44 
THE SUBSTITUTE. 
I have captured larvae nearly de- 
nuded of hair ; what little was left 
was a preeuish yellow, but those 
in that condition were generally 
too exhausted for further effort. — 
Kichard Cart.mel, 13, Williams 
Grove, llifih Park, Walworth ; 
November 3, 18o(5. 
An Entomolo(/ical Ramble in 
the Isle of Wit/hl . — The morning 
of the 31st of July was as beauti- 
ful a day as an entomologist would 
wish to behold. We looked in 
vain to perceive the slightest trace 
of a cloud in the whole expanse of 
sky, and the sea had that intense 
azure ap|)earance, which is so 
rarely seen on our English shores, 
but which forcibly reminds one of 
the seas of Italy and the south. 
We issue from our cottage, at 
Shanklin, at a little past 8 a.m., 
armed cap-a-pied with net, col- 
lecting-box, Ikc. Even the heat 
is very great, and would be almost 
insupportable were it not for a 
slight breeze from the west, which 
comes at intervals in gentle pud's 
of air almost imperceptible. We 
proceed on our way, after leaving 
the main road, up a deep (and 
steep) sandy lane, bordered on 
each side by a bank and tall 
hedge. We feel quite delighted 
to be at freedom among Nature’s 
works ; but at the same time our 
happy frame of mind is somewhat 
lessened by the hosts of Diptera 
who (finding a new subject to bo- 
ther and suck at) jilay around and 
settle on our person. We espe- 
cially notice a lengthy fellow of a 
fly in dusty brown apparel, with a 
shining eye, and a formidable- 
looking sucker, who appears to 
have a liking lor the cloth of our 
coat, as he walks about thereon 
digging in the aforesaid proboscis. 
We think this rather a novel pro- 
pensity, and therefore do not mo- 
lest him. But alas ! we soon find 
that this apparent partiality for 
cloth is but a cloak for more car- 
nivorous tastes, for we suddenly 
feel a sharp tingling pain on our 
neck, and on putting our hand to 
the j'lace the very same fly darts 
asvay and settles on our coat 
again. Our interest in him is now 
changed to hatred, and we make a 
tremendous blow at him, but he 
seems to be used to that sort of 
thing and slips away, and we our- 
selves receive the blow without 
the satisfaction of de.stroving the 
wretch. However, we think we 
have driven him off at any rate, 
and walk on. Presently our 
glance happens to fall on the 
sleeve of our coal, — there sits the 
fly quite unconcerned, and slowly 
advancing towards our hand. We 
stand still to watch him. He 
w'alks on rather quicker, reaches 
the boundary of our sleeve, places 
one leg on our hand and scrapes 
about with it to make sure that it 
is flesh he’s coming to, and then 
walks entirely on our hand : he 
reaches the centre and commences 
sucking. We behold him with 
malignant joy, and let him settle 
himself comjiletclv, in order to 
make sure of nabbing him. \Vc 
feel the tingling again, and sud- 
denly close our hand. We o])en 
it cautiously— he’s not there ! We 
give up in des])air, and yield our- 
selves to our fate. ^Ve feel wo 
have been wasting our time with 
the rascal, and set to work after 
more pleasing insects. The first 
thing that strikes us is the swarm 
of Jfipparchia Janira and Titho- 
mts that hover round every bram- 
ble-flower in crowds. We give a 
