194 Proc. B.N.F.C, 



and capture the moths as they arrive, winging their flight against 

 the wind, following the rich honey aroma to its source ; or, the 

 sprays of blossom may be examined with a lantern and the insects 

 boxed when at rest. Another method, which I have never tried, 

 is to spread a sheet beneath the tree and beat the branches, when 

 the moths will drop on the sheet, where they may be easily seen 

 and taken. The moths seldom fly away after having settled either 

 on Ivy or Sally bloom, but drop when touched. In autumn the 

 numbers of living insects which are to be found at the Ivy bloom 

 far exceeds anything I have seen elsewhere, on a well covered Ivy 

 wall hundreds of moths may be seen. On a warm, calm evening 

 almost every tuft of blossom will have one or two, and these may 

 be leisurely examined and only such specimens as are required be 

 boxed. Care should be taken, however, not to throw the light 

 of the lantern on those that you are not ready to attend to, or these 

 will quickly drop off among the thick green leaves and be lost. 

 The third method of capturing the night fliers is at sugar. Take 

 some of the coarsest and darkest brown sugar from the bottom of 

 a sugar hogshead, pour a little water on it and boil slowly until it 

 becomes of the consistency of treacle, then add when it is cold a 

 tea spoonful of rum or whisky, to increase the diffusiveness of the 

 smell, and with this paint the stems of the trees, I have found 

 long perpendicular bands from a height of four or five feet to the 

 ground, and about two inches broad, better than shorter and 

 broader patches. I always put the sugar on the sheltered side of 

 the tree, that the moths may not be disturbed by the breeze. The 

 painting should be finished early in the evening before the moths 

 begin to fly. Sugaring will be found almost, if not entirely, useless, 

 on an evening when the moon is shining, or when the wind is 

 easterly or north-easterly. When the trees are visited always 

 begin your examination from the bottom, carefully shading the 

 light from those above. If you begin at the top the moths below 

 will silently slip away. In taking the moths at sugar, it is only 

 necessary to hold an open box below them, and touch them 

 gently with the lid when they will drop] into the box. I find in 



