THE YOUNG NATUTULIST. 



101 



markedly different to any of the genus I had seen before, and another striking 

 fact was that although I spent hours searching for a pupa of Meliloli I have 

 never seen one. I have found the insect with wings unexpanded, but never 

 could find a cocoon. On this point I wrote Mr. Doubleday, and his answer 

 now before me, is " I think the larvse of Meliloti probably spin their cocoons 

 close to the surface of the ground like those of Minos." Be this as it may, 

 I have never yet seen a cocoon of this species, although I could find any 

 number of the cocoons of Z. trifolii in the Isle of Wight. With such 

 marked difference of ova, young larvse, pupation, and perfect insect, I still 

 hold that Z. meliloti of the New Forest is a good species. I have submitted 

 the antennae of Meliloti and Trifolii to a microscopic examination — f object 

 glass and B eye-piece — I find there is a considerable difference^ Meliloti 

 antennas of male is one-fifth shorter than the smallest Trifolii male I have, 

 and the thickening of the club is less sharp, and the end or tip more blunt : 

 i.e. Trifolii is more decidedly clubbed, with the extreme tip more produced or 

 pointed. 



A VISIT TO LIVERPOOL. 



By JOHN E. ROBSON. 



I had long promised myself a visit to Liverpool, and an examination of 

 some of the collections there, and after numerous postponements from the 

 difficulty I find in leaving home, it was definitely fixed at last, as I had 

 undertaken to read a paper on " Nomenclature," before the Lancashire and 

 Cheshire Entomological Society," at the request of its president, S. J. Capper, 

 Esq., of Huyton Park. Leaving here on Saturday morning, February 25th, 

 I reached Mr. Gregson' s abode about five o'clock, and after partaking of 

 refreshment, I went to work at once to examine his collection. As great 

 interest is manifested in varieties, in which Mr. Gregson is particularly rich, 

 I propose to give a brief account of some of those in his collection. Mr. 

 Gregson, however, has not confined himself to lepidoptera. He has a good 

 collection of British birds, all preserved and mostly shot by himself, a good 

 collection of birds' eggs, another of shells, another of seaweeds, and I don't 

 know how many more. A telescope stood in his window in a favourable 

 position for observation. A short-tailed eagle in fine plumage, croaked its 

 welcome as we came up the garden. Other birds made themselves heard 

 from the aviary, while indoors, corals, shells, and the thousand and one knick- 

 nacks about, all spoke of it being the home of a naturalist, and one of con- 

 siderable taste. 



