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THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



of it, of these only one was Camus. I next resolved to try a locality at 

 Pollokskields, where I had taken velleda on the two former seasons, but found 

 it rather rare. I captured some specimens, but they were all of the usual 

 form. This remarkable scarcity of the var. Camus seems to me quite un- 

 accountable. Three years ago it was almost as common as the ordinary type. 

 In one night you could take almost as many of the one as you could of the 

 other. In '84, velleda was very plentiful at Possil, and both forms were in 

 about equal numbers. Last year, however, both the type and the var. were 

 very scarce and only a few specimens of the latter were taken. Now that the 

 species is so common this season, it seems strange that carnus is so scarce 

 compared to the number of the other. Several of my friends who have taken 

 velleda at the Marsh, tell me that their experience was in accordance with 

 my own. Another entomologist who collected with me the other evening 

 told me yesterday, that he did not find a single specimen of the variety among 

 his captures. It would be entertaining to know if the scarcity exists in other 

 districts where velleda occurs. Perhaps those readers who take this species 

 will record their experience this season. — John Mackay, Kingston, Glasgow. 



PiiESERVina the Colours in Dragonflies. — 1 have to thank Mr. Bignell 

 for his suggestion as to the preservation of the brilliant colours in dragon-flies 

 It is rather curious that on returning from a collecting excursion in Arran, 

 where I had taken some very beautiful scarlet, and yellow and black dragon- 

 fles, I found that the July "Young Naturalist" had arrived during my 

 absence. Glancing over the contents, my eye caught Mr. Bigneirs interest- 

 ing note, and on reading his suggestion, I determined at once to give it a 

 fair trial. I must admit that the result of my experiment was highly satis- 

 factory. Instead, however, of using darning cotton, as Mr. Bignell advises, 

 I first passed through the body of the insect a small piece of rough worsted, 

 which thoroughly cleaned out the contents of the abdomen, after which I 

 folded several threads of fine stiff coloured silk threads together, in proportion 

 to the size of the insect being operated upon, and these I passed into the 

 body, cutting off the remaining bits close to the body at both ends, of course, 

 I used thread the same colour as the body of the insect, the shell of the long 

 abdomen being so transparent that the colour of the thread within helps to 

 give the insect its original appearance. I find that the specimens thus treated 

 have retained their colour remarkably well, and altogether Mr. Bigneli's 

 method of preserving dragonflies is the best I have tried yet, I am only sorry 

 I did not known about it sooner, as the large number of pretty specimens 

 which 1 took last year in Knapdale, Argyllshire, are now quite useless, having 

 completely lost their beautiful brilliant colours. — John Mackay, Kingston, 

 Glasgow. 



