52 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



crevice is left for the escape of the larvae. 

 When the moss becomes dry give it a little 

 Mrater to keep it growing. The moths are 

 due in June. 



EXAPATE GELATELLA, (Linn.) 



Having found the above, go to some wood 

 and beat about the undergrowth. You may 

 dislodge a moth about eight or nine lines in 

 expanse, brownish grey, with a whitish 

 streak from the base containing two darker 

 spots and a dark shade near the tip. This 

 will be Exapate gelatella. It also comes to 

 light, and may sometimes be found inside 

 windows. 



Errata. — In last Notes the name Pincico- 

 lella should be Tuncicolella. 



ON SETTING WASPS FOR 

 THE CABINET. 



Newly hatched wasps are very likely to 

 turn black after a little while, so that if we 

 have only such specimens it is better to 

 keep them alive for some days before doing 

 anything with them. 



For this purpose (setting) take the wasp 

 between the left thumb and fore finger and 

 squeeze the abdomen gently, removing the 

 viscera as they protrude with a pair of 

 forceps and a bit of rag. Then wipe out 

 the inside of the abdomen with a little 

 cotton wool, and when it is quite dry, insert 

 a tuft of this to prevent the abdomen from 

 shrinking. With care all this may be done 

 without cutting, or even without displacing 

 any of the rings. Next draw the legs out 

 gently, and particularly attend to the tibio- 

 tarsal joints, straightening them, not by 

 pulling, but by pressing, so that they may 

 readily take any required position without 

 fear of breaking them. Now pass a fine but 

 strong pin through the thorax, and set the 

 insect on a cork board. The legs will keep 

 their position in drying, but the antennas 

 will need support, and perhaps the head 

 also. The chief trouble is with the wings, 

 on the neat adjustment of which so much of 



the beauty of the specimen depends. The 

 best way to manage them is to fix a long 

 pin obliquely into the cork board, on either 

 side parallel to the body of the insect, 

 making an inclined plane on which the 

 wings may rest when they are expanded. 

 Now open the fore wing very carefully with 

 one blade of the forceps, and draw it over 

 the hind wing up this plane. After one or 

 two trials the row of little hooks which are 

 found along the front of the hind wing of 

 the wasp will hook as they naturally do in 

 flight, and the wings thus fastened will look 

 much better and retain their position more 

 securely than when they are adjusted by 

 pins. They are to be held in this position 

 by another long lighter pin lying over the 

 shorter one and nipping the wings between 

 them. This must be repeated on the under 

 side, and the limbs must be arranged when 

 they have been disturbed, and then the 

 specimen only needs drying to be complete. 

 Sometimes by merely blowing them the 

 wings may be properly expanded, and if 

 luckily the hooks can be made to catch at 

 the same time a great deal of trouble will be 

 saved thereby.--" British Social Wasps," by 

 Dr. E. L. Ormerod. 



NATURAL HISTORY DIARY: 



By J. W. Carter. 



November 4th. — My brother and I took 

 one specimen of H. pcnnaria and C. vaccinii 

 abundantly in Bingley Wood. (E.P.P.B.) 



November nth. — Noticed a large flock of 

 Chaffinches feeding upon cabbage seeds in 

 a garden in the village. They were all male 

 birds. I have seen several flocks since but 

 have not seen one female amongst them. 

 (E.P.P.B.) 



November 12th. — A friend of mine saw a 

 fine old male Snowbunting on the highway 

 near Harecrofts feeding upon undigested 

 grain in horse droppings. A small flock has 

 since been seen flying about some fields near 



