Soldiers' Pastime in India.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 4 September 1914, Page 2

Soldiers' Pastime in India.

When the hottest season In India commences, most of the regiments shift to the hills, where the climate is very much cooler, and where a soldier finds many ways of occupying his.spare ( time. One of the most popular is fly and moth catching, or "fly dodging," as "Tommy" calls it.

The moths are caught at night, tie soldier taking his net and a hurricane lamp. He also takes a female moth in a closed up net, which lie hangs on a pole stuck in the ground. This moth in the net draws the attention of others, which the soldier promptly captures with his net, afterwards squeezing their heads, and pinning them on cardboard for the time b-ssiio-.

There are many varui'ies of flies and moths in very urttty colours, and some are very lar«<i. ,'hen the soldier has sufficient Si^s and moths of different species, he oina them out in artistic designs, tn a wooden case lined with some co'ourwi ma-

terial, which adds v- the effect. When he has finished Xi% design, he nails a few piece* of camphor among the flies, and the box is "then complete to be packed, and sent home to his relatives and frienda.