118 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



perfect, but they are always difficult to get. Passing over the Wainscots, 

 which with other genera, will need a more careful examination, I would next 

 remark the evident care that has been taken with the long bred series of 

 Agrotis. This family Mr. Buckler was much interested in, and succeeded in 

 thoroughly working out the difference between aquilina and tritici by means 

 of the larvae. His graphic and life-like descriptions of caterpillars of these 

 species nigricans, tritici, aquilina, and obelisca, are doubtless familiar to all 

 who have read the old " Entomologists' Monthly Magazine/' the descriptions 

 themselves being embodied in Newman's " British Moths." Amongst the 

 6,000 drawings of larvse, which this indefatigable artist has left, a very beau- 

 tiful selection of the common Garden Dart, White Line Streaked and Square 

 Spotted Darts are enumerated. It is surprising how little we know of these 

 Noetuce. Mr. Buckler's series of aquilina are readily distinguished from 

 tritici ; he did not secure so good a selection of cursoria, which being a coast 

 insect, would be a little out of his reach ; ripce, suffusa, saucia, cinerea, and 

 corticea, the two last evidently not bred examples, are here also. Agathina 

 and the beautiful heath-feeding porphyrea, the so-called Portland moth A, 

 prcecox, and ravida, of which our esteemed artist has described three different 

 larvae, from all of which he bred the moth, are also fully represented by a 

 complete row of moths, about the life history of which the forthcoming second 

 or subsequent volumes of the Ray Society will doubtless be able to instruct us. 

 The row of Ashworthii at the end of this family then brings us to the Yellow 

 Underwings. Fimbria are fine, of course, the larvae being as plentiful in 

 Hampshire as they are in the neighbourhood of London. Subsequa, a much 

 rarer insect is also complete ; and the Noctuas proper, from Glareosa to 

 Xanthographa are well exhibited. Special attention is attached to Ditrape- 

 zium, eight of which were bred from larvse taken on Westbourne Common, 

 in February, March, and April, the larvse being full-fed in May (1862), and 

 the perfect insects emerged from July 2nd to 5th. Triangulum, which larvae 

 will also be figured in the Ray Society's publication, were taken (eight of 

 them) at the same locality — Westbourne — the dates being nearly similar, the 

 moths emerging July 2nd to July 10th. P. alpina came from Mr. George 

 Clarke, being Rannoch specimens; Tcemiocampce are all here of course; 

 Gothica, fine bred examples, Leucograjoka are likewise very fine. The 

 favourite sallows are represented by Rubiginea very perfect ; Croceago, a nice 

 row , citrago, silago, aurago, gilvago, and Xerampelina, the latter larvae Mr. 

 Buckler was fond of, and its description is published in Newman's Moths. 

 Next we have subtusa, very good ; relusa also and fulvago ; but D. Oo has 

 only a single example, which is strange, being a New Forest Noctua. Then 

 follow the Cosmias and ochroleuca, the latter very handsome.^ Carjpophaga, 



