186 



THE YOUNG NATUKALIST. 



afforded to shield them from the attacks 

 of enemies, as well as from the cold. 

 The common Gold Tail [A. chr</sorrhcea) 

 covers them with- a brown down from 

 her anal segments, which is securely 

 glued over them. Others appear to be 

 coated with a sort of varnish, which is 

 adhesive at first, and fastens them to 

 the place where they are deposited, 

 and others are carefully concealed in 

 crevices of bark, axils of leaves, &c. 

 Eggs laid in the first seven or eight 

 months in the year generally hatch in 

 two or three weeks, only those of the 

 earliest months remaining much longer, 

 as there would be no food for the young 

 larva? if they hatched before the buds 

 began to burst. Eggs laid after August 

 generally remain till spring before they 

 hatch, and may be found during win- 

 ter. Eggs of many species, that were 

 quite unknown in their earlier stages, 

 have been discovered by watching the 

 female when ovapositing. Butterflies 

 deposit their eggs during bright sun- 

 shine, generally, we believe, in the 

 latter part of the day. Some species, 

 such as the large and common Whites 

 [P. brassicce and rapce), the Black- 

 veined (A. cratcegi), the small Tortoise- 

 shell ( V. urticce), the Peacock ( V. lo\ 

 &c., deposit a number in one place, 

 generally on the underside of a leaf of 

 the food plant, and the larvte of such 

 species are always more or less grega- 

 rious. Those whose larvse are solitary 

 only deposit one egg at a time, gene- 

 rally only one on a plant. These are 

 necessarily more difficult to find, but, 

 by watching the females when so en- 



I gaged, you may soon learn how they 



| are deposited, and they will be much 

 easier found afterwards. The eggs of 

 Butterflies are generally very beautiful 



j objects for the microscope, and but for 

 the difficulty of preserving them, already- 

 spoken of, they would no doubt be 

 highly prized for that purpose. An 

 ordinary pocket lens will be of sufficient 

 magnifying power to enable anyone to 



! distinguish the species of butterfly, so 

 soon as he becomes acquainted with 

 the form of the different eggs. They 

 are difficult to describe in words, but if 

 any of our readers during the season, 

 will supply us with carefully made 



• drawings of any of them, or with the 

 ; eggs themselves, we will have them 

 \ engraved and published. In the course 



of time, most of the species might be 



• so obtained, and the series would be 

 of considerable service. 



Next week we will speak of the egm 

 ! of the Heterocera. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



: H. B. P. — We shall be glad to see you 

 Duhvich list. The more complete you cai 

 make it the better. 



j H.T. , Coventry. — We shall be glad to se> 



; your Canadian Butterflies. 



I B. P. O'Neill, Lee. — i. The animal yo; 

 send is the larva of some kind of Dipterou 

 insect. 2. It is not unusual for butter 

 flies to grease, though not so subject a 

 moths. 3. Coloured plates sent. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



\ Preserving Reptiles. — Sir, — Being i 

 ! correspondence with a person in Canad; 

 who wishes to send me some preserve 



