84 
THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 
making even His humblest creatures happy ; for no one can 
look upon a bird pouring out its soul in harmony^ without 
feeling that it is an outburst of gladness and joy. 
F, — That is at least - a pleasanter belief than the one 
which would make the bird a mere machine^, and its song 
the effect of an instinctive impulse^ uttered with no more 
emotion than the ticking of a clock. If this be philosophy^ 
indeed— 
" 'Tis folly to be wise." 
C — -I have noticed some more insects abroad^ and within 
a few days past I have made some captures for my cabinet. 
About a week ago^ I took the Crossline Moth^ a rather pretty 
little Noctua, and the first lepidopterous insect that I have 
observed^ except the Torti^ix 1 found in the winter. Yesterday 
I took two small moths ; one a very little Tinea^ the Striped 
Feather, the other a plain Tortrix, the Powdered Red. To- 
day I caught in the house a pretty Tinea, the Pearlhead. 
F. — I saw a butterfly in flight several days ago^ but was 
not near enough to distinguish the species : it w^as probably 
one of the Commas ( Graj)ta), 
C. — Under stones^ in the fields^ many beetles may now be 
found;, some nearly torpid j but others quite active. I have 
found two or three species of Carabidce, a little black Chr^- 
somela, with scarlet thorax, ( Crioceris Collaris ? ) very com- 
mon in autumn^ and several minute Stapkt/Uni (Poederus 
Riparius ), These last form a very pretty microscopic ob- 
ject : the head, the tip of the abdomen^, and the small wing 
cases, are black, or rather steel-blue, and the thorax^, and most 
of the abdomen, are bright orange. They are very nimble, 
and have the same habit of turning up the tail as the larger 
species, the Rove Beetle, &c. 
F, — Let us look into this little pool, and see if we can 
