32 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



slow in his movements, careful and patient, 

 ever hungry and ever lean ; for even when in 

 best condition, he never attains the plumpness 

 that gives yon the idea of a comfortable exist- 

 ence. Far away through the green valley 

 winds the silver Tweed ; now rolling its 

 waters over the white pebbles, then gliding 

 placidly between banks covered with fresh 

 herbage and gaudy florets of many hues. The 

 hum of the wild bee draws your eye toward 

 those beautiful tufts of purple trefoil ; the 

 weet-weet, ever vibrating its body as if 

 delicately balanced on its slim legs, runs 

 along the sunny beach, spreads out its pointed 

 wings, and skims over the pool. 



There, in the water, nearly up to the knees, 

 is the herou, patiently waiting an opportunity 

 of seizing some giddy trout. Those ducklings 

 that swim so beautifully, and dive with such 

 marvellous quickness, he seems to eye with 

 hungry glance ; but their watchful protect- 

 ress is in the midst of them. That wary 

 old water-rat is equally safe, as he nibbles 

 the grass at the mouth of his hole ; and at 

 intervals trims his whiskers with his little 

 paws. In short, go where you will, in sum- 

 mer or in winter, to the shores of the sea or 

 the far inland lake, the source or the estuary 

 of the hill-born streams, you may here and 

 there find a solitary heron. — Macgillivray. 



(Butnmnlng^ 



OBSERVATIONS ON LARViE. 



At this bleak and barren season of the year, 

 although there is still much to attract the general 

 admirer of nature, yet as regards those who fol- 

 low that particular branch relating to insects, 

 there is little now to draw them abroad, while the 

 insect world lies almost entirely in a state of 

 sleep. At this season, the entomologist recalls 

 the pursuits of the previous year ; and the follow- 

 ing observations, made by the writer, can per- 

 haps claim little merit save their originality. I 

 purpose to offer a few points noticed in rearing 

 various larvae of Moths. 



The first caterpillar which I had during last 

 year, was one of the Goat Moth (cossus), which 

 was cut by a laborer from an old willow. When 

 I received it, it was apparently about three parts 

 grown. It was in a rather languid state, and if 

 disturbed would immediately raise its head, and 

 open its formidable jaws. The peculiar odor 

 which it emitted was so powerful, that a box in 

 which it was placed smells as strong as at first, 

 after the lapse of ten months. Though it was 

 supplied with food, it died after a few -weeks ; 

 having made some attempts to form a nestwhich 

 it was apparently too weak to do. 



In the beginning of April, I obtained a num- 

 ber of caterpillars of the great Tiger {Arctia 

 Caja), in the vicinity of Chelsea, feeding on the 

 dead nettle. Of these, some arrived at perfection 

 in May, and others in June. A remarkable cir- 

 cumstance is, the great irritation produced by 



even a minute particle of the hairs which create 

 a kind of nettle-rash on the skin. 



In June, I obtained from Hertfordshire the eggs 

 of some unknown Sphinx, nearly all of which 

 hatched ; but none of them would eat, although 

 supplied with the leaves of the tree on which 

 they were laid. They were about five lines in 

 length, of a pale green color, with a long horn 

 tapering gradually, and without any appearance 

 of stripes on the sides. 



I had next the eggs and young larva? of the 

 Puss Moth [Centra Vinala), of which nine arrived 

 at maturity. This caterpillar is very remarkable 

 both in appearance and habits. The usual period 

 of growth was from six to seven weeks, and in 

 this time it changes its skin four times. Having 

 closely observed the habits of these, I can find 

 no foundation for the fact (?), noticed in some 

 books, of their ejecting an acrid fluid if irritated. 

 The peculiar horns, with which the tail is sup- 

 plied, are certainly protruded when it is touched, 

 but are not used to strike with. The cocoon 

 generally is perfected in about two days from its 

 commencement ; and when dry, resembles a swell- 

 ing on the trunk of a tree. 



In the beginning of July, I obtained from the 

 vicinity of Chelsea some caterpillars of the Eyed 

 Hawk [Smerinthus Ocillatus), but unfortunately 

 all but two were killed by parasites. This insect 

 seems peculiarly infested by these ichneumons. 

 Some of them will live for days after the grubs 

 have forced their way out ; but they never eat, 

 and ultimately die. Scarcely any kind of cater- 

 pillar seems exempt from attack by these insects, 

 which no doubt serve some useful purpose in the 

 economy of nature. 



In September, after having examined a large 

 quantity of privet, I discovered a nearly full- 

 grown caterpillar of the Privet Hawk (S. Ligas- 

 tri), which was an insect I had never before 

 obtained. This beautiful caterpillar after a short 

 time entered the earth ; but to my surprise, after 

 a few days he came out again, and remained on 

 the surface, where he died in about a week ; and 

 did not change into a chrysalis, much to my dis- 

 appointment. I afterwards attributed his death 

 to the earth in the flower-pot not being of suffi- 

 cient depth. 



During last season, I reared from the Larvae, 

 also the Nettle Tortoise, and the Peacock, and the 

 Feathered Prominent Moth. There is a remarkable 

 difference in growth often observed amongst cater- 

 pillars of the same species, and hatched at the 

 same time. Some will enter the chrysalis state 

 a week earlier than others. There is also a dif- 

 ference in the time occupied in changing their 

 skin. With some, it takes three days or more ; 

 others perform it in two. I have watched many 

 larvae closely, but could never observe any con- 

 sciousness, or any perception of the times at 

 which they were usually supplied with fresh 



leaves - Cebuea. 



The Fidgets. — A fidgetty man, or a fidgetty 

 woman, ought to be kept under lock and key. 

 They frighten themselves till they get ill ; and 

 they drive all who come near them to the very 

 verge of madness. They should have a ward to 

 themselves. 



