THE YOUNG- NATURALIST. 



35 



EXCHANGES. 



Duplicates.— Ova of Dispar, and a few 

 nagines of Dispar, Wavaria and Aurantiaria. 

 )isideRATa. — B. Rubi, P. Populi, Ypsilon, 

 "roceago, Pyrophila, and offers. Mrs. H©dges, 

 'he Cottage, Walton, near Hertford, Herts. 



Duplicates. — Geryon, Tritici, Pisi, Festiva, 

 Uigur, D. Pinastri, Bipunetaria, Albulata, Pro- 

 •emaria, Aurantiaria, Brumata, Rusticata, &c. 

 )ISIDERATA. — British, European, or Exotic, 

 fiery numerous. Johx E. Robsox, Bellerby 

 ?errace, West Hartlepool. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



E.E.G. Both your queries are deserving of 

 [lore extended replies than can be given in answers 

 o correspondents. They shall be the subject of 

 eparate articles at an early date. We cannot 

 •• lame your larva from the description you give, 

 low many legs had it, and when was it full-fed ? 



ON COLLECTING AND 

 PREPARING EGGS FOR THE 

 CABINET. 



HE first question asked of us by a correspondent 

 elated to this subject, and we propose to give a 

 ■• ew hints that may be useful to some of our readers 



- vhen the time comes. It is not possible that we 

 hould give such lessons, only at the right time for 

 tse, you mu^t remember them or preserve the 



- >apers that contain them. We are giving from 

 veek to week instructions as to the places where 



: jirds nests may be found, and will therefore not 

 efer to that here, but will begin after you have 

 : bund the nest. The most important thing to be 

 lone is to have your eggs properly authenticated. 

 : Some advise that the birds should be shot for this 

 '■■ mrpose, but in this country at all events, such a 

 •ourse is quite unnecessary and needlessly cruel. 

 : ' The birds that nest in Britain are all well enough 

 - : :nown, and if they are carefully observed, in cases 

 'where there is room for doubt, it should be suffi- 



cient. If the eggs be common ones you will not 

 require possibly more than one from a nest. One 

 egg the birds will never miss, and this gives you 

 the opportunity of selecting differently marked 

 varieties. Many collectors mark their eggs in ink, 

 this is an excellent plan ; and you can give the 

 name of bird, place, and date, without covering 

 so much of the surface as to show the writing on 

 the side you place uppermost in your cabinet. 

 Eggs are best blown w r ith one hole in the side. 

 Select the side with most characteristic marking, 

 for show, then drill a neat hole in the centre of the 

 other side. You cannot make a nice hole with a 

 pin, and when the edges of the hole are fractured 

 the egg itself is much more likely to break. To 

 make the hole neatly and well you require a drill. 

 This should be of steel, and you will find it an 

 advantage to have two or three sizes. Figure 15 



Fig. 15. 



represents the most useful form. If a larger drill 

 be used the angle at the cutting point need not be 

 so acute. We have seen eggs very successfully 

 drilled with a simpler instrument — a piece of round 

 steel pointed, with four cutting edges, Fig. 16 



Fig. 16. 



These drills may be handled with advantage. To 

 empty eggs you need a small blow-pipe, Fig. 17. 



Fig. 17. 



It is sometimes difficult to get blow-pipes fin^ 

 enough, but they may be made by getting a piece 

 of glass tubing and holding it in the gas flame 

 until it becomes soft and then drawing it out, when 

 broken in two at the smallest part two blow-pipes 



