THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



formed by the roots, shake the sod well, 

 and turn the soil about, three or four 

 inches deep, all round the tree ; and it is 

 more than probable that you will find 

 some shining brown or black chrysalides, 

 or pupae. If you do not — or even if you 

 do — go to the next tree, and repeat the 

 operation, and so on to the next and next. 

 By this means, if you only exercise a little 

 patience and perseverance, and try various 

 kinds of trees, you will no doubt succeed 

 in finding a lot of pupae ; but do not be 

 disheartened if you are unsuccessful in 

 your first or second attempt. When found 

 put them in a box, with earth or moss to 

 convey them home, when they may be 

 placed in a larger box, with earth or moss 

 at the bottom. Leave a space above the 

 earth so that the insects, when they emerge, 

 can crawl up the sides, which should be 

 rough, to give them a foothold. When 

 the warm weather comes round, in the 

 spring, you will be rewarded for all your 

 labour in the autumn, by seeing some 

 beautiful moths, some morning when you 

 open the box. Under moss, on old walls 

 and tree trunks, search should be made 

 for the same purpose ; and also, under 

 loose bark on trees, under walls in gardens, 

 and, especially near poplar trees, some 

 large kinds may be found. Those who 

 live near to Wicken Fen, in Cambridgeshire, 

 may find the pupae of the large and beau- 

 tiful Swallow-tail (Pajnlio Machaon) stuck 

 to the stems of the reeds, &c. Such as 

 these should not be buried in moss, but a 

 portion of the reed should be cut off along 

 with them, and the ends stuck into a flower 

 pot, or pinned to the sides of the breeding 

 cage. 



In your search for pupae, you will come 

 across various other insects, such as beetles, 

 &c. You will soon learn which of these 

 are very common, and the less common 

 lands should be taken care of. If you do 

 not collect beetles yourself, some of your 

 friends who do so will be glad of them, and 

 in return will pick up moths for you. We 

 should like to see much more of this 

 mutual help between collectors. The 

 bieeder of lepidoptera has many opportu- 

 nities of helping the collector of ichneumons; 

 for instance, if he would only take the 



rouble to pin the parasites, and attach 

 small label, with the name of the speci {j, ; 

 from which they came and the date. J ft 

 he has lost a good moth, the next bes tt 

 thing is to make good use of what doe tt 

 come out ; and in this, he is not onlj ^ 

 helping his fellow collectors, but is alsy 

 rendering a service to science. 



ill 



TO MAKE 



SKELETON LEAVES. 



Skeleton leaves are usually made by im 

 mersing them in water until the epidermis 

 rots away, and then brushing the pulj 

 away beneath water; but the following is - 

 said to be a quicker and easier method 

 Dissolve four ounces of common washing 

 soda in a quart of water, and add twc 

 ounces of slacked quick-lime; boil the 

 whole fifteen minutes, and allow it to cool, cl 

 Then pour off the clear liquor into a cleac"^ 

 saucepan, place it on the fire, and, when*' 

 at boiling point, place in it any leaves you * 

 wish to skeletonise. Boil for one homy- 

 taking care to replace the water lost bj ie 

 evaporation. Now take out a leaf, ancK 

 place it on a plate, or shallow dish, full oi I 

 cold water, and brush away the fleshy part* 

 with a small painter's brush called a' 1 

 fitch," if the pulp does not brush awaji 3 

 easily, it has not been boiled long enough, 1 

 When all the fleshy part is brushed away, I ' 

 and nothing but the veins or skeleton left, I 

 it must be carefully lifted out of the watei I 

 and placed fifteen minutes in a weals- 

 solution of chloride of lime to bleach I pi 

 take care that this solution is not toe* 

 strong, or it will destroy the skeleton, h 

 When they come from the bleaching*- 

 solution they may be laid between sheets 1 « 

 of white blotting paper to dry ; af tei m*. 

 which they are ready to mount, which ; 

 may be done either in the form of a bouquet Id 

 (in which case you will need them to have m 

 stalks) and placed under a glass shade, oi I 

 they may be mounted on black paper, in I 

 artistic designs, and framed, or made in I 



