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THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



seasons at the end of April ; and many people do not consider spring to have 

 really arrived until they see the first white butterfly. They continue to be 

 seen throughout .the summer, and the larvae may be found on geraniums, 

 nasturtium, mignonette, &c, resting on the mid-rib of the leaves, and being 

 of very sluggish habits, they are not observed much until they begin to look 

 about for safe positions in which to pupate, at which period they may 

 generally be seen on every fence and under every ledge. Frequently, too, we 

 shall remark a mass of little bright yellow cocoons, which appear upon exami- 

 nation to be spun all around a dying or dead caterpillar, these are the work 

 of the larvae of a minute ichneumon fly (Microgaster), which perhaps does 

 more than anything else to keep down any undue increase of these species. 



I do not think any other butterflies breed in London, though Vanessa 

 urticce is a frequent visitor to our flower beds, and occasionally is accom- 

 panied by V* atalanta, which from its strong build and powerful flight is well 

 adapted to travel some distance. Another occasional visitor is CoUas Edusa, 

 which in 1877, was observed all over the town, many making itself 

 quite at home in the Temple Gardens on the Thames Embankment. It' is 

 interesting to remark that a very fine female was captured last autumn, on 

 London Fields, Hackney, being in very good condition, with the exception of 

 a piece out of one of the posterior wings, the specimen evidently having only 

 just escaped from some hungry bird tempted by so rare a banquet. It 

 was brought alive to Mr. J. A. Clark, the well-known lepidopterist, who 

 presented it to the Hackney Microscopical and Natural History Society, in 

 whose collection it now is. 



Having thus briefly disposed of our butterflies, we find ourselves confronted 

 by the Nocturni, of these we can make a better muster, though less numer- 

 ous than either the Noctuce or Geometrse. The large hawk moths are well 

 represented. The eyed-hawk moth (Smerinthus ocellatus), though far less 

 numerous than formerly, is still occasionally observed, and a few years back 

 the larvae were readily obtained from the Victoria Park. The poplar hawk 

 [Smerinthus populi) may be called a regular Londoner, almost every poplar 

 tree being visited by it, even solitary trees some distance from any others 

 yielding the larvae if carefully searched for. The moths, too, are very fre- 

 quently observed on the trunks especially in the early morning, being a good 

 prize by school boys who classfiy this species as a " Dragon/' keeping them 

 in their trouser pockets wrapped up in a handkerchief, a plan needless to say 

 not very agreeable to either party. Smerinthus Tilia is found in most places 

 where there are elms or lime trees. It is most frequently observed in the 

 larval state, and after a gale may frequently be observed on railings, or as- 

 cending the tree trunks, their very rough skins and blue horn distinguishing 



