226 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



a .species. Eggs strung on bents are rife in | 

 all country places ; old nests are easy to be j 

 seen when the leaves, are gone; birds are 

 plentiful in every hedge-row, their song is 

 the burden of the passing breeze ; but to 

 connect with certainty each bird with its 

 mate ; to assign it the proper nest and proper \ 

 eggs ; to learn the exact time of its arrival, j 

 and its departure all this is a study, a 

 labour, rarely undertaken, and affords a J 

 pleasure akin to that which must be felt by a j 

 traveller exploring countries where man has | 

 not before trodden. — "Letters of Rusticus." 

 On page 119 of the Young Naturalist 

 a hint was given that a separate work 

 on Birds' Eggs was in contemplation. 

 Since then some of our correspondents 

 have asked if we really intended to 

 publish such a work. We have had an 

 idea of that sort, and have obtained 

 figures of very many beautiful varie- 

 ties of eggs for that purpose, but we 

 should first like to know how many of 

 our readers would be likely to become 

 subscribers. The work could be pub- 

 lished in monthly parts, each part to 

 contain four colored plates and letter- 

 press at about Is. per part, and would 

 be completed in about 40 parts. Special 

 attention would be given to figuring 

 striking and unusual varieties, each egg 

 would be coloured exactly according to 

 nature, and every figure taken from 

 the natural specimen. 



If, therefore, those who would like 

 such a work will just send us their 

 names, we shall then be in a position 

 to say whether or not we shall be able 

 to begin the publication soon. 



TO CORRESPONDENT. 



G. T. M., Gateshead. — Your larvae are prob- 

 Plusia V-aureum. We cannot name your 

 ichneumon from a description of the pupa. 

 When they emerge, send us one, and an 

 empty cocoon. We should like to see the 

 BiJcntuta you name, and to figure it for 

 publication. 



NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. 



Bats.— Could you, or any of your readers, 

 tell me what causes the creaking sound while 

 bats are flying ? Is it caused by their teeth ? — 

 H. M. Parish, Taunton. 



EXCHANGES. 



Duplicates for distribution (mostly unset) : 

 Rapae, Humuli, Cratasgata, Grossulariata, 

 Progemmaria, i-Escularia, Brassicae, Rubi, 

 Gamma. Send box and return postage. 

 —Desiderata : — Aglaia, Urticas, Tithonus.— 

 George F. Wheeldox, 15, Hanover, Street, 

 Birmingham. 



Larvae oi. A . Cajaiov other larvae. — Geo. T. 

 Miller, Cromwell Terrace, Bensham, Gates- 

 head. 



FRESH-WATER AQUARIA. 



By S. L. Moslev. 



A friend of mine once said that an aquarium 

 was the greatest thief a naturalist could have, 

 became it was so interesting that it stole all 

 his time in watching its inhabitants, and it is 

 quite true that many hours may be passed 

 pleasantly in watching the inmates of a well- 

 arranged aquarium. You are a scholar in 

 nature'* school, and there is only one class 

 higher than that of watching an aquarium, 

 and that is dame Nature's own class — going 

 out and studying pond life. A nicely arranged 

 aquarium is an ornament to any house, and a 

 source of endless pleasure to the owner. The 

 first aquarium ever 1 had was made from a 



