298 THE YOUNG 



kinds, without alcoholic mixture, appear 

 to have an intoxicating effect upon, 

 and they will generally remain motion- 

 less after they are secured, until next 

 day. 



We do not know if their are any 

 genera or species of Noctucs that never 

 visit sugar, but if collectors would make 

 a list of the species found in their 

 neighbourhood, and observe how many 

 of them occur at sugar, we should soon 

 be able to ascertain tliis fact. Some, 

 no doubt, only visit it now and then, 

 thus we have taken more than one 

 species of LianiJicecia singly, that could 

 be taken freely at campion flowers 

 within half-a-dozen yards ; other species 

 of the same genus we have never seen 

 at sugar, though equally abundant at 

 flowers. Pacts of this kind should all 

 be recorded and we direct our readers* 

 attention to them. We have also taken 

 certain day-flying species occasionally, 

 such as A. myrtillij which we once 

 found at sugar ; but then it is only a 

 stray specimen of that insect that can 

 reach our district, and we should be 

 glad to learn its habits at home. Other 

 day-flying species should be noted in 

 the same way. Besides these and 

 other notes of interest that may be 

 made in reference to Noduce, a list of 

 the Geometm that have been taken at 

 sugar would be worth making. We 

 are not aware that an attempt has been 

 made to record all the species that have 

 been found to come to sugar, and if 



NATURALIST. 



our readers will send us the names of, 

 all they see, we have no doubt some ■ 

 interesting facts will be brought to 

 light. Isolated observations are of 

 very little use by themselves, but a 

 number of isolated observations often 

 lead to very important generalizations. 

 Observations respecting common spe- 

 cies will be as valuable as of rare ones. 



Another class of observations much i 

 needed with respect to sugaring are 

 those relating to meteorological or 

 other influences that may have some 

 effect on the numbers that appear. 

 Sugaring the other night with the wind 

 easterly, we did not see a single insect 

 worth taking, but the next night with 

 a westerly wind there was twenty to 

 fifty NoctucB on every patch. Does 

 this law obtain at other places ? We 

 are on the east coast where an easterly 

 wind blows direct from the sea. What 

 is the experience of collectors on the 

 west coast ? and what do inland sugar- 

 ers find with regard to wind, &c. 



These hints are only intended to be 

 taken as a sample of the kind of ob- 

 servations that appear to us to be 

 interesting or important. Others will, 

 doubtless, suggest themselves to other 

 collectors, and we shall be glad to find 

 space for any remarks on the subject. 

 Entomologists, no doubt, think them- 

 selves fairly intelligent, yet there are 

 many things connected with their study 

 (or amusement) concerning which their 

 knowledge is still exceedingly limited. . 



