260 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



named iMteseens, in Staudinger's Catalogue, 

 is not uncommon in some parts of France. 

 In it the whole of the scarlet of the hind 

 wing is changed into yellow, a change that 

 occasionally obtains with many lepidoptera, 

 having any shade of red in their markings. 



POSTAL CLUB. 



It has occurred to us that the new Parcels 

 Post may be made available for exchange and 

 other purposes, to an extent and in a manner 

 that has not hitherto been donte. There is 

 at present a club for exchange of microscope 

 slides, that has been of great advantage to 

 its members, and we think similar advantages 

 could be got for those following other 

 branches of Natural History. Suppose, for 

 instance, ten or twelve Coleopterists agree to 

 form such a club. A certain rotation of 

 names would be arranged, that the specimens 

 should pass from one to another always in 

 the same order. The first puts in what he 

 thinks fit, and sends to the second, who takes 

 out such specimens as he requires for him- 

 self, replacing them with others ; thus the 

 box would pass from hand to hand, and after 

 it had been once round each member would 

 have the opportunity of receiving specimens 

 from all the others. When the box got back 

 to number one, he would take out any of his 

 own insects that were left, as they were not 

 required by the other members, put in others 

 and send the box once more on its journey. 

 A book would accompany the box, in which 

 each member would enter particulars of his 

 own dealings : what he put in the box, v^hat 

 he took out, and so on. This would afford 

 opportunity for making notes in reference to 

 any species about which he had anything to 

 Bay, or desired to know any particulars. 

 When a really rare insect was sent out, the 

 first member who received it would, of course, 

 only take what would leave as many specimens 



for the other members as he got himself. 

 But details of this kind would soon arrange 

 themselves. 



Another advantage could be had from such 

 a club. On one side of the box a space could 

 be marked off, within which specimens could 

 placed to be named. This would make the 

 club of great use to beginners, for with the 

 best of descriptions, and the best of plates, 

 the best entomologists get puz25led at times. 

 What may be said then for beginners if these 

 are occasionally " at sea." If the first or 

 second whom the box reached was unable 

 to name one or other of those sent in this 

 part of the box, some one before it made its 

 round would surely be able to do so ; and it 

 should be a point of honour with all to name 

 all they could, but to be very careful to name 

 correctly. 



Again, specimens of special interest could 

 be sent on a round of inspection. A rarity 

 just turned up would thus be seen by a dozen 

 workers all over the country in time for them 

 to look out for it before it was over, and quite 

 possibly some of them might turn it up also. 

 Examples like these would, of course, be sent 

 on inspection only, and would not be taken 

 out till they returned to their owner. 



The note-book that would go round with 

 the box could be made to contain lists of 

 desiderata and utilized in many other 

 ways. 



We have spoken only of coleopterists, but 

 it is clear that such clubs could be made 

 available for lepidopterists or for the students 

 of any other order. The cost would be the 

 merest trifle, and the extra weight that can 

 be carried — 31bs. for sixpence — gives such 

 facility for careful packing as to make it easy 

 to avoid any risk of damage. Will any one 

 willing to join such a club, either for Coleop- 

 tera or other order, communicate with Mr. 

 Mosley on the subject, who will be glad to 

 join and will provide the necessary box or 

 boxes. 



