62 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



the president read the following question handed 

 to him by one of the members : — -Is pupa digging 

 as productive in our district as some authors state ? 

 "What trees are the best ? and whether is autumn 

 or spring the better time for following this occu- 



patior 



Several members testified to the non- 



success that had attended their trials at pupa dig- 

 ging, probably, it was suggested, from the want of 

 patience so necessary to its proper conduction. 



During the conversazione which followed 

 Mr. B. Cooke distributed a. number of valuable 

 specimens of Geod : phaga, chiefly of species obtain- 

 able in the South of England. 



CO LEO PTE RA IN WINTER. 



By John W. Ellis. 



At this time of the year, when work among the 

 Lepidoptera is slack, the young entomologist will 

 find plenty to do if he will turn his attention to the 

 CAeoptera or Beetles. If uc Will take a walk any 

 fine mild day during the waiter, and tura over 

 stones, examine the grass and moss at the foot of 

 old walls, rake about at the roots of trees with a 

 piece of strong iron wire, bent at one end to a 

 right angle, and termed by Lancashire collectors a 

 "scrat," or tear the loose bark off dead trees or 

 palings, he will be rewarded by obtainimg plenty 

 of these much neglected insects. Only a few days 

 since I found, under the loose bark on some old 

 palings about three dozen specimens of Eelops 

 striatus—3. beetle which I had never before found 

 except singly. These specimens had evidently 

 chcS-A this snug spot for their winter residence. 



As to the necessary apparatus — a wide mouthed 

 bottle, having a quill passed through the cork, and 

 the end of the quill being plugged with a wooden 

 stopper, to prevent the escape of any specimens, 

 is all that is necessary for the smaller beetles. 

 It is advisable to put a piece of crumpled paper 

 or linen into the bottle to afford foot-hold for the 

 specimens, and in the crevices of which the smaller 

 species may hide from their carnivorous relations. 

 A few pill- boxes should be carried for the reception 

 of any specimens too large to go down the quill. 



When brought home, all that is necessary to 

 kill them is to shake them out of the bottle, or 

 boxes, into a basin of boiling water. After staying 

 in the water for about two minutes they should be 



taken out with a camel hair brush and laid on 

 blotting paper to drain, and afterwards mounted 

 on cardboard, — the legs, antennse, and palpi being 

 put into good position with a fine setting needk 

 or camel hair pencil. The best preparation fo ; 

 mounting them on card is a solution in water o 

 gum tragacanth. Pick out the whitest pieces o 

 the gum, add a few small pieces of white gun 

 arabic, and, after pouring some water upon then 

 in a bottle, put it into a warm oven until the whol 

 forms a thin jelly ; then add a few drops of aceti 1 

 acid, — or better, a single drop of pure carboli 

 acid, — to prevent moulding. Gum arabic by itsel 

 should not be used as it makes the cards shiny. 



It is a matter of taste wkether more than on! 

 specimen should be mounted on the same piece c 

 card. I prefer to mount the whole set, or as man 

 of a species as I have, on cards two inches broac 

 so that they can be afterwards arranged in columr 

 of that breadth : the number of specimens const 

 tuting a set of my species being from four ( 

 twelve, according to the taste of the collector 



NESTS AND EGGS OF OU! 

 COMMON BIRDS. 



By S. L. Mosley. 



CROWS. 



During the breeding season, in many parts, tl 

 Starling is semi-domesticated, frequenting t! 

 habitations of man. In other places they resc 

 to old ruins or hollow trees. The eggs are 

 pale blue, and are well known. Young starlings a 

 often taken for the purpose of teaching them to ta 

 and very cruel acts are performed in cutting t 

 tongues of the birds. Let me advise my you: 

 friends to do no such thing; it is unnecessary, a: 

 to a true lover of nature their own language sounil 

 the best as they sit on the top of a chimm* 1 

 gabbling and chattering. I have often listened 

 them with delight through an open skyligl 

 sometimes within a few feet of them. The Ro 

 is another of the crow family, which is commc 

 though generally preserved ; and you will have 

 be a good climber to get up to the nests, after y 

 have obtained permission of the person to whom 

 property belongs, as the nests are placed very hi 

 up the tree. The eggs, like those of all the ti 



