•238 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



Ash in leaf ; heard Landrail for the first 

 time this year, Shipley Glen. 

 29th. — Took A. menthrasti, 0. bidentata, and 

 A. mvrtilli flying freely in the hot sun. — 

 (E. P. P. B.) Eupiiliecia nanata and 

 Cidaria corylata out. Lily of the Valley 

 (Conralaria majalis) in flower, in Bingley 

 Wood.— (E. P. P, B.) 

 jOth. — Found a Great Tit's nest, in a hole in 

 an oak tree, containing seven eggs, and 

 was built upon the nest of a Redstart, 

 which contained three eggs. Took E. 

 laficiata, E. castigata, and E. vulgata, 

 Bingley.— (E. P. P. B.) E. decolorata 

 out.— (J. A. B.) 

 31st.— A. menyanthidis out, Bingley. — {}. A. B.) 

 Took one specimen of A. derivata on St. 

 David's walk, Bingley Wood. — (E. P. P. B) 

 An interesting addition to the lepidop- 

 terous fauna of Bradford and district ; 

 its congener, A. badiata, seems to be an 

 exceedingly rare species here. 

 Throughout the greater part of the month 

 the weather has been extremely fine and hot, 

 and vegetation has improved very rapidly. 

 The forest trees which were almost destitute 

 of leaves at the end of April, have become 

 clothed in their richest garb, and insects, 

 hymenoptera, trichoptera, &c. , have appeared 

 in great numbers, in fact it has been like a 

 sudden change from mid-winter to mid- 

 summer. * 



" How many are so regardless, — take so 

 little note of what passes around them, that 

 thcw would go to their graves without dis- 

 covering half the beauties of Nature, if no 

 one unfolded its leaves for them; thus losing 

 some of the purest pleasures the embodied 

 soul is capable of enjoying, for want of an 

 interpreter. Such interpreters, while they 

 open to many a new and inexhaustible 

 source of pleasure, are of great utility; and 

 we must love and venerate the man who 

 employs his talents in thus increasing 

 the amount of human happiness. " — Ed. 

 Dou ble day. 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



By J. E. Robson ; with Figures from Life by 

 S. L. Mosley. 



(Assisted by Contributors to the Y. N.) 



Family III, Erycinidae. 



There has been the usual diversity of 

 opinion among authors as to the proper 

 position of the insects composing this 

 family. One proposes to include them with 

 the LYCEXin.E and another with the Hes- 

 perid.e. It is not fitting, in a series of 

 Papers like these, intended only for begin- 

 ners, I should attempt to discuss these 

 differences of opinion at any length. My 

 main object is to give such information as 

 will enable thoughful readers who have not 

 access to many books, to form some opinion 

 for themselves as to the correctness of the 

 proposed arrangement. I cannot see the 

 close alliance of the present group with the 

 Hesperidje that must exist if they could be 

 included in one family, and they are also 

 sufficiently distinct from, though certainly 

 more closely allied to the Lycenid.e, The 

 larv;» of the Erycinid.e are short and broad, 

 but cannot properly be called onisi for me (wood- 

 louse shaped) as the larvai of the Lycenid.e 

 are. The larviB of the Hesperidtk are long 

 and cylindrical. The pupa: of all three 

 Families are attached, like those of Papil- 

 ioxid.e, with a silk band across the middle. 

 The larvae of the Hexperidje are often 

 concealed in rolled up leaves, in which 

 slight cocoon contains the pupa:. It will b< 

 remembered that the Nymphalid.e always 

 have the forelegs of the perfect insect in i 

 rudimentary or abortive state. The males o 

 the Erycinidje have the same fan or brusl 

 like fore legs, while the females have si 

 perfect legs. It therefore appears that th] 

 natural place of the group is between thl 

 Nyniphalid.e and the Lycenidjs, having ail 

 affinity with the former in the perfect statfl 

 and with the latter in both the larva an 



