450 



Erotfurp 0f 



Nettapnts has the head brownish-green, in- 

 distinctly barred with light brown ; beneath 

 the eye an oval spot of white ; neck, back, 

 and winga, deep glossy green ; primaries 

 black ; outer webs of the secondaries snow 

 white ; feathers of the chest, sides, and back 

 of the neck white, with a number of greenish 

 black circles one within the other, so nume- 

 rous that the white is nearly lost ; flanks 

 similarly marked, but bolder ; tuil black, 

 glossed with green ; abdomen white ; under 

 tail-coverts black ; bill dark greenish gray ; 

 legs and feet blackish brown. The female 

 differs from the male in being destitute of 

 the white spot beneath the eye ; in having 

 the crown, occiput, and a stripe down the 

 back of the neck dark brown ; in having the 

 chin and upper part of the throat white, 

 speckled with brown. Mr. Gould, to whose 

 ' Birds of Australia ' we are indebted for the 

 description, says that it is an extremely shy 

 species, and at the slightest movement of 

 anything near it, dives and remains under 

 water a long time. His specimens were shot 

 at Port Essington. 



NETTLE [BUTTERFLY]. A name 

 given by collectors to Butterflies of the spe- 

 cies Vanessa urticce. 



NETTLETAP [MOTHS]. A name given 

 by collectors to Moths of the genus Simmthis. 



NEUROPTERA. [Dragon-flies, Lace- 

 winged Flies ; May-flies, Ant-lion, Day-fly, 

 White Ants, &c.] One of the Orders into 

 which the class Insecta is divided. The 

 Neuroptera are distinguished by having four 

 wings, each pair being membranous and 

 transparent ; the nervures forming a very 

 beautiful and minute network, subdividing 

 and uniting again, so as to divide the whole 

 surface into a great number of minute cells. 

 The antennae are in general setaceous ; the 

 mouth is usually furnished with mandibles 

 und maxillae ; and the abdomen is unpro- 

 vided with a sting. The larvae have six 

 legs, and are very active. Some insects of 

 this order merely pass through a semi-meta- 

 morphosis; others a complete one. Although 

 the posterior wings are usually as large as 

 the anterior, they are occasionally much 

 smaller, and may even be altogether want- 

 ing. The Dragon-fly and May-fly are fami- 

 liar examples of this order The White 



Ants, Wood-lice, and Wood-tick s(7'er>mV<V< 

 and Psocidte), the latter including also the 

 Aiwbium or Death-watch, are almost the 

 only noxious insects in this order, and even 

 these do not injure living plants. The Dra- 

 gon-flies (LibcUnlidce) prey upon gnats and ] 

 mosquitos ; and their larvaj and pupae, as 

 well as those of the Day-flies (EpTtcmcridce\ \ 

 and those of some of the May-flies, called i 

 Caddis- worms (1'hri/ganeidi.v), all of which i 

 live in the water, devour aquatic insects. ; 

 The predaceous habits of the Ant-lion are j 

 so well-known as to be almost proverbial. 

 The Lace-winged flies (Hemerobiidce), in 

 the larva state, live wholly on plant-lice, | 

 great numbers t of which they destroy ; and j 

 the Scorpion-flies ( Panorpidce) are also pre- I 

 daceous insects. The particular history of 

 several of the more interesting members of | 



this class is given in separate articles under 

 some of the above names. 



NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. This noble 

 species of the canine race is justly entitled 

 to the peculiar regard of man. For faithful 

 attachment to his master, great strength, 

 sagacity, and perseverance; for good temper, 

 patience, and quiet fondness to all who 

 belong to the household; as well as for being 

 the fearless protector of whatever may be 

 entrusted to his vigilant care, the genuine 

 Newfoundland Dog has no superior. In Ids 



native country he serves to convey light 

 loads of wood or provision, on sledges, over 

 many a rugged track ; nor is he a con- 

 temptible assistant to the aquatic sportsman, 

 either there or here, in rescuing his birds 

 from the water. With so many excellent 

 qualities, we may well excuse him if he 

 sometimes shows impatience of restraint at 

 being kept chained up, or if, apparently 

 unprovoked, he should bite the hand that 

 has been accustomed to caress him. There 

 are several varieties of the Newfoundland 

 species, differing in size, and in the character 

 and colour of the fur. In general the muzzle 

 is broad, the head raised, and the carriage 

 majestic : the colour is black and white, the 

 latter generally predominating ; the hair 

 waved or curly ; the tail thick, bushy, and 

 the end of it curled upwards. There is also 

 a smaller kind, at present very common, not 

 much larger than a Water Spaniel ; the 

 hair of which is almost wholly black, and 

 whose general appearance is much less noble 

 than the one we have described. 



NEWT. There are several species of 

 these small reptiles, the greater part of them 

 aquatic. The principal one is called the 

 GKEAT WATEU-NKWT (Triton pahistrii), 

 'When full grown this species measures about 

 six inches in length, and is greatly allied to 

 the Salamander in its general appearance. 

 Its colour on the upper parts is an extremely- 

 dark brown ; the sides being marked with 

 numerous small whitish specks ; and the 

 under parts are of a bright orange-colour, 

 variegated with lar^e and irregular patches 

 of black. The tail is of a flattened form, 

 with thin edges, and pointed at the ex- 

 tremity : on each side the tail, in the male. 

 Is a silvery-white broad band or stripe, 

 tinged with blue. The eyes are of a bright 

 gold-colour ; the head rather small ; the 

 limbs short ; the fore-feet divided into four, 

 and the hind into five toes, all destitute of 



