232 THE YOUNG 



I had never tried this mode of collecting, 

 so it was not in the expectation of filling all 

 my boxes, that about 10 p.m. on the night 

 of the 16th August I filled a pocket with 

 nested chip boxes and strolled along a busy 

 street near where I live. The night was a 

 very favourable one for collecting, so I soon 

 began to direct my attention to the lighted 

 shop windows, and closely examine the 

 frame-work of the panes. The first window 

 yielded two of Scoparia cemhrce, and having 

 met with this small success we tried the 

 next one and found a few more. After 

 about half-an-hour's work, and within the 

 distance of two blocks of buildings, I had 

 boxed over thirty beautiful specimens of 

 S. cembrce. It is very difficult to get this 

 insect in good condition ; • and in this 

 district I have never known of more than 

 a few odd specimens being taken, yet in this 

 short space of time I got thirty specimens in 

 beautiful condition. Of that pretty family 

 the Pterophori or Plume moths, I found 

 specimens of P. Trigonodactylus and 

 Punctidactylus at rest, enjoying the pleasant 

 warmth and light produced by the gas in a 

 public-house window. I must admit that 

 public-houses are quite as attractive to 

 lepidoptera as they are to the genus homo, 

 although, perhaps the attractions are differ- 

 ent that bring them there ; but we must 

 not forget the fatal weakness the moth has 

 for intoxicants. It was on public-house 

 windows that I got the greater number of 

 my captures. Crembus tristeUm, in prime 

 condition, was represented by a few ; the 

 ground colour of the upper wings was of a 

 rich yellow-red colour, while the white 

 streak in these specimens was of a pretty 

 silver colour. Melanippe fluctuata I found 

 flitting about in fair numbers. This insect, 

 I may say, although said to be common in 

 other localities, is by no means common 

 here. I only took two of it last year, and of 

 the many local entomologists, I do not 

 believe more than a fair series was taken 



NATUBALTST. 



among them. I took a good few of it on the 

 window panes. Last week an entomologist 

 friend told me that on the Saturday following 

 he intended walking a distance of seventeen 

 miles, to a locality where G. gra/minis 

 occurs, which means a walk of thirty- 

 four miles with every possibility of his 

 returning home without having seen a single 

 specimen. I have not seen him since so 

 cannot say what his success was. Suffice 

 it to say that on two shop windows within 

 three minutes walk from where I live I 

 boxed twelve of the nicest specimens of this 

 insect that I have ever seen. They seemed 

 to havs been newly emerged from the 

 chrysalis, so rich were the markings. 



Last night while returning from a collect- 

 ing excursion, I passed these shop windows, 

 and having a few empty boxes I examined 

 the windows and filled eight boxes I had 

 remaining with Graminis, as fresh in colour 

 as those I had formerly taken. 



If I gave a list of the micro lepidoptera 

 which I took on this evening the list would 

 be a surprisingly long one. I took many 

 species I had never seen before. An 

 important feature in connection with this 

 mode of collecting, is, that the insects taken 

 in the light are invariably in beautiful 

 condition, This is easily accounted for by 

 their not being on the wing so often as other 

 species, and therefore not so liable to 

 damage. Since then I have paid other visits 

 to the shop windows, and find insects quite 

 as common as I did on the first occasion. 



I believe light is most productive in the 

 Autumn, and I would advise those who 

 have never tried this manner of collecting 

 to give it a trial soon, and I am confident 

 they will not be disappointed. To those 

 who owing to late business hours and other 

 causes cannot get away in time in the 

 evening for ordinary twilight collecting they 

 will find on shop windows as many insects 

 as will keep them busily engaged until n 

 p.m. rings the knell of departing lights. 



