354 THE YOUNG 



is no doubt true that mucli is noticed 

 by the stranger, who visits a ground 

 for the first time, that escapes the ob- 

 servation of those to whom most of the 

 features of the place are familiar. Still, 

 careful notes, made year after year, 

 by one familiar with the scene, and 

 with all its fauna ; though they would 

 be limited in scope, would probably 

 add more to our stock of knowledge, 

 than the same power of observation, 

 expended each year in a new place. 

 When the eye has become accustomed 

 to certain objects, any slight departure 

 from what is usual, at once attracts 

 attention. We really know more about 

 the habits, &c., of some of the rarest 

 species than we do about those of the 

 commonest ones. Who takes notice 

 of the common white, who seeks the 

 larva of the meadow brown ? To this 

 point we have often urged attention. 

 But it may be that our readers are 

 somewhat in doubt as to what they 

 should send us. Certainly there are 

 notes and notes. We have spoken 

 much in this strain before, but as 

 school lessons are repeated over and 

 over again until they are mastered ; so 

 we may, with advantage, repeat over 

 and over again the same thought, until 

 our young readers compreheiid our 

 meaning. Moore says — 

 "At first, though mute, she listened, like a 

 dream 



Seemed all he said, nor could her mind, 



whose beam 

 As yet was weak, penetrate half his scheme." 



NATURALIST. 



A white butterfly in a cabbage garden 

 is not very interesting, yet we could 

 imagine that notes on such a subject 

 might be made of great interest. How 

 does the butterfly rocognize the plant 

 on which to deposit her eggs ? Is it 

 by sight, by use of her proboscis, or in 

 what way ? Does she ever make a 

 mistake ? Does Bapce ever lay its 

 eggs on Nasturtium, or Brassiece on 

 Eeseda ? If not, why not ? Do two 

 butterflies lay their eggs on the same 

 leaf? If not, how does the second 

 one know that it is already occupied ? 

 Mamestra hrassicce is very destructive 

 in cabbage gardens : is it ever found 

 on the same plants as the white butter- | 

 fly larvse ? We could go on for some 

 time longer asking questions of this 

 sort, very few of which could be an- 

 swered. Sir John Lubbock has a high 

 opinion of the intelligence of ants, but 

 is it that ants are really more intelli- j 

 gent than all other animals, or that 

 they have been more observed, and 

 their intelligence is better known. It 

 may well be that they are most intelli- 

 gent, but we are decidedly of opinion 

 that as our knowledge of other animals 

 extends we will find more inteUigence 

 than we now calculate upon. Will our 

 readers then try to add to the general 

 stock of knowledge, anything that comes 

 under their range of observation. We 

 will return to the subject again and 

 yet again, but do your best in the 

 meantime. 



