7922 



Insects. 



not pause to examine these at the time ; only, in order to prevent the 

 bag of the net filling up too rapidly, take out a handful or two of the 

 larger fragments after each rake, and, shaking them well over the net, 

 throw them aside. All that remains to be done the same night is to 

 close the net, and secure its neck somewhat above the contents with a 

 piece of twine. Next day, gently emptying it, you will find on opening 

 the net sundry larv ae of Noctuae and Geometrse, which have crawled 

 aloft as far as might be from the dusty debris below. These duly 

 cared for, pour out a portion of said debris upon a newspaper ; shake 

 out, run through your hand, reject all large leaves, &c, pick out the 

 stones, and then proceed very carefully to examine the finer residuum. 

 It is only by the most close and patient search that such insects as 

 Orthochastes se tiger, Acalles misellus and Trachyphlaeus Waltoni can 

 be detected, so closely do they resemble the surrounding debris, and so 

 perseveringly do they sham death. By the time that all its contents 

 have been thus treated, the knight of the net, if as fortunate as I have 

 been, will be astonished at the number of nocturnal species thus taken, 

 whose presence in his locality was not previously suspected. 



I desire, before laying down my pen, to add my testimony to the 

 value of another mode of capturing Coleoptera, to which Mr. Douglas 

 called attention at a meeting of the Entomological Society, some time 

 ago, and which was also recommended by Mr. Scott in the ' Zoologist.' 

 Any tolerably mild day in February or March, armed with a stout 

 WharnclifTe blade and a good sized bag, proceed to the nearest 

 swampy pasture, where the turf is old and mossy and rushy; if little 

 hillocky tufts, rather drier than the surrounding swamp, stud its sur- 

 face, so much the better. Wherever the moss grows long, especially 

 on the said tuft-hillocks, cut below its roots and those of the grass, 

 rushes, Luzula, Carex, Pedicularis, &c, that are intermingled with it, 

 and deposit the little turfs as you cut them in the bag to be carried 

 home and examined at leisure, which examination must consist not 

 in merely shaking them but in tearing them in pieces over paper. In 

 this way may be obtained many species, especially of Pselaphidae and 

 Staphylinidae, in plenty, which will only be met with occasionally and 

 singly when once they have broken up their winter quarters. As soon 

 as the sun begins to wax powerful, as was the case here early in April, 

 this year, this plan ceases to be worth trying. 



Hugh A. Stowell. 



Christchureb, Manghold, Isle of Man, 

 December, 1861. 



