This is a most excellent way of obtaining specimens, but you must be prepared to undergo very many disappointments before you become proficient. You must carefully examine all the debris first, then turn up the earth, paying special attention to the portions nearest the tree. Each sod must be carefully tapped with the trowel (pupae will sometimes fall from it during this process): it must then be carefully torn asunder by hand, and every portion of it scanned with the utmost attention.

The north side of a tree will be found the most productive. The reason for this may be, that, in descending the tree, the caterpillar avoids the wind, and, our prevailing wind being the south-west, he descends on the north side. This, however, is merely conjecture ; but the fact remains, and is undoubted. Solitary trees will be found best for the purpose ; and this mode of collecting has the advantage chat it may be carried on during the winter, when neither the larva nor the perfect insect can be obtained.

The collector may, if she pleases, search for eggs on the leaves of the food-plant, bearing in mind that they are almost always deposited on the under side of the leaf. This method of collecting is by no means easy, as the eggs are with difficulty distinguished; and it is doubtful if it repays you for the trouble taken. Moreover, the caterpillars, on their first appearance, are so small that the difficulty of successfully rearing them is immense.

Searching for caterpillars is a first-rate way of getting specimens, and opens a large field of operations to the collector. You may search either by day or night, and, if careful, will seldom fail to find a sufficiency on almost any shrub. The examination of grass will also prove profitable. Much depends on quickness of eye, which will wonderfully improve by practice. But there is a method which does not demand such skill, and is even more advantageous : it is known as"beating."The process is carried on by beating the bushes with a stout stick, while an open umbrella is held inverted beneath in order to catch the falling larvae.

In the umbrella will be found a mixture of dead leaves, earwigs, bits of stick, spiders, beetles, and caterpillars. The latter must be carefully picked out, and placed in boxes to be taken home. The umbrella used for this purpose should be of some stout material, or it will soon become torn and useless. In rearing the caterpillars they must be kept in a cool place, well supplied with air: any box covered with gauze will answer the purpose. They must be fed on their proper food-plant, which should be gathered fresh, and constantly changed. When they are about to become pupae, some earth and moss should be placed in the box for them to spin up in. The moss must be boiled, and the earth baked, before using it for this purpose. The object of this is to destroy insects, which would feed on the pupae. These latter require no attention beyond keeping in a cool place, out of the reach of mice and insects: they will come out in their proper season.

The great charm of rearing insects in this manner is the perfection of the specimens obtained. A moth or butterfly which is caught is seldom absolutely perfect, being generally slightly rubbed, either by the means of capture, or from some accident in its previous life. Sometimes one of the antennae is missing, often the wings are torn; and these misfortunes become especially annoying when the insect is a rare one. Often common moths are so rubbed, that a young collector may easily mistake them for some great prize.

We now come to the methods employed in the capture of butterflies and moths in the perfect state; and for the former we have only the net. Of course, this instrument is also adapted for taking the few moths which fly by day, and also for their capture, under certain circumstances, at night.

It is hardly necessary to give any description of this well-known instrument. I will merely remark, that a home-made one is perfectly satisfactory. The handle should be from four to five feet long: the ring may be made of stout iron or brass wire, and bound to the handle with waxed twine. The net should be twice as deep as the ring is wide, and, if made of any glazed or sized material, should be well soaked to get rid of the stiffness.

As soon as a butterfly is caught, it should be rendered senseless by a sharp pinch under the wings. This is done through the net, and the insect may then be removed to a closely-fitting box of tin or wood lined with cork. In this box should be pinned a small bag of freshly bruised laurel-leaves, which will stupefy and kill the insects if they are not already dead. Each butterfly must be attached to the cork by a fine pin: use for this purpose a much finer one than the insect will finally be set on, as you can replace it when you get home with one of suitable size.

Moths must not be pinched : they are, as a rule, better kept, each in a chip pill-box until you return.

For the capture of moths at night there are several plans. First, there are the natural attractions afforded by some plants. I am speaking now of the large class of moths called the noctuce, which contains more than three hundred species. Among the attractive plants may be mentioned honeysuckle, privet, nettles, and especially ivy in bloom. This last has such a charm, that in its neighborhood it is useless to offer any other bait. When partaking of any of these sweets, moths may be captured with the net, or even boxed, without its aid, in one of the chip boxes before mentioned. A lantern is, of course, indispensable.

As these natural sweets appeared irresistible, the happy idea was originated of making an artificial bait on the same principle ; and the following plan will be found useful: The process is called"sugaring."Procure some of the strongest-smelling brown sugar, - that from the bottom of a cask is best, - and mix it with beer or water until a very stiff sirup is formed. Just before using this, add to it some rum, - a wineglassful will be plenty for a pint of the mixture. The mixture should be painted with a brush on the trunks of trees, in patches about a foot square. This should be done about dusk, and the patches may be visited at intervals of half an hour. You will see plenty of moths imbibing the sugar; and they are mostly intoxicated by the rum, and can be easily boxed.