Oct. 1885.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



157 



licUls aro tilled with insect life and in the Winter 

 niiiny species are to be found under the bark of 

 dead trees, in rotten wood, under the stones, in 

 llie moss, in the crevices of the bark of live trees, 

 and the careful seeker will find many \m\>x hang- 

 ing to Ihj trees, under the stones, and on the old 

 fences. There is no"particular place to look, you 

 must look every where, but perhaps the localities 

 must prolific Iq insect life are gardens and farms, 

 the borders of woods, low marshy places, and the 

 lianks of streams. As "eternal vigilance is the 

 price of safety " so it is the price of a good collec- 

 tion. Above all things, keep a notebook of every 

 incitlent and particular of what you take, its 

 place of capture, date, comparative rarity, and if 

 unknown, a description of it and its habits; if 

 a hu'va;, note its habits, its food plant, and do not 

 fid! to keep it and note every change until it 

 transforms; keep the notes very full and you will 

 Ije surprised to find how much valuable iulorma- 

 tion you have collected in one season. The note 

 book of one careful naturalist is worth more than 

 all the books of instruction in the world. 



In collecting Lepidoptcra, 'it is preferable to 

 start as near day break as po.ssible, for then many 

 night Hies are resting before crawling away for 

 the day, and all are sluggish and can be easily 

 taken. But as the sim draws higher the hum of 

 insects increases, the butterflies become lively, 

 new ones come out from their hiding places, 

 where they have spent the night, and plenty of 

 work lies close at hand. Now, be cautious, do 

 not hurry, do not run, it is of little use to chase a 

 butterfly, you will only get out of breath, and 

 have your labor for your pains, wait until he set- 

 tles on some flower or on the grass, strike quickly, 

 but lightly, with a dexterous twist throw the 

 bottom of the net in a fold over the hoop and you 

 liave him ; then, if he is small, put the open 

 mouth of the bottle over him as he comes up the 

 side of the net, confine it with the hand and put 

 in the cork. It he is large or vigorous it is often 

 best to put the open bottle into the net and place 

 it over him as he lies confined in the bottom of 

 the net, loosen the net a little around him and he 

 will fly in. Do not put too many into the bottle 

 at once, not over six or eight, for they will batter 

 each other, then put the bottle in the pocket and 

 take another, by the time that is full the others 

 will be dead and may be taken out, then either 

 Ibid the wings together over the back and place 

 liim in an envelope or pin him and stick in the box. 

 In pinning a butterfly or moth, take him by the 

 thorax, under the wings, and slide a pin down- 

 ward through the thorax inclining it slightly 

 backward. Coleoptera should be pinned through 



the right elytron. Hemiptera through the scu- 

 telluni. Watch the flowers, the grass, the leaves, 

 and even on the bark of the trees, where some of 

 the rarest of the moths alight, take plenty of time, 

 and you will soon become sulficiently expert to 

 enable you to take a goodly collection in a short 

 time. Do not stay out too long at a time, but 

 find the means to go out at different times of the 

 day. A very cloudy day is a poor one for the 

 entomologist. 



In collecting Coleoptera and Hemiptera in warm 

 weather many may be taken in the net while fly- 

 ing, but more will be found by sweeping and 

 carefully examining the grass, flowers and leaves, 

 many will also be found under stones, dung, and 

 in and about dead animals and carrion, others 

 will be seen swimming in the water or grovelling 

 in the mud beneath it. 



Many species of insects rare in most localities, 

 have some place where they are very plentiful. 

 On discovering such a place, it is well to lay in a 

 stock for future use, for such an opportunity may 

 never again be had. 



When you get home, do not immediately set 

 about taking care of the insects you have cap- 

 tured, lay them aside, drop all thoughts of them, 

 sit down to a good square meal, and above all get 

 rested before going to work on them. 



Bird Visitors at a Florida Light 

 House. 



BY D. 1). S., OSWEOO, N. Y. 



Last Spring I spent about two months m the 

 South collecting specimens. While in Warring- 

 ton, Fla., I became acquainted with Mr. Samuel 

 Lawrence, the keeper of the light house near there. 



Learning my business, he told me that on dark, 

 drizzly nights myriads of small birds, and some 

 times larger ones, congregated about the lantern, 

 fluttering against the glass or resting on the upper 

 balcony, sometimes striking the glass or ironwork 

 with such force as to kill themselves. The light 

 is of the first order, 310 feet from the sea level to 

 its focal plane and lights the entire horizon. The 

 tower is on the main land on a nearly straight 

 piece of beach and about a mile inside the en- 

 trance of Pensacola Bay. The country is mostly 

 level, with many swampy places and covered witli 

 a growth of Pines and scrubby Oaks. 



The night of March 2dd being favorable, I ac- 

 cepted the keeper's invitation to pass the night in 

 the lantern with him, and was well rewarded. 

 During the first part of the night only five or six 

 birds came within reach. Four of these were 

 taken— two Yellow-throated and two White-eyed 



