26 MOTH-COLLECTORS. 



of nature's miniature masterpieces of painting and mechanism ; 

 and, for once, we may fairly claim for ourselves " le droit du plus 

 fort" as one which, if it so please us, we may justly exercise. 



For Aurelians, or collectors of Moths and Butterflies, this 

 month and the following constitute one of the great harvest 

 seasons. Trowel in hand, they are now repairing to the leaf- 

 less woods, where carefully digging a few feet around the 

 trunks of the trees, they "disquiet and bring up" from their 

 winter catacombs, the mummy -like aurelias of various Moths 

 which, as Caterpillars, have fattened in summer on the foliage 

 above. Such as are disposed to become Aurelians themselves, 

 must have in readiness for their treasures, thus exhumed, 

 boxes of wood or pasteboard partly filled with vegetable earth, 

 and covered at top with gauze. The Chrysalides consigned 

 to their earthy bed, there should be laid over them a green 

 coverlet of moss, which, once a fortnight in winter and oftener 

 in summer, should be steeped in water for the purpose of 

 giving moisture to the mould beneath. 



Among the numerous "projets" of Eeaumur, suggested by 

 his favourite pursuit, was one for the establishment of a sort 

 of public menagerie for Insects, and perhaps, in the present 

 speculative era, a worse scheme might be hit on than the 

 opening of an Entomologic Garden. Who knows but that, 

 by help of such adjuncts as flowery walks and Ftes al Fresco, 

 ladies might be tempted to face Ant-lions 'lat home" in their 

 sandy pit-falls, as well as Man-lions, not at home, in their iron 



