THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



315 



blems to be solved may be rather beyond 

 the conception of beginners, but let them 1 

 think about them more and they will see 

 their importance in due time. And even 

 now, they may help to their elucidation ^ 

 by making notes of everything. Any- 1 

 thing abnormal is always recorded very ] 

 carefully, but we learn far more of the j 

 operations of the laws of Nature by the 

 record of ordinary, not extraordinary 

 occurrences. Meterologists record, for 1 

 instance, the direction and force of the 

 wind, the rain-fall and various particu- 

 lars concerning it ; but " the rain it 

 raineth every day " and they still go on 

 recording all about it every day. Then 

 in the course of time they are able to 

 generalize and draw conclusions, and 

 when these notes and others are all 

 collated and studied, they begin to have 

 an idea of what kind of weather is to 

 come, from knowledge derived from 

 past experience. Why cannot Natura- 

 ists do the same ? "Nothing is difficult," 

 says Dr. Sampson, " to a man who 

 knows the reason of everything ; " and 

 when we know all about it we will be 

 able to prohecy that next year will be a 

 great Edusa year, or a great Convolvuli 

 year, or to go back and say Gamma or 

 Cardui have been abundant this year, 

 from certain causes last year which we 

 proceed to point out. In the meantime, 

 and till this can be done, keep diaries 

 put down everything ; and do not be 

 afraid of sending your observations to 

 print because they seem trivial. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



All communications to be sent to J. E. Kobson, Bellerby 

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

 mont Park, Huddersneld. 



We have to thank Mr. T. W. King, of 

 Camberwell, for some dipterous parasites, 

 from cocoons of 0. potatoria. They prove to 

 be Exorista vulgaris, which has already been 

 bred from several other Lepidopterous 

 insects. 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



By J. E. Robson ; with figures from life by 

 S. L. Mosley. 



(Assisted by Contributors to the Y.N.) 



ACIS, W.V., PI. 2 4l Fig. i. 

 The Mazcrinc Blue. 



"Acis, W.V., A'cis, well known in con- 

 nexion with Galatea. Cf. Ovid, Met. xiii., 

 750." — A.L. 



Imago. — PI. 24, Fig. 1. Male, dull, dark 

 blue, with a very narrow brown margin. 

 Underside of forewing, Disc spot, and a curved 

 row of from five to seven black spots, in white 

 rings, between it and the hind margin ; the hind 

 wing has also one similar spot on the costa, 

 near the base. The female is dark brown 

 on the upperside, but similarly spotted to 

 the male. There are no spots at all on the hind 

 margin, nor nearer the base than the central 

 spot. 



Larva. — I know of no description of 

 either the larva or pupa of this species, nor 

 have I the slightest personal acquaintance 

 with them. 



Times of Appearance— The insect 



appears on the wing at the end of June or in 

 July. I can learn nothing of its appearance 

 in the earlier stages. It appears only to 

 have one brood in the year. 



Habitat. — In England, this species has 

 occured in but few localties, and its rarity 

 has induced collectors, more particularly 

 dealers, to take all they could find, hence it 

 has been exterminated, or nearly so. It has 

 been recorded as being taken in the follow- 



