148 WILD LIFE AT HOME. 



my brother conceived a notion of getting rid 

 of him. He charged his "lamp with powder and 

 spirits, and, lighting the latter, looked very serious 

 whilst he pointed out a supposed defect in it, and 

 expressed a fear that it would one day explode and 

 blow both our heads off. "Yes," said I in apprehen- 

 sive tones ; " be careful ; two men nearly lost their 

 lives by a flash-lamp accident only last week." The 

 lad looked a bit scared, but didn't budge an inch 

 until my brother suddenly flashed oft" the lamp, and 

 gave vent to a most agonising howl. There was an 

 immediate clatter across the road, and a big bump 

 agamst the wooden fence in front of the house 

 where the boy lived. The great blaze of bright 

 light had plunged the troublesome intruder into 

 pitch darkness for a minute or two, and he could 

 not see the gateway to his home. The remedy, 

 however, was effectual, and he did not give us any 

 further trouble that night. 



Such moths as burnets and magpies may be 

 photographed by daylight without a great deal of 

 trouble. The six-spot burnet is very common in 

 Caterham Valley, where we now live, and my brother 

 succeeded last August in making the accompanying 

 study of one in the act of emerging from the pupa- 

 case. Magpie or currant moths swarm in Hertford- 

 shire, and by going along the leeside of a hedge on 

 a breezy day and tapping the bushes with a walk- 

 ing-stick, I have disturbed great numbers. When 

 they alight after being disturbed, they generally 



