OF OUR LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 
61 
call it there) down the river. The number of moths which are 
attracted by it on a favourable night is a sight to see. 
We once tried an acetylene lamp, but it was an entire failure. 
We saw moths in plenty, but they would not come near the light; 
and I believe that the disagreeable smell of the gas kept them 
away. I have before mentioned the extremely acute sense of 
smell with which moths are endowed, and I can imagine no other 
cause for the failure of this light to attract. A collector in Ireland 
had a similar experience. 
There is one other peculiarity about the effect of light; it 
hardly ever attracts the females, and this method of collecting is 
almost useless except for the males. I do not say that the females 
are never attracted, but it is quite the exception to get them by 
means of light. 
