u8 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



[June 



taken, while later flowering patches give us the later Agrotis such as 

 valligera, tritici and nigricans. But to give the names of those I have 

 taken, would be to give a list of the species occurring herein June and 

 July, and my desire being only to encourage the inexperienced to spend 

 a few nights at these flowers, I need say no more now. — John E. 

 Robson, Hartlepool. 



Curious Visitors at Sugar. — I have been much interested with 

 the notes on " Curious Visitors at Sugar," and would like to add a 

 few curiosities other than earwigs, centipedes, beetles, slugs, toads and 

 mice. 



In the Autumn only, when the harvest is gathered in and conse- 

 quent scarcity of food prevails, rats are a perfect nuisance here, climb- 

 up the tree-trunks to the 'sugar,' using their teeth and claws with 

 great effect, as is evident by all the trees bearing freshly bitten out 

 bark on the ' sugar' patches. When going round I have seen rats 

 jump off the sugared trunk ; returning a few minutes afterwards to find 

 them on again. 



On one occasion I had just examined a tree and was turning away, 

 when I saw the ashy under-part of a rat clinging on to the side 

 opposite to the sugar, where it had taken a temporary refuge from my 

 lamplight. 



On another occasion I had sugared in Bewsey Hall Park, and 

 had nearly completed my round when imagine my disgust on finding 

 a cow quietly lapping the sugar off one of the trees ; this was more than 

 I was prepared for, so I packed up my bag and captures ( minus the 

 cow), and homewards retraced my steps. 



Only last year, a Nightjar (Caprimulgtis europea) found out my 

 sugaring haunts ; nightly intercepting the noctuas attracted thither, 

 and doubtless ' all was fish' with my feathered friend, who must have 

 caught in his capacious maw, many an insect to the allurements 

 bound. The presence of these marauders must in a great measure 

 minimise our captures at sugar, and altogether contribute materially 

 to an unproductive sugar night. — J. Collins, Warrington. 



