THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



191 



is the best antidote against intemperance ; 

 it teaches us to be kind and loving to all 

 the creatures that are beneath us. I have 

 tried the experiment. I have, in the Hud- 

 dersfield Board Schools, a little army of 

 observers, a society of nearly 100 members 

 from the higher standards, each provided 

 with a note-book and pencil, which in most 

 of cases, is well used, and my experience 

 teaches me that children could be so trained 

 that they would grow up thoughtful and 

 observant men and women, and there would 

 be no need for acts such as these we have 

 just been considering. 



Now, there is another kind of protection, 

 which I suppose the acts seek, but do not 

 attain — I mean the protection of rare birds. 

 Every time a rare bird finds its way to our 

 shores it is met by the muzzle of a loaded 

 gun. When a pair of Numedian cranes 

 came and wished to effect a settlement, and 

 would in all probability have bred if left 

 unmolested, they were immediately set upon 

 by guns, one of them killed and the other 

 effectually banished. The same with golden 

 orioles, hoopoes, bee-eaters and many others, 

 which would breed here if they were only 

 protected in a proper way, but immediately 

 one shows itself it has no peace until it is 

 either killed or driven back. Whom have 

 we to thank for this ? The Ornithologists !! 

 And the same destruction will go on as long 

 as they continue to offer premiums for the 

 slaughter of the birds. The rage to possess 

 "authentic British specimens" has led to 

 all this and to much dishonest dealing. 

 What can be the difference in an oriole 

 which has crossed the Channel from France 

 and reached British soil ? Why should we 

 kill it ? Would it not be much more in the 

 keeping of a true naturalist to protect it and 

 allow it to breed, and if he wants one for 

 his collection, to obtain one from some place 

 where it is more common ? He does not 

 hesitate to fetch his eggs from Norway or 

 Lapland, then what difference can it make 



for him to obtain his birds from the same 

 source. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



RAGWORT. 



In the Young Naturalist, Vol. III. (page 

 338), speaking of the attractiveness of Rag- 

 wort (Senecio jacobcea) to lepidopterous in- 

 sects, you remark on the desirability of hav- 

 ing complete lists, from various localities, 

 of all insects which visit this particular 

 flower, a remark in which I have often ex- 

 pressed my coincidence. The following is 

 a list, probably far from complete, as it in- 

 cludes only such species of which I have any 

 notes, since the year 1877. 



Colias edusa, in September, 1877, tne on ty 

 one it has been my good fortune to capture, 

 and I may here observe that it was the cap- 

 ture of this veritable specimen of edusa that 

 gave me an impetus to my then nascent love 

 of entomology, which has ever since been 

 such a source of pure delight to me. This 

 is the only record I have of the Diurni, al- 

 though I feel pretty sure I have taken two 

 or three other species of Rhopalocera at rag- 

 wort. B.repandata, only one; A. aversata, 

 H. wavaria, L. didymata, common ; pectinci- 

 aria, one or two ; S. dubitata, several ; C. im- 

 nanata, abundant ; fulvata, one or two ; L. 

 pollens, one ; H. nictitans, plentiful ; micacea, 

 not uncommon, more irregular in its visits 

 than its congener ; X. polydon, very few ; C. 

 graminis, common, flying about in the sun- 

 shine : M. brassicce, one ; A . basilinea, a few ; 

 oculea, very common. M. literosa, one in 1878. 

 C. cubicularis, common in 1879. T. orbona, 

 a few in 1878, I have not seen another since ; 

 pronuba, common ; N. glareosa, very common 

 in 1878, scarcely met with since; augur, a 

 few; brunnea, one. Dahlii swarmed in 1S81, 



