224 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



The Month's Work of a Tyeo. — The ivy is but just opening its buds 

 even in the South here, so that nothing has been done yet at ivy bloom . 

 The weather has been cold and north or north-east winds have prevailed, and 

 brought with them even thus early, snow, after an absence of only twenty 

 weeks. Having no brother of the "net and pin" here I have confined my 

 sugaring to a space, fifteen feet by ten, a cut through a plantation here. In 

 this limited spot I have obtained during the past month : Catocala nupta, 3 ; 

 Bpunda nigra, 2 ; Scopelosoma satelletia, 2 ; Hypena rostralis, 3 ; Polia Jlavo- 

 cincta, 2 ; Cerastis vaccinii, 2 ; whilst Litura, Spadicea, and Oxy acanthi 

 were always numerous. Among the Oxyacanthce I took six specimens of the 

 var. Capucina. I also took Nonagria fulva, though not on the sugar. 

 " Lamping " gave me six Ennomos tiliaria ; eight Himera pennaria ; two 

 Nonagria lulosa; two Scotosia dubitata; four Diloba caruleocephala ; one 

 Cratagi ; five Hydraccia micacea ; six Gortyna flavago ; one Xanthia silago y 

 and one Xylina pelrificata, whilst Enbolia cervinata, Oporahia dilutala and 

 Cidaria miata were on almost every lamp. Larvae have been rather dis- 

 appointing, I have, however, obtained more or less of the following species, 

 Pyg&ra bucephala, Orygia pubibunda, Acronycta aceris. Mamestra persicaria, 

 Sphinx ligustri, and Saturnia pavonia-minor, and perhaps half-a-dozen other 

 species which I do not know, including geometrse. — John K. Clarke,. 

 Woodlands, Hitchen, October, 1887. 



Zygtena Meliloti, — " I see that Mr. Webb considers Meliloti to be a form 

 of Trifolii. I cannot understand an insect starving itself in a state of nature, 

 and thus producing a stunted race, though I confess I could never see any 

 distinction between New Forest Meliloti and small specimens of Trifolii" — ? 

 J. E. Eobson. 



" Voluntary starvation to produce stunted specimens I no more believe 

 likely to occur than Mr. Robson does. This can scarcely take place where 

 the food is abundant, and cover, i.e. shelter accessible, but where the food is 

 scanty and shade wanting, the sun has a deterring effect in the growth of the 

 larvse. Witness our Dover Corydon, which run very small where the cliffs 

 have but little herbage, and we all know a hot summer produces small 

 imagines of Icarus, second brood, though I have not seen the second brood 

 of Adonis perceptibly smaller. Now it is well known that until the railway 

 drained the neighbourhood where Meliloti occurred, the variety known by 

 that name was not found in the Forest ; the spot, too, as I remember it, was 

 much exposed to the sun. Perhaps another change has taken place, as the 

 insect cannot now, I hear, be obtained." — Sydney Webb. — From the Note 

 Book of the Exchange Club. 



