J 98 [Proc. B.N.F.C., 



without moving the umbrella, many of the larvae of the Geome- 

 tridae will lie as dead for a time at the bottom of the umbrella, and 

 so like broken twigs as to be mistaken for them, so do not at first 

 invert the umbrella. Examine carefully what can be seen, remov- 

 ing the leaves, &c, with the hand, and then after a time the 

 umbrella may be turned up, and the debris gently shaken out, 

 when the loopers will be found to have gained their legs, and to 

 be walking up the ribs of the umbrella, or standing in a defiant 

 attitude with stiff body and elevated head. I strongly recommend 

 collectors not to be satisfied with either beating or searching in 

 daylight, but to practise both at night with the aid of a lantern. 

 Some of my rarest specimens have been thus obtained, and many 

 larvae are night feeders. 



III. — Pupa digging. This is the portion of the collector's work 

 which can be carried on through the winter months. It requires 

 much perseverance, and there are with it many disappointments, 

 and often blank or almost blank days, yet much may be done by 

 this method. Mr. Greene, who has pursued it both in Ireland 

 and England, gives a list of 133 different species he has obtained 

 thus. I have invariably found the north and north-east sides of 

 the trees the best, and the trees at which I have obtained the 

 greatest number of pupae are the following : — willow or sally, oak, 

 elm, poplar — trees standing alone are best. Time will not permit 

 me to do more than touch on this branch of collecting. 



In conclusion, I would urge in the cause of science as well as 

 of humanity, the avoidance of all appearance of cruelty. I say 

 appearance, for it is maintained by some that insects do not feel. 

 No doubt their nervous system is much less complicated than 

 ours, and we may reasonably suppose they do not feel pain to an 

 equal extent ; but it would be hard to prove that a living insect 

 did not feel uncomfortable when a pin was stuck through it, and 

 analogy would lead us to the conclusion that insects must feel 

 some pain. However little this may be I do not consider it lawful 

 for reasonable beings, much less Christians, to run the risk of 

 giving unnecessary pain to any of God's creatures. To pin an 





