COLLECTING MOTHS. 
35 
While employed in Washington, D. C., I made a splendid collec¬ 
tion of the moths of that region simply by going the rounds of a 
number of electric lights every evening. The lamps about the 
Treasury Building were sometimes very productive of fine specimens 
and the broad stone steps and pillars were frequently littered with 
moths, May flies, beetles, etc., where one could stand and pick out 
his desiderata with little difficulty. I captured several of the Regal 
Walnut moths (Citlieronia regalia) and a number of our largest and 
handsomest sphinxes. Besides making the acquaintance of a num¬ 
ber of insects new to me, I met several entomologists who, like my¬ 
self, had been attracted to tlie lights by the abundance of specimens. 
SUGARING. 
A favorite manner with many collectors of taking specimens is 
by sugaring or smearing trees, posts, etc., with a strong mixture of 
rum and molasses, and taking the half-intoxicated moths with the 
poison jar. This method may be successfully practised during the sum¬ 
mer and autumn and will add many new species to the collection. 
The mode of proceeding is as follows : Get a pint of strong, dark 
molasses and boil it down until it is as thick or thicker than ordinary 
house-paint or gruel. To this add a quantity of rum, whiskey or 
other strong alcoholic liquor. Care should be taken, however, not to 
put in enough to make the mixture too thin or watery. After tying 
a rag on the end of a stick, by way of a brush, the collector is ready 
to sally forth. Select a locality not far from the woods, and before 
dark smear the trunks of trees, fence-posts, etc., with the mixture. 
At dusk the mo,ths will begin to arrive, and the collector, pro¬ 
vided with a lantern and a poison bottle, should go the rounds. 
If the locality is a good one and the night favorable, numbers of 
moths in all stages of intoxication, from “ mildly hilarious ” to “ com¬ 
fortably drunk,” or even blissfully ignorant of everything about 
them, and too far gone to be able to wind up their extended tongues 
will be found about the bait. They are at these times easily taken, 
simply by placing the poison bottle under them and knocking them 
into it. 
Many Noetuidce and Plialoenidce come to such bait, and I know 
of no better manner of procuring the different species of the 
large and handsome Catocala. Most species of this genus may be 
