132 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



LOCAL LISTS. 



The Geometrina of Plymouth and vicinity. 

 (Continued from p. no.) 

 By G. C. BIGNELL, M.E.S. 



E. rectangulata. — Common. June. Stoke, i 

 Laira, Plymbridge. 



E. debiliaia. — Rare, and local. June. Plym- 

 bridge. Larva in spun-up lea"es of Vac- I 

 cinium myrtillus, after the style of many, 

 Tortrices. 



Lobophora virctata. — Local and rare. May j 

 and June. Larva: in June on flowers of | 

 Viburnum opulus (Guelder rose). August 

 and September. Larva in September on 

 flowers of Hedem Helix (Ivy) . Cann Wood, 

 near Plymbridge, Chelsea Meadow, and 

 Hoe. 



L. lobidata. — Common and local. March 

 and April. Cann Quarry and Wood. 



Them variata. — Common, July and Septem- i 

 ber. Cann W'ood. 



Ypsipetes impluviata. — Common. May. On 

 the road between Plympton and Plym- 

 bridge. 



Y.elutata. — Abundant. June and July. Bick- 

 leigh, Plymbridge. 



THE FOUR SEASONS: 



A Story from the Book of Nature. 

 By Lucy Fern. 



Chap. X. 

 A U T U M N . 

 Our happy party have been sight-seeing, 

 and enjoying themselves at a variety of 

 places, and we cannot follow in detail all 

 their doings. In the beginning of August we 

 And them at Wicken Fen collecting the 

 beautiful pea-green larva of P, Machaon in its 

 native haunts, a sight, alas ! likely soon to 

 be seen no more in England, through the 

 encroachment of fen drainage, and the eager- 

 ness of avaricious collectors. On a fine 



night six or eight lamps could be seen in 

 different parts of the fen, put upon poles like 

 lamp posts, for this is the way the moths are 

 attracted there. Then the party moved up 

 the east coast to Skegness and Cleethorps, 

 where they found a local moth, N. Elymi 

 and obtained some quantities by beating the 

 overhanging clumps of grass on the tops of 

 the sandhills. But bye-and-by their three 

 months had expired, which brought their 

 tour to a close, and the 21st of September 

 found them arrived at their new home, which 

 by their orders had been got in readiness 

 during their absence. It was a neat little 

 cottage in a wooded valley. The front of the 

 house had creepers trained against it, and a 

 garden which was still sweet with some gay 

 flowers stretched out before the door. At 

 the end was a rough piece of hill side, ju 

 the sort of place for a naturalist, wher 

 nature had been her own gardener, an 

 where grew a little bit of everything, beyorj 

 that begun the wood. 



" What shall we call our new home 

 John. 



" I have been thinking of that," answer J 

 his wife, "and I propose we call it ' Autumn 



'' Agreed, I like that name very well. Anc 

 now let us go into the waste at the end her< 

 we shall have a better view." 



The two went into the waste ground, an 

 from there had a splendid view of the valley 

 The signs of decay had tinted the trees wi 

 various shades of orange, red and green, an 

 the landscape was one beautiful picture 



In the evening a mixture of treacle an 

 rum was procured, and John took it into th 

 woods, and painted the tree trunks with 

 After dark the lantern was got ready, an 

 him and his fair partner set out to visit th 

 trees. Going through the waste a mot 

 caught their eye, and following the directic 

 in which it flew they came to a little bar 

 covered with wild sage in full flower. The: 

 they found moths in quantities, sucking t 

 nectar from the little flowers of sage ai 

 ling, both of which grew in profusion. 



say 



