86 



HARD WICKE ' S S CIE NCE -GOSSIP. 



known that this authority, in conjunction with Mr. 

 Gosse, has been working at this class for some years, 

 and microscopists all over the world are anxiously 

 waiting the completion of this forthcoming work. Is 

 it too much to ask of those who have been collecting 

 notes, and who are in a position to throw any light 

 upon the subject, that they at once place their know- 

 ledge at the service of brother microscopists ? If 

 this is done, and if others who have microscopes, and 

 have learned how to use them, will make good use of 

 their opportunities, the forthcoming "monograph," 

 or at least subsequent editions of it, will be made 

 more complete, and really indicative of the state of 

 our knowledge of this remarkable class of animals. 



J. E. Lord. 

 Rawienstail. 



P.S. The second Part of Dr. Hudson's Monograph 

 is now in the hands of subscribers, and is really a 

 magnificent work. See page 90. 



LEPIDOPTERISTS' WORK FOR APRIL. 



WITH this month the real hard work of the 

 lepidopterist begins, therefore a few remarks 

 on the work to be done during the month may not 

 be out of place. Especially will they be acceptable 

 to the large and increasing number of our readers 

 who are tyro-lepidopterists ; though to the "old 

 hands " there may be something new. In almost 

 every writer's experiences we find something that we 

 did not know before : and it may be of value to us 

 to know it and bear it in mind, and at any rate it 

 will do us no harm to read it again if we already 

 know it. 



We may fairly turn our backs on the winter now, 

 and turn with pleasure to the work which the spring 

 has brought us. Not that we have been idle during 

 the winter months — surely not. I hope that our boxes 

 and cages are pretty full of pupa;, from which imagos 

 should now be emerging. Those of my readers who 

 have not yet got their entomological apparatus in 

 trim for the ensuing season should lose no time in 

 doing so, for there will be no time for mending or 

 making or cleaning up after now. All our time and 

 attention will be taken up with the collecting of 

 specimens, preparing them for the store-box or cabinet, 

 and lastly, though most important, with the study of 

 our captures. 



During this month many ova are to be found. 

 Many hibernating species deposit their ova about 

 now, as well as several which are freshly emerged. 

 Lose no time in this matter ; search constantly for 

 eggs, as they will not be so readily found when the 

 trees are fully in leaf. There is nothing more de- 

 lightful or more instructive in our most interesting 

 study than the rearing of our specimens from the 

 egg. Moreover, there is always something to be 



j found out, always something new to be noticed, and 

 all observations of such should be duly noted down. 

 Females of hibernated butterflies and moths should be 

 captured and kept alive, supplying them with sprigs 

 of the larvae food-plant if possible, in the hope of 

 their depositing eggs thereon. Twigs of shrubs and 

 trees, leaves and grasses, should be minutely examined 

 for ova. 



Of larvae we shall find abundance, especially 

 towards the latter end of the month. The hibernat- 

 ing species now begin to put in an appearance, and 

 a thorough search for them will well repay the col- 

 lector ; for, as they are in most cases nearly full-fed, 

 little trouble is given by them, and the imagos soon 

 put in an appearance. Of the common species, O. 

 Rotatoria may be found feeding on coarse grasses in 

 hedgerows, A. caja and A. villica on low-growing 

 plants, B. querciis on hawthorn, L. ntbi amongst 

 clover, &c, D. caritkccephala will be found in plenty 

 on hawthorn. I mention these because they are good 

 subjects to try " preserving" on, and look well when 

 done. Full instructions were given by me for pre- 

 serving larvae in Science-Gossip, vol. xix. p. 35. 

 They add greatly to the value and beauty of a collec- 

 tion when placed in the cabinet with the imagos. 

 E. Hchenea will be found in its old haunts on the 

 coasts, full-fed and about to pupate from now to 



July- 



The lantern must now be used to search for larvae 

 by night ; by this means the collector should reap 

 a good harvest. Birch and sallow bushes should 

 receive due attention, and undergo a close inspection ; 

 in the catkins of both larvae of several species may 

 be found. This should be thought of when visiting 

 the catkins for moths ; Fimbria, Tincta, and perhaps 

 Ditrafezium, may thus be found. Sloe-bushes will 

 repay a search — indeed, no bush or shrub should be 

 passed by without a search for larvae. Dead leaves 

 should come in for a share of the searching. Many 

 larvce will be found in them, and pupae too, especially 

 in birch and sallow leaves. 



The sweep-net must be plied unceasingly this 

 month in all low herbage ; valuable captures are 

 often the result. Grasses and rushes are now produc- 

 tive of several Elachistidas and Coleophorae, and 

 several larger tribes. Sheltered spots in woods are 

 the best places, and for the larger species wet evenings 

 the best time. Hawthorn trees nourish hordes of 

 common larvce. 



Not much in the way of pupa-digging will be done 

 this month, but the pupae from hibernated larvae just 

 changed should be looked for, as also the chrysalids 

 of some of the early summer butterflies, which, taken 

 in this way, insure to the collector beautiful and 

 perfect imagos. If dead leaves are observed still 

 adhering to the trees, they should be brought down if 

 possible, and examined ; heaps of the same will often 

 prove a prize. The hard brown cocoon of D. vinula 

 should be looked for on the trunks of willows. 



