butterfly is very abundant and extends 
over a wide ranga of country. 
piazza may be built on one side only, or on 
three sides, as in the plan; but it should 
in any case be built light and airy—I would 
suggest as Fig. 1. The back stoop to be a 
little more than one-half inclosed, and a 
pantry partitioned off, leaving a stairway 
between pantry and the main house, as 
shown in plan, and thereby leaving one end 
and a part of the front open; to be built in 
same style as piazza. 
There are two entrances to the cellar- 
one from the dining room, under the ball 
stairs,and one from off the back stoop. If two 
oellarways are not required, the one under 
the hall stairs could be dispensed with,and 
a very nice closet made in its place, open¬ 
ing into the dining-room. If preferable, 
the dining-room could be furnished as a 
parlor, and the parlor and back parlor used 
as a sitting-room and bedroom, if a bedroom 
uuenet descriptions or suggestions at this 
time, and I think you will find the plans 
submitted sufficiently comprehensible. 
Walking Stick.—The inclosed speci- 
men I found on the bark of a Basswood 
tree. What is it and its name?—E. S„ 
Harbor Creek, Pa. 
We have received such numbers of this 
curious insect in the past few weeks that 
wo herewith give the portrait of the one 
A RARE BEETLE WANTED 
NOTES FOR BUILDERS, 
We have received from the readers of the 
Rural New-Yorker who reside in the far 
West and Southwest many specimens of in¬ 
sects during the past year that were valu¬ 
able additions to our cabinot. In return 
for these favors we have endeavored to give 
some interesting facts in relation to the 
history of these insects, and hope, with the 
aid of our correspondents and readers, to 
make the Entomological Department still 
more valuable in the future. There is, how¬ 
ever, one native beetle that has not, as yet, 
come into our net; and for this reason we 
arc quite auxious to obtain it. We give 
herewith an illustration of this insect, 
Floors in Fire-proof Buildings.—Ai 
architect says:-" If you will have wooc 
floors and stairs, lay a flooring of the thiok 
est sheet iron over the joist, and your wood 
upon that, and sheath the stairs with the 
same material. A floor will not burn with 
out a supply of air under it. Throw a dry 
board upon a flat pavement and kindle il 
ns it lies, if you can. Prevent drafts, and 
VIRGINIA ITEMS 
as tue it URAL JNew-\ ohicer purports to 
be a paper adapted to the wants of tho 
Amerioau people, and a specialty to the 
farming Interests thereof, items pertaining 
to Southern wants and resources may bo 
acceptable to your readers. For health’s 
sake, I havo turned my face towards tho 
tfouth. Many, both from tho North and 
West, would, it thoroughly informed of the 
climate, soil, and society of Virginia, beglad 
to locate here. 
Virginia has unbounded 
mixed farming, 
country is undulating. 
Potomac rues i 
facilities for 
The general face of tho 
The land along the 
it a*Suooessiou of ridges, af¬ 
fording delightful sites for residences. The 
bottom lands aru adapted to grass, corn 
etc. Timothy grown hero attains a mar¬ 
velous bight. Over that part of Virginia 
where we have traveled tilling is not difli- 
oult, nor heavy grading for high ways neces¬ 
sary. 
Tho destruction of timber is, to many, a 
V3ry serious objection. It is truly deplora¬ 
ble ; but all these old wood lots are sot with 
a new growth of timber, with which some 
farmers are now making a good, durable 
post and polo fence-posts Red Cedar and 
poles White Oak. An enterprising farmer 
here says he would not have a fence on his 
farm, lie culls fences nuisances, and says 
he can soil his cuttle on one-half the land 
required to graze them. 
I have never soon a country so blessed 
witli pure, soft water. On every hill side 
may be found the never failing fountain 
Imbling through tho valleys below, and 
forming some of the liuost streams in which 
may be seen the beautiful gold fish that 
adorn our aquariums in New York. 
These streams ought to bo thickly dotted 
with mills and factories to give enmlnv. 
Fio. 2 .—Tower, Two Feet Hion. 
on the ground floor is desirable. A bay 
window could be built in tho room marked 
parlor, which would add to it very much. 
I have three chimneys, giving five flues 
and two 11 replaces—one in the kitchen and 
one in tho dining-room. The hall on the 
second floor [ would light and ventilate in 
two ways;—First, by building over tho cen¬ 
ter of the roof a bottomless tower, three 
feet high, with same stylo roof as tho house, 
and containing windows to open and close 
(see Fig. 2); second, by placing a long sash 
over each door on tho second floor, to be 
balanced, in order to open and close them. 
By these two ways, two indispensables to 
natural size, in order that those who may 
feel inclined to aid us may bo able to recog¬ 
nize the same if found. It is far from being 
a newinseot to science or entomologists, for 
Thomas Hay described it in a paper read 
before the Academy of Natural Science, 
Philadelphia, October 22, 1823. Its name is 
Amblychila cylindriforinta , Wav. Us body 
is a dark chestnut-brown, impunctured; 
head, blackish; mandibles very strongly 
toothed ; elytra joined at. the suture, father 
paler than the thorax; irregularly marked 
with unequal punctures. It cannot fly, but 
runs rapidly along the ground. 
WHERE POUND. 
Mr. Sat’s specimen was found in Arkan¬ 
sas, and it is said to occur at various places 
along the base of the Rocky Mountains, 
t'apt. Pope found one on the Llano Esto- 
cado, a few years eiuce, and Dr. VVm. A. 
Hammond, IJ. S. A., found another on the 
Platte River, about 100 miles above Fort 
Kearney. Others have been found in Cali¬ 
fornia; therefore it is likely to be picked 
up in Western Texas, Arkansas, New Mex¬ 
ico, or California. Wo havo been informed 
that it often seeks shelter under dry buffalo 
droppings, and probably under flat stones, 
bark, or loose sods. 
an defer. 
Any person who will send us a perfect 
specimen, in good order, shall receive the 
Rural New-Yorker for 1873, free. This 
offer will remain open until we have re¬ 
ceived fifty specimens; therefore, our read¬ 
ers iu the regions where this beetle is likely 
to be found, need not fear of being too late, 
no matter when they send the beetle, if 
they happen to find one or more. 
HOW TO SEND. 
As soon as a beetle is caught, it should be 
put into alcohol or whisky, and kept thero 
until forwarded. Then take out the speci¬ 
men or specimens, and pack carefully iu 
fine sawdust, and in a tin box; or a hole 
you send, in order that others may recog¬ 
nize it and save postage, as they are far too 
plentiful to be of any value for our cabinet. 
Its name is Dtapheromera fermorata, 
although usually known as the “ Walking 
Stick." Its color is green, and tho common 
name is quite appropriate. It is perfectly 
harmless, except to the small insects upon 
which it feeds._ 
S. J. C,, La Porte, Ind. — The insect 
sent is the same as tho one mentioned above. 
OCTAGON DWELLING. 
In the Rural New-Yorker of Aug. 17th 
W. II. Moon submits plans of an octagon 
house for improvement, and iu reply I beg 
leave to Offer the inclosed for his considera¬ 
tion. I have drawn plans for a house of tho 
same size on foundation, and have en¬ 
deavored to secure the following improve- 
mentsupou J. H.M.’s plaus, viz:—1, larger 
rooms and more of them; 2, more light; 3, 
better ventilation throughout; 4, a better 
outside general appearance; 5, more con¬ 
venience; G, an easier and much more con¬ 
venient passage through the house from 
front to rear. 
The roof I would build either a Mansard 
or nearly flat. The piazza and back stoop I 
would build outside of the octagon, and for 
these two reason, viz1, in order to secure 
more room in the house, and, 2, to improve 
the appearance of the same; for the house 
ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, 
Butterfly Chrysalis.—Inclosed find a 
uttle animal, which please name. The 
golden spots have faded some since it was 
b«JVh°A Il< c —GEO ’ N ' Tuom ksox ’ Lc,lli - 
The little animal which you send is the 
chrysalis of our common Archippus butler- 
fly {Dnnals Archippux). The caterpillars 
live cm the milkweed ( Aseleplas ), aud you 
can find them in abundance wherever this 
weed is common. The chrysalis is certainly 
one of the most beaut iful things imaginable, 
being deep greeu, ornamented with golden 
spots and stripes of black and gold. The 
Seoond Floor Plan.— A, A, bedrooms, 11 by 
Jj. bedroom, 12 by 12 ft.; D D he,i 
rooms 10 by 12 ft.; E, bedroom 12 by ’le ft I 
F, bedroom, 12 by 13 ft - G. clothes 
by II ft.: It, bail, 10 by 12 ft.; C, st closet.' ^ 
health are securcd-namcly, light, and thor¬ 
ough ventilation throughout. 
Any of the rooms on the second floor may 
be connected with doors, if desirable; and 
although 1 have marked all but one as bed¬ 
rooms, one of them could be fitted up as a 
bath and water-closet; another as a store¬ 
room, as might be deemed desirable or con¬ 
venient. I will not trouble you with any 
Fio. 1.— Piazza. 
large scale, without something built 
of the octagon to relieve the very p 
pearance it would otherwise hav< 
fi h r 
At I 
fill11 n 
