THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



139 



Orgyia antiqua.—Th.e merry little Vapourer is one of the most pronounced 

 of our town lepidoptera, the pretty tufted larvae been seen everywhere 

 through the summer; and the male moth, with his peculiar jerky flight, is a 

 familiar object in our streets during the hot autumn days. Even in the very 

 heart of the city this species continues to flourish, some lime trees in London 

 Wall, and one solitary tree in Crosby Square, being dotted all over with the 

 cocoons. The larvae, like most viscid and hairy larvae, are probably distaste^ 

 ful to birds, hence their continued existence in such precarious situations. 

 The apterous female is an interesting object, it hardly ever travels off the 

 cocoon from which it emerges, but concentrates all its energies upon deposit- 

 ing its OV83 in compact order on the outside, thus differing greatly from 

 the apterous females of the genus Eybernia, which are very active and travel 

 considerable distances. The origin of these apterous species affords ample 

 subject for thought and reflection, at present, no reasonable theory has been 

 advanced on the question. Were it not for the practice of lopping the lime 

 trees in early spring, this species would swarm even more than at present ; a 

 large number of broods are annually destroyed from this cause. 



To be continued. 



OBITUARY. 

 NICHOLAS COOKE. 



It is with deep regret that we record the death of Nicholas Cooke, one 

 of the most indefatigable workers in the North of England, who died on the 

 19th May. He was on a visit to Mr. Briggs, at Leatherhead, Surrey, where 

 he had gone to show him & alpinalis and gracilalis, and suddenly fell back 

 into the arms of an Entomological friend, and in ten minutes he had left us. 

 His remains were brought home and interred in the public cemetery at Lis- 

 card, Cheshire, in accordance with the simple but touching fashion of the 

 Society of Eriends. In the presence of a large concourse of sorrowing friends 

 the coffin was placed on stretchers, beside the open grave. Perfect silence 

 reigned while each communed with his own heart, and thanked the Giver of 

 all good for his many mercies. Then without one word the body was lowered 

 to its resting place, and after a brief space all moved away to the chapel, 

 which was quite filled with sorrowing relatives and sympathising friends, all 

 bowed down with grief. Silence reigned for a time, then a venerable old man 

 rose and addressed the assembly in a broken voice. He was the oldest 

 brother of the deceased, and he spoke impressively of the true Christian 



