 has been found remarkably attractive to 

 Noctuas ; and another writer in the same 

 periodical recommends the following 

 method : Instead of brushing the sugar 

 on the bark of the trees, get some pieces 

 of coarse rag, then mix up your bait and 

 steep the rags in it ; let them remain in 

 soak until they are well saturated, when 

 they may be pinned up wherever you wish, 

 and, when done with, put away for another 

 night. In Germany it is a common practice 

 to cut apples in slices and thread them on 

 a string, and, when dried, they are found 



