THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



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busy with a green blade of the rough sedgy grass on which it feeds ; the 

 larva is a pretty apple green with thin white dorsal line and a broad white 

 spiracular band ; it sits on the blade of grass with the head raised like a 

 sphinx larvae ; a few steps further and I caught sight of a putrescens feeding 

 on the fine hair grass common in the localty ; this larvse is of the usual 

 leucania type, but has a white (almost silvery) dorsal line, the ground colour 

 is pale fawn. Having thus assured ourselves of the occurrence of this species 

 we were in search of, we set to work with a will, and in two hours had each 

 boxed a goodly number of the larvae of both species, about half grown. We 

 then shifted our quarters in search of hispida, which has its own special 

 haunts, and were not long in finding its obscure looking grey larva, dotted 

 with black. As we had already made a good capture of the imagines of this 

 species last autumn, we were satisfied with a few examples of its larvae, and 

 wended our way in search of well earned refreshment, and by no means dis- 

 satisfied with our evening's work, which we hope to renew on future evenings, 

 when the weather permits. — E. Roper Curzon, Marychurch, Torquay, Feb. 

 11th, 1886. 



Notes erom North Warwickshire. — The weather throughout January 

 having been exceptionally severe this year, moths are consequently very late 

 in making their appearance. The only species which has yet occurred is the 

 hardy hale Hybernia rupicapraria, the first of which I saw on a shop 

 window on February 1 2th fully three weeks late. From the same cause vege- 

 tation is very backward, and no larvse are yet to be found — in fact there is no 

 work to be done at present with the exception of pupa-digging, but this is 

 fearfully cold and stiffening. 



St. Valentine's Day was beautifully bright and mild here. We could 

 almost imagine it to have been April ; the birds were singing with all the 

 strength of their spring notes — Skylarks, Thrushes, Blackbirds, Redbreasts, 

 Accentors, Wrens, and Tomtits were all trying to rival one another in excel- 

 lence. Insects too were awakening from their long winter slumber — great 

 clouds of gnats were to be seen swaying to and fro in the sunshine, and the 

 familiar buzz of the housefly has for the first time been heard this season. 

 Among the flowers we observed the daisy, groundsel, chickweed, and wild 

 strawberry — not a very large list, but not surprising considering the severe 

 weather we have experienced since the beginning of the year. — W. IIarcourt 

 Bath, Sutton Coldfield, 15th February, 1886. " 



The Birmingham Naturalists Field Club. — Many readers of the 

 Young Naturalist will learn with regret that this club has ceased to exist 

 through lack of support. It was started, as is well remembered, by Mr. W. 

 Harcourt Bath in the year 1881, and great has been the amount of work it 



