The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-10-25
MOTH HUNTING BY NIGHT.
The Sport Is often Exciting and RoA
quires More Than a Little
Courage.

The glorious Wicken sedge fen in
Cambridgeshire, the only bit of wild"
fen left in England, has for ages past
been the happy hunting ground of the
entomologist, and it is now the only
place where some Of the rarest insects
find an English home, says Pearsonss
Magazine.
Night work among the moths re-
quires a certain amount of courage in
the man who undertakes it alone, for
though when sport is brisk the excite
ment tends to keep up ones spirits
yet when no moths are flying the en-
tomologist, standing out in the dark
ness of the wide fen, is apt to feel the
loneliness of so vast and weird a space
A successful nights work entails u
good deal of trouble. Toward sunset
the moth catcher will start for he
zen wheeling a barrow heavily laden
With such articles as he may require
These include a stout wooden box, in
side which is carried a big lamp, meas
uring about IS inches high, ~ inches
wide and 10 inches deep; a ''killing"
bottle of cyanide and a number of pie
DUNES VI NdIlouS SiLSS5 o-loob
poles, a white sheet some 10 feet long
by 5 wide; a pot of molasses Called
sugar" by the moth c%atcher), a Ian
tern, a moth trap and the indispensa-
BILE net.
He makes his way somewhat laborS-
ously over the marshy ground, along
narrow paths, which he picks out as
though they had been clearly Defined
though to the stranger there WOULD
appear to be nothing to distinguish
them from the marshy soil on either
side. After a walk of about Is min
utes he. arrives at a nice open space,
where the sedge has been cut.
Quickly fixing in the ground two OF
the long poles. the moth hunter
stretches out the big white sheet be-
tween them. Ten feet or so away he
fixes his lamp on the third pole, SO
that the light will fall full on the
sheet. Conveniently near he arranges
a number of the pill boxes. the lantern
and the "killing" bottle, and hangs the
moth trap on an adjacent tree to take
its share of the nights spoil. This
moth trap, though regarded as of sec
ondary Importance. is a very Ingenious
continuance, so designed that when the
moths, attracted by a light inside, once
enter they cannot escape.
After the trap has been "set" a third
snare. for the moths is prepared, the:
sinewy young branches of the low, sab
low shrubs which grow profusely here
abouts being twisted and tied together
in knotty punches, which are literally
smeared with t~reacle, with a dash of
rum in it. This sugar is certainly
not very appetizing in appearance
especially as a potful is made to last
a considerable time, but it is quite
good enough for the moths. When is
is sufficiently dark for the moths to
fly, the big lamp is lit, and its strong
t light is thrown upon the sheet, so thnt
it is easy to see the smallest moth
t that may come within range.
The moth catcher takes his stand,
/ net in hand, slightly behind the lamp,
and in this position he is ready to rush
f forward and take any moth which may
settle on the sheet or fiyinto the light
/ ed space. Should it be a hot, dry night,
with heavy clouds banked over the
D set sun, as often happens, particularly
in July, the moth catcher will have a
very warm time of it. The perspira-
ton will soon be streaming down his
back, his pipe will grow hot between
5 his teeth, and it will only be kept there
e to repel the attacks of the flies and
r gnats which will soon be singing and
t buzzing in his eyes and ears.
On most nights the fun is all over
r by 10 o'clock, out on a good night il
q will last until one or two o'clock, and
t in the early part of July the mot1
catcher will sometimes wait for ths
/. sun, and then stalk about to catch
r beautiful little geometer called Hyrf;
a auroraria. which is itself the color OF
d the rising sun, and only flies from
three to eight a. m.