858 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



North of England, in Scotland and Ireland. 

 It is darkest in colour in its most southerly 

 habitats, becoming paler, and having lewer 

 eyed spots further north. The larva is not 

 well known, is dark green and feeds on 

 either Beak rush or Cotton grass, perhaps 

 on both. 



SETTING SMALL FLIES. 



A correspondent recently sending us some 

 gall midges, suggested that we should give 

 an article on setting these minute insects. 

 We have great pleasure in giving the plan 

 that was recommended to us by Mr. Fitch, 

 and one we have found to answer admirably 

 both for these and small ichneumons. First 

 procure a saucer or dish containing hot 

 water ; quickly open the box containing the 

 insects over it, and give the box a smart tap, 

 when all the flies will drop upon the hot 

 water and be killed instantly. Most of them 

 will drop with their wings expanded. Then 

 get a sheet of writing paper and cut it up 

 into pieces about one inch long and half-an- 

 inch broad. Take one of these pieces be- 

 tween the finger and thumb and carefully 

 insert it under one of the flies floating on 

 the surface of the water ; lift it out, and the 

 fly will adhere to the paper. The legs 

 wings, antennae, &c., may now be put into 

 position with a needle upon the wet paper, 

 and allowed to remain for a few hours. 

 When all the moisture has evaporated and 

 the limbs become stiff (not hard), the flies 

 may be lifted from the paper by the point 

 of a needle and transferred to a card smeared 

 over with gum tragacanth, in which a small 

 piece of clear gum arable has been dissolved. 

 It will be of advantage to gum a few of the 

 specimens up-side-down, so that the under 

 parts can be seen. The cards should be 

 uniform small squares, each containing one 

 species only. A pin is put through the bot- 

 tom end of the card, particulars written 

 either at the foot or on the underside, and the 

 whole is ready for the cabinet. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 



FROM WEYBRIDGE & WISELY. 



(C ntinued from page 339.) 



July i2th.— Took a specimen of the Cin- 

 nabar jacolcea), also Poplar Hawk 

 (Smerinthus pojpuli), the latter apparently 

 just emerged, the wings not being properly 

 expanded. 



July 14th. — Saw some large plants of 

 Vipers Buglass ( Uchium mlgare-) , also an 

 Orobanche {Broom rape) growing on clover, 

 which I could not identify, as it withered 

 before I got home. 



July 15th. — Found the beginning of a 

 hornet's nest and killed three hornets. 



July 1 6th. — I went for a walk along the 

 river Wey and observed the following plants 

 in flower : — Willow herb {llpilobium Eirsu- 

 turn), balsam (Impatiens noli-me-tangere) 

 not in flower, meadow-sweet {Spircea ul- 

 maria), hemp agrimony {Eupatorum canna- 

 binum), cow wheat {Mela/inpyrnm pratense), 

 Stachys silvatiea^ bird's foot {Ornithopus 

 perpusillus.) 



July 20th. — The gardener killed a hroim 

 snake about two and a half feet long, its 

 belly being white, handsomely mottled with 

 black. It was not a viper, so I suppose it 

 must have been a green snake. Do green 

 snakes have any green about them really, 

 as, I'm ashamed to say, I don't know ? 



July 24th. — Noticed a large quantity of 

 LysimaoMa vulgaris. What a fine plant it 

 is with its large heads of yellow flowers. 

 Watched their wasp grubs in various stages 

 of hatching. How quickly they seem to be 

 in arriving at the perfect insect from the 

 grub. 



July 26th. — It is a very curious fact, one 

 of course, well known to botanists) the way 

 in which the stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica) 

 sheds its pollen ; but I should advise any of 

 your readers who may not have observed it 

 to do so. 



July 28th.— Saw a house sparrow with 



