THE society's NOTE-BOOKS. 191 



Exuvia of Earwig.— I found a great number of these in a 

 sheltered crevice of a garden-wheelbarrow. They were in good 

 condition, are easily mounted, and are extremely interesting. 



E. LOVETT. 



Foot of Larva of Puss-Moth (Cerura vinula).— These larvae 

 are common on willow and poplar trees during July and August, 

 and take a firmer hold with their feet than any other larvae I know. 

 No amount of beating the branches will shake them off the stem. 



E. LOVETT. 



Winged Atom is one of the smallest insects known ; it is one 

 of the IchneumoiiidcE^ and is so small that its larvae live in the 

 eggs of Lepidoptera instead of in the bodies of Caterpillars. I do 

 not know its specific name. 



It may, perhaps, interest some to know how it was mounted. 

 I saw several of these creatureS;, crawling (like moving grains of 

 dust) on a window-pane, and thinking they might be interesting 

 for the microscope, I transferred a few by means of a damp 

 camel's-hair brush to some glass slips. I then put a drop of tur- 

 pentine on each, and allowed it to soak for one minute ; then added 

 diluted balsam, and laid on the cover-glass. Only this one turned 

 out well ; the rest went to " squash." The posterior wings are 

 very minute, and may pass unnoticed at first sight. They are 

 close to the base of the anterior wings, and seem almost to join 

 them The antennae are very large in proportion to the size of 

 the insect. I wonder what is their function in this particular 

 insect. Perhaps the clubbed ends are, like the tips of our 

 fingers, highly sensitive to touch; and for what, then, do they 

 require so delicate a touch ? Sight would seem to be the most 

 useful sense for discovering the eggs of Butterflies or Moths. 



F. J. Allen. 



Hairs from Foot, Throat, and Tail of Ornithorhyncus Para- 

 doxus. — The hairs, as well as the animal, are of an extraordinary 

 make, as will be seen by tracing a single hair from the root to the 

 tip. The broad blades terminating some of the hairs are coated 

 with imbricated scales. 



The animal is a native of New South Wales, and is called the 

 Water-Mole. It has a mole-like body, about i8 inches long, and 

 a head similar to a duck. 



A. Nicholson. 



