42 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



'' Febkuar\ 



There is no doubt, towards the end of the month, the old restless 

 feeling will again begin to assert itself, and on some fine morning we 

 shall probably be off to some favourite locality on one of our pleasant 

 rambles, for the weather is at times very tempting, although so early 

 in the year, and when fairly on our journey on these bright mornings 

 the clear and pure atmosphere seems most exhilarating after our 

 winter's occupation, and makes us search the hedgerow^s with keen- 

 ness, and a reawakened interest. On these occasions if we should 

 notice the common hart's tongue fern growing in the hedges, we must 

 look over some of the dead fronds, when no doubt we shall soon observe 

 the larva of P. verhuelella burrow^mg among the indusia, we need only 

 take a small bundle of these fronds, keep them in a cool place, when 

 in due time a nice series will emerge. Continuing our journey, we 

 come to a wide marshy piece of ground covered with sedges, on the 

 edges of Avhich we see some dead stems of Eupatoria cannabinum. 

 We must cut some of these stems, on examining which we shall 

 probably see some small round holes in the sides, which are caused by 

 the larvae of P. micvodactyliis. By cutting a small bundle of these stems 

 and keeping them out in all weathers to near the time of emergence, 

 a fine series may be had. 



A little further on we notice the larva of Col. lineolea is already 

 beginning to blotch the leaves of the black horehound (Ballota nigra J, 

 although even on this sheltered hedge bank it is scarcely out of the 

 ground, and in the little patches of ground ivy ( GlecJionia liedevacea ) 

 we now and then observe a few leaves that have whitish blotches on 

 them, and know tliat the larva of Col. albitarsella is already beginning 

 to feel the influence of the sunshine v/e occasionally get towards the 

 end of this month. Continuing our journey we are, after a short time 

 tempted to turn aside to examine some posts and rails on the edge of 

 a field, formed of thick branches of elm trees, for we observe the bark 

 falling oft~ in places; on stripping off some of this loose bark, we find 

 sure enough the dirty blackish larva of CE. jusca-aurella under a 

 slight web, mixed with frass and gnawed wood, these larvae we may 

 continue to find for the next two months, and others also in similar 

 situations, we can also, during our stroll, still take the larvse of P. 

 carlinella in the seed heads of the Carline thistle,, and P. lapella in the 

 seed heads of Burdock, and the pupae of jrancillana in the stems of 

 wdld carrot, and in those of wild parsnip the pupae of C. dihicidana, the 

 above and most of the species mentioned for last month, may still 

 make our outings both interesting and profitable although the country 

 has still a wintery aspect. 



Shepherdess IValkj City Road, London, N. 



