PoERiTT : Collecting Expedition to the New Foeest. 105 



immediately the sun goes down, and it was necessary to have the 

 sugar on the trees by 6-30 in broad daylight, to be in time for them j 

 and generally we took most before even lighting up the lamps* 

 Fromissa on the contrary comeS much later, when it is quite dark, and 

 instead of settling flat on the sugared patch with its wings closed, as 

 Sponsa does, it rests with wings raised and partly spread, distinctly 

 shewing the beautiful crimson lower wings. At first we netted the 

 moths off the trees, but we soon discovered that this method would 

 not do if we intended having fine specimens, as, being excessively wild 

 when in the net, in five cases out of six the scales were completely 

 rubbed off the thorax, leaving it perfectly bald before it could be got 

 into the cyanide bottle. We found the only way was to bottle them 

 straight off the trees, but this done, tLey were perfectly safe and in 

 exquisite condition, as, big and strong though they are, the cyanide 

 fumes overpower them immediately. Whilst sugaring for these species 

 we had more than one illustration of the extreme jealousy that exists 

 amongst some of the New Forest collectors, especially some of the 

 dealing fraternity. They think that if they sugar a " ride " at the 

 beginning of the season, they are at liberty to appropriate it the whole 

 season afterwards. The first night or two we accidentally sugared the 

 rides of some of these gentlemen, and a fine row they made about it 

 when they appeared upon the scene. Sugarers became so numerouSy 

 that some of them actually walked nearly three miles to the place in 

 the afternoons, day by day, to afiix a card containing their names, to- 

 the first tree in the ride, to notify that such ride was " taken," This 

 was quite a common occurrence. 



Next day, changing our ground, we spent in Denny Wood, another 

 favourite part with lepidopterists. Our object was chiefly to obtain the 

 rare Cleora glabraria, a lichen feeder, and to achieve our purpose we set 

 to work with a will beating the lichen-covered beeches, whitethorns, oaks,. 

 &c. It was tedious work however, as glahraria was scarce — very; and we 

 only managed to secure two specimens that day, if 1 remember rightly. 

 They were in nice condition, however, and perhaps we were rather too 

 early for the species, as the local collectors were breeding it daily 

 during the last few days I was there ; and I myself had three out after 

 my return home. With them we beat out a few of the local Lithosia 

 quadra^ with Ennomos angularia in tolerable plenty, and erosaria less 

 commonly ; we also beat down larvae of both these species from which 

 images have since emerged. Other species taken were Limacodes testudo^ 

 Liparis monacJia, Cleora lichenaria^ Hjpliym trilinearia (common), Mimes 

 eu^phorbiata^ Platypieryx unguiciila (tolerably frequent in beeches), &C. 



