THE YOUNG NATUEALTST. 



197 



Found several mosses in fruit at the 

 Lickeys on 2nd April, amongst them Poly- 

 trichum commune showing the sexual organs 

 at the apex. -G.H.Wheeldon, Birmingham. 



ON LARVA HUNTING. 



(From the " Naturalist's Circular," by per- 

 mission of the Editor.) 



Now that spring has arrived, covering 

 the bare trees and bushes with tiny buds 

 and leaves, and calling forth wild flowers 

 from the earth, the entomologist will find 

 plenty of employment abroad in rural scenes. 

 A very interesting and profitable mode of 

 obtaining lepidopterous insects can be prac- 

 tised with success, — that expressed by the 

 term "larva-hunting." Much, we are well 

 aware, has been written concerning this 

 I branch of the entomologist's labours; yet 

 ■we imagine that many readers of our Circu- 

 lay will not feel uninterested in a few addi- 

 i tional remarks at this season of the year, 

 when "larva-hunting" is most necessary 

 . and most efficacious. 



When preparing for an expedition in 

 ' search of lepidopterous larvae (to which we 

 shall confine our present remarks), we may 

 remind the reader that there are two prin- 

 cipal methods of operation in vogue amongst 

 collectors. The one is to search diligently 

 and carefully the foliage of trees, bushes, 

 and low herbage ; and the other, to employ 

 the aid of a net or umbrella, beating the 

 vegetation over these, and thus securing the 

 larvae which may be concealed. In the first 

 method, which is termed "searching," the 

 ;ollector depends upon a ready eye and 

 :areful manipulation to secure the speci- 

 nens ; in the latter, he resorts to artificial 

 neans to expedite the same result. Doubt- 

 ess, much might be said on behalf of each 

 nethod of "larva-hunting," but from our 

 )wn individual experience, we should re- 

 X)mmend "searching" in the generality of 

 ;ases. Both, however, are good in their 



separate ways, and we may briefly advert 

 to the advantages of each. 



With respect to searching, it is wonderful 

 how quickly the eye becomes accustomed to 

 detect the presence of a larva, even when 

 tolerably well concealed amongst the leaves. 

 The latter should be turned up, as most 

 lepidopterous larvae will be found on the 

 under surface of the leaves, often stretched 

 along the midrib at rest. One great advan- 

 tage noticeable in searching is that the col- 

 lector needs no additional apparatus, which 

 is in itself a very weighty recommendation. 

 Another, and a still more important advan- 

 tage, is the certainty of knowing on what 

 food to rear the larva captured, which is 

 often a total impossibility with regard to 

 captures by " beating." 



And now a word or two in connection with 

 " beating." This is usually accomplished by 

 the aid of a stick and umbrella, or net made 

 of stout calico, into which the contents of 

 the trees or bushes are beaten, and the larvae 

 may tumble in with the mass of other insects. 

 Doubtless, "beating" is a useful mode of 

 larva-hunting, but more particularly success- 

 ful, we believe, in regard to low plants, 

 which can be more readily thrashed or 

 beaten into a net than searched ; which 

 latter occupation would in this case prove 

 very tedious. Of course, by beating, one 

 may very likely secure larvae hidden in the 

 midst of a bush or tree, where searching 

 would be difficult, and thus effect the cap- 

 ture of many a "good thing" that would 

 otherwise have been lost. But we fear that 

 larvae are too often injured by the process 

 of beating, and besides this disadvantage, 

 there is another of considerable force. It is 

 that some of the larger larva: (such as those 

 of the Bombycina, Sphingina, &c.) cannot be 

 dislodged by beating, unless greater force 

 be used than is advisable. 



Altogether, we feel that searching will 

 generally prove more cUcctive than beating. 

 A disadvantage attending the latter method 



