HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



81 



we look around us we see insect life in abundance ; 

 the Dragon-fly darting hither and thither amongst 

 the rustling reeds that margin the ditch, or stopping 

 to alight on the stately Flowering Rush {Butomns 

 umbellatus), a graceful aquatic, which we notice 

 waving here and there — 



" 'Mid the flags that fringe the streamlet's bed, 

 The stately Butumus rears her head, 

 Like a Naiad crowned with a flowery wreath, 

 She rose from the waters that flowed beneath. 



" It was lovely to look on that splendid flower, 

 So richly endowed with beauty's dower, 

 And when we turned from the river's shore, 

 To our homes the graceful stranger we bore. 



" But the glow of her roseate charms had fled, 

 When a few fleeting hours had passed o'er her head, 

 For no more 'mid the grass in the verdant mead, 

 Did the tranquil waters her loveliness feed. 



" And fancy might dream that the pale leaves sighed, 

 As though they mourned for the flowing tide ; 

 She could not live from her home afar, 

 And she faded before the evening star.'' 



As expressed in the above lines, the Flowering 

 Hush, like most water-plants, "when gathered, soon 

 droops and withers ; but when growing, it forms a 

 beautiful contrast with its neighbours, the yellow 

 Flags and white Water-lilies. 



As we wend our way still further amongst the 

 long grass, we now and then disturb an unwary in- 

 dividual of Plusia gamma, who does not quite ap- 

 preciate our company, and darts off in an instant, 

 and after flying a few yards, finds himself once more 

 amongst the grass ; we say, Reqiiiescat in pace, for we 

 do not care to capture him. 



Still further on, we come to an olla podrida of 

 wild (lowers of various species, which, as we approach, 

 remind us of a many-coloured carpet, consisting of 

 thistles, meadow-sweet, and an abundance of other 

 flowers intermixed with the long grass. As we 

 wade through them up to our waists, we find them 

 tenanted by many of the common species of butter- 

 flies, and here and there a Swallow-tail may be seen 

 quietly sipping the sweets therefrom. The least dis- 

 turbance, and off he flies. Now begins a chase ! We 

 are off after him, now and then over a ditch, follow- 

 ing him up as cautiously as possible ; now he has 

 settled once more ; one good strike with the ring- 

 net, and he is a prisoner and fluttering in vain for 

 liberty. After being safely deposited in the collect- 

 ing-box, we retrace our steps, wiping the perspi- 

 ration from our foreheads, in search of more trea- 

 sures. 



When undisturbed, the flight of Papilio Machaon 

 is not by any means a swift one ; but the instant he 

 becomes aware of an intruder he darts wildly about, 

 and deigns not to alight until he has satisfied bim- 

 self that all is safe once again. A field of clover or 

 lucerne, when in full bloom, seems to have a great 

 attraction for him. and he is easily captured when 

 sippiug the sweets from the flowers ; it is pleasant 

 to watch him when thus engaged. 



The larvae of Machaon may be found feeding on 

 the leaves of the Wild Carrot (Daucuscarota), which 

 grows here in considerable plenty : I have myself 

 taken numbers of them, and find they thrive well 

 on the leaves of the common carrot. It is very in- 

 teresting to watch them feeding; they keep to their 

 food, as is not the case with the larvse of many other 

 species. 



I have not yet been able to ascertain whether this 

 species can be induced to breed in confinement : I 

 have several of the pupa? now, and think of trying 

 the experiment, should they emerge ; and should I 

 be successful, I shall have great pleasure in com- 

 municating the result to Science-Gossip. 



Norwich. R. Laddiman. 



CUPHEA PLATYCENTRA. 



THE summer of 1865 was, in this part of Eng- 

 land, a dry, warm season, and the fine weather 

 was continued until very late in the autumn. Of 

 course we had nothing like the drought of 1868, or 



Fig. 48. Cup/tea platycuntra. 



of last year ; but it must have been a somewhat 

 remarkable summer as far as vegetation was con- 

 cerned ; for I find it recorded in my notes that on 



