THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



165 



the selection of pins should be guided by 

 their neatness in the cabinet ; for, use what 

 kind you will, gilt, black, or white, if your 

 insects are not kept thoroughly dry, the pins 

 are certain to become corroded in a very 

 short time.— J. W. Carter, Bradford. 



An Encounter with Rooks. — The other 

 day I went to a rookery to try to get some 

 eggs. After having gone up several trees to 

 no purpose, I at last found a nest with some 

 eggs in it, but the old bird was on, and Hew 

 away, making a great jabbering noise. I 

 quickly put three eggs in my pocket, and 

 was just coming down, when I heard an 

 awful jabbering, and, looking up, I saw 

 nearly the whole rookery coming at me, and 

 I soon felt some pecks. I put up my arm to 

 guard my face, and tried to descend, but it 

 was no good ; and so, luckily, having a small 

 thick stick in my inside pocket, I pulled it out, 

 and let fly right and left, and having hit some 

 of them, the others did not want a dose, too, 

 so they drew off, and down I came, and found, 

 to my delight, that none of the eggs were 

 broken ; so I blew them, and came back as 

 fast as I could, just in time for lessons. — 

 C. F. T. Hinchliff, U.S. College, West- 

 ward Ho, North Devon. — March 23rd, 1881. 



Fight Between a Rat and a Weasel. — 

 Some workmen, returning from work the 

 other night, were spectators of a fight be- 

 tween a large rat and a very small weasel. 

 It was in a lane about a mile from the town ; 

 and during the fight two machines passed, 

 when the weasel ran into the dyke-side, 

 returning to resume the fight as soon as they 

 were passed. At last, after fighting about 

 25 minutes, the rat was so much exhausted 

 that it could not run away, and the weasel 

 killed it, and dragged it off to its hole inthe 

 dyke, the spectators letting it go unmolested. 

 — W. Manson, Kirkcudbright. — 21st March, 

 1S81. 



Early appearance of D, Coryli — On the 

 21st of this month I had occasion to look into 

 one of breeding cages that ontained pupa, 

 and to my astonishment I found- one female 



Th-m.is corvli out. Is not this an uncommon 

 early appearance of this moth, which gener- 

 ally comes out in June ? My cages are all 

 exposed out of doors. — Yours truly, T. W. 

 King, 3, Terrace, Camberwell. 



Entomological Pins.— I can fully endorse 

 all Mr. Gregson says about the black pins. 

 I purchased some about two years ago, but 

 soon discontinued using them on account of 

 their blunt points, and I am very glad that I 

 did so ; for, in addition to their being liable 

 to verdigris just as much as plain pins, I find 

 that they have a nasty habit of rusting in the 

 cork, thereby preventing the insect being 

 easily removed, and leaving an ugly-looking 

 hole in the paper. Pins of this description 

 have been in use for a long time on the con- 

 tinent ; for I have many European species set 

 on pins which were evidently once black, but 

 from which the japan or varnish has long 

 since worn off, and this does not look elegant 

 in one's cabinet. There are no pins to come 

 up to Edlestone's gilt pins, and I shall use no 

 others for the future. — Gervase F. Mathew, 

 Instow, North Devon. 



LOCAL LISTS. 



The Geometrina of Plymouth and vicinity. 

 (Concluded from p. 156.) 

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



E. bipunctaria. — Common. July. Peuloe 



Point, Whitsand Bay, Bevisand, Crabtree. 

 Anaitis plagiatu. — Common. May, June, 



August, and September. Bickleigh, Plym- 



bridge, Plympton. 

 Cheslas spaitiata. — Local, and not common. 



September and October. Plymbridge, 

 Tanagra charophyllata. — Rare near Plymouth, 



common at Bolt Head. June and July. 



Horrabridge, Cann Wood. 



This list comprises all the Geometne that I 

 can ascertain to have been taken. 



MONTHLY NOTE— BOTANY. 



By J. P. Soutter, Bishop Auckland. 



After the rapid change from snow and 

 frost to the bright sunshine, it is gladdening 

 to mark the sudden awakening of vegetable 



