THE YOUNG NATURALIST 



155 



bury Bank, one lot of five, and one of seven. 

 They were flying due north." 



" April 12, 1875. A flock of Geese passed 

 over Almondbury Bank, at 10.30 p.m. They 

 were going north." 



Gulls. — " Aug. 14, 1874. Three large 

 Gulls flew over Jack Hill at 7 p.m." 



" Aug. 23, 1874. Seventeen Gulls passed, 

 they flew round in circles to the south- 

 west." 



" May 4, 1875. Saw a large Gull flying 

 west." 



"Aug. 5, 1876. Thirteen Herring Gulls 

 flying in a northern direction." 



" Saw a large Gull flying in a northern 

 direction." 



Leach's Petrel. — " November 13, 1874. 

 Leach's Petrel shot near Halifax, and sent 

 to me by Mr. Ward." 



Chap. V.~His Insect Hunting. 



Varley was in the prime of his insect 

 collecting from about i860 to 1869, and he 

 was then a most energetic collector. 

 During that period " Stainton's Manual." 

 and the "Weekly Intelligencer" shed a ray 

 of brightness over the entomological world, 

 and were to the British working entomolo- 

 gist, even of more value than "Morris's 

 Birds" had been to the bird men. The 

 weekly paper, and the earnestness and 

 enthusiasm with which it was conducted 

 gave new energy to all who had the slightest 

 love for insects. 



He had not many companions during the 

 early part of his career, There were some 

 who did a little collecting-George Liversedge 

 of Bum Royd, and Varley 's most intimate 

 friend William Talbot of Wakefield, both of 

 them gone to their last rest — but they lived 

 too far away to be much use as companions, 

 and a great deal of Varley 's work was done 

 alone. Day after day and night after night 

 has he gone in quest of some particularly 

 prized insect. He was always successful ; 



because he always persevered. When 

 seeking D. templi on the highest and 

 bleakest spots in this part of Yorkshire, 

 when in failing health, and really unfit for 

 any work, he would be down upon his knees 

 among the frost or snow, turning over stone 

 after stone examining each one carefully, to 

 the quantity of from 10 to 20 tons, until, 

 completely benumbed by the cold, and 

 cramped by his kneeling position, he has 

 been unable to rise to his feet, and had to 

 drag himself along by the heather until he 

 reached the edge of an incline, and then 

 slide down upon his haunches into some 

 warmer corner until he recovered. There 

 is no mistake that he was thorough bred, 

 his motto was "never say fail." On one 

 occassion when at Sherwood Forest, a 

 person was digging round the " Major Oak" 

 for pupae of N. dodonea. Varley watched 

 him for some time until the man gave it up 

 for a bad job, and had gone away, unable to 

 find any. Varley then set to work and 

 before he left the tree he had dug eight of 

 the desired pupae. Many times when on 

 his rambles he has done to the very 

 last, and his friends have had to leave him 

 quite done up as they thought ; after a rest 

 he has regained his energy, and perhaps 

 overtaken the party again. Once in Cum- 

 berland, when out with his friend Mr. 

 George Parkin, he had walked and worked 

 until his strength failed, and had lain down 

 upon a bank to jest, to all appearances 

 more fitted for a bed at home than for a 

 rambling naturalist. He had not lain long 

 when he saw a moth, which he had never 

 taken before. Up he jumped shouting " I 

 am a new man," — captured the insect, and 

 immediately began to search for more. 



His success, and the collection he gathered 

 together, as well as his readiness to help 

 beginners soon had its effect, and many 

 began to collect insects. I was only very 

 young when Varley was in his prime, but I 

 well remember the interest I took in his 



