112 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



species, of which Britain contains about 

 thirteen species of the former and seven of 

 the latter. 



4. Anthophila. — ^This consists of the 

 bees, the Andrenidce, and the social bees. 

 The former are very numerous in this 

 country, and are among the first insects of 

 spring ; the latter live in colonies consisting 

 of three sexes (so-called) . 



This brings us to the end of the Hymen- 

 optera, and only one order now remains to 

 be noticed — the Diptera. The close con- 

 nection of these two orders is manifest, for 

 each section of the former has its represen- 

 tative in the latter. 



Order VII. DIPTERA. 



The humble-bee flies are so similar to the 

 true humble-bees that they may fairly take 

 the lead of the Diptsra. This order may 

 be roughly divided into four division, repre- 

 sented by the LdbanidcBy SyrpMdcSy Muscidce, 

 and HpulidcB. The first contains such in- 

 sects as those mentioned above, and the cut 

 on the cover of the Y.N. The second is 

 well represented by the hovering flies, 

 which are so fond of composite flowers ; 

 they have yellow bands across the body. 

 The third is represented by the common 

 blue-bottle and house flies; and the 

 fourth by the gnats and daddy-long-legs. 

 At present, I shall say no more about the 

 Diptera, as there is no recent system of 

 classification, and I am not competent to 

 suggest one ; we greatly need workers in this 

 order, and we also greatly need a handy 

 manual of these insects. 



I have now gone through the various 

 orders of winged insects, briefly noticing 

 each, with, I hope, suflScient clearness to 

 give the entomologist a general glance at 

 the British class Insecta. 



{JU end.) 



THE LIFE OP A YORKSHIRE 

 NATURALIST. 



Chap. II. — His Youth. 



As has been already observed, many of the 

 working classes in those days were exceed- 

 ingly poor. Now they are poor because 

 they waste their earnings at the pot house, 

 on the race course, or in the betting ring. 

 Now they are poor because good wages make 

 them extravagant, and they are heedless of 

 any "rainy day" that may come to their lot. 

 But then, they were poor because of poor 

 pay, dear food, and over taxation, A 

 working man dared not then be a spend- 

 thrift, and all his energies had to be 

 concentrated on the one idea, to " make 

 both ends meet and tie," and for this reason, 

 children could not be schooled, but had to 

 be sent to work when very young, sometimes 

 as early as eight or ten years of age, or even 

 earlier. The business of the district was^ 

 then as it still is, principally the manufactur- 

 ing of woollen goods, and a great majority 

 of the labouring class were employed in 

 mills, hours were long and the work hard, 

 and James had, at an early age to begin 

 such work to help to bring in the necessaries 

 of life. 



King's mill was the nearest to Bunker's 

 Hill, and a great number of the inhabitants 

 of the district found employment there. 

 The mill is built close to the river Colne, 

 and a break-water runs across the water- 

 course, forming a long dam for the purpose 

 of turning a water wheel, by which the 

 machinery used then to be run. The water 

 behind the dam was an attraction for a good 

 many of the waterfowl that used to frequent 

 or visit the district. Many Wild-ducks, Sea- 

 gulls, and Terns in their migrations across 

 the country used to alight here. Scaups, 

 Pochards, Wigeons, Mallards, Teals, and 

 many of the commoner Gulls were among 

 the birds which Varley has often spoken of, 

 as having been seen or killed by him or his 



