108 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST 



Edusa crossed the Channel does not account 

 for its abundance in all parts of the country, 

 and its almost simu'ltaneous appearance 

 everywhere. — Eds. ] 



Method of Setting Lepidoptera. — Pin 

 the insect in the groove, tail towards you, 

 take a strip of paper Jin. in width (for ordin- 

 ary insects) and any length, pin one end of it 

 with a common " short white " pin to the f ight 

 hand side of the groove and well in front of the 

 insect's head, hold the strip (with the left fin- 

 ger and thumb, thumb under the strip and 

 touching the surface of the board) lengthwise of 

 the board and over (not touching) the right 

 wings ; with another pin push the right forewing 

 into position ; a slight movement of the thumb 

 and finger will lower the strip so as to hold 

 the forewing only ; next push the hindwing 

 into position, and again lower the strip ; then 

 pin it down and cut it across with a small 

 pair of pointed scissors below the pin ; this 

 finishes the right wing. For the left wings I 

 reverse the board, bringing the head towards 

 me ; then proceed as for the right wings, 

 except that, as the operations are reversed, 

 the wings are drawn into position, and the 

 strip is held down with the left fore-finger 

 under the strip instead of the left thumb. 

 Some may prefer a needle for arranging the 

 wings, but a pin has always answered best 

 with me, and the same pin is used for pinning 

 down the strip ; this saves a little time in 

 putting down the needle, and picking up the 

 pin : this is the quickest plan that I know of. 

 For large moths two or even three strips may 

 be used on each side. The second strip 

 needn't take one-twentieth the time to put on 

 that the first did, and often prevents the wings 

 from curling. For " Pugs " and other small 

 insects I use "minikin " pins, and narrower 

 strips. The minute Tineina I haven't had 

 much experience of. — Ibid. 



Botys verticalis. — I notice in a back 

 number of the " Young Naturalist " that you 

 express ignorance of the English name of this 

 moth : " Stainton " gives it as the " Mother 

 of Pearl." — Ibid. 



[Is the insect known by this name in any 

 locality, or to any number of entomologists ? 



-Eds.] 



Occurrence of Snow Buntings ( Em- 

 berize Nivalis ) at Formby, nr. Liverpool. 

 — On Thursday last, I went with my old 

 warren-man, Snow Bunting catching and 

 I took five birds in fair condition. Since 

 then I have received 25 more specimens alive, 

 and several dead ones from him, and as I 

 offer a good price each I have no doubt he 

 will do his best to secure me more, so that I 

 shall be enabled to enrich the collections of 

 my friends. I enclose four specimens for 

 your acceptance. — C. S. Gregson, Liverpool, 

 January iSth. 



[Mr. Gregson has our thanks for the very 

 beautiful specimens received. They are much 

 whiter than the majority of those killed in- 

 land. Over 100 has been killed in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Huddersfield. — Eds.] 



EXCHANGE. 



Conchology. — I shall be glad to send type 

 specimins of 20 or 30 of the commoner species 

 of British land and fresh water shells to any 

 beginner who will send me a box and return 

 postage.— (Miss) H. L. Taylor, Rowditch, 

 Derby. 



I will send from 10 to 20 named types of 

 Lepidoptera to any beginner who will send box 

 and return postage. If marked list be sent I 

 shall be better able to supply wants. — S. L. 

 Mosley, Beaumont Park, Huddersfield. 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



By J. E. Robson ; with figures from life by 

 S. L. Mosley. 



(Assisted by Contributors to the Y. N.) 

 27, C-ALBUM, Linn. PI. 12, fig. 3. 

 The Comma, 

 C-Album. — Both the scientific and common 

 names of this species are taken from the 



