THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



113 



father at this place. Among the resident 

 birds which were to be found there, were 

 the Dabchick, the Coot, and the Waterhen, 

 birds which have now almost, or entirely 

 disappeared from the immediate vicinity of 

 the town. The common Sandpiper, an- 

 other bird which cannot now be found for 

 some miles along the same river-course, 

 used to frequent and breed upon the shingle 

 beds just below the breakwater, and on one 

 occasion Varley shot a Curlew Sandpiper 

 on this same bed of shingle. This was shot 

 in the winter time. When he had formed 

 a collection of birds, he had two Curlew 

 Sandpipers in a case, one in summer dress, 

 and the other in change ; how often he 

 looked at the case and regretted that he 

 had not the one he shot upon King's Mill 

 dam, to make the case complete. 



As years passed on James Varley became 

 a young man, and as the sporting passion 

 which ruled so strong in the father, was 

 also inherited by the son, he was permitted 

 to use the old gun with which his mothej 

 had brought down two partridges from her 

 own window. This gun in time became his 

 constant companion, he used to wander in 

 the fields and lanes when he had a few 

 hours of leisure, and seemed to have cared 

 for no other associate except his gun. 

 Fieldfares and Redwings were generally 

 numerous in the winter, on every hawthorn 

 hedge that bore a crop of haws. Larks, 

 Wagtails, and many of the smaller birds, 

 such as Linnets, Buntings, and Finches 

 were common on the stubbles ; the stack- 

 yard furnished abundance of game in the 

 shape of Sparrows, Dunnocks, and Robins ; 

 while the woods and plantations harboured 

 larger kinds, such as Storm-cocks, Black- 

 birds, and Thrushes. No " protection acts" 

 or gun license impeded his progress, all was 

 free. The ground for many miles around 

 was not preserved, and any one who posessed 

 a gun might consider himself Lord of the 

 manor, and could ramble and shoot just 



where he pleased. 



Not quite a mile from Bunker's Hill was, 

 and still is, a place known by the name of 

 Bum Royd. At this place lived the only 

 bird-stuffer to be found in the whole dis- 

 trict. He was always known as Johnny-at- 

 Bum. At that time there were no natura- 

 lists in the neighbourhood, such as Varley 

 developed into in after life, but all the 

 favourite dogs, cats, pigeons, and canaries 

 which died within some miles of the place, 

 were taken to Johnny-at-Bum's to be stuffed. 

 Occasionally, when someone shot a " grand 

 burd," a Gull, or something not usually met 

 with in the district, it was taken to Johnnie's 

 to be stuffed and cased ; and, perhaps, the 

 the man would kill one or two more to go 

 in with it, or order Johnny to get them, and 

 put them in. In this way at one time he 

 drove a " roaring trade," and bird-stuffers 

 and butterfly catchers began to spring up 

 all around. Varley would sometimes visit 

 this man, and here it was, no doubt, where 

 the seeds, which afterwards bore such fruit, 

 began to germinate ; here the first impulse 

 was given to that passion which afterwards 

 ruled all his actions. In all probability this 

 man greatly assisted Varley to know the 

 different birds and eggs by name, and there 

 also, no doubt, he learnt his first lessons in 

 entomology. 



(To he cordinued.) 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



By John E. Robson. 



ODONESTIS POTATORIA. 



The Drinker. 



The present species being very easily 

 reared, and the young larvae being tolerably 

 abundant in most of places, it is generally a 

 favourite with young entomologists. The 

 larvae too, occur early in spring, attract the 

 attention of beginners, and with A . caja are 



