350 THE YOUNG 



struck by the grandeur of the rich South 

 American butterflies. She determined to 

 go to Guiana : and went in 1699, taking 

 with her one of her daughters, " It was 

 a kind of phenomenon," as Reaumur 

 says, " to see a lady actuated by a love 

 for insects so truly heroic as to induce 

 her to traverse the seas for the purpose 

 of painting and describing them." The 

 results of this journey she published to 

 the world in a costly volume illustrated 

 by sixty beautiful plates executed by 

 her own hands of the transformation of 

 tropical insects. This was published in 

 1705, under the title "Metamorphosis 

 Insectorum Surinamensium." In order 

 to make the work more complete, she 

 sent her eldest daughter a second time 

 to America, where she collected much 

 additional information, and made many 

 additional drawings. These Madame 

 Merian was preparing for publication 

 when she was taken ill, and died on the 

 13th of January, 1717. Two years 

 after, the work was re-published by her 

 youngest daughter, with twelve addi- 

 tional plates. 



Although Madame Merian's work 

 contained very many inaccuracies both 

 in text and plates, yet it was looked 

 upon as the finest work of the time. 

 She was the first to publish the fact 

 that the gigantic spiders of tropical 

 America were in the habit of catching 

 birds ; this for a long time was disputed, 

 until it has recently been verified by 

 Mr. Bates with his own eyes. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



All communications to be sent to J. B, Eobson, Bellerby 

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

 mont Park, Huddersfield. 



NATURALIST. 



"T.W.K., Camberwell."— We do not think 

 that any " practical joke " has been played 

 on your nephew. The green markings on 

 the hind wings of P. rapce you send we 

 believe are quite natural, and due to the 

 bursting of colour cells. We have seen 

 similar markings in P. brassica ; one in 

 Mr. C. S. Gregson's collection, and an- 

 other in the possession of a young collector 

 at Huddersfield. We have also noticed 

 the same effect in species of Callidryas 

 from abroad which had been caught by 

 natives, and could not have been tampered 

 with as you suggest. The others are 

 foreign. Three of them belong to the 

 genus Plusia, one a Notodonta, and two 

 geometers. 



NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. 



Migration of Birds on the East Coast. 

 — On Monday, the 3rd insi, whilst shooting 

 on Dovercourt shore, I saw several hooded 

 crows coming off the sea, and others again 

 on the 5th inst. Mr. F. Kerry informs me 

 this is eight days earlier than he observed 

 them last year. On the 5th inst. I also saw 

 three fieldfares and seven redwings. — C. A. 

 Marriott, Phoenix Hotel, Dovercourt. 



Lesser Blackbacked Gull. — On Octo. 

 ber 3rd, a fine specimen of the Lesser Black- 

 backed Gull in mature plumage was shot 

 by Mr. Charles Marriott on the Dovercourt 

 beach. This specimen is unique in the 

 colouring of its legs, one leg and foot being 

 a bright yellow, whilst the other is of a pale 

 fresh colour. Can anyone suggest a reason 

 for it ? Is it likely to be a hybrid between 

 the greater and the lesser blackbacked gull ? 



Captures near Wickham market, Suf- 

 folk. — July 7th. — Proboscidalis, Verticalis, 

 Urticalis. 



July 8th. — Hyperanthus, larvae of Antiqua. 

 Thymiaria, H. Urticce. 

 July 9th. — Janira, Thymiaria, amataria, 



