THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



from Mr. W. H. Harwood, of Colchester, 

 the well-known dealer in British insects. 

 Mr. Harwood being of opinion that the 

 collection of Lepidoptera is rather over- 

 done, and that the best way to induce the 

 collection and study of other orders, is to 

 make easier the road to a knowledge of 

 them, has had this list prepared and printed. 

 Those who are interested in this beautiful 

 group will find it a great help in their study. 

 It includes the English and chief Continen- 

 tal synonyms, and will greatly assist in 

 correcting the confusion that has hitherto 

 existed, and rendered the satisfactory deter- 

 mination of the species a matter of con- 

 siderable difficulty. It is by the removal of 

 stumbling blocks, and placing stepping 

 stones in their stead, that roads are ren- 

 dered more accessible to travellers, and we 

 congratulate Mr. Harwood and Mr. Saunders 

 on their success. The list is neatly and 

 clearly printed, and though only a cata- 

 logue gives considerably more information 

 than a mere list of names. The next step to 

 be taken is the production of a monograph 

 of the group. Why does not the Entomo- 

 logical Society, of London, issue a series of 

 " Stainton's Manual's," in all orders of 

 of Entomology ? Such a publication would, 

 of necessity, be issued at a less, or at all 

 events at a considerable outlay at the be- 

 ginning, and could surely be better done, 

 and the loss better borne, if prepared and 

 issued by such a Society, than if done by a 

 private individual. An edition could be 

 printed large enough to defray the cost of 

 publication, and the copies would all sell in 

 time, and surely such work is well fitted for 

 such a Society. A manual of the group of 

 Aculeate Hymenoptera would not be a very 

 costly matter, for considerably under 400 

 species are known to be indigenous to this 

 country. In our third volume a monograph 

 of the British Ants was given, from the pen 

 of Mr. G. C. Bignall, of Plymouth. Referr- 

 ing to these papers we observe the omission 



from the present catalogue of Lasius mixtus, 

 Nyl., which was taken by Mr. Bignell, at 

 Bickleigh, in September, 1881. This is 

 probably only a race of L. umbmtus, Nyl., 

 and in this list, races, or sub-species, are 

 given a lower rank than species. We also 

 notice that Tapinoma gracilescens, the house 

 ant of Maderia, and which has established 

 itself in the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, and 

 elsewhere, is omitted from the imported 

 species. Taking this list as a starting point, 

 we hope soon to record additions in the 

 group to our British Fauna. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 

 BIRDS. 



Golden Eagles at Loch Etive. — The 

 head gamekeeper (Mr. Robert MacDonell) 

 of Ardchattan Estate, Loch Etive, Argyll- 

 shire, reports the presence of no less than 

 four eagles of the Falco chryscetos (golden 

 eagle species there. The game has suffered 

 a good deal from them lately, and the 

 keepers were compelled to set traps for 

 their capture. Last week the under game- 

 keeper, John Cattanach, shot one of the 

 eagles. It had been in one of the traps, and 

 lost its toes. It is a splendid specimen, 

 measuring from tip to tip of outstretched 

 wings 7ft. 3in. The ordinary measurement 

 is 6ft. The bird has been sent to be stuffed. 

 It should be said on behalf of the keepers 

 that, while they are alive to the objections 

 to destroying this rare bird, four eagles on 

 the estate are too much of a nuisance. The 

 remaining birds will, it is understood, not 

 be molested. The eyries of the eagles are 

 supposed to be in the Blackmount or 

 Glencreran. — Standard, 25th Dec, 1883. 



Scaup (Anas ma? Ha.) — A female specimen 

 of this duck was shot here on January 3rd. 

 It was an old bird, with a very broad band 

 of white above the bill. — N. Prescott 

 Decie, Bockleton Court, Tenbury. 



