Of 



'nmt : 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. io. 



SEPTEMBEE 4th, 1880. 



Vol. 1 



FLOWERS. 



LAST week we gave a few hints on 

 the various modes of obtaining 

 insects at light. Besides the ordinary 

 method of taking rhem on the A'ing 

 generally called " mothing " and 

 k ' sugaring, - ' certain flowers are at all 

 times specially attractive to insects, 

 and more particuL fly to noctuae. In 

 No. 19, we publi; hed an article on 

 Sallow blossom, wh ch is the first flower 

 of the year worth the attention of 'Ento- 

 mologists. During summer there are so 

 many kinds in bloom, that in the multi- 

 plicity of attractions, few are worth 

 very special notice. Still there are 

 always some flowers more productive 

 to the collector than others. The 

 various species of Catchfly and 

 Campion, are always visited by hosts 

 of species, which aie best taken on the 

 whig as they fly to the Mowers. Among 

 those which frequent them, the various 

 species of Dtauthada of course stand 

 first, as the larva feed on the seeds of 

 the plants, so that they are visited not 

 only for the nectar but also for the 

 purpose of depositing their eggs. Many 

 other species may be taken at these 

 flowers, the summer Plusidce, Roctuce, 

 Agiotis, some of the sharks [Gucullid), 



j the small elephant \C. porcellux), 

 I Heliothis marginata and many others. 



Red valerian too, seems a great favorite, 

 , but we cannot say we have taken such 

 ! good species at it, as at others. Where 

 the Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare) 

 occurs, it will be found attractive to 

 many, and the flowers of various species 

 ! of Cctrx and some few grasses, are also 

 worth attention. But it is as Autumn 

 approaches that the collector has his 

 ; richest harvest at flowers. Very 

 I many umbelliferous and compositous 

 j plants, are worth visiting after dark. 

 Probably different collectors would 

 name different flowers as better than 

 others, but we have always found Cow 

 parsnip, 1 [Heracleum sphoridylium) and 

 Ragwort most attractive of all. Some 

 j species visit Ragwort during the day, 

 among which may be named the antler 

 moth ( C. graminis, i nictitans and 

 Micacea, several of the genus Miana, 

 Heliothis utargbiata and many others 

 of less frequent occurrence. After dark 

 a succession of species may be found, 

 many coast insects being very abundant, 

 several of the genus Agrotis, such as 

 tritici, valligera, cursoria and prcecox. 

 being common where they occur. The 

 genera Tryphmnd, Noctua: Nidna and 



