850 



THE YOUNG- NATURALIST. 



to be a large Asihts busily engaged in devour- 

 ing a large Musea, which he dropped, quite 

 dead, on finding himself closely pressed. I 

 saw many others of the same species, but 

 their flight was so quick that I was unable to 

 obtain any more. In a damp valley beyond 

 Wallasey village I found the grass of Par- 

 nassus ( Parnassia palustris) growing very 

 abundantly, and in order to repeat Mr. 

 Soutter's interesting observations (Y. N., 

 p. 333). I brought a plant home with me. 

 I was not aware until reading his paper that 

 such interest attached to this fine plant. I 

 can corroborate his statement as to its being 

 much visited by flies, for the Sysphidae men- 

 tioned above were swarming on its flowers.— j 

 John W. Ellis, 34, Paddington, Liverpool. 

 August 23rd, 1880. 



Geometra Papilionaria &c, at Shipley 

 Glen.— Whilst collectingat Shipley Glen, near | 

 Bradford, on the gth of August, I came across 

 a female specimen of this species, resting, quite 

 exposed, on the upper surface of a frond of the 

 common Brake-fern (Pteris aquilina). The 

 ordinary green colouring matter so char- 

 acteristic of the species was almost altogether 

 absent, except a small portion on the under- 

 wings, covered by the inner-margin of the fore- 

 wings, the rest being of a yellow or buff colour ; 

 in all other respects, it was in perfect condition. 

 Is this caused by exposure totheraysof the sun 

 immediately after emergence from the pupa ; 

 or, by moisture consequent of the excessive rain 

 which fell a day or two previous ? In 1877, 

 about thirty specimens were taken at the same 

 place, and about £ of them were similar to the 

 one above described. Larentia olivata was very 

 common, fifty or sixty might easily have been 

 taken but they were in awful bad condition ; 

 specimens of this species should be taken 

 directly after their emergence, other-wise they 

 are but poor representatives of the " Beech- 

 green Carpet," The pretty Melanthia rubiginata 

 — which may easily be recognised when on the 

 wing by its curions zig-zag flight — swarmed 

 round every Alder tree. — J. W. Carter, 

 Manningham, Bradford, August 20th, j88o. 



COMMON ICHNEUMONS. 



By S. D. Bairstow, Huddersfield. 



AMBLYTELES EASSIATORTUS. Fab. 



ARM ATORI U S . Forst. 



Our readers will doubtless, now have had 

 an opportunity of solving the problem of " the 

 effect of the sun's rays upon insect life." 

 Once more we are presented with a few 

 examples of good old British summer days. 

 Days which permit the human frame to 

 stretch itself upon "grassy slopes" without 

 trembling in mortal fear of a sore throat, or 

 rheumatic twinges. 



Moth-men may linger in the twilight, or as 

 poetic aspirants inditing their first stanzas, 

 sing, "peer into the gloaming," without being 

 compelled (in anticipation of a fertile shower 

 or thunder clap) to seek first a likely spot of 

 shelter, when a run, for very health's sake, is 

 compulsory. Personally, I was despairing 

 of such a summer, until the God's auspicious, 

 on an adventitious morning, suddenly in- 

 spired me with an idea that my coat was too 

 thick for the weather. My inspiration proved, 

 as all inspirations do prove — prophetic, and 

 here I am on this 16th of August, Anno 

 Domini, 1880, basking in nature's sunshine. 

 I dare not say more however, to-morrow may 

 be different. Insects also approve the 

 weather, and many have put in an appearance. 

 Last year I considered that Anumalons and 

 PimplidcB were unusually well represented. 

 This year I think the C-yptides carry the day, 

 always giving preference, in points of numbers 

 to the genus Microgastei , &c, of which we are 

 generally favoured with swarms. The puzzle 

 is where do Microgaste s not occur ? Sweep 

 yours net upon the grass, there are dozens, 

 Sweep it over the bramble or nettle, there are 

 dozen ;, examine your window panes, there 

 may dozens be found. When I say that a 

 mutiicl friend and myself w T ere dissecting a 

 sparrow and discovere 1 the genus Microgastei- 

 1 represented amongst >he sparrow's feathers 

 ; then we can form some vague idea of the 

 ' apparent scarcity or otherwise of the minute 



