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HARDWICKKS SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Referring to the meteorological observations, the 

 mean temperature of the year 1885 was 48 6' being 

 o° 7' lower than the average for the preceding forty- 

 four years. The highest temperature in the shade 

 was 90 2' on August the 26th, and the lowest 22° 3' 

 on January the 22nd. The rainfall for 1S85 amounted 

 to 24 inches, being o - 8 inch below the average for 

 the preceding forty-four years. 



A new achromatic telescope, with an object-glass 

 28 inches in diameter, has been commenced, and an 

 arrangement is being made for using the 125-inch 

 refractor for taking photographs of astronomical 

 objects. 



In July Mercury will be an evening star, and 

 Venus a morning star. 



On July 2nd the earth will be at the greatest 

 distance from the sun at 4 p.m. 



There will be no occulations of any stars above 

 the fourth magnitude. 



Rising, Southing, and Setting of the Principal 

 Planets at intervals of Seven Days. 



6i° and 62 , the lower temperature being due to the 

 cooling action of the sea. 



The mean rainfall for the east and south from 

 Norfolk to Dorset is 2 inches ; on _nearly the whole 

 of the west coast the rainfall averages 3 inches. 



Meteorology. — In the five weeks from the 8th of 

 May to the 12th of June the mean temperature of the 

 air was 54 3', about 5 degrees below the average. 



Rain fell on nineteen days to the aggregate amount 

 of 4*47 inches, that is, about 458 tons to each acre; 

 more than double the average. 



The mean temperature of the air in July is 64 for 

 London and the vicinity. On the south and east 

 coasts it is 63 , and on the west coast it is only between 



LEPIDOPTERISTS' WORK FOR JULY. 

 By W. Finch, jun. 



IN this glorious month the work cut out for us is 

 such as to preclude all possibility of a single pair 

 of hands accomplishing it successfully and thoroughly. 

 However, we will do our utmost to get through as 

 much as we can. The means of capture are the same 

 as in last month, but perhaps a little advice as to the 

 best method of applying these means will not be out 

 of place. During the past month I have received 

 many letters, asking advice on various subjects, which 

 I will endeavour to fully explain when the time 

 comes for them to be put into operation. 



In searching for ova, proceed as directed last 

 month. In hatching these always damp them 

 slightly towards the time when they are expected to 

 hatch. This is a great boon to the embryo larvae, 

 making their exit from the shell an easy matter ; 

 otherwise the shell is often so dry and hard that the 

 little larvae are unable to emerge. A friend has lost 

 many valuable larvoe of exotic insects in this way this 

 season. Never place ova in the hot sunshine to hatch 

 as it is invariably fatal to the embryo within. For 

 larvae, beating and sweeping will be productive. An 

 open umbrella held under a bush, and the latter well 

 shaken or beaten over it, is about as good a way as 

 any for procuring geometers, etc. In searching for 

 larvae on larger trees, the collector will do well to get 

 underneath the branches, when on viewing the 

 foliage against the sky, any larvae will be immediately 

 seen by their shadows on the leaves. A good length 

 of stout twine with a leaden weight at one end is very 

 useful for bringing high branches down within reach. 

 Do not overcrowd your cages this hot weather, or 

 disease and death will surely result. A small lump 

 of quicklime contained in a gauze-covered jar is very 

 desirable to keep down the moisture. This when 

 reduced to powder, will of course require to be 

 renewed. 



In the hedges will now be found the large white 

 webs of E. lacustris, teeming with larvae, which are 

 very handsome in the last stage, and preserve admi- 

 rably. It is astonishing how few of the perfect insects 

 there are seen after the advent of these hordes of 

 larvae. Not one half of these larvae attain to maturity 

 or spin up. I have had them year after year, thousands 

 of them, and the majority perished from no apparent 

 cause, when nearly full fed. If it were not for this 

 wise provision, how we should be overrun with 

 them ! 



