118 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



Tephrosia C re pu scularia. — The En- 

 grailed: A little confusion in the synonymy 

 of this species and that next it in the genus, 

 and their great similarity in appearance has 

 led to considerable misunderstanding, which 

 we will endeavour to explain. In Stainton's 

 Manual the species we have now under con- 

 sideration is called laricaria. In Newman's 

 British Moths it is called as here crepuscularia . 

 The crepuscularia of Stainton being called 

 biundularia in Newman, who follows Double- 

 day. When seen together these moths are j 

 different enough, the present species being 

 larger, browner, and the lines and marking 

 much more distinct. It is also said to 

 emerge earlier, March being the latest time ! 

 given, while biundularia does not appear till 

 April is well in, or in the North not until 

 May. Both species may be taken freely on 

 tree trunks. Dr. Staudinger seems to doubt 

 their specific distinctness, and we would be 

 glad to have the opportunity of rearing this ; 

 species from the egg. 



Hybernia Progemmaria. — The Dotted 

 Border : In mild seasons this species is out ; 

 at the beginning of the month, possibly even 

 in January. The male comes to light, and 

 flies freely along hedges, and sits on palings j 

 aid tree trunks, where the female, with her 

 funny-looking wings, may also be found. She 

 is also easily beaten into an umbrella. It is 

 very common all over. 



Anisopteryx /Escularia. — The March : 

 Moth : This species sometimes appears to- 

 wards the end of the month. It sits on j 

 palings and tree trunks, and may be at once 1 

 recognised, not only by its shining appear- 

 ance, but by the peculiar manner in which 

 its wings overlap, forming a long triangle. 

 The female is perfectly apterous, but is easily 

 recognised by the tuft on the anal segment. 



T.EXIOCAMPA INSTABLIS AND STABILIS.: — I 



The Advanced Guard of this Sallow-loving 

 Genus : We will reserve what we have to | 

 say about them till next month, when the j 

 whole of them will be on the wing. 



The other species now obtainable are 

 either hybernated insects, or were given in 

 last month's list. 



NESTS AND EGGS OF OUR ( 

 COMMON BIRDS. 

 By S. L. Mosley. 

 SWIMMING BIRDS. 



The Shieldrake breeds locally in some 

 places : it used to breed on the island of 

 Walney, off the north Lancashire coast. They 

 breed in the burrows on rabbit warrens ; they 

 enlarge the burrow, and place a lot of dry 

 grass, sedges, &c, at the far end, and line it 

 with down from their own bodies. The eggs 

 are cream-color, and from ten to fourteen are 

 laid. The common Wild Duck, or Mallard., 

 breeds generally in the vicinity of water, 

 placing its nest on some dry elevated tuft, but 

 sometimes it is even placed high up in a treej 

 it is composed of dry grass lined with down, 

 and the eggs are greenish -white. The Eider 

 Duck is only common on some of the islands 

 off the Scottish coast. The nest is composed 

 of seaweed and dry grass, lined with large 

 quantities of down, the eggs are almost as 

 large as those of the goose, and are of a pale 

 green color. The common Guillemot breeds 

 on some rocky parts of our coast, such as the 

 Isle of Wight and Flambro' Head, at the 

 latter place I have seen it in millions. A 

 single egg is laid by each female bird on the 

 bare rock, not the slightest attempt is made 

 to build any nest. The egg is so shaped that 

 the wind cannot easily blow it off the ledge 

 upon which it is laid, but it rolls round and 

 round. The egg is very large for the size of 

 the bird, and is very variable in color and 

 markings. Some are white, spotted, blotched 

 or streaked with black and brown ; others are 

 bright green, blotched or streaked with black 

 and brown ; more rarely the ground is dusky 

 brown shaded and spotted with darker color ; 

 the markings predominate mostly at the large 



