HA ED WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



79 



{Melanagria galathea). It being between twelve and 

 one o'clock, we sat down upon an old prostrate tree to 

 partake of dinner, with a full view of this beautiful 

 grassy opening and its steep wooded sides. After- 

 wards, while walking among the long grass at the 

 bottom of the valley which in July and August is to 

 bring forth in plenty Melanagria galathea, but which 

 now lies in tangled masses upon the ground, we 

 were delighted to see a hibernated specimen of the 

 brimstone butterfly [Gonepteryx rhainni) come flying 

 down the hollow. Not having a net with us, we gave 

 chase to this angular-winged insect with our hat — the 

 only entomological instrument at hand — but failed to 

 capture. In many parts of England this is one of the 

 commonest butterflies, therefore it is nothing unusual 

 to see hibernated specimens in the spring ; but in 

 this neighbourhood it is not so, the brimstone being 

 very scarce here. This was the first specimen I had 

 seen for several years. The scarcity of this usually 

 common butterfly may be accounted for, perhaps, by 

 the fact, that the food-plant of its larvse (buckthorn) is 

 very rare, if not totally absent, here. 



Leaving the " valley," we passed through the wood 

 to another grassy opening, where the straight stiff 

 stems of the ragwort (Seneeio Jaeobcea) will shortly 

 rise. This spot is, we believe, the only locality in the 

 district for the elegant black and crimson Cinnabar 

 moth (Eitehelia yacobeea), the yellow and black larvae 

 of which will swarm on the ragwort in June, July, 

 and August. 



Plenty of primroses were in flower, and here and 

 there a few wood anemones could be seen with ex- 

 panded petals ; in various places, too, the pretty but 

 inconspicuous barren strawberry was in flower ; but 

 still it was evident that the woods would have yet to 

 undergo great changes before they were ready for 

 their welcome vernal guests, the pearl-bordered 

 fritillaries. 



During the day we saw four specimens of the 

 small copper {Lyeasna phlceas). As we had not 

 heard of this butterfly hibernating, we concluded that 

 these must be insects of the first brood. But still 

 we think this (3rd of April) an early date. Ento- 

 mological works differ as to the time of appearance, 

 and even as to the number of broods of the insect. 

 Stainton gives May as the month for the coming 

 forth of the first brood. It is peculiar too that these 

 insects were flying along at a considerable distance 

 from the ground — out of reach — while those of the 

 later broods are generally seen skipping over the 

 short herbage of banks, roadsides, etc. 



In these woods we noticed numerous platforms, 

 i.e. rectangular sods supported near a tree-trunk by 

 sticks, at about two or three feet from the ground. 

 These the keeper informed us, are used to capture 

 jays. On the top of the sod a trap is placed baited 

 with birds' eggs, a few twigs being stuck into the 

 sod to give the whole a natural appearance. 



It does seem a pity that the jay, along with other 



birds, should be so ruthlessly destroyed, ft is a 

 revolting sight to all true lovers of the works of God 

 to see beautifully plumed jays, innocent kestrels, 

 together with sparrow-hawks, stoats, weasels, and 

 other interesting denizens of the woods, hung moul- 

 dering upon the "keeper's trees." In the case of 

 the jay very little harm can be done to the game, 

 for, though it does occasionally take an egg or young 

 nestling, the principal part of its food consist); of 

 acorns, seeds, fruit, insects, reptiles, mice, etc. ; and, 

 further, the cheerful presence of this bird in the woods 

 ought to more than compensate the sportsman for 

 the loss of a few eggs or young birds. Speaking of 

 the jay, Jardine in the "Naturalists' Library" says, 

 " Altogether he is an ornament and acceptable 

 tenant of our woods." But gamekeepers cannot be 

 made to believe this. On our putting the question, 

 "Do jays do any harm?" to the keeper, he replied, 

 " Yes, they suck eggs." The way in which he spoke 

 showed that in his opinion no bird that ' ' sucked 

 eggs " had a right to live. 



Leaving Burwell and Haugham Woods, we passed 

 to the old chalk-pit in Burwell "pasture," familiar 

 to us as another place frequented by Melanagria 

 galathea. 



Leaving this pit, we began to walk in a homeward 



direction, crossing through Maltby Wood on our 



, way. At 5.30 we reached Louth again, after having 



spent a very pleasant eight hours. 



H. Wallis Kew. 

 Lonth. 



ON MARINE COLLECTING WITH THE 

 SURFACE-NET. 



[Continued from page 54.] 



A VERY good way of making a live cell is as follows r 

 The bottom is formed of a piece of "patent 

 plate," and the sides by cutting an oblong 3x2 inches 

 out of a piece of indiarubber three-quarters of an inch 

 thick, and trimming it so as to leave the sidewalls 

 about a third of an inch thick. The rubber is easily 

 cut by means of a knife moistened with a strong solu- 

 tion of washing soda, and is cemented on to the glass 

 bottom by means of marine glue. Such cells stand 

 the knocking about, inseparable from sea life, better 

 than those built up of glass, and are less trouble to 

 repair when they get out of order. 



The handiest form of simple microscope for this 

 purpose is one in which the stage is composed of a 

 piece of glass illuminated from below by a large 

 rectangular plain mirror. The lens — one of about 

 1 -inch focus is most generally useful — should be 

 capable of being moved freely in a horizontal plane 

 over the stage, as it will generally be found more 

 convenient to move it than the cell ; and, when cap- 

 turing a specimen that has been recognised by its 

 means, it is desirable to be able to turn it completely 



