THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



239 



Satyrus janira, Chortohius ^am;pMluSf I/y- 

 ecBna Alexis. 



Nocturni. — Borribyx quercust and larvae, 

 Saturnia carpini larvae. 



Geometrge. — Geometra jpapilionwia, Aci- 

 dalia fumata, Larentia ccBsiata and pectini- 

 taria, Eupithecia centaureata and minutata, 

 Melanippe tristata, suhtristata and monta- 

 nata, Camptogramma hilineata, Cidarici rus- 

 sata (Arran var.). 



Noctuse. — Anarta myrtiUi, Plusia V-aure- 

 v/ni, gamma and interrogationis. 



Pyralide. — Pionea forjicalis. 



Tortrices. — Penthina prcelongana and pru- 

 niana. — James McGrouther, i, Dunkeld 

 Place, Hillhead, Glasgow, loth August, 1884. 



[It would be particularly interesting to 

 know in what way, if any, these insects 

 differed from the same species on the 

 mainland or from English specimens. — 

 Eds. Y.N.j 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 



The Waterton Collection. — Many 

 have heard of the late Charles Waterton, 

 but few have seen his beautiful collection of 

 birds and animals stuffed on his own plan 

 — without wire. This collection is now 

 being exhibited in the Huddersfield Fine 

 Arts and Industrial Exhibition, and, al- 

 though some of the colours have faded by 

 long exposure to a strong light, yet the col- 

 lection is well worth a visit from all lovers 

 of nature residing within approachable 

 distance. 



BIRDS. 



Birds Nests and Eggs.— For the July 

 part of the Young Naturalist, Mr. W. P, 

 Ellis of Enfield speaks of the decrease in the 

 number of eggs laid by birds this season, 

 and I think I can corroborate him in two 

 instances, which occurred within my own 



knowledge very recently. On July the 7th 

 I found the nest of a wren (T. Vulgaris), 

 containing three eggs only, on which the 

 bird was sitting very closely. All nest 

 hunters know that busy "jenny" will some- 

 times lay a nest full of eggs. The nest 

 containing this small quota of eggs was also 

 a curiosity in its way, being built among 

 dried sticks in a hedge, and less than a foot 

 from the ground. Generally speaking, too, 

 a wren's nest is a model of neatness, and is 

 as a rule cleverly concealed ; this one on the 

 contrary was entirely exposed to view, and 

 most carelessly built, reminding me of a 

 greenfinch's nest turned on one side, the 

 usual small aperture being twice as big as 

 is generally the case. The next day I found 

 another nest, viz, that of a spotted flycatcher 

 {M. grisolaj, built in the fork of a pear tree 

 in our orchard. This nest was also a rather 

 careless structure, very different from the 

 neat little home generally built by the bird, 

 and contained four eggs instead of the usual 

 five ; and very singular eggs they were ! 

 Instead of being liberally sprinkled with 

 red, as the eggs of this flycatcher generally 

 are, the whole of these four were of a uniform 

 pale greenish blue, and were moreover 

 singularly round in shape. I have sent one 

 to Mr. Mosley as a curiosity. I could not 

 believe they were the eggs of this species 

 till I had watched the bird on the nest. 

 Birds that breed late in the season do not 

 I believe lay many eggs, or take much pains 

 in building.— W. H. Warner, Standlake, 

 Witney. 



(Might not the peculiarities noted above 

 arise from the first nests having been de- 

 stroyed.— Eds. Y.N.) 



The Dipper and Black Grouse at 

 Wyre Forest.— At an excursion of the 

 Handsworth Natural History Society to 

 Wyre Forest on Saturday, 28th July, a 

 dipper and four black grouse were seen by 

 myself and four of the members.— W. Har- 

 court Bath, Birmingham. 



