294 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
Recreations of a Country Doctor concerning Sugaring. 
By H. W. Livert, M.D. 
Ir was about the year 1830 that I met with and was 
enchanted by Rennie’s books in the Library of Entertaining 
Knowledge,—‘ Insect Transformations, &c. From that time 
to the present (with, [ am sorry to say, an hiatus of some 
twenty years) I have been a collector, though still but a 
“ discipulus,” as quaint old Izaak Walton says. One reason 
why I have not attained the rank of “magister” may be 
because I have not known anyone near of kindred taste with 
whom I could work and learn; but the principal hindrance 
has been my limited opportunities, owing to the engrossing 
nature of my profession,—one which of necessity occupies 
nearly all one’s time, often Sundays as well as working-days. 
With what envy have I read from time to time of expedi- 
tions to the New Forest or other favoured localities, with the 
long lists of consequent captures; of the “ happy hunting- 
grounds,” where larve of the most desirable species would 
tumble into your umbrella at each tap of the beating-stick ; 
or where the graceful Camilla might be seen “ skimming 
lightly o’er the plain;” where C. Edusa and Hyale might 
congregate; or even the great emperor himself might 
royally disport, delighting the eye and quickeniug the pulse 
of the would-be captor! But to me—occupied most of the 
day, and of necessity at home when not so occupied, with 
holidays very few and far between—such delights were only 
to be read of and dreamt about, not to be enjoyed. Doubt- 
less there must be many an aspirant to entomological know- 
ledge with like limited opportunities ;—for the encouragement 
of such I write this paper. 
I live in a small city,—a rus in urbe, certainly,—and in 
which most of the private houses have gardens attached: my 
own is a fairly good one, and in it ] have taken many species, 
some rare. In 1868 we took eight specimens of §. Convolvuli, 
hovering over a small bed of petunias less than three feet in 
diameter; and all of which specimens, | may note by the 
way, were seen at exactly the same time on the five or six 
evenings they appeared, viz. just at twilight. I took in 1872 
a specimen—the only one | ever saw—of D. rubiginea, on. 
the berries of a yew on the lawn. C. sponsa and G. erythro- 
cephala—the last an especial great take—fell victims to their 
