152 
THE GARDENERS* AND NATURALISTS’ CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER. 
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spot in which to doze away the chilly hours of night. 
Their life must certainly he a happy one, free, to all 
appearances, from care. 
About the middle of the month, the Chaffinches 
(Fringilla Calebs') commence their flight or partial mi¬ 
gration, for I think, as winter approaches, a considerable 
number leave the country, particularly those that have 
been bred in the southern parts, their places being taken 
by others that have been reared farther north. In some 
years these flights are very numerous; they commence 
at daybreak and continue through the forenoon, after 
which few are seen ; tiiey last from a fortnight to three 
weeks, the number in each flock varying from six or 
seven to forty or fifty, their flight is westerly. 
The arrivals this month are the Field-fare {Mcrula 
pilaris ), the Redwing ( Mcrula iliaca ), the Woodcock 
( Scolopax rusticola ), and the Mountain Finch ( Fringilla 
mont ifring ilia) ; in the moist lands the Twite ( Linaria 
montana ), will be found either in flocks by themselves, 
or mixed with those of the Linnet ( Linaria canabina ). 
Having left their summer haunts in the north at the 
approach of colder weather, all the smaller birds that are 
gregarious, are now collected in flocks, and may he seen 
scattered over the stubble and fallow lands, where they 
remain as long as food is plentiful, or until driven by 
foul weather to the shelter of farm and rickyards. 
H. W. 
Entomology. —Although the declining year affords 
but little active employment to the entomologist, there 
are still on fine days many species of insects, even includ¬ 
ing Lepidoptera to he found enjoying the warmth of the 
sun’s rays, and sipping the honey of autumnal flowers. 
The splendid Red Admiral Butterfly ( Vanessa Atalanta) 
is conspicuous among these, its jet black wings orna¬ 
mented with a broad red bar, together with its bold 
flight, giving to it quite an exotic appearance. They 
and several other butterflies, including the common 
Tortoiseshell (V. urticce) , on the approach of cold 
weather, contrive to find a safe retreat in some quiet 
corner of outhouses, &c., where they pass the winter. 
It is, however, chiefly females of the latest broods, 
which have not yet deposited their eggs, which thus 
pass through the winter season, in order to insure a 
fresh brood in the following spring, when they re-appear 
as soon as the sun’s returning rays impart renewed 
vigour to animal life. The phenomena of hybernation 
among insects are amongst the most curious points in 
their economy, and will he treated upon in one of our 
subsequent notices. 
In the early part of the month, the full-grown 
Caterpillars of some of the more common of our species 
of Hawk Moths may be met with on Privet ( Sphinx 
ligustri ), lime ( Smerinthus tilice ), poplars (Smerenthus 
populi ), &c. The chrysalides of the Death’s-head Moth 
( Acherontia atropos ) may also now be looked for when 
potatoes are dug up, and persons thus engaged should 
carry with them a moderate-sized hag, half filled with 
earth, with a layer of damp moss upon the surface, in 
which the chrysalides should be deposited as they are 
found. The greatest care should, however, he taken in 
collecting them, to disturb them as little as possible. 
Some persons prefer placing their chiysalides in bran or 
saw-dust. The perfect Death’s-head Moth appears in 
October and November, and is remarkable, not only as 
being the largest of our native insects, but also on 
account of the peculiar markings on the upper surface 
of the thorax, which have all the appearance of a skull 
(whence the English name of the species). This in¬ 
sect is still further interesting, from its possessing the 
power of making a very distinct kind of squeaking sound, 
the precise nature of which, as well as the organs by 
which it is produced, being still undecided. The sound 
has even been heard before the insect has left the 
chrysalis shell; but it is, we believe, only just previous 
to that event taking place that the sound has been ob¬ 
served, at a time, therefore, when the enclosed insect 
was fully developed in all its parts, except the wings. 
The Caterpillars of some other species of Moths may 
still be found, including the very destructive grubs of the 
Noctua ( Agrotis ) scgctum, which occasionally commits 
very extensive injury in turnip-fields, devouring the 
roots, which it riddles in every direction, and so 
causes to decay with rapidity. When full grown it 
descends still deeper into the earth to undergo its 
chrysalis state; the mere pulling up of the infected 
plants, therefore, without any care being taken to 
collect and destroy the Caterpillars, will be but of 
little avail in averting the next year’s injury. “ Woods 
will still he found to produce many species of Moths 
(particularly Tortrices and Tinese), by beating the un¬ 
derwood and hedges. Some species of Gnats ( Culicidce ) 
and Crane-flies ( Tipuidce ), peculiar to the season, may 
be found about ponds, and windows in houses. The 
hollow stems of currant-bushes, burdock, common 
dock, and various other pithy plants, should he ex¬ 
amined, as well at this as at other seasons, for chrysa¬ 
lides, as many Caterpillars are internal feeders. Beetles 
wiR also often be found secreted in the hollow stems of 
decayed plants. The grubs found in apples, pears, 
and nuts, may be reared with care. They should be 
put into a cage, having damp earth at the bottom.” 
— Ingpen. 
The presence of an insect within the solid shell 
of a nut is as perplexing a circumstance to the minds 
of some persons, as the introduction of an apple within 
a dumpling is said to have been to King George the 
Third. The explanation of the mystery is, however, as 
simple in the one case as the other. The grub of the 
nut is the larva of a small long-snouted Beetle or 
Weevil (Balaninus nucurn ), and the parent insect 
makes its appearance in the perfect state, just at the 
time when the nut is newly formed, with the shell 
quite tender. It has then the instinct to make a very 
minute hole with its jaws in the shell, which hole is 
subsequently designed to receive an egg. From this 
egg, in a short time is hatched a little footless grub, 
which, when arrived at maturity, so often proves an 
unwelcome morsel in the mouths of those who delight 
in this kind of fruit. But here we still find the most 
wonderful adaptation of means to the end, for the little 
grub is not developed until the nut is well formed (the 
hole soon healing) : did it appear earlier, it would be 
doomed to a premature death, as its voracity (like that 
of all young animals) is so great that it would in a 
very short time consume the small embryo nut. Its 
birth is, therefore, delayed; and hence it is that we 
occasionally put an apparently sound nut into our 
mouths, which, on biting it, is found to contain a grub 
not yet more than half-grown. 
As our readers will perceive that we have not only 
endeavoured to render these Entomological notices a 
calendar of the times of appearance of different insects, 
but have also striven to render them practically useful, 
by furnishing hints concerning the habits, &c., of the 
species more especially hurtful or beneficial to the 
horticulturist and farmer, we shall close the present 
month’s observations by warning the practical observer 
to destroy every specimen of the common Wasp, which 
he may now find in the windows of outhouses or 
dwellings; these specimens being females, which are 
in search of a quiet nook where they may pass the 
winter; each of them, if not destroyed, being destined 
to become the foundress of fresh nests. Although too 
late in the season to be of as much service now as at an 
earlier period. We may also mention that one of the 
best traps for Wasps may be formed of a couple of 
hand-lights, by placing one on the top of the other, 
making a small hole at the apex of the lower one, 
through which the Wasps are attracted by placing half- 
eaten fruit beneath the under one. J. 0. W. 
