THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



307 



connection with a school, arrangements 

 could perhaps be made for holding the 

 meetings in one of the class-rooms. 

 Even if it is not in connection with a 

 school, an arrangement like this might 

 be made sometimes with great advantage. 



We hear some saying, it is too late 

 this year to begin anything of the kind ; 

 we will see next spring. It is never 

 too late. Begin now, and you will have 

 all in order for spring. There are 

 plenty of things to collect now. Insects 

 can be had all the year round, even in 

 the perfect state ; pupce can always be 

 found. Winter is the best time for col- 

 lecting mosses, autumn the best time 

 for shells. 



We shall be pleased to hear from 

 anyone on the subject, and will shortly 

 offer a few suggested rules, a design for 

 a members' card, and other little matters 

 that may seem to require attention. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



All communications to be sent to J. E. Robson, Bellcrby 

 Terrace, West Hartlepool ; or to S. L. Mosley Beau- 

 mont Park, Huddersfield. 



NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. 



Larv^; of S. Ocellatus. — After more 

 than twenty years collecting, I have this 

 year made the acquaintance of this larva 

 for the first time. By book descriptions 

 there seemed very little difference between 

 it and that of populi, except that the horn of 

 ocellatus was said to be blue. Even the 

 figures I have met with show no striking 

 difference between the two except in colour. 

 Miss Hinchliffe, of Instow, has sent me a 

 supply of ocellatus larvae, and I confess I am 

 surprised after believing them to be so like 



populi, to find so much difference. Populi 

 is a bright green colour, with greenish 

 yellow diagonal stripes, and a yellow horn. 

 Ocellatus is a whitish blue, with similar stripes 

 of a paler whitish blue, and with a longitu- 

 dinal stripe extending from the first of the diagonal 

 ones to the head. Of this there is no trace in 

 populi. There is a variety of populi larvae 

 very much resembling ocellatus in colour, but 

 this stripe is a distinct and easily noticed 

 difference. Besides this, the face differs, 

 that of ocellatus being larger and flatter, and 

 pointed at the top, and with an orange or 

 orange yellow marginal ridge, which termi- 

 nates in two little orange-coloured points, 

 standing above the crown of the head. These 

 differences — the side stripe, and the two 

 little tips projecting above the top of the 

 angular face — are enough to guide any one. 

 There are other more minute differences 

 which I may describe on another occasion, 

 but I thought it worth while to point out these 

 guides to their discrimination now, when 

 both larva: are feeding. In this part of the 

 country ocellatus is exceedingly rare, having 

 seldom been taken, and so far as I know 

 only once bred, when the difference had 

 never been noticed in the larvae. — John E. 

 Robson, West Hartlepol. 



M. Stellatarum. — I took a female of the 

 humming bird hawk moth flying on the 

 railway side on Saturday last. It is a female 

 much worn, and seems to have deposited all 

 its eggs. I understand it is many years 

 since it was taken here before. — J. J. Cam- 

 bridge, Hartlepool. 



Larv/e on Poplar. — I have found larvas 

 unusually abundant on various species of 

 Poplar this season. On some little trees 

 scarcely four feet high in and near my own 

 garden I have got S. populi, N. Ziczac, and 

 C. Bifida in some numbers. On one little 

 tree I got 13 Populi, 1 Bifida, and 4 Ziczac. 

 In another place I got 15 Bifida off one tree, 

 Other collectors have had even greater 



