THE 
WEEKLY ENTOMOLOGIST- 
“ ENTOMA aUIDQUID AGUNT NOSTRI EST FARRAGO LIBELLI.” 
No. 15.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 18G2. [Price 2d. 
CLEAR WINGS. 
TOIEBE is no group of insects 
a ’'° more interesting to the Entomol- 
ogist than that which contains the 
Clear- wings. These small moths gen- 
erally enjoy his special favour from 
the time when, on first beholding 
them, he takes them for “flies,” to 
the more advanced period when he can 
recognize, at a glance, each separate 
species, and has perhaps, captured, 
■with his own hands, all but the very 
rarest. It is not difficult to account 
for the interest that thesd lively little 
creatures excite. No doubt their res- 
emblance to 1 flies,’ has a great share 
in arousing it, and when once aroused, 
there is much connected with the 
Clear- wings to foster it. The rarity of 
many species, the case with which one 
( Tipuliforme ) may be taken, — in al- 
most every garden, and, till this year, 
the mystery attaching to another 
I Scoliaforme ;) all these “circum- 
stances ” have had the effect of in- 
vesting them with peculiar attractions. 
Interesting however, as these in- 
sects may be to the young Entom- 
ologist, he is ^ often baffled in his 
attempts [to obtain specimens. We 
ourselves had been collecting sovcial 
seasons before we captured a single 
species, and then, on being told how 
to look for it, we found T. Tipuliforme 
in swarms, all at once by just walking 
out a little way into the garden. 
We are led to make these remarks 
by the request of a correspondent (to 
whom, by the way, we take this 
opportunity of returning thanks for 
his letter) for information, in our 
pages, as to the means necessary to 
procure these same Clear-wings. As 
others of our readers may be in want 
of the same assistance, we will pro- 
ceed to throw out a few hints. 
The same means will not be found 
the most successful for all the species 
of this group. They may all, no 
doubt, be captured on the wing, — and 
very active they are in that position, 
but several may be much more easily 
taken under other circumstances. 
There are few, probably, who know 
not how to obtain T. Tipuliforme. If 
there be any, let them, next June 
(and till August, if the season is like 
the past one) examine the leaves of 
their currant bushes, about mid-day, 
while the sun is hot, and, in all pro- 
bability, they will find these gay 
little fellows fanning their delicate 
wings, and basking in the warmth. 
