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MAMMALS ATTRACTED BY SUGAR 



BY JAMES S. BAILEY, A. M., M. D., ALBANY, N. Y. 



It has not been supposed that animal life would be attracted by sugar, but while 

 sugaring for Lepidoptera the contrary has been proven. On a number of occasions we 

 have taken deer mice while in the act of feeding on sugar, and more recently we have 

 taken a flying squirrel while lapping the sweets of a sugared patch. 



Not long since, in making our rounds while sugaring we discovered a skunk endeav- 

 ouring to taste the sugaring, and so intent was he that our approach was unobserved until 

 a piece of dead wood was hurled at him, when he reluctantly left. The throwing of a 

 second missile quickened his pace and caused him to distribute his perfumery, which ren- 

 dered the air rather more fragrant than Lubin's Ext. of new-mown hay. It is unnecessary 

 to state that our recreation for the evening was at an end. 



We have frequently taken at sugar tree toads and various species of Coleoptera. A 

 Texan correspondent says it is not uncommon for him to take at sugar Scorpions, and 

 also species of Lizards, which are numerous in that latitude. 



ON WINTERING THE CAMBERWELL B^AVTY— Vanessa Antiopa. 



BY C. G. SIEWERS, NEWPORT, KY. 



This beautiful diurnal — the Camberwell Beauty " of England, and very inappropri- 

 ately styled the " Mourning Cloak " by Americans, for is it not clothed in a maatle of 

 imperial purple, fringed with gold lace 1 — is well known to hybernate. It is occasionally 

 found in stone piles in the winter, but I think its most common hiding-place is in the culvert 

 walls of our country roads and turnpikes. It requires a cold, moist, dark place, or it will 

 dry up. 



Capturing a fine female on the 9th of October, 1876, I concluded to winter it. Placing 

 it in a net cage with a dish of apple, sugar and water, I supposed my share of the performance 

 over. It fed for several weeks, then fluttered a good deal and died the beginning of Decem- 

 ber. It had fairly dried up. This showed bad management. Last fall, on September 7th, 

 passing a tree sugared the night before, I captured another female. This one I placed in a 

 paper box eight inches square and high, removed the core of half an apple, sliced off a bit of 

 the round side to steady it, placed it in a small two-inch dish, covered with sugar, and filled 

 up with water. Once a week I renewed the water and sugar. It placed itself on the side of 

 the box, directly over and within leach of the dish, and however I moired the apple I always 

 found that it followed it round. 



It evidently fed on warm days, but never opened its wings. I kept it in an up-stairs, 

 cold room, where water would freeze, but still not as cold as out doors. It allowed me to 

 handle it, and would lie fiat on my hand without movement. In February I thought there 

 were symptoms of weakening. It no longer perched on the side of the box, but remained 

 on the bottom, leaning over very much to one side. 



Placing it in sunshine the last week of February, it began to open its wings little by 

 little with short jerks, as if the tendons were loosening. When half open it was put away 

 again. On the 11th of March, a warm, cloudy day, I took it on my finger to an open win- 

 dow. While looking at its clear eyes the sun suddenly shone out, and the next moment it 

 was gone. I had proposed to try and find a mate for it, but concluded to keep it till others 

 were flying, and then take it to its old neighbourhood and let it go. As it took the direction 

 of its place of capture I was pretty sure to see it again, and found it four days after in a sugar 

 camp in the same woods. I recognized it at once by a bad bend in the tip of the wings 

 caused by a jam of the dish slipping on it. 



On the 27th of March, two weeks later, the first antiopa appeared. I have so far failed 

 to take the larva, but have just seen several imagines in a willow thicket, which gives me 

 hope. They are usually rare, but some years their numbers make them a nuisance. Their 

 colour is dark purple with strong black spines. Food plants — Lombardy poplar and willow 



