NATURALIST. 



Would it not dispense with the nested chip 

 boxes, by taking out the bottle itself, and 

 dropping the insects, when caught, into it ? 

 Being deliquescent, it would keep them moist. 

 I have always killed my specimens when I got 

 them home, and often arriving from mothing 

 late at night, I found it came very in- 

 convenient, having to sit up for another hour 

 or so to kill my captures, it being often fatal 

 to leave them until morning. 



I have not been able to use laurel leaves, 

 because I experience great difficulty in obtain- 

 ing them when wanted. I have also found 

 that cotton-wool steeped in Strong Liquor 

 Ammonia is a good stifling medium ; but the 

 insects require pinching, or the use of oxalic 

 acid, afterwards. It also temporarily changes 

 the colour of some species : Alexis, for 

 example; the under side turning a pale, 

 yellowish green, which totally vanishes in a 

 few minutes. 



I would also be very glad if you could tell 

 me the best method for setting the very min- 

 ute Tineina and others. I find it absolutely 

 impossible to get the finest pins through them, 

 and cannot set them on card with the usual 

 agent, because the scales only adhere to the 

 cement, and being easily detached from the 

 membrane, the slightest motion in the act of 

 setting drags the moth off again. 

 I am, dear Sir, 



Yours very truly, 



C. H. H. Walker. 



[i. Very few of your insects would be perfect 

 if put together into the cyanide bottle, and 

 carried home in that state, even two insects 

 in at once if of moderate size are sure to 

 damage each other more or less. Most 

 species may safely be left over night in the 

 chip boxes. 2. Laurel leaves permanently 

 destroys the color of all green insects. 

 3. Will some of our correspondents give 

 . their method of setting minute Tineina.— 

 Eds,] 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES 

 FOR BEGINNERS. 



JUNE. 



By C. S. Gregson. 



June, glorious June is here, and now is the 

 summer of our contuit manifested, for at 

 every turn our specialities are to be found in 

 profusion. Beat a bush early in the month, 

 either in lane or wood, and the summer larvae 

 are dislodged, some falling to the ground, if 

 not prevented by our beating net, or its sub- 

 stitute — an umbrella ; others hanging in 

 festoons, as it were, especially upon hazel. 

 Amongst the latter will be conspicuous the 

 fine and beautiful H . defoliaria, and its com- 

 panion H. progemviaria, &c. The genus 

 Ennomos are now feeding on trees — birch, 

 sycamore, lime, and elm are favourites with 

 them. H inter a pennaria, Amphidasis prodrom- 

 .aria (the latter on oak), end Selene illunaria 

 may be taken at the same time and place. 

 But a sharp eye will detect more larva in a 

 few hours during the day, at rest upon trees, 

 than any uninitiated collector could suppose 

 were to be got, as follows, stand still under 

 or near a tree, and run the eye carefully over 

 one branch and its leaves, then along another 

 branch until you see a larva, probably 

 stretched along a rib on a leaf. Work the 

 tree all round, and you will soon learn a new 

 way to success. Grab trees, thorn, and 

 sallows give a rich harvest of full-fed larvae 

 now, especially if beaten at night, or carefully 

 examined during the day time. Beating is 

 not so profitable, generally speaking, by day 

 light as it is by night. Hedge banks, amongst 

 old grass, &c, will give 0. potatoria full fed, 

 or made up this month, and on the sandhills 

 we may look forward to successful days. 

 Euchelia jacobza is out, as is also Arctia fiili- 

 ginosa, &c. The larva of Sat urn ia carpini, per- 

 haps the most magnificent larva we have is 

 feeding on sallows and heath, sometimes on 

 rose. Our currant trees will repay any 

 labour bestowed upon them ; the pretty larva 



