118 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



THE "YOUNG NATURALIST" 

 ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE 

 OF BRITISH INSECTS. 



COLEOPTERA, Plate 3. 



The plate given with the present number 

 illustrates sixteen species of the genus Bem- 

 hidium. We are indebted to Dr. Ellis for 

 specimens from which most of the figures 

 have been taken. B. minimum and ohtusum 

 are most alike, but they may be distin- 

 guished by the shape of the thorax, which 

 is narrowed behind in minimum and rounded 

 in obtusum. But this genus will presently 

 be described in the papers now appearing 

 in our pages, and we need not enlarge on 

 the subject now. 



Erratum. — An error has unfortunately 

 occurred in naming the species on this 

 plate, two figures being called B. bipuncta- 

 tum. The lower figure should be B. atrocoe- 

 ruleum. The mistake was not discovered 

 till too late for alteration. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 

 BIRDS. 



The following interesting notes are cut from 

 the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle of 17 March. 



Though March came in most lamb-like, 

 yet the the gaunt and hungry wolf gobbled 

 up the rather early but welcome little 

 stranger before the " roaring month of 

 daffodil and crocus" was a week old. Last 

 week, in my article on " Spring and the 

 Birds" I had much to say respecting the 

 then genial weather, the early flowers, the 

 song of birds, and other indications of that 

 welcome period, 



When the sweet Spring comes dancing forth, 



And Nature laughs again. 

 Writing then under the stimulus of the 

 season, I was even a trifle prophetic, and 

 rather rashly stated, with the saving clause 

 if the fine weather continued," that we were 



likely to have an early season. The weather, 

 however, since Tuesday has been what the 

 weather-making Americans term a "cau- 

 tion" ; and I am further reminded, meteoro- 

 logically speaking, of the "caution" of the 

 Transatlantic humourist, " Never prophecy 

 unless you know." In this sub- Alpine 

 corner of Lancashire while I write — 

 Monday, the 12th March — the snow, frozen 

 hard as iron, is nearly a foot deep in the 

 roads and streets, and the uplands and hills 

 are covered to a still greater depth, and the 

 hills all round are sparkling in the fitful 

 sunshine. 



In this district as elsewhere, the storm 

 has had a most depressing effect on the 

 birds. The lapwings and the larks — and 

 the latter were singing freely up till Monday, 

 the 5th inst. — have all deserted their moor- 

 land haunts, and, snowed up and frozen 

 out, have crowded into the lower and more 

 sheltered country. The rooks, starlings, 

 and sparrows, some of which had commenced 

 to nest prior to the storm, are now all but 

 mute, and as the ground is everywhere 

 covered with snow, they have evidently no 

 little difficulty in obtaining a morsel of food. 

 The rooks may be seen flying about in a 

 heavy and listless manner, occasionally 

 giving vent to a melancholy " caw," evidently 

 a protest against the almost Arctic weather 

 which came upon us so suddenly. All our 

 birds are now suffering from the cold and 

 lack of food, and if the frost and snow 

 continues for any length of time, there will 

 be a heavy mortality list. Since the storm 

 commenced several robins have daily visited 

 my back-yard, when they fed with the 

 always sharp set sparrows ; and on Saturday 

 several starlings put in an appearance at the 

 feeding place. They were quite tame, the 

 effect, no doubt of hunger, and they fed 

 fearlessly while I stood looking on not three 

 yards off. 



A Sign of Progress. — Mr. S. L. Mosley 

 has made arrangements with the Hudders- 



