Entomological Magazine. 93 



twelve. In the spring, too, and autumn, I have been frequently 

 fortunate, though generally having my patience sufficiently 

 tried. . . . If, at any time of the year, a warm mist pervade the 

 air, there is almost a certainty of success." At cool times of the 

 year, the window is kept shut till the moths knock for admit- 

 tance. Reading and writing may be combined with this plan 

 of mothing. ** Moths are extremely sensible of any keenness 

 in the air : a north or east wind is very likely to keep them 

 from venturing abroad. Different species have different hours 

 of flight. ... I have, for experiment's sake, sat up in the sum- 

 mer till three o'clock, when the whole heaven was bright with 

 the risincT sun, and moths of various kinds have never ceased 

 arriving in succession till that time. Some of them must come 

 from a considerable distance. Scotophila porphyrea, being a 

 heath moth, must have come nearly a mile." Not only the 

 Nocturna have come to Mr. Bird in the night, but " the Se- 

 midiurna, the Geometridae, accompany them at all hours. 

 Many coleopterous insects are also attracted . . . sometimes 

 swarms of gnats . . . the house cricket once or twice. Redu- 

 vius personatus has been amongst my captives, A few com- 

 mon ichneumons and 7ipulae are frequent guests." What a 

 world of interest these successive visiters must induce in a 

 summer's night. Surely an entomologist must, while thus 

 sitting and observing, have, like Shakspeare, a rich " Mid- 

 summer Night's Dream " of his own ! Mr. Bird illustrates 

 many of his remarks (and we have given but a sample of 

 them) by adducing the names of the insects whose manners 

 those remarks describe. His list follows, with those species 

 distinguished " which he does not take by the lamp." — 

 4. Thoughts on the Geographical Distribution of Insects; by 

 Delta. This is professed to be written with a trembling hand ; 

 but the author seems to have fortified himself very strongly 

 with an extensive and intimate acquaintance with the nature 

 of his subject. Will not the paper in our Vol. V. p. 149., 

 collateralise a little with diis ? Delta's essay is to be con- 

 tinued. — V. Entomological Society: an account of its meet- 

 ings and transactions. These have been, and promise to 

 continue to be, very interesting, and of excellent effect. — • 

 VI. Osteology, or External Anatomy of Insects ; by E. New- 

 man, Esq.F.L.S. Letter 2. On the Head of Insects. We have, 

 in VI. 435., given our humble opinion of this author's first 

 letter on the osteology of insects. The present second letter, 

 like the first, is of the highest possible value, and, therefore, 

 interest, to every student in entomology ; and who in ento- 

 mology is not a student? Itris a most elaborate production, 

 very long (more than 20 pages), and yet, at every step through- 



