THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



115 



Abroad it is met with nearly throughout 

 Europe and parts of Asia. 



Nest. — The nest of the Long-tailed Tit 

 is one of the most beautiful and complete 

 pieces of bird architecture. The nest which 

 is figured upon the plate was sent to me by 

 Mr. F. Kerry, of Harwich. It is a semi- 

 circular dome, composed of moss, wool, and 

 cobwebs, or spiders' nests, completely and 

 evenly studded all over the outside with 

 bits of grey lichen stuck upon the cobwebs. 

 The inside is profusely lined with feathers, 

 and a round hole on one side near the top 

 for entrance and egress. The nest generally 

 rests vertically, with its base fixed to an 

 horizontal branch of a tree ; but sometimes 

 it is built in lower bushes — in fact, the nest 

 figured was cut from a bramble-bush. The 

 nest is very large for the size of the bird, 

 the one figured being 5^ in. high and 3^ in. 

 wide. Mr. John Hancock records one in 

 his collection which has a valvular flap or 

 lid, which falls over and completely closes 

 the entrance, and which must have been 

 raised every time the bird passed in or out. 

 The nest is commenced by the end of 

 March. 



Eggs. — The number of eggs laid vary 

 from seven to nine, sometimes even more. 

 Before they are blown the yolk gives to the 

 shell a delicate pink tiDt ; but after they are 

 emptied of their contents the shell becomes 

 white, and then some faint red spots are 

 perceptible round the large end. 



Varieties.— Sometimes white, without 

 spots. 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



By John E Robson. 



The Genus TiENIOCAMPA. 

 I have already given a detailed account 

 Df one species of this genus, T. gotMca, but 

 at this season of the year, when Entomolo- 



gists will be hard at work at the sallows, I 

 cannot be wrong in giving particulars of the 

 entire genus. We are also giving with this 

 part a plate containing figures of all the 

 species, that will enable beginners to name 

 their specimens with more certainty than 

 from verbal descriptions. The plate also 

 contains figures of several well marked 

 varieties that will be interesting to more 

 advanced collectors. 



The whole of the genus Tseniocampa 

 appear in the perfect state in the early 

 months of the year, some of them in a 

 forward season like the present may be 

 found as early as February. March and 

 April, however, are the proper months for 

 their emergence, and all of them will be on 

 the wing when these pages are before the 

 reader. The Noctuce are a sweet loving 

 group, and the present genus are specially 

 noticed for their fondness for the honey to 

 be obtained at the flowers of the various 

 kinds of willow. In March and April there 

 are not many sweet producing flowers, but 

 the abundance of nectar secreted by the 

 flowers of the various species of the genus 

 Salix quite compensate for that dearth. In 

 the willows, the male flowers are on one 

 tree, and the female flowers on another. 

 Whenever this obtains, and insect agency is 

 required for conveying the fertilizing pollen, 

 nectar is always abundantly developed to 

 attract the insects. The Tcsniocampa then, 

 and other early flying Noctuce find at 

 " Sallow bloom" the sweets they love, and 

 the young collector will certainly meet with 

 them if he tries. Night collecting at the 

 sallow has often been described. The 

 moths with their glowing eyes, and protrud- 

 ing tongues are so eager, that they fall an 

 easy prey to the collector, and large numbers 

 may be taken in a single evening. The bulk 

 of the captures will of course be common 

 species, but there will always be a sprinkling 

 of the scarcer kind, and none of them are 

 so rare that they may not be met with 



