250 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



for vol. i. and 5s. 6d. for vol. ii., or 

 10s. the two. Volume i. contains the 

 Butterflies, Sphinges, Bombyces, and 

 Noctuse ; volume ii. the Geometers, 

 Pyralites, Crambites, Tortrices, Tinea, 

 and Plumes. Every species is separ- 

 ately described, as well as all larvae 

 known at the time of its publication. 

 The descriptions are not so minute as 

 to give a detailed account of every line 

 and spot, but are sufficient to enable 

 any one to distinguish the species from 

 all others occurring in this country. 

 We quote the description of the two 

 Clouded Yellows that our readers may 

 understand how it is done : — " C. 

 Edusa, 2" to 2" '6", Deep rich yellow 

 with a hroad hlach margin^ which is 

 spotted in the female, veined in the 

 male.— viii. e— X. m. 0. Hyale, 1" 

 10"' to 2" 1"' Vale yellow, E-w.^ tip 

 blackish, spotted with pale yellow, 

 blackish hind margin scarcely extend- 

 ind to anal angle. H-w., hind margin 

 with a narrow blackish border near 

 the outer angle. — viii.^' 



The figures following the name give 

 the expance of wings in inches and 

 lines. The Roman numerals at the 

 end of the description refer to the time 

 of appearance ; thus Edusa is said to 

 be on the wing from the end of August 

 to the middle of October. Both these 

 particulars are given with every species 

 throughout. By the use of italics and 

 small capitals, the more striking char- 

 acteristics are pointed out. The larvae 



are described in the same way, the 

 food-plant and date of appearance 

 given, and an occasional note added. 

 That to Edusa is "Fond of clover 

 fields and railway banks. Commoner 

 in some years than others.^' To Hyale, 

 " Generally scarce, common sometimes 

 (in 1842 very common). Erequents 

 lucerne fields.^' Then follows contrac- 

 tions for the localities in which it has 

 occurred. A detailed list of these 

 localities is given in the introduction. 

 They are in various parts of the coun- 

 try, and by the same places always 

 being referred to, a better idea is given 

 of the range of the species, its abun- 

 dance or rarity, than is done by any 

 number of chance references. When 

 the species occurs regularly at the 

 locality the contraction is printed in 

 Eoman letters, if it occurs commonly 

 they are followed by !, if abundantly 

 by !! When the species has occurred 

 but is not now found, the abbreviations 

 are given in italics. Our readers will 

 see from the above what a great 

 amount of information has been com- 

 pressed into half-a-dozen lines. 



The genera are characterized in the 

 same way, and generally a table of the 

 species given, showing how each may 

 be recognized, and (to work backwards) 

 each family is treated in a similar 

 manner. After the family character- 

 istics have been given, there foUows a 

 popular account of its members, their 

 times of appearance, habitat, &c., with 



