E. W. BOWYEE—METHODS OF MOTH-COLLECTING. 
27 
nights; sometimes I have seen over thirty on a small patch of 
sugar, on other nights I have sugared as many as sixty trees with¬ 
out seeing a single moth. One gets a miscellaneous lot of animals 
at sugar—beetles, ear-wigs, woodlice, slugs, snails, etc.; and once I 
found a mouse enjoying a meal. Sugaring is much in vogue in the 
New Forest, and this is the great way of catching those splendid 
insects, the “ crimsons.” 
So far I have dealt with some of the methods of catching the 
fully-developed insect, the “ imago ” as it is called. But moths 
caught in any of these ways are apt to be rubbed specimens and 
cannot stand the test of being looked at before a light. Of course 
many moths taken at rest on palings or trees have only emerged 
from the chrysalis a short time, and have not yet flown; they are 
thus absolutely perfect. To insure perfection it is necessary to 
obtain them in one of the early stages, i.e. as egg, caterpillar, or 
chrysalis ; and I will, as a matter of convenience, treat the subject 
backwards. 
All butterfly caterpillars, so far as I know, change into the 
chrysalis stage above ground. Many caterpillars of moths do so 
also, spinning cocoons of various natures in the crevices of tree- 
trunks, or under moss, or wherever they may be; but a large 
number, when full fed, bury themselves in the ground not far from 
the tree or plant on which they have been feeding, and there turn 
into a chrysalis. Some of these are not covered by cocoons, others 
have cocoons formed of particles of earth spun together, which are 
difficult to distinguish even when dug up. Many of these pupae, 
as they are called, may be found by digging in suitable nooks at 
the roots of trees. Detached trees, with light soil around the 
roots, the north side being the best because the driest, will, if 
properly searched, yield a large number of pupae. Lime trees are 
especially prolific: I believe that if any one were to dig to-morrow 
round the roots of those large lime trees in Balls Park, he would 
verify the truth of what I have said. Greene’s little book deals 
very fully with the subject of pupa-digging. For myself, I have 
never had much luck, probably from want of skill and patience, 
not enough indeed to repay me for the back-aches I have had to 
endure afterwards. 
It is when one deals with the caterpillar stage—the larva stage— 
that the most charming part of the pursuit is reached: it is here 
that the powers of observation have a delightful and varied field 
before them. I have spoken before of the resemblance of moths 
to the objects on which they rest: this is the case, to an infinitely 
greater degree, with larvae, which have not the same means of 
escape from danger that a moth has, and which have therefore 
greater need for protection. The resemblance of many larvae to 
little pieces of stick is marvellous, as they stand out from a twig, 
motionless and rigid. Even the knots are represented, and excre¬ 
scences like fungoid growths. Other larvae again, which rest on 
leaves, have their markings arranged to coincide in direction with 
the veins of the leaf. These protective resemblances are mostly 
