118 



The Naturalist. 



the ground it was almost quite dark. However, finding the fen was 

 tolerably dry, we lit the lamps and struck into the thick of the reeds, 

 sedges, &c, : and we had evidently hit upon a good place for the local 

 Nonagria Hellmanni, as we soon netted a few nice specimens of it- 

 Whilst wandering about, the darkness had become intense, and we 

 were a little surprised to be visited by a man, who turned out to be 

 the village policeman. Instead of regarding us as suspicious charac- 

 ters, however, he seemed to know pretty well what we were about, 

 and very kindly put us into the right way of collecting, by fetching a 

 long pole, which he stuck upright in the ground, and then fastened 

 our lamps to it at a distance of six or seven feet from the ground. 

 This we found was the orthodox way of collecting in the fens, all other 

 methods (at night) being of comparatively little good. Some won- 

 derful lamps, too, are used by the fen collectors ; usually they are 

 from twelve to eighteen inches square, and have generally four large 

 burners and reflectors. "When a number of these lamps are on the 

 fen at one time, as is often the case, mounted at moderately equal 

 distances apart, the fen has somewhat the appearance of being lit up 

 with street lamps. That used by Mr. Wheeler, of Norwich, is a 

 monster indeed, and after seeing it we were no longer astonished at 

 his marvellous success with the fen moths. When on the flat fen 

 they of course give out a strong light for a long distance all around, 

 and on favourable nights moths in the greatest variety — Nocturni, 

 Geometr^e, Pseudo-Bombyces, Noctuae, Deltoides, Py rales, Cram- 

 bites, and Tortrices come up in swarms, A great many species settle 

 at once on the glass p anes, others fly round and round, and are easily 

 netted. It is, however, very uncertain work, as on some nights, 

 from certain conditions of the atmosphere, hardly a moth will come, 

 whilst perhaps on the very next they come in shoals. On some of 

 the nights we were there the sport was most exciting. This we found 

 to be the case after a warm, dry, but not sunny day ; whereas after a 

 wet day, or when a mist rose on the fen, light was of but little use. 

 Our first night was one of the former, and we were in great glee ; 

 but being tired after our long journey, we did not stay out very late, 

 but returned to our lodgings, to dream of the wonders we were going 

 to do every night after, — dreams, however, which, as usual, were not 

 altogether realised. Perhaps it will be as well to say here that the 

 moths come to the lights in the greatest numbers from ten o'clock at 

 night to about two o'clock in the morning, midnight being usually 

 the very best time. 



On setting our captures next morning, we found we had taken 



