THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



119 



often dark grey. The insect may always 

 be known by its small size, being very little 

 more than an inch in expanse. Larva very 

 variable, green, grey or brown, the usual 

 tines yellowish, a row of darker spots be- 

 tween the dorsal and sub-dorsal lines. It 

 feeds on oak, willow, and various other 

 trees. It is generally common everywhere, 

 and sometimes very abundant. 



IN-DOOR 

 NATURAL HISTORY. 



By Albert H. Waters, B.A. 

 AQUARIA. 

 Fresh-Water Aquaria. — It seems strange 

 that anyone should find much difficulty in 

 establishing this, but it is a fact that many 

 do fail in it and give up in despair in conse- 

 quence of not knowing how to set about it. 

 The great thing in this, as in all aquaria, is 

 to have as large a surface of water as pos- 

 sible, and to have some portions ot it very 

 shallow indeed. Norice the fording places 

 [ of a river or stream, where the water close 

 to the edge is even less than an inch deep. 

 See the shoals of minnows, etc., congregated 

 there : they have been lying close to the 

 brink with their backs and heads almost 

 out of the water until, disturbed by your 

 footstep, they scuttle away in alarm. There- 

 fore, in arrnging your vase or tank, dispose 

 the rockwork in such a way that a large 

 part of it shall not be more than an inch, or 

 a couple of inches, deep. A slab of white 

 marble of the same length, or thereabouts, 

 as the diameter of the aquarium, chipped 

 into a semi-circular shape, in the case of a 

 vase, and supported on pieces of granite, 

 /will make a very effective arrangement. 

 The central portion may be left hollow to 

 form a cave into which the fish may retire if 

 they like, or — what is the real object desired 

 — keep some portion of the water in the 

 ; dark and so check confer void growth, for it 



must be borne in mind that the water is not 

 to be constantly changed. Many fall into 

 the error of supposing frequent renewal 

 necessary, and worry the unfortunate fish 

 to death by emptying their aquarium every 

 day or so. I am, of course, speaking of an 

 ordinary aquarium, unsupplied with a foun- 

 tain or stream of running water. 



I hope to give further hints on the making 

 of a fresh- water aquarium next month, and 

 also on the construction and management 

 of marine aquaria. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 

 BIRDS. 



Red-throated Diver in Cambridge- 

 shire. — The red-throated diver ( Colymbus 

 septemtrionalis ), as well as other sea-birds, 

 visits the fens of Cambridgeshire in the 

 winter. Two were taken the winter before 

 last, and one was shot near Ely in the latter 

 part of last year. — Albert Waters. 



INSECTS. 



Captures, February, 1884. — Coleoptera. 

 Carabus violaceus, monilis, P. vulgaris, A. 

 prasinus, albipes, junceus, parumpunctatus, 

 gracilipes, P. madidus, P biguttatum, L. 

 fulvibarbis, G. melanocephalus, A. familiaris, 

 N. aquations, biguttatus, dromius, 4-notatus, 

 and others. Lepidoptera. — Rupicapraria, 

 Leucophearia, Progemmaria, Pilosaria, JEs- 

 cularia, and two species of Tortrices. — Wm. 

 P. Ellis, Enfield Chase. 



HAGGERSTON ENTOMOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETY. 

 Exhibitions. 

 Mr. T. Huckett : A. niveus, 0. filigram- 

 maria, E. subumbrata. 



Mr. J. A. Clark : L. eonigera, L. littoralis. 

 Mr. E. Anderson : two very dark banded 

 vars. of H leucophearia, bred February 6th. 



Mr. J. A. Cooper: very fine series of L. 

 multistrigaria, 6 and p, bred this year. 

 Mr. May : If. pisi, bred February 16th. 



