©fa f)mui# Jtaturalist : 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 17. FEBRUARY 21st, 1880. Vol. 1. 



LARVAE. 



VVV"]^ are now preparing the plates 

 to illustrate the history of 

 British Butterflies, which we intend 

 to publish in these pages, and shall 

 require the assistance of our readers, 

 which, we are sure, will be cheerfully 

 given. We should like, as far as 

 possible, to take the figures from 

 nature, and as we still require many 

 Larvae for figuring we will, from time 

 to time, during the season, state 

 such as we are in want of, and give 

 such instructions as we are able 

 where to look for them. When any 

 are sent to us, if the senders will 

 enclose their marked list, Ave will 

 make the best return in our power, 

 and in cases of rare larva?, they also 

 will be returned, if desired. Many 

 lame have been sent to us during 

 the past season, and we may men- 

 tion Mr. G. C. Bignell as rendering 

 very material service. We shall not 

 only mention Butterfly larvae but 

 those of Moths also, as it is probable 

 we may need figures of these as well 

 sometime, and had better secure 

 them while we have the opportunity. 

 We hope our friends aa ill not forget 



also, that Ave intend to give figures 

 of the parasites, and should be 

 thankful for the loan of specimens of 

 this class, whether from Butterflies 

 or Moths. In a few Aveeks larvae 

 Avill be plentiful everywhere in woods 

 and on grassy banks, and our young 

 friends may find them quite easily by 

 searching the grass after dark with a 

 bulls-eye lantern. When these larvae 

 are found it Avill be better if each 

 kind can be kept separate, as then in 

 the case of any parasites appearing 

 there is no doubt as to which kind of 

 larvae they came from. Mild warm 

 nights after rain are the best nights 

 for searching for larvae ; never go 

 out Avhen the Avind is east, either to 

 search for larvae or moths. Among 

 those which may be found during 

 this month and the fore part of next 

 we may mention the folloAving as 

 being among our wants and should 

 any of our readers be fortunate 

 enough to procure any of them we 

 hope they will not forget to send us 

 a specimen. 



L. megaera — On grass in woods. 

 X. hepatica — On grass and chick- 

 Aveed in AA r oods. 



