Observations 6 Part 3

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OBSERVATIONS. " I have learned that want of Observation is a sad and very c o m m o n infirmity of h u m a n nature, there being h u n d r e d s of persons before whose eyes t h e m o s t w o n d e r f u l things are passing every day a n d who, nevertheless, are totally ignorant of t h e m . "

—Ballantyne's Coral Is., cap. xiv.

Late Red Crag AT DOVERCOURT.—They are digging a fourteenfoot trench for a sewer close to this house, and have come across strata of various-coloured Clay and the Crag, from which I send you the enclosed fragmentary Shells for identification : are they from the sea-bottom, above which we are pretty high nowadays, or a lake ? Geology seems such a deep study that I find the few books I have upon the subject hard to widerstand.—Mrs. BLANCHE GRAVES, The Lodge, Dovercourt; 18 June. [Material received consists of numerous comminuted Molluscan shells, mainly of the species Mya arenaria, L., showing it to be of late in the Red Crag period (possibly even from the Chillesford Bed), with a few scraps of the Scallop Pecten opercularis, L. and one bit of both Mactra stultorum, L., and Cardita senilis, Lam., of older deposit. The sole other Animals present are two bits of Barnacles-shell Baianus balanoides, L., a kind still living profusely along the Suffolk coast.

Dovercourt is mainly on London Clay, but the later Crag may remam upon it anywhere between Felixstow and Waltonon-Naze.—Ed.], FOSSILS FROM THE HOLTON " Gun-shot" Grave!.—Mr. J. F .

Sampson has for some time been in the habit of retaining any fossils that appeared to him interesting or peculiar among the Gravel at Holton near Haiesworth, and this year the Society had the pleasure of naming them for him. All are to be seen at his house at 36 Hollow Road there. They are : Two sections of Basalt, plutonic rock of the constituency of lava. Several large sections oiSilica, " Fossilised Water " in interstices of Clay.

A dozen curiously-shaped Flints. Odd pieces of Quarts. Mica schist embedded in Upper Chalk. Three lumps cf Sandstone. Oligocene Amber from the Baltic. A dozen valves of Ostrea edulis, L. (Roman ?). Five valves of O. flabellula, Lam., one bored by a Sponge. Two shells of Oolitic Gryphcea sinuata and a few of G. incurva, Sow. Water-worn pieces of Inoceramus inconstans, Wood and a Flint bored by Sponge. Eight conglomerations of Tube-worms, Ditrypa sp. Three sections of Ammonites ? tuberculatus from Gau lt. Only four Belemnites. One Oolitic Stonelily, Crinitessp. A f e w o f t h e Sea-urchins Echinocorys scutata, Leske| Micraster cor-anguinum and one Conulus albogalarum, Leske!

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A very mixed bag. M r . Sampson adds on 27 July : " I wish to thank your Society very m u c h for the trouble you have taken in compiling the detailed list of items that you s e n t : I never thought them to be anything so w o n d e r f u l ! T h e y have been just ploughed or d u g u p on a small patch of arable land near the Gravel Pits in Holton by my son and m e since we came here f r o m Essex in 1924 ; and I have no explanation to offer of the presence of the ' Basalt' that surprises you so m u c h . " Can this last have been translated in Ice ?

A N O T H E R CEDE'S STONE.—Our M e m b e r , Revd. J. R. Chapman and I were kindly afforded an opportunity of examining a nearly flat Boulder, novV lying on the lawn of Walpole Rectory garden.

We found it to be squarish and some three feet in diameter, of grey rock, containing scattered black pebbles, and so hard that a coal-hammer made little or no impression. But a corner was eventually excised, showing a high proportion of Mica and proving it to be of the same Stratum as the celebrated Boulder at Rockstone Lane in Chediston. It has been similarly carried in D r i f t ice from the Westleton Pebble-bed, though its present position upon the brow of a hill is improbably original.—CLAUDE M O R L E Y there 15 J u n e 1948.

N E W SUFFOLK P L A N T . — A z o l l a filiculoides, Lam., just discovered with Duckweed in a ditch at Orford, has been identified by the British M u s e u m , where they say it is the first specimen noted in the County.-—(Lord) CRANBROOK, Great G l e m h a m ; 3 April 1948.

[On 22 April 1935 I found the same species of plant covering the surface of a pond near Ubbeston church.—A.M.].

" DOG "-ROSE.—The question recently arose respecting the origin of " dog," applied to Wild Roses ; and a half-dozen widely well-informed M e m b e r s , including our H o n . Secretary and Lowestoft Secretary, were at a loss for the answer. T h i s is still outstanding ; but it would appear to lie between (1) Pliny's assertion, quoted by Gerarde, that such Roses were called k u n orodos by the Greeks because they believed their roots cured mad dogs' bites ; and (2) the synonymy of dog with common, as in the cases of D o g Violet and Dogs' Mercury. I should m u c h appreciate M e m b e r s ' opinions.—(Miss) M A D G E W I L L I A M S ; June 1948.

[Surely the last explanation is the right one. H . R. L I N G W O O D . — Considering the reverence with which early British Botanists treated classic authors, we should vote for the former.—Ed.], FIGS.—We already f o u n d a rather young tree of Ficus carica, L., in the garden against the house's south wall w h e n we first came to Monks' Soham in 1904 ; b u t it, like all o t h e r Figs of o u r experience in the rather bleak Suffolk climate, has never borne edible fruit, which invariably drop before attaining m a t u r i t y .

Our medieval monks and even the Romans are credited with its

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introduction to Britain ; though the earliest authentic specimens are those planted in the Archbishops' Lambeth gardens by our Suffolk Cardinal DelaPole in 1525. T h e Bury monks had a vinery on the Lark's north bank ; but I can trace no figery there.— It is, then, certainly noteworthy that Mr. J. R. Egerton, writing in the Ipswich daily paper on 22 Oct. and 8 Nov. 1947, should record his gathering, in that genial autumn before the unusually severe winter frosts, of over three hundred " beautifully ripe and delicious " figs from a single very large and Standard Fig-tree against no wall in the garden of his.Bramford Tye House in the Gipping Valley, which is usually accounted colder than High Suffolk. The tree was covered with hundreds, of which the majority could not attain maturity.—Ed. Mimulm and Impatiens.—I was much interested to read in the new Transactions about M. Langsdorfii and I. glandulifera.

Last autumn I found the former growing in a watery patch on the Lowestoft denes. The spot has been known to me since my boyhood's days near seventy years ago ; and I am quite certain the plant was not there then, nor did I observe it in 1938-9, so doubtless it is a product of the last war. The very handsome Balsam I saw at Beccles in 1943, growing profusely in a broad ditch, where I was told that it had existed for many years.—ERNEST R . LONG, 5 4 P a k e f i e l d - r o a d , L o w e s t o f t ;

16 F e b .

1948.

TRICOTYLEDONOUS CARNATIONS.—On 2 2 June last I sowed several Carnation seeds in a small flower-pot. They had been bought in the usual type of fourpenny packet, which was thrown away unfortunately, so that I am unable to supply the name of the variety of Carnation. When in due course the seedlings appeared, three of the twenty-one had three cotyledons instead of the normal two [sketches enclosed]. Finally both the larger plants, for one of the three was smaller than the other two as it came up later and died, grew their leaves in pairs : one from the second pair onwards, excluding the cotyledons, this pair having one leaf divided near the extremity; while the other plant had three leaves at this stage, but grew its following leaves in pairs.—MEDWAY ; Great Glemham House.

W I L D FLOWERS OF 1 9 4 8 . — T h e Wall Mustard Diplotazis tenuifolia, DC., is becoming a very common weed on waste ground in Ipswich, more especially where old buildings have been demolished ; its yellow flowers have a quite pleasant perfume.

Another species, D. muralis, DC., also occurs about the same town, but is less frequent.—On the Maidenhall estate there, between the Belstead and Wherstead roads, was found the nearctic Solanum rostratum, Dum., during last September. There also, and at Alvesbourn Priory in Nacton, grows Datura stramonium, L. ; as further does Melilotus alba, Desr., on waste ground of the old Rope

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225

Walk in Ipswich.—The uncommon Sedutn telephium, L., was discovered in How Wood near Kersey on 27 March and at Barking Wood in May ; it has a very long growing-season before it flowers in August. T h e blossoms are distinctly attractive ; but it is a little-known plant, probably because its native woods have grown up so dark and shady by August as to be deserted by botanists in order to avoid their numeröus biting dipterous Flies.—Primula veris X vulgaris hybrid was seen on the edge of this How Wood along w'ith Lithospermum officinale, L., which was noted also at Barrow. L. arvense, L., grew commonly this spring in Brook Lane at Wetheringsett, and abundantly in fields at Offton. Primula elatior, Jac., was in old woods at Barrow and Saxham Magna ; with Helianthemum Chameecistus, Mil., and the rare Whitebeam Pyrus Aria, En., at the former village.—Ophioglossum vulgatum, L., turned up at Saxham Magna. T h e very attractive and plentiful Verbascum nigrum, L., with Hypochaeris glabra, L., abundant Carlina vulgaris, L., Calystegia sepium, Cr., var. roseum, and the Boyton and Walberswick SisymbriumSophia, L., were noted during June-July at Blythburgh.—Solidago virgaurea, L. (pace Hind) is scarce with us on both Southwold and Rushmere Commons, though plentiful in a rail-cutting at Wherstead.

Specularia hybrida, DC., was seen at Chillesford in May ; and both Hieracium aurantiacum, L. and H. boreale, Fr., upon Warrenhouse Heath in Ipswich, derived from wind-borne garden seeds. At least t h r e e f o r m s o f Salix repens, L., were in Falcons-bottom at Sudbourn ; and Erica tetralix, L., in Great Wood there.

I should much like to know if any Member has recently found either Ophrys aranifera, Hds. or O. Arachnites, Lam., in Suffolk : a widespread search of their former ränge, from Bury to Barrow through Westley and the Saxhams, failed to show any trace this year. Orchis morio, L., grows at Saxham Parva and at East Bergholt in a pasture with Narcissus-leaves, probably those of N. pseudonarcissus, L.—Our Member Mr. Alwyn Bull sent me Orchis prcetermissa, Dr., from Hitcham ; this marsh species with unspotted green leaves is the commonest of those kinds found in all suitable wet meadows, pastures, marshes and sometimes woods throughout Suffolk. Habenaria viridis, Br., found there by Mr. Bull, is become an uncommon plant because its former habitats are now cultivated, mainly long-undisturbed hilly pastures.

Though food is necessary to Britain, we also need more practical methods to insure and reduce and prevent the colossal waste and destruction of food before and after it becomes available for our consumption: thereby larger areas would be preserved for indigenous Fauna and Flora. Fine specimens of Orchis elodes, Gris., and hybrids of O. elodes X prcetermissa were abundant in June at Iken, with Carex pseudo-cyperus, L. ; as was Gnaphalium sylvaticum, L., noted in our last Transactions, at Bawdsey in August.

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T h e Grass-leaved Vetchling Lathyrus Nissolia, L., is not so rare along our coast f r o m Felixstow to Aldeburgh as is usually supposed ; lt was noted flowering abundantly on 20 J u n e last in a r o u g h and ungrazed salt-pasture between river-embankments and cattlepastures some mile n o r t h of O r f o r d . Bupleurum tenuissimum, L also is common in such habitats and upon the actual embankments, f r o m Felixstow to Southwold.—As regards the W a t e r Dropworts : (Enanthe Lachenalis, G m . , is among our common Suffolk kinds, usually more or less frequent in wet and reedy marshes near the sea adown all our coast, also in fens. CE. pimpinelloides, L . , is a very similar plant but u n c o m m o n and restricted to our fens : I should like to examine any specimens of these and CE. silaifolia, Bieb., which I have never discovered in our County, w h e r e grow three other kinds : (E. fistulosa, L., uncommonly in wet pastures at Blythburgh, Earl Soham, T h e l n e t h a m , Hinderclay, Bramford and Cornard ; CE. Phellandrium, Lam., very general in surfacep o n d s over the Boulder-clay ; and (E. fluviatilis, Col., f r e q u e n t in all our larger streams.

Respecting TREES, a very fine Field Maple Acer campeslris, L . , stands on the edge of Haughley Bushes near New-street, that I measured this year and found to be 8/t. 11 ins. at some four feet above ground : probably two centuries old, I imagine. T h e only other of similar dimensions is in a Barking wood.—Have we any outstanding Scots Firs Pinus sylvestris, L „ in the County ? Some fine ones form an avenue at Woolpit, of which the largest has a circumference of 1 0 / / . 6 ins. at four feet u p : a magnificent T r e e , reminding one of the examples in Caledonian and Spey forests.'

T h e r e , too, I counted the annual rings of a felled stoöl, which totalled about 170 : hence planted circa 1760.—The distribution of L i m e T r e e s in Suffolk was a subject of enquiry into its ecological Flora. T h r e e species occur h e r e : T h e extraneous liha platyphyllos, Scp., is f r e q u e n t in parks a n d plantations T. intermedia, D C . , probably hybrid T . platyphyllos X cordata is similarly introduced. But T. cordata, Mil., I consider indigenöus (pace H i n d ) as also did the Revd. E. N . Bloomfield ; for it is found in nearly every primeval wood of the County, often commonly and most especially upon light patches of the Boulder-clay. Regrettably it is rarely if ever allowed to mature, being swept away every five years with less interesting coppice-growth. Still, it is f r e q u e n t in G r o t o n Wood, about Milden Thicks, at Polstead woods at Bredfield, M o n k s Park, Felsham ; and such ancient t i m b e r as at Melford [which recalls Jocelin de Brakeland's 1174-89 tale of the Bury A b b o t felling all " the best timber trees of Elmsett W o o d in Melford, in addition to more t h a n a hundred other oaks" therein to despite Bishop Geoffrey Ridel of Ely.—Ed.], Barrow, Saxham^ Offton, Ringshall, L e t h e r i n g h a m and Dallingho.—FRANCIS W SIMPSON, Ipswich M u s e u m ; 20 Oct.

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T H E N E W B O U R N Taxus baccata, L I N N . — " Near N e w b o u r n hall, now a farm house, are two venerable Yews, supposed to have braved the storms of several centuries " (White's Suffolk Directory 1844, 136 and 1874, 295). T h e s e Yews still stand, about six yards apart, at the entrance to the vegetable-garden on the opposite side of the road to the Hall and about fifty yards from its porch.

But one was very badly damaged in the gales of March 1947, and I am d o u b t f u l if it will survive. T h e girth of both is 7 feet 8 inches at five feet from the ground. I wonder how old they are.— LESLIE D o w , N e w b o u r n ; 4 January 1948. [The species is long-lived (Trans, i, 61), but fast-growing (I.e. iv, p. xx).

T w o rather mcredible giants, of 56§ feet in girth at no given height at Fortingal in Perth (Pennant) and 36 feet at equally indefinite height at Crowhurst (? in Sussex : Evelyn), are recorded, with that of circa 6 | feet girth at Muckross in Killarney which we saw but omitted to measure in June 1913. O u r largest was found in the midst of Loxley Wood at Shapwick in Somerset in July 1933 : 7 feet 11 inches at five feet f r o m the ground, a solitaire whose shade kept back all other Vegetation excepting Enchanters Nightshade.—Ed.], BEECH I N D I G E N O U S , AT LEAST LOCALLY (Trans, iv, 245).—" In the sub-Boreal period, which occupied most of the second and part of the first millennium B.C., we get for the first time an appreciable amount of Beech pollen in the peat deposits, analysis of which has told us most of what we know of the changes in the climate and flora of Britain in the ten thousand years before the coming of the R o m a n s . " — R . S. R. Fitter in " L o n d o n ' s Nature History," 1947.

LARGE SUFFOLK TREES.—A Crack Willow Salix fragilis, L., in the marshes close to Cretingham Watery Wood was measured in April 1948 and f o u n d to have a girth of 16 feet 8 inches at five feet f r o m the ground. T h r e e pollard Oaks Quercus robur, L., in a wood on a small knoll in Henstead beside the main road, were 1 7 feet nine inches, 1 5 . 1 1 and 1 4 . 2 1 , last J u n e ; in two rather smaller, hollow ones there Honey Bees, Apis mellifica, L., were nesting wild.—P. J . B U R T O N ; 1 3 June.

VENERABLE H O R N B E A M AT W O R L I N G H A M . — I n the local newspaper on 5 April last, that estimable " M a n of the T r e e s " St. Barbe Baker of A b b o t s b u r y in Dorset is well assured that many, a n d A L L our own M e m b e r s are among them, " will share my anxiety for this Hornbeam-tree, which is threatened as a new housingestate is being planned. Surely this massive Carpinusbetulinus, L., believed to be the largest of its tribe remaining in Britain to-day, might reeeive the consideration that it deserves : could not the houses be arranged round it, giving it ample Space ? I t is reported to appear to-day just as it did sixty years ago, when M r . Aldous there was a boy ; and well may be Standing when those of o u r

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generation have passed." This plea was backed by one of our Members on 14th, who recalls that Loudon in 1838 especially refers to another Hornbeam, at Finborough Hall, " sixty years planted ; eighty feet high ; the diameter of the trunk 2\ feet and of the head forty." Neither of these trees is specifically mentioned

by Hind ; the former, well illustrated in the same journal on 20 Dec. 1947 and there said to be eighty feet high with a " Compound " trunk 19 feet in girth, formed part of Baron Worlingham's erstwhile splendid Park, now mainly converted to arable land.—Later, we rejoiced to hear, it is " saved."—Ed. OLD OAK AT NEDGING.—The Hon. Secretary's letter appealed to me because, when I first came twenty years ago I was given an old account of the Oak growing in my garden here. It is still in an excellent State of preservation, with a girth of 25 feet at five from the ground, and over thirty at its base : reputed to be eight hundred years old. Unfortunately this account I have mislaid so I would be very grateful for any information you may possess about the tree. And, of course, I shall be delighted if you or any of your Members will come and examine it.—P. T. CHEVALLIER, Nedging Hall ; 1 February. [We returned polite thanks for so kind an invitation.

The spirit was willing, but petrol too sparse !—Ed.].

A S H - B O C K I N G O A K : ? S U F F O L K ' S O L D E S T . — " The monosyllable ' Ash ' may be a local trace of the early Anglo-Saxon tree-worship.

Probably on the site of the present church in the aboriginal [sie] time stood a huge patriarchal Ash tree, the local oracle and sanetuary, the periodical rendezvous for traders, and the nlde tribal Justice court, suited to the semi-eivilised residents," wrote its rector in 1902 (Proc. Suff. Inst. Archaeol. xi, 229). In the lane from the main Ipswich road to Gablehouse and just north-east of the Ordnance-map's " Roman Camp," is a dead and barked Oak-tree, which has a girth of twenty-one feet at four feet from the ground. This measurement shows it to be coeval with the Hoxne one, whereat King Edmund was slain in A.D. 870. (measured 26 Aug. 1920 by me : EAMisc. 22 July 1922).—The Hon. Secretary's letter in the EADTimes of 31 Jan. 1948, repudiating the alleged 32 feet from ground assigned the Polstead Oak on 28th, interested me.

Perhaps you may like to know that in the pasture next westward of this house is an Oak whose girth at five feet from the ground is 30 feet and at its narrowest part, one foot lower, is 28 feet (Miss Mary Brooke, Ash-Bocking Manor, near Ipswich ; in lit. 2 Feb. 1948). Hitherto the semi-moribund Huntingfield Oak of 27 feet was the oldest known in the County (Trans, v, pp. 29 and 210). So, on 11 Sept. following, led by Revd. J. R. Chapman who already knew it but not its girth, we measured this Ash-Bocking Oak most carefully and found it to be exactly 21\ feet in circumference at four feet from the ground : a veritable

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229

giant but not well-grown, the branches splaying at only eight feet high ; still sturdy, verdant and good for many another winter's storm, with an east and west spread of fully thirty-four yards, though internally quite hollow. T h e few other old Trees and their stools here show this pasture to have been pretty surely a Park from time immemorial. However, nothing is known, and nothing before 1628 surmised, about this Manor of Ash-Bocking Green. I find no historic record of any Park in the village ; if such existed, it was certainly in the De Bocking or Wodehouse families' time, 1338-1500, before the Talemache's acquisition soon after the latter date.

OLD OAK-TREES.—Close to Wickham Skeith Hall are some very large Oaks, one being 22 feet in girth (White 1844, 3 5 0 ; H u n t ' s Thetford 1870, 453). [The Hoxne Oak was 20 feet.—Ed.], Candlet Hall in Trimley Mary is a small and ancient farm-house with adzed beams and T u d o r chimnies, still pronounced Kand-let, which was the " Candelenta " of Domesday Book. On its east is a broad moat and on its north a pond, both upon Boulder-clay.

But further north, where the moat was fed by the waters of Kings Fleet marshes, it is now dry. Close to the north-east corner of the Hall is a live hollow Oak-tree, nineteen feet in circumference at four feet from ground ; and, north of it, is an elevated rectangular flat area, ninety by sixty paces, that may well have been a Roman or Norse camp, commanding the Deben marshes C L A U D E M O R L E Y , there on 17 July 1 9 2 3 .

O T L E Y W O O D . — I t must have been timbor from this Wood that caused a visit to be paid to Otley in 1677 by Sir Anthony Deane. a Commissioner for the Navy, and Phineas Pett, a member of the eminent ship-building family, both often mentioned by Pepys in his Diary. Clarke's " History of Ipswich " records :—" An extract from the journal of Sir Phineas Pett, commissioner at Chatham. It was a detail of his proceedings in Company with Sir Anthony Deane, in a journey made into Suffolk and Norfolk, for buying all such timber and plank as they found fit for his majesty's Service, towards building thirty ships, by act of Parliament, the 29th of May, 1677. 4 June, we went to Otley to view Sir Anthony Deane's timber, and gave directions for carriage and coverlin. June 16, from Crow's Hall (Debenham) we went to Otley ; where we found the carriers carrying away a stern post for the new ship at Harwich, and the rest Converting on the ground as fast as could be. June 19, I agreed with Sir Anthony Deane for his timber at Otley for 55s. per load delivered at Ipswich ; 47s. on the place." T h e r e appears to have been trouble about this timber later. John Evelyn's Diary records : June 10, 1690, Mr. Pepys read to me his remonstrance, shewing with what injustice he was suspected with Sir Anth. Deane about the timber of which the 30 ships were built by a late Act of Parliament.

(S.M.W.M. in EADTimes, 22 iii 48).

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" LUMINOSITY OF THE S E A . — O N 1 9 last July I wanted to get from Lowestoft to Yarmouth. A party of gentlemen whom I knew engaged a boat for the same purpose, and offered me a seat.

There was no wind stirring and we were kept upon the water from six to ten o'clock, in accomplishing nine miles. I was anxious to witness that singular phenomenon, the luminousness of the sea, seen that evening in great perfection. As it became dark, the edges or divisions of the waves became luminous, and the spray from the oars particularly so. When nearly dark, every disturbance of the Water gave out a brilliant flash of phosphoric light. By placing the finger in the water, small particles of light were perceived for several seconds receding from the boat in the wake thus produced.

Water spilled in the boat appeared like so much mercury, as the points of light diverged in radii from the spot where it feil. I did not examine the water at the time ; but my friend, Revd. William Foulger, procured some from that locality, and we determined by the microscbpe that the luminousness of this part of our [Suffolk] coast proceeded from a small animalcule [figured] resembling that figured in Mr. Baird's paper in Loud. Mag. iii, 313.

These appeared in great numbers near the surface, and arranged themselves round the edge of the glass : sometimes so numerous and arranged with such order as to resemble a string of beads.

This animalcule is a thin transparent globule, from whose upper part rises a small tube in length one diameter of the globule ; many minute vessels diverge from this tube's base, spreading thin ramifications over the surface of the animalcule. Also we detected another animalcule [figured], twice the size of the former, apparently possessed of greater luminosity when agitated in the water.

It seemed a hollow fleshy globule, having a retractile tube arising from the bottom of the cavity, over which is a Square aperture, and at the angles of this aperture are four moniliform tentacula which, in repose, are contracted into four lobes ; the exterior is divided longitudinally into eight parts, and is studded with minute points. I should be glad to know to what genus these animalcules may be referred ; the first cannot possibly be a Medusa [Jellyfish] as stated by Mr. Baird.—SAMUEL WOODWARD, Norwich ; 8 Nov. 1831" (Loud. Mag. NHist. iv, p. 284. Cf. Trans, ii, 282).

[Our grandfather, Biship Wilson of Calcutta, had the same, and probably his sole, scientific experience of this Protozoan Nociiluca in the Indian Ocean the very next year 1832 (" Clerical Reminiscences " by Canon Bateman 1882, p. 46).—Ed.] PROFUSE ESSEX COELENTERATA.—With reference to the Jellyfish (Phylum iii: Ccelenterara of Trans, v, 75) recorded from Southend, I find that they occurred in similar great numbers off Mersea Island, just twenty miles further north, at or about the same period ; and that all the latter were certainly Aurelia aurita, L.—H. C. GRANT ; 27 Feb. 1 9 4 8 . [Confirming our supposition at p. 125 supra.—Ed.].

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A S E A C H ^ T O P E D WORM.—It may be, perhaps, just worth recording that I picked u p a live Sea-mouse, Aphrodite aculeata, L . ( T r a n s , iv, 229), at low-tide on the beach at Aldeburgh on 3 J a n u a r y 1948.—(LORD) CRANBROOK, G l e m h a m Magna.

A CASCADE WORM.—While I was puddling on 31 July last for those extremely common Beetles that occur nowhere but in waterfalls, and on account of the latter's rarity in Suffolk are so hard to find here, I discovered among the moss that was growing directly in a two-foot rapid fall near Foxhall Hall and just north of the Ken (i.e. turbulent) Brook a reddish W o r m . Its Situation, actually in the falling water, seemed so remarkable that I put it with a scrap of its moss into a tin box ; then, thinking more moss was needed to keep it moist through the post, I looked away and gathered some.

T h e box was not opened before M r . Mayfield examined it at Mendlesham, when N O W o r m was found to be contained ! H e m u s t have wriggled out, while I looked away. However, little doubt is entertainable that, in that Situation, it was probably the square-tailed one, Eiseniella tetraedra, Sav., of T r a n s , i, p. 120.— CLAUDE

MORLEY.

M O R E ABOUT THE B R I N E SHRIMP.—In our Transactions for 1946, I recorded at page 49 that a batch of eggs of this Artemia salina, L., obtained f r o m the United States in 1934 and kept intact until that year, had hatched after a resting stage of at least twelve and a half years. It is, I think, interesting for our M e m b e r s to know that, both in 1947 and 1948, some of the same carton of eggs were dealt with and I was able to get similarly successful results. T h i s year, however, the per-centage of ova hatched was definitely less, and the period of incubation longer, occupying three or four days, instead of about twenty-four hours. Also, they seemed to require a higher temperature in which to hatch ; and this I obtained by keeping t h e m in a hot air linen-cupboard for at least three days before exposing t h e m to light.—D. W. C O L L I N G S ; S o u t h wold.

H O N E Y BEE S L A I N BY SPIDER.—My mother and brother were watching her Honey Bees in her garden at Wickham Market last August, and distinctly saw a large Spider seize and bite several Honey Bees one after the other, wrapping web round them.

T h e y had thought the hive diminishing in n u m b e r s ; and my brother remarked : " T h e r e ! N o w we know where they go to."

I showed both a dead Bee and the live Spider to the Hon. Secretary on 15 August.—OLIVE SCALES, Bedfield. [Undoubtedly Apis mellifica, L., and the common large Garden Spider, usually seen in a geometrical web, Araneus diadematus, Clk. (Trans, iv, 162), unusually reddish with the white dorsal line very conspicuous (cf. T r a n s , i, 225). H u b e r knew that " Spiders will expand their snares near the hive and entrap n u m b e r s ; the species Aranea

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calcina [? Meta segmentata. Clk.] lies in ambush for the Bees in the corolla of flowers, and fastens upon them when they come " : but I nowhere find the A. diadematus recorded as doing so.—Ed.] CENTIPED ON ASPARAGUS.—" The specimen taken by a Member on Asparagus is Geophilus longicornis, Leach," the British Museum told us on 30 June, in reply to a query whether the enclosed were likely to damage that plant whereto no answer was vouchsafed.

Hence we may safely adduce that it is not known to do so, a point upon which the captor, Hugh de Lacroix of Frostenden on 1 June, was anxious for information. See Trans, v, 86.—P. J. BURTON. WHIRLIGIG BEETLES.—Of those shining black Beetles one often sees circling on the surface of ponds and streams, Professor Balfour-Browne has recently been so good as to revise some specimens in my collection. He finds that the masses of them that were taken at Shipmeadow on both 3 January and 3 June 1935, along with a solitaire found at Hastings in 1894 by our late Member Mr. W. W. Esam, are all Gyrinus eeratus, Steph. (Illus. Brit.

Entom. 1832, v, 395) a common species, first recorded from the Cam near Cambridge in June ; it is the G. aeneus, T h o m s . = Thomsoni, Zaitzer=Edzeardsi, Sharp ( E M M . 1914, p. 137). Two G. natator, L., var. substriatus, Steph., were sent me by Mr. Brockton Tomlin from the Isle of Bute in Sept. 1895 ; and I have found that form at Catfield Broad in Norfolk on 4 Jan. 1935, as well as in a peat-bog on Cläre Island off the west Irish coast on 23 July 1910. G. marinus, Gyll., was profuse in the North Cove marshes of the Waveney in April 1935. Three G. Suffriani, Scrb.

(Trans, supra iii, p. xxxiv : elsewhere known as British from only Sussex, Kent, Cambs. and Kirkudbright, a most curious distribution !), were fished by me on 5 April 1935 from ditches at Catfield marsh while with the late Mr. Doughty, in whose collection (penes Ipswich Museum) may be more specimens ; with it then I captured a half-dozen G. Caspius, Men. (elongatus, Ab.). I took G. urinator, Iiiig., gryating alone on the water of a horse-trough in the market-place of Saulieu in mid-France on 24 March 1931 ; and have more from our late Treasurer Elliott's collection, sent from Teneriffe and the Canary Islands in 1903-4 by Fairfax Prevost, along with 13 (aedeagus dissected out) G. Dejeani, Brülle, from Grand Canary.—CLAUDE MORLEY ; 29 Oct. 1947.

ROVE BEETLE N E W TO SUFFOLK.—You must now add the cocktail beetle Philonthus rectangulus, Sharp, to the Suffolk list because I captured the species, in the summer of 1947, at Barton Mills.

It is really quite common, has hitherto been merely overlooked here, and is sure to be found in heaps of lawn-mowings and other vegetable refuse in any garden.—(Revd.) C. E . TOTTENHAM, Cambridge ; 20 Dec. 1947.

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From Barton Mills on 2 and 16 July last, our Member Mr. C. M. Jarvis records (EMM. Oct.) the capture of two more of the large blue Rove Beetles, Ocypus ophthalmicus, Scp. (cyaneus Payk.), everywhere rare in eastern Britain. Previously the most recent was taken in 1932 on Brandon Heath by the late Mr. Chester Doughty.—Ed. CUCUJID BEETLE N E W TO S U F F O L K . — I took a Beetle in Mellis Rectory on 28 March 1946 which cur Hon. Secretary has just named Pediacus dermestoides, Fab., a Cucujid hitherto unknown in Suffblk and, indeed, quite unexpected here because usually found only in the chinks of the stools of felled Oaks and other large Trees in extensive woodlands. It is one of the specialities of the New Forest, where he has occasionally discovered it in such a Situation in Denny Wood. But, as the late Mr. Elliman took a specimen at Cromer in 1894, its presence in EAnglia is not unprecedented. How it got into my house at Mellis I cannot teil.—(Revd.) H. E. J. BIGGS ; 28 July 1948.

A SCOURGE.—Is this a Beetle ? It has been boring into a Fowl's skin I keep in order to get the plumes for the Hawk-hoods I make for my Peregrines ; and has spoiled the skin by its ravages in places. I shall be with you all in spirit on 10 July at Blythburgh.

— C. C. T . GILES ; 7 July. [The enclosed Insect was a specimen of the horribly destructive Clavicorn Beetle Anthrenus musceorum, L., whose larvae eat both skins and all Insects stored in cabinets and boxes : nothing is too' dry for their consumption ; and no fate too bad for the confounded pests.—Ed.] A CHRISTMAS BEETLE.—Much regret was feit for the wind-fall of a promising young Elm-tree in the paddock, hence good for nothing but fire-logs. Upon going to an outhouse for some of these at 9 p.m. on the damp evening with temp. 51° of 25 December 1947, I discovered a $ Ptinus für, L., sitting at five feet up on the bare white-plastered wall, and tubed him. This is one of the " für and feather " Beetles (no pun, because Latin für means a thief) that are said to feed upon anything from a fur-coat to the lining of Birds' nests. It is reputed to be common, attacking both Animals and Plants in collections, as well as com in granaries (Butler's Household Insects : well figured at p. 16); and so Mr. Ernest Baylis and I supposed upon beating a half-dozen from very dry Stoats slung up on a keeper's tree in Raydon Wood on 26 March 1894. Yet, curiously, I have met with but four specimens ever since then, outside my own house : one in April at the railway-station in Ipswich ; where one $ was alive in a garden Spider's web during March ; in Blythburgh Wood on Birch in May ; and Offton church-porch in early June. And, even here at Monks' Soham, no more than seven examples have turned up singly through forty-odd years, on walls of the hall and top of the stairs in Nov., Dec., March ; and in Feb. 1905 a <J was actually \

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feeding upon a desiccated Araneus diadematus spider in its web : nor am I sure that they do not devour also the actual webs themselves. I never saw the imago between early June and November.

As British, it was first enumerated by Marsham in 1802 and the r? termed P. testaceus at p. 89 ; Samouelle knew it " inhabits houses and commits great devastation in museums throughout the year " (Ent. Compend. 1819). Donovan in 1807 describes its larva as soft, hairy, hexapodous and ferrugineous, preying on furniture, books, &c., residing mainly in wood where it occupies tubulär cavities perforated in various directions, reducing the hardest timber to light d u s t ; the pupa is contained in a glutinous follicle.

Tuck has bred the species from social Wasps' nests near Bury St. Edmunds.—CLAUDE MORLEY. T H E T I M B E R M A N BEETLE.—You may like a record of the Longicorn Acanthocinus cedilis, L., from SufFolk. Dr. G. H. Buncombe has sent a $ slightly damaged specimen alive to-day.

It was brought to him by a boy, who had found it on a lorry at Burgh Castle.—E. A. E L L I S , Norwich Museum ; 28 September.

[Excepting among Scots Pine in Scotland, British specimens are supposed to be always imported in foreign timber. The proximity of Southtown docks and mobility of a lorry coincide with such an origin in the present case, which is the first sure one in Suffolk since Stephens' 1834 record. An unlabelled specimen is said to have been taken at Thomdon circa 1910.—Ed.] A N O T H E R Prionus coriarius, L. (Trans, v, 215).—A J specimen of this large and very local " Sawyer " Beetle was brought for identification to Ipswich Museum from Kesgrave, where it had been captured on 8th August, 1948.—FRANCIS S I M P S O N , v.v. 11 Sept.

A SUFFOLK WEEVIL.—In the last number of the Ent. Mo. Magazine I published at p. 283 a note on the capture of two specimens of Cionus Woodi, Donisth. (Ent. Ree. xxxiii, 1921, p. 64) at Bamham in the breck district on 15 June 1906, in Company probably with C. scrophularia.

This follows an earlier record (p. 178) from Windermere by Allen, who supposes it a good species or at least subspecies, insisting that it iö not merely an abraided specimen of C. scrophulariae. I agree ; but consider there is some scale defect due to an unrecognised pathological cause.

The scales are there, but dwarfed.—DR. K. G. BLAIR, 23 January.

M A N , P L A N T A N D BEETLE—Last July I discovered, superficial^ embedded in the turf of Rampart Field at Lackford, some frag"mentary bones which the anatomical professor of Manchester University has recognised as a frontal and femur of Homo sapiens, Linn. ; he considers them to be of an early date and quite possibly prehistoric [cp. the " Burial Ground " of circa 100 Saxon skeletons, just north of the Lark River here in West Stow, discovered 1849

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235

(Suff. Inst. Archaeol. 1853, p. 315). Only a few Bronze Age u m s are recorded from Lackford.—Ed.] Interesting is the finding of a patch of the Maiden Pink Dianthus deltoides, L., in the same field ; it is not easily seen, so I hope it will escape pluckers.

On Woolly Mullein at Alecocks Grove in Stanton I found on 20 August a single Cionus longicollis, a fair distance from its hitherto recorded ränge : cf. Trans, supra, p. 5 2 . — O W E N G I L B E R T , Dalton Hall, Victoria Pk., Manchester ; 7 Oct. H A M P S H I R E COLEOPTERA.—At Titchfield on 2 0 May I saw the Longicorn Stenochorus meridianus enjoying a drink of " cuckoo spit," the froth exuded by larvae of the Froghopper Philanus spumarius, L. Large Ladybirds, Coccinella 1-punctata, have been unusually a b u n d a n t ; and, while searching for Lepidopterous caterpillars at Liphook on 11 May, I found a Calosoma inquisitor, which I consider rare in north Hants ; doubtless it, like myself, was hunting those caterpillars, whereon it preys, seizing t h e m in its jaws high in t h e t r e e and then casting itself to the g r o u n d b e f o r e devouring its prey. I have acquired Joy's " British Coleoptera," but find difficulty with his keys and fear another box must come to you for n a m i n g . — F R A N K C. S T A N L E Y , Rowland Castle ; 2 June.

N U M E R O U S Aphthona euphorbice, SCHR.—Throughout the whole m o n t h of August to September 28 I noticed great n u m b e r s of a small bluish Halticid, allied to the " T u r n i p Flea," sedately strolling about individually over the large and flat leaves of Lime trees Tilia vulgaris, Hayne, and the introduced Japanese Polygonum cuspidatum, S. & Z., as well as over posts and painted rails, at Monks' Soham. I supposed them the ubiquitous Chastocnema concinna ; b u t a closer scrutiny showed t h e m to be Fowler's A. virescens, a species usually met with b u t singly and sparsely.

None flew ; and, as they seemed generally distributed over all kinds of plants at four feet above ground, no cause for their unusual appearance was ascertainable. T h e y are distributed from Siberia to N o r t h Africa with apparently no predilection for Spurge, whereupon A. venustula, Kut., always abounds in Bentley

W o o d s . — C L A U D E MORLEY. I N S E C T S FROM CYPRUS.— Here are a couple of curious Wasps that I captured at Kyrenia in Cyprus during 4-8 March last, along with thirty-two Beetles,* taken there upon both the same

* T h e two W a s p s are a 1-ossor Ammophiia sp. a n d a true Vespid Polistes P- T h e Beetles are i n d e e d a " varied " lot, which may be roughly tabulated as showing : ADEPHAGA : Cinindela campestris, L . , ab. Guadarramensis, Grael. a n d three C. species ? ; CLAVICORNIA : Dermestes undulatus, Brah. ; LAMELLICORNIA : 4 small Aphodius sp, (not a m o n g those at T r a n s , in, p. clxiv, nota pedis) a n d 3 Anomala sp. : STERNOXI : a Buprestid near Steraspis ; MALACODERMA : species of Rhagonycha and Malachius : HETEROMERA : t h e sole kind in any n u m b e r s is an Omophlus, probably Proteus, Kirsch. ; single Tentyria sp. and Gonocephalum rusticum, Uliv., with a couple of Opatroides punctulatus, Brüll. ; LONGICORNIA : a beautiful green Phytoecia looks l i k e P . ccerulescens, Scop. ; PHYTOPHAGA : two Gynandrophthabtia ? Grceca, Lef. ; with t h e two WEEVILS : Sciaphilus sp. and I.ixus ? scolopax, B o h . — D r . Blair a n d C M . J a n . 1948.

S

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occasion and in April. The latter seem to be a very varied lot and I hope will interest our Suffolk Members, to whom salaams !— E. P. WILTSHIRE, British Consulate-General, Rue Ghameh Charkass, Cairo ; April 1947.

Bothynotus pilosus, BOH., AT HORNING.—For a long time I have entertained the " good intention " of recording my capture of two males of this rare Plant-bug by sweeping close to Horning Ferry at dusk on 14 June 1922. In Finland it occurs on Spruces, but here it was on marsh-herbage ; and the only other Norfolk specimen was similarly swept on 8 July 1886 at Booton Common by James Edwards (Norf. Trans. 1889, 704). Elsewhere in Britain, it had been found by 1892 in only the widely divergent Sussex and Scotland, to which by 1945 Devon, Kent, Berks., Staffs. and Cumberland had been added (EMM., p. 264). My diaries show that on 14 June the late Chester Doughty and I left Gorleston by rail at 9.40 for Potter Heigham, whence the landlord of the Ferry Inn took us in his one-horse cart through rain, to Horning fora week.

Herbage was too wet to search tili after lunch, when we crossed to south side of the ferry and took Bradycellns placidus, Lathrobium brunneipes, Anthocomus terminatus, &c., in reed-boats' bottoms.

After tea all was dry enough to sweep and we got Sesia myopiformis, Odynerus sinuatus, Bracon prcstermissus, Agathis brevisetis, Biosteres rusticus, Oenone hians, Polemon lipara though none of its Dipterous host, Coelinius elegans, Decatoma minuta, Eucoela gracilicornis and Emphytus calceatus, with the gnats Paipomyia serripes and erythrucephata, Staeg., which I presented to Brit. Mus. But the clouds were so lowering and the north-east breeze so cold that I early turned into an uncomfortable bed in a mean bedroom, leaving Doughty to hob-nob with the habitues below stairs. On 15th, despite lower clouds and colder breeze, I was up early and, after breakfast, lay for 2J solid hours searching Lysimachia vulgaris plants for the rare Weevil Tapinotus sellatus, the object of our visit, without finding one. Then I swept the plants and at once took an isolated individual; but another hour's search brought no more. H. J. Thouless came over from Norwich to lunch and told us he had secured it only by searching. So foul was the weather that at 2.30 we caught a bus at the other end of Horning, that took us direct to Yarmouth where we teaed at the then novel Hill's restaurant and reached Gorleston by steamer at 6 p.m., well satisfied With the captures in such weather, especially the Bothynoti, which now no longer constitute " hell pavement! "—While on the subject of Norfolk Heteroptera, I will add that the late Mr. E. A. Atmore, a chemist and excellent bug-hunter of Kings Lynn, where I met him in August 1906, that year generously gave me a specimen of the Coreid Bathysolon nubilus, Fall., there taken by him in June 1902. It was the fifth one known in Britain : two from Deal and two from Norfolk. At last, in 1948, it has just appeared in some numbers, in a chalk-pit near Darenth in Kent (Proc.

Entom.

S o c . xiii, 53).—CLAUDE MORLEY, 1 9 4 8 .

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237

A SECOND Acanthosoma tristriatum, LINN.—Can you kindly identify the enclosed creature, which was found on a writing-table indoors at Elmswell ?—HAROLD LINGWOOD ; 27 October. [It is a live specimen of the Mitre-bug A. 3-striatum, whereof the sole previous Suffolk example is recorded at Trans, iv, 251 ; and its presence at Elmswell, where there are as unlikely to be Junipers as at Framlingham, is just as unaccountable. Nor can there be analogy between a writing-table and the Secretarial leg !—Ed.] T H E E L M A P H I D . — I have just come across a sac of Plant Lice on a young Elm shoot, and enclose it for your determination.

It seems an extra large specimen, being 3 inches long by l f broad and H in thickness ; of metallic red and green coloration ; auriform, with a considerable exit-hole. When shaken the bag disclosed a quantity of small white Insects, in a heap like sugar.

The bag has now lost its rigidity and become limp.—H. COPINGER HILL, Buxhall; 5 July. [As would any plant when plucked.

The Insects are Aphides of the species Schizoneura ulmi, L., as noted from Coddenham at Trans, iv, 68.—Ed.] WEST SUFFOLK ORTHOPTERA.—Considering how sparse are western records among the Revision at page 82 supra, my own notes may be of value. The most wonderful sight [and a phenomenon hitherto entirely novel in our experience—Ed.] was witnessed on 21 September 1941 at Fornham Martin : In an ordinary light-land meadow on a warm and sunny afternoon I watched a large number of small short-horned Grasshoppers, certainly Chorthippus arid doubtless male bicolor, Chp., passing slowly in single file before a larger and longer-bodied specimen, which I took to be a female of the same species, that was seated upon a brick amongst some rubble. Now and again each one of the males would halt and stridulate : some of them lacked a hind leg, but such made no difference to the ritual. Is this the way in which a female Chorthippus selects her mate ?—A male Pholidoptera cinerea was captured at Woolpit that month, and another the previous June ; meanwhile a female was taken in Bury and brought to the Museum there. At Fornham Martin Meconema thalassina occurred on 17 August 1941. An JEschna mixta, Ltr., with aberrant venation proved to be the Dragonfly found squashed in Bury on 5 October 1940, named by Miss Longfield and Mr. Bushby.—JOHN L. GILBERT, Wansford near Peterborough ; 3 July 1948.

GRASSHOPPER NEW TO SUFFOLK.—Two or three specimens this year have been independently discovered, on the north side of the Stour at East Bergholt, of MetriopteraRoseiii, Hag., pertaining to the var. diluta, Charp. (EMM. 101 and 151). The typical form has long been known on the southerly Essex coast, whence Luvoni gave us both sexes from Westcliff in 1912, and consequently long

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been expected to extend to Suffolk; but such large Insects are easily ignored by the close collector. Add as No. 21a after Tettigonia at page 84 supra.—Ed. Nemoura dubitans IN I. WIGHT (Trans, iv, p. cvi).—A subjec negative County interest is my record of the hitherto exclusively Suffolk N. dubitans, Mort., from this Island (Ent. Mo. Magazine 1948, p. 141). Mortonfirstdescribed it in Trans. Ent. Soc. 1894, from Switzerland ; next it was found by the River Lark at West Stow (Entom. 1911, 134) by Col. Nurse ; then came your capture at Fritton on 15 April 1936 (cited by Kimmins in Trans. Soc. Brit. Ent. 1940, 78). The species seems to specialize in marshes, unlike most Nemoura which prefer running water : so it may be largely overlooked by collectors and commoner than is apparent.— DR. K. G. BLAIR, Freshwater, I.W.

DRAGONFLIES.—I did my collecting this year round Stalham in the Norfolk Broads ; and had no time to also work Hickling, where Miss Longfield this year took A. armatum. I found /E. isosceles as common as L. fulva, which was in plenty. Also obtained a nice series of A. hastulatum from near Aviemore, whe they were among Heather and not over water at all. You are doubtless looking out for Coenagrion scitulum, of which I have examined the specimens taken in Essex ; their markings are a little aberrant, but the appendages are correct for that species. I took Panorpa cognata at Farley Mount last August; it appears to ha a different season to P. Germanica, which abounded there at a earlier date.—(Col.) F. C. FRÄSER, Bournemouth ; 28 Dec. 1947.

Anax imperator, Lch., is now quite common in the neighbou hood of Ipswich, and in June many were seen Aying over the water in the chalk pit at Little Blakenham. Females were observed to be ovipositing ; and large numbers of eggs were found in decaying stems of Reeds, which projected above the surface of the water.

In August, many /Eschna mixta, Latr.,were Aying in the neighbou hood of Bentley Wood. It seems to have increased in numbers very considerably in Suffolk in the last few years [or those of its observers !—Ed.]. In the New Forest last June, among the more common species, were found Gomphus vulgatissimus, Plat pennipes, Pyrrhosoma nymphula var. melanotum mercuriale and Palasobasis tenella—SAMUEL BEAUFOY. SUFFOLK ODONATA OF 1948.—This year the smaller DragonAies, or damsels, have been much less in evidence than normally, the continual cold weather of the summer no doubt killing them off quickly. On one visit to Aldeby fen in July not a«single specimen of any species of DragonAy was seen, in spite of it being a sunny day. Some of the larger species however have been more abundant than usual, notably B. pratense on the Waveney marshes and A. mixta in the Blythburgh-Dunwich area ; the latter, usually

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239'

uncommon, was on the wing in great numbers, half-a-dozen being seen in the air together at suitable spots. striolatum, that friendly companion of sunny autumn days, has also shown up in large numbers. I was greatly interested in watching females of this species ovipositing into patches of moss or water-weeds along the sides of the dykes or ditches, often quite above the water-level.

Flying tandem, the pair hovered 4-6 inches above the water and then with amazing rapidity rose and feil together, both insects keeping horizontal. Each time they neared the water-level the female flicked her abdomen downwards into the selected patch of moss to deposit her egg. T h e y seemed to prefer one particular patch of weed, often Aying off to prospect other spots for a few seconds, but returning time and again, to the favoured site.

I timed one pair, the $ of which Struck the water 68 times in a minute at one spot in spite of a few seconds break ; another did so 50 times in 45 seconds. T h e syncronization of the movements was amazing : both insects rising and falling as one, although presumably the $ would be in control but how she communicates her wishes to the $ is a matter for conjecture. Libellula depressa was generally common in spring from 16 May, but all other early kinds were unusually sparse. N o t tili August, did anything of unusual note emerge this year ; then on 26th many Sympetrum sanguineum appeared at Monks Soham with a single /Eschna grandis, which latter was fairly common in Oulton marshes on 28th with a couple of Orthetrum cancellatum that I could not net. T h e common /.£. eyanea has been unusually frequent the whole summer, u p to m i d - O c t o b e r . — P . J . BURTON ;

15 O c t .

S O M E T R I C H O P T E R A OF 1948.—Nothing was attempted among this O r d e r in the past season ; but such species as happened to come to the net may be Worth recording:—Limnophilus xanthodes M c L . (Trans, iii, 95 : first by Winter about Beccles ; then by me in Barnby Broad on 14 May 1938), and L. flavicornis, Fab., both at Kessingland denes light, midnight, 14 June. Halesus radiatus, Ct. f Glevering bridge, 27 Sept. Setodes interrupta, Fab. (Trans.

1947, 131) and Holocentropus stagnalis, Alb., both abundantly dipping at Fritton Hall boathouse, 12 June, where also was Sialis fuliginosa, Pct. Coniopteryx (Conventzia) psoeiformis, Ct., outside Monks' Soham window, 24 Aug. 1947.—CLAUDE M O R L E Y .

Papilio Machaon, L., AT CHILLESFORD.—The first time I have ever seen a Swallow-tail Butterfly on the wing was during the morning of 16 May last, a hot and perfect day of perpetual sunshine and temperature 78°. It was in the sunny and beautifully flowery glade of an Oak-Ash plantation at Chillesford, which is n o w enclosed by the Forestry Commission and some three-quarters of a mile N N W . of the church. W h a t a fine sight, and how powerful is this species' flight! Later, in another woodland glade a quarter-mile further south, I saw either the same individual

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or a second specimen of the species.—F. W. SIMPSON. [This sounds like hopeful progeny of those reared only miles further north,at Snape, by Major Hugh Buxton (cf.Trans, 1943,181).—Ed.] SWALLOW-TAILS AND AN EMPEROR.—Members may be interested to know that recently I have watched Papilio Machaon twice on Leiston Common : one on the morning of 7 June and another to-day. I suppose this must be worth reporting as it is the first time I have Seen or heard of them here or in the district during the past fifteen years.—PAXTON CHADWICK ; 9 June. [Has anybody been liberating the species in that district; or were they of the darker, Continental colouration, flown across ? Ed.]—I was told at the time that a Purple Emperor Butterfly was seen in the woods at or close to Walpole during July 1946, Rector Gould told us there on 14 July 1948. This is an entirely new locality for Apatura Iris though, with the old Sallows and Oaks of Huntingfield and Heveningham, a most likely one.—Ed. ANOTHER W O O D FELLED : HELAS !—Anticipating Sibylla et Polychloros, Mr. Chipperfield and I sought out Northfield in Onehouse village on 25 July. But, upon arrival, we found the wood surrounded by high barbed wire, a padlocked gate, and formidable-looking notice board ! Inside the hitherto flourishing timber was represented by a razed piain bearing on its dreary space piles of sawn fire-wood, upon which we had not the least wish to encroach.—W. G . T H U R L O W .

Vanessa polychloros, L., were plentiful in Bentley and Barking Woods in spring. During May and June three larval webs were found on Elm near the former. A few larvae were taken home and reared in captivity ; when discovered they were in their penultimate instar, and it is worth recording that all except one produced imagines in July, and that not one was parasitised, which leads one to suppose that the larvae are attacked by parasites late in life, as fully-grown larvae taken in the wild State are very often found to be parasitised. Have other members any experience of this ? T h e Large Copper, Chysophanns dispar, Hw., has been definitely extinct in this country about a Century ; the Dutch sub-species (C. dispar, from batavus, Ober.) was introduced into Wood Walton Fen, Huntingdonshire, some years ago, and has been carefully guarded there. In July my wife, my brother and I visited the Fen and we were fortunate enough to see many of these beautiful copper and blue Butterflies on the wing. It is very rigidly preserved by the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves, and may not be taken in any of its stages ; indeed, a permit has to be obtained before one can gain admittance to the Fen : but for this fact it is probable that the species would by now have been exterminated by the rapacity of some collectors, I think, as probably happened with the original British type form of the species.—S. BEAUFOY.

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241

RHOPALOCERA VARIETIES IN BUCKS., &C.—At Iviaghoe on 9 August last, I took a perfect and newly-emerged $ Argynnis Aglaja, L., of the flavous form that is figured by South : the wings above are thinly dusted with very fine iridescent green scales.

Also in that district and at that period, I netted a $ Pararge Megcera, L., with the fore-wings bearing three spots, in place of the normal one spot. Lyccena Corydon, Pod. and L. bellargus, Rott., have been in good plenty there, about Dunstable in Beds. and Royston in Herts. At a spot near Tottenhoe in Beds., where L. Icarus, Rott, was plentiful in late August, a high percentage of the ? ? were of the blue form and some peculiarly brilliant, the coloration running through several shades of blue.—RICHARD STILES, St. Albans ; 4 Sept.

COLIAS IN SUFFOLK DÜRING 1948.—While at Felixstow on 19 Sept. and previous days, I noticed three Clouded Yellows C. edusa, three or four Vanessa cardui and one V. c-album among a host of V. Atalanta and V. polychloros and V. urticce. There were also a great many Dragonflies, but I cannot give them a specific name.—J. P. HILL, M.D., The Limes, Stowmarket; 17 Oct. [Mr. Blackie of Bell House, Alconbury, Hunts., writes in Entom. lxxxi, 244 :—" On 15 June my wife saw six C. hyale (or, 0 f course, C. Alfacariensis) on the shingle just south of Aldeburgh in Suffolk, and on 16th another between Aldeburgh and Thorpness. We looked out for more on subsequent days, but the weather was sunless and, for the time of year, cold for the rest of our stay." We have heard of no observations by our own Members.] Düring the winter I managed to rear larvae from ova that were laid by a C. edusa, taken at Felixstow in September 1947. They began producing imagines on 21 April 1948.

No recognised varr. were forthcoming, but several very small specimens emerged : one 9 form with very faint yellow spots in the forewings' margin.—H. E. CHIPPERFIELD ; 18 October.

HIBERNATED ESSEX CAMBERWELL BEAUTY.—It may interest our Members to know that on 19 April my two sons saw a specimen ol Vanessa Antiopa on Mersea Island. There was no doubt about its identity as they watched it for several minutes, until it disappeared into a 1bush ; and, in spite of a diligent search, appeared no more.— \ " ) C - G - MANGLES, Berechurch, near Colchester- 20 April 1948.

SPRING LEPIDOPTERA.—Does Vanessa Atalanta hibernate with us . Obviously the above was a last-year's specimen, one among th ® unusually many of 1947 visitants ; so why should not Red Admirals follow suit ? South could find no positive proof that it does so. My idea is that some do occasionally winter with us, l o r o n e w a s on my bedroom window at Waldringfeld on 23 April and I have seen two since then, where I invariably do annually

242

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see the species in spring near the church-tower here. New emergences are becoming apparent : Cardamines on 15th. I have just seen Phlceas and numerous Argiolus (A. P. W A L L E R ) . T W O Red Admirals hibernated in Mrs. Spencer Phillips' house at Fareham in Ilants. and one was in church there on 29 Februarv, on which day Mr. Yeldham saw one Aying at Hordle in that countv, and another was feeding on Daphne Mezereum.

For several years I have known them on the wing in winter sunshine, one even at Christmas ( " T i m e s , " 9 March 1948.)—At Purbeck I took Adustata on 31 March, a curiously early date ; Cardamines on 14 April at Liss ; Aurinia was fully out on 3 May and getting worn by 2Ist ; Lucina past its best on 21 May ; at Titchfield I caught a ragged Edusa female on 20th. To light in this house have recently come Ridens, Trcpida and Contigua.

If you want Turca to complete your series, I will try for it later in season (F. C. STANLEY, Rowlands Castle, Hants. ; 2 June).—An unusually early spring : even Phlceas was out near London by 19 April ( D E W O R M S ) . — I was over at the Oulton marshes on 1 0 May, and noted sixteen species of Rhopalocera :—C-album, Urticae of which one was freshly emerged among a crowd of hibernated Urticae and Io ; Megaera,Pamphilus but no Rubi, Phlceas, Astrarche, Argiolus, Icarus, Rhamtii, Cardamines, Napi, Rapa, Brassica, Malvce and Tages ; there was a cold north-east breeze, but perfect sunshine.

We have had splendid weather since 25 April, when I cut two Crabroniformis larvae out of Osier at Aldeby in Norfolk ; and on 8 May managed to discover a gall of JEgeria flaviventris, Staud., on Salixcapreabushat AshValein Surrey. Again in late June we Struck a good patch of weather at Hythe in Kent, where were Harmodia albimacula at Dungness, Caradrina Bondi at Folkestone on 26th, with three /Egeria chrysidiformis Aying by day, but past their best by then (P. J. BURTON).—A male Drymonia tremula was sitting on a St. Albans garden fence as early as 30 March ; and, even before that, I took Calocasia coryli sitting on tree-trunk in an adjacent Wood, where several Vanessa C-album were upon the wing ( C A P T . STYLES, 17 April).—This afternoon in Ipswich emerged the first pair of Saturnia pavonia from larvae bred from eggs that were found on Raspberry here in April 1947, where the memorable snow of that period was barely melted (R. GUIVER ; 10 April).—In the 1947 infiux of Macroglossa stellateum, the first was seen on 16 April at St. Ives in Cornwall, whence they expanded to Scalloway in the Shetlands by 9 June (" Times," 9 Oct. 1947); this year hibernated specimens were noted at Felixstow on 7 (H. R. LINGWOOD) ; Stowmarket on 13 (W. G. THURLOW) ; 14 March when it also occurred at Aubretia Aower in Falkenham : is such successful hibernation usual ? (A. E. ORFORD). On 11 April it was feeding on flowers in Loudham Hall garden at Pettistree (TAIN GRAHAM-WIGAN) ; and noted before 2Ist at Norwich, Brinton, Cromer and Holt in Norfolk.— Vanessa polychloros was less prevalent than last year ;

OBSERVATION^

245

it was enjoying a spot of sunshine at Waldringfield on 29 Feb. (WALLER) ; at Barking o n 13 M a r c h (THURLOW), F r o s t e n d e n on 10 and C o r t o n W o o d s on 18 April (BTN) ; and seen on 29 M a r c h in woods at M e r t o n Hall in Norfolk (Miss M . I'. MUNNINGS), w h e r e it was noted by E D P r e s s , during late April.

CURIOUS

PREDILECTION

OF V A N E S S A . — A s

late

in

the

year

as

23 October, another M e m b e r and I were Walking along the base of the Sandy cliffs f r o m Kessingland to Lowestoft and were surprised to see f o u r Vanessa urticae and fully a half-dozen V. Atalanta, with one Pieris Brassica? and many of the Dragonflies Synipetrum striolatum.

T h e very remarkable circumstance was that every one of the Vanessae was sitting, with wings expanded, on the sand in the shade of the cliff and quite ignoring the hot sunshine, with little or no breeze, onlv four or five vards away f r o m them : j u s t the opposite to w h a t one would expect.—(Miss) MADGE

WILLIAMS ;

26

Oct.

[Might

not

their

position

be

an

approach to hibernation in the Sand Martins' holes, n u m e r o u s in this cliff's face ? Six degrees of frost feil four nights later.—Ed.] Uraba albula, HUB., N E W TO SUFFOLK ; &c.—In MY father's garden at Knoddishall near Leiston there was an unusual rush of M o t h s to light on 1 A u g u s t last. Among t h e m were Acro lycta leporina, L., Nonagria dissoluta, T r . , Euproctis pha'orrhaea, Don., Earias chlor ana, L . and a single Nola albula, H b . T h e last is an addition to the Suffolk List ( M e m . Suff. Nat. Soc. 1937, p. 17) and identical with the purchased example in Ipswich M u s e u m , except that the submarginal line is wavy. [We have b u t one unlocalised specimen, f r o m M r . Rait-Sinith's collection.—Ed.] Five L e p i d opterists had a good night in Barking Wood on 12 J u n e , w h e n there came to light L. sororcula, L. flexula, A. sylvata,E. dolabraria, D. trimacula, and Stauropus fagi.

With t h e m was one Boarmia consortaria, taken by M r . John Rensuf, of especial interest and extending the species' ränge f r o m M r . Beaufoy's last year's capture in Bentley Woods. O n 10 April I took five Vanessa polychloros at Stowmarket, of which two laid batches of eggs that proved infertile.—H.

E.

CHIPPERFIELD.

Diacrisia urticae, ESP., AT LIGHT.—At most seven isolated specimens of this rare Arctiid are recorded in the Society's 1937 " M e m o i r " f r o m Suffolk : none Said to be at light. Later I myself have taken two : one in marshes below Westwood Lodge in Blythbro' on 25 J u n e 1937 and one just north of Potters Bridge in South Cove on 27 J u n e 1939. Hence the H o n . Secretary and I were delighted to secure four males very shortly after lighting the M o t h - l a m p on Kessingland Denes on 14 J u n e last, with the sea to the east and the mile-long Stretch of virgin marsh to Latimer D a m on the west. T h e y appeared, with no more than a very few D. menthrasti and no Lubricipeda, for just over an hour ; then

244

OBSERVATIONS

arose a fatal mist.—P. J. B U R T O N , 1 Marine Parade, Lowestoft.

[Our sole previous male was captured at Hornipg, Norfolk, 7 May 1899.—Hon. See.] Meliana flammea. C U R T . , NEAR THE E A S T COAST.—Since the vague record of this marsh Noctuid M o t h from " Suffolk " (Meyrick, 66), it has been creeping eastward : " a good n u m b e r at light, Brandon, 29 and 30 May 1939 " (Entom. lxxiv, 172) ; at light in Thelnetham Fen, 22 June 1946 (Trans. S N S , vi, 56). Now I am glad to be able to record it from within a mile of the Suffolk coast in the marshes of Blythburgh, near the heronry, where I cut the pupa that is now in M r . Morley's collection from a reed, whence the imago emerged at Lowestoft on 31 May 1948. Dearth of reedexaminers hitherto will account for its previous omission from East Suffolk.

A COAST-LITORAL Caradrina Hellmanni, E v . — M e m b e r Bickerstaff and I worked the Corton sea-denes with sugar and light on 23 July, when were secured plenty of the common Noctuae, along with many Agrotis ripa, Hb., which I have bred in some numbers thence this year. I found it persisted wild there tili at least 7 August, despite its main terrain being washed away by high seas last December. For the week-end Dr. De Worms joined me and I took him on 26 July to the same spot where, to our astonishment, turned u p a speeimen of the local and exclusively fen Noctua Caradrina Hellmanni, Evers. (noted by him as Fluxa, Hb., at Entom. 1948, p. 221). T h e day had been particularly fine and warm, with a soft SSW. breeze, upon which our Hon. Secretary suggests the speeimen was wafted, over intervening uplands, the three miles from Oulton inland marshes. On our coast, its foodplants Calamagrostis epigejos is noted nowhere and C. lanceolata

by H i n d only at Covehithe.—P. J. B U R T O N W I L D SUFFOLK G I P S Y M O T H . — O n 2 5 June I found a nearly fully grown larva of Lymantria dispar, L., on the trunk of an oak at Brimlin Wood in Chattisham but mainly Wenham Magna ; this produced a male imago on 8 August. T h i s species is supposed to have been extinet in our county since taken at Stowmarket and Aldeburgh ante 1870 ; but, as the dealers have been advertising it for sale in its early stages, probably many people have been rearing it in captivity and that there have been many escapes or deliberate releases. T h e release of insects in areas where they do not normally exist is much to be deprecated [though we cannot have too many gladsome Butterflies.—Ed.], as future records are immediately rendered suspect. In this respect, are the Argynnis paphia now commonly seen in woods around Ipswich the progeny of those introduced from the New Forest some five years ago when it was thought that Butterfly was nearly extinet in Suffolk, or are they due to a natural " come-back," as has so often happened with Lepidoptera ? Nobody knows ! However, it is gratifying to

OBSERVATIONS

245

record that the Silver-washed Fritillary seems to be well established again in Bentley Wood where it was absent for many years, as well as in woods around Needham Market. Several Calocalpe certata, Hb., were attracted to lighted Windows in Ipswich in April : the larvae had probably been feeding on adjacent Berberis.

The § § deposited several ova, and the resulting larvae were successfully reared on Berberis ; they are now in the pupal stage.—S. BEAUFOY. Boarmia roboraria, S C H F . , CONFIRMED S U F F O L C A N . — I was delighted to breed from its pupa on 14 May 1947 a $ of this local Geometer, whose identity was confirmed on 8 November following by our Hon. Secretary and Mr. Jim Burton. T h e larva was quite certainly taken in Suffolk, and probably in Bentley Wood ; but of its exact locality I cannot be sure. [That the woods about Bentley, under persistent Observation ever since 1892, should produce such conspicuous rarities as B. consortaria, Fab. (Trans, supra, p.57) and B. roboraria, whence the asterick may now be Struck off, is further proof of how inexhaustible is such an Eden, access to which we owe to our excellent Member, Mr. Raydon Wilson of Belstead Hall.— Ed.] In Barking Wood near Needham Market my father and I took at light three Stauropus fagi, L., on 12 and 26 June 1948 : among our best captures in this otherwise very barren year.— GEOFFREY

BURTON.

Rhodometra sacraria, L., IN I. WIGHT.—We had great times with Sacraria last October ! It appeared in stubble-fields all over the Island ; but my wife and I went out to adjacent ones time after time without seeing it in October. T h e n we heard of the capture of forty specimens in such a field rather farther away ; so off we went again and, despite the rise of a dense sea-mist, got ten, and another day sixteen. Of all, only two were and they laid eggs whose larvae all died. However, a friend sent more and these are just pupating; but they, also, died badly when nearly fully fed, so I am wondering if any will emerge. T h e Moths were beautifully varied : pink stripe, brown stripe, deeper ground colour and entirely pink. This has been a great year for Clouded Yellows, too ; I last savV it, and var. helice, on 6 November, when a spell of bad weather put an end to them.—Dr. K. G. BLAIR, Freshwater ; 23 Jan. 1948.

SUFFOLK M A C R O - M O T H S IN 1948.—The weather this year has been against active collecting, for very few nights have been seasonably warm : many in June and August phenomenally chilly.

Apart from which there seems to have been unusually little Aying even on favourable occasions. [Never, through this Society's twenty years, have so few reports come in.—Ed.] Last night, 28 August, my father and I went irto Barking Woods (for brevity, abbreviated BK) near Needham Market (NM), to find practically

246

OBSERVATIONS

nothing Aying. F H means Foxhall and K G Kesgrave, both heaths to east of Ipswich ; T u d means Tuddenham St Mary near Mildenhall in north-west Suffolk. All records refer to 1948 unless indicated. Arrangement is in accordance with the Society's Memoir i, 1937, pp. 13-101.—6. Sororcula : 3 at light in BK flylng round Art6' °therS ° a k - t 0 P S - 11. Senex : Bosmere and N M ry. Station-yard. 12. Miniata : 2 only, at light F H 31 vn. 16. Fuliginosa : a dozen at 1. F H , K G , Playford ' BK Bosmere, T u d . , 47-8. 19. Menthrasti : o n e a t light N M 16 v'iii47 21. Russula : a doz. at car-lights on road at Brightwell 3 vii 23 Vühca : a doz. at 1., F H , v-vi, 47-8. 31. Bkolorana : bred Barking larva, 18 vi. 32. Prasinana : F H . half-doz F H v-vi 33. Rivayana : two at light, BK, K G , 30 iv 47 and 25 vii 17' Mendica : 1 $ at 1. BK, 25 v 47. 34. Leporina : one at 1 F H 31 y 47. 49. Dnsoluta : 3 at Reeds and 1. Shingle street in Hollesley, 4 vm 47 ; one at Reeds, K G , 30 viii 47 ; two wings found on Playford heath, ditto. 52. Gemimpuncta : at 1. T u d 16 vm 47. 61. Pyralina : singly at BK and Bosmere, viii 47-8' 65. Subtusa : half-doz. at 1. BK, 15 viii. 71. Lutosa : one N M light, 16 x 47. Spodoptera exigua, Hb. (Trans, iv, p. 35) ; singly at light BK and N M , ix 1947. 74. Phragmitidis : about Reeds K G and Shinglestreet in Hollesley, vii 47. 77. Arcuosa : one at Framhngham, 10 vii 1939. 102. Ochroeuca : three at Valerian fl in vm, Shinglestreet, 47 and BK. 103. Ophiogramma : a doz at Purple Loosestnfe fl. and Tansy, Bosmere, vii 47 ; one at 1 there 29 vn. 106. Leucostigma : T u d . , rare 47. 122. Vestigialis : F H and T u d . at Heather ; one at N M . at 1. 150. Orbona : singly at sugar, Playford 47 ; two bred from larvae thence, 11-12 June 47 152. Fimbna : BK light, one 47. 154. Interjecta : singly BK Cotton, Bixley decoy, Shinglestreet and T u d . 167. Aurago one at Ivy fl., both Bosmere and Coddenham 47. 184. Umbratica • singly, Bixley decoy and Barham, vi 47. 185. Asteris : one at dusk, Shinglestreet in Hollesley, 20 vii 47. 194 Vimlnalis • singly N M and BK, vii 47-8. 202. Impudens : one Creeting late June 47. 206. Flavicolor : Waldringfield, vii 47-8, a doz at dusk and 2 on sugar. 209. Albipimcta : one at FH, 31 vii [cp M r Jim Burton there that night.—Ed.] 227. Carpophaga : dusk and light, numerous at Shinglestreet. 230. Ccespitis : at light Aue Playford and T u d . 238. Genistee : one on sugar BK 26 M 240. Dissimilis : Shinglestreet, 4 at 1., 47. 244. Nebulosa • BK 2 at rest and sugar, vi 47-8. 248. Myrtilli : a few on F H heath' 31 vn. 252. Cribralis : several K G and Waldringfield 4 7 - 8 ' 261. Flexula : singly, 12 vi 24, vii 47-8, BK, Sutten Heath and Barton Mills. 273. l'ncula : Bosmere, Creeting and at light Tud., vi and viii. 272. Luctuosa : one at 1. Creeting, 4 vi 47 292' Coryli : BK light, a doz. v-vi-vii 47-8. 293. Chrysorrhcea : "one at light N M , October 47. 296. Monacha : light BK and T u d 298. Muricata : one Barton Mills, vii 47. 303. Subsericeata :

OBSERVATIONS

247

several F H , vi 47. 304. Inornata : several FH, 31 vii. 306.

Emarginata : F H and Bosmere. 316. Emutaria : one at light Waldringfield, 3 vii. 327. Pustulata : BK, F H , Bixley and Barton Mills. 328. Vernaria : two BK, 25 vii. 332. Viretata : one F H , 5 v 47. 334. Sexalisata : Bixley in F H , 8 vi 47. 340.

Venosata : one F H , 16 vi 47. 373. Nanata : heaths at F H and T u d . , 5 v-16 viii. 374. Subnotata : N M , Waldringfield, Shinglestreet in Hollesley. 381. Ruf ata : 7-24 v only, at N M , FH, 385. Certata and 422. Berberata : several quite fresh o f b o t h in the Bury locality, on 27 iv and 27 v respectively, 47. 387. Vetulata : 2 worn $ $ beaten from Buckthorn at Tuddenham, 25 July 1947.

399. Virgata : singly at Creeting, 9 vi 47, and at light T u d . , 23 viii, both 47. 411. Trifasciata : F H , Bixley, Creeting, 4-19 vi, a dozen in all. 421. Rubidata : 5 at Blakenham Parva, vi 37-8. 428.

Unifasciata : one at Barking on 3 August 1947. 429. Alchemillata : half-dozen, N M , and Bosmere, 29 vii-6 viii. 435. Fluviata : singly in 1947, at Barham 23 May and Creeting 4 June. 436.

Comitata : several T u d . , vii 47. 453. Multistrigaria : a dozen at light, F H and K G , all 9 iv 47. 458. Quadrifasciaria : nearly a dozen at Bosmere, Blakenham Parva, Bramford, 22 vi-14 vii 47-8.

471. Liturata : one Barton Mills, 47. 478. Luridata : half-dozen singly at Foxhall, 17 v-13 vi 47-8. 518. Dolabaria : half-dozen BK and F H , 16 v-18 vi 47-8. 523. Lunaria : one <J at light, Shrubland in Barham, 24 v 47. 525. Syringaria : BK, vi.

536. Duplaris : T u d . light, 23 viii 47. 541. Ridens : 2 $ ? FH, 5-8 v 47 ; bred on 11 iv 48. 554. Convolvuli one at Wetherden n. d. 559. Pigra : 3 larvae in Tud.Fen, 47. 562. Dromedaria : half-dozen in 47 ; K G , light at Tud., and bred from Bentley larvae. 564. Dictaoides : 2 FH, 47. 565. TremuJa : bred from eggs on 7-8-10 v 47. 581. Lacertinaria : a dozen at F H light on 31 vii and only one $ there 14 viii. 584. Binaria : singly at 1., BK, 24 vii and 15 viii and F H at Heather 31 vii. 591. Rubi : on heaths at FH, Brightwell, and larvae at Playford ; not uncommon.

806. Statices : June 47, a few at Barton Mills 21 st, several at Creeting 13th.

1200. Myopiformis : one r j in N M street, 24 vi 47.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;JOHN

AND G E O F F .

BURTON.

C O N G O S I L K W O R M I N BRITAIN.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Recently I received from Cheshire a $ of some foreign processionary Lasiocampid Moth that I gave to our Hon. Secretary for identification and to place in his collection. Its origin was a mystery. This, however, was solved a few days later by Dr. Stuart Smith of 9 Cromwell, Gatley, who writes : I caught your Moth on my laboratory window and naturally supposed it to be a British species. But the appearance of another there last week set me thinking. Not Ion; ago, small samples of African silk, with their internal cocoons, were sent for processing ; and of the latter a few pupae were retained. I find that the lan ae of these Anaphe infracta Moths feed communally

248

OBSERVATIONS

within a communal outer silken covering about the size of a cocoanut, and finally spin their individual cocoons within its shelter.

Congo natives use the external covering as silk and eat the fully fed larvae which, when fried in palm oil, are their chief source of protein.—S. BEAUFOY ; 15 Sept.

M A C R O L E P I D O P T E R A OF 1 9 4 8 . — T h i s year, collecting has been restricted by many pretty lethal conditions, including restricted m o t h - l i g h t : some were due to nation-wide climate and others a good deal more intimate ; I have spent a week in camp and three at harvesting. And I have not met with Uraba albula, H b . , of whose capture in Suffolk this year rumours reach my ears. On 4 Sept. I took my Tilley lamp to marshy meadows near the Gipping in Stowmarket and, shortly after 8 p.m., netted a Noctua Aying in, which was a p e r f e c t L . albipuncta, and after 10 another flew straight at the lamp ; the species seems widespread and merely hitherto overlooked, for I took it last year at Framlingham in October and this year in our Stowmarket house at 9.15 on 6 Sept. O n 10 Aug. a w o r n H. ophiogramma was netted in the same meadow ; in late July A. luctuosa was Aying in the sun, and A. rubiginata came to light at W r e t h a m in the Norfolk breck. L. viretata was resting at Framlingham in early June, where was also C. spartiata last autumn ; L. vitalbata came to Stowmarket light on 10 and 21 A u g u s t ; and L. procellata in Barking Wood on 25 July. Both sexes of ArgynnisPaphiü were still Aying in that wood as late as 22 Aug. ; but only a single Vanessa polychloros has appeared to me this year : at Framlingham on 24 July, and no more than two or three V. cardui.

Satyrus JEgeria abounded in the Bois de Vincennes, nearly in the main city of Paris, at Easter ; it was no rarer at Poitou in central France, where I took Megcera, Cardamines, Rubi and a coveted Pieris Daplidice.

In the above marshy Stowmarket meadows on 29 August, an unusually dark Lycaena Phloeas was spotted ; when boxed it was found to have the inner half of both fore-wings dusky brown instead of the usual copper colour : a form intermediate between the typical one and the var. suffusa that is figured by Frohawk. T h e r e at about 3 p.m., M r . W . S. George of Haiesworth T h o r o u g h f a r e called my attention to an /Egtria formicijormis that was sitting on Ragwort-flower : I was surprised at its late date : but everything has been late in 1948 and M r . G . D . Rensuf of Finborough Road in Stowmarket has quite recently taken several S. Ligustri larvae.—ALASDAIR E . A S T O N ; 15 Sept.

P U P A T I O N OF Drepana cultraria, FAB.—Early in October 1947 I examined many empty husks that had contained Beech n u t s and been blown off a tall tree near St. Austeil in Cornwall. I n two I found a little silken tent spread across the bottom of the cup, and covering a small pupa. T h e s e hatched in my breeding cage on 9th of the following April into D. cultraria.

Most authors teil one that the species pupates in a silken cocoon spun between leaves

OBSERVATIONS

249

of its food-plant, or in a loose cocoon among the leaves with which they fall to the ground in a u t u m n . Nowhere do I find any reference to its retiring into the actual Beech-mast's case ; and I quite failed to discover any pupae among the dead leaves here. I see our friend M r . G o d d a r d alone has turned u p this M o t h in Suffolk where w i l l beech is so rare, and then in our beloved Blythburgh Wood, where the " Daddies " most abound.—(Dr.) MELVILLE HOCKING ; 1 M a y

1948.

morning, in a Pine vvood at Belstead, I found a newly emerged Sphinx pinastri femaleclinging to the t r u n k of one of the trees ; when I first detected it, the wings though fully developed, had not quite straightened out, showing it to have certainly bred in that wood. T h i s definitely establishes the species' occurrence four miles f u r t h e r south than previously known, i.e., m y record f r o m south Ipswich (Trans, v, 220), practically completing its ränge from Norfolk at Herringfleet to Essex.

R . M . PIGOT ; 18 July 1948.—One on " outskirts " of Ipswich on 3 July (D. G . L u p t o n in Local Paper on 6 July, there commented upon by M e m b e r H . J. F . W O O D on 12th and your Hon. Secretary on 9th). One perfect ? near Hinton Hall in Blythbro so late as 4 Aug. (G. BAKER). Five on pine-trunks at Sutton Heath, 20 July 1 9 4 7 ( G E O F F . B U R T O N ) . — A Charterhouse boy recently told me t h i t he had taken twelve specimens of Pine Hawks near Godalming during the present t e r m ; and a neighbour here, who has a large M o t h collection, took a few in the same neighbourhood in 1946.

O S W A L D H. LATTER, M.A., F.E.S., T h e Elms, Godalming ; 1 0 July.

[We had not heard of it f r o m Surrey before ; and it has now appeared in Herts. (Entom. 1948, p. 202).—Ed.] W i t h the above specimen, M r . L u p t o n records a perfect wild S. ligustri from Ipswich as early as 23 May this year ; one was reared on 6 May at Felixstow by M e m b e r A'. E. ORFORD, to whom were brought four others picked u p dead before 14 June ; one came f r o m L o u d h a m in Pettistree(Scales) and one f r o m a Lowestoftgarden (DR. M E A D ) , both on 7 August.

And on 2 6 June M e m b e r M R S . W O O D f o u n d a füll fed Gastropacha quercifolia larva in her Raydon garden that pupated the next day and emerged as a male o r 2 A u g u s t .

P I N E AND PRIVET H A W K S . — T h i s

A NORFOLK Deilephila galii, R O T T . (cf. T r a n s , iii, 86).—Near Holt on the north Norfolk coast on 10 Augustl948 I found the fully grown caterpillar of a Bedstraw Hawk M o t h on Bay-leaf Willowherb. I showed it to M r . Donald Blaxill on 15th, when he said it was of sufficient interest to record : the larva ha since-gone u n d e r g r o u n d to pupate, as also has a second taken at the same place on 30th. At the same time my boy found a D. Elpenor larva.— L T . - C O L . P . E. D. P A N K , Lawford Rectory, near Manningtree, Essex ; 9 September.

A U T U M N Stellatarum, L . — S o remarkable does the dearth in Suffolk of the H u m m i n g b i r d Hawkmoth appear to be this year, after its pervasion throughout at least the entire eastern moietv

250

OBSERVATIONS

of the county from early June well into October, and this despite or on account of a phenomenally mild winter, that it may be well to put upon record its belated occurrence at Walton near Felixstow on 16 September 1948: one on a variety of Buddleia flower in the early morning and a second at 5.30 p.m. at Luvender and lateflowenng Honeysuckle.

A good many Sphinx Vgustri, L., have been bred at Felixstow this s u m m e r . - A . E . O R F O R D ; 16 Sept.

KESSINGLAND D E N E S ' MOTHS.—In the midst of a long succession of chilly nights, we were able, despite the petrol restriction that has so irntatingly narrowed activities far afield all this year, to sample the coast Moths eastward and marsh Moths westward upon Kessingland sand-hills (as at Trans, vi, p. 59) on 14 June 1948 from dusk to 2 a.m. Greenwich time. T h e wind has dropped and no more than a breath from SW. by S. was appreciable at midnight, when the temperature stood at 64°. T h e better species at light including one surprising Micro. NEW to Suffolk and four to our collections, were :—the above most welcome Diacrisia urticae, all within a few minutes of 10.30 ; a few Arctia villica ; an abundance of Caradrina Elymi, on grasses at dusk ; many Harmodia capsmcola and carpophaga Aying to White Campion flowers at dusk ; a few Eustrotia uncula ; several Hydriomena decolorata at dusk (and in the Waveney marshes at N. Flixton on lOth H. albulata ; Semiothisa notata, new to Blythburgh Wood on 6th ; one rather worn $ Polyploca octogesima on sugar at N. Flixton on lOth, with Drymonia trimacula at light;) Anerastia lotella and one $ Gymnancyla canella, Hb., fifteen miles further north than its previous northmost locality at Leiston, where it was last taken in Suffslk over fifty years ago (Mem. SNS. i, 119) ; many Chilo phragmitellus and Phlyctcenia cilialis, which latter was also in N. Flixton marsh on lOth ; Phalonia atricapitana ; (several Evetria sylvestrana, Ct., N E W to Suffolk, were beaten from Spruce in Blythburgh Wood on 6th., with many Eucosma tcedella ;)E. nigrimaculana and oneE. expaUidana, hitherto noted from only far-away Felixstow and west Tuddenham ; Single Telphusa humeralis, equally rare at only Aldeburgh and Thetford, andElachista apicipunctella with abundant E. albifrontella, Coleophora tripoliella and caspititella and Plutella maculipennis. T h e prize of the night was a $ P. Dalella, Staint., N E W to Suffolk and usually accounted a northern species but, as Sisymbrium Sophia occurs along all our coast, to be expected here.

Hepiahs hectus was common, well out in the north Flixton marshes and far from any Bracken. We are indebted to M r . Rait-Smith for several Micro-names.

M O T H S AT F O X H A L L L I G H T . — T h e abruptly truncated " Summer " of 1948 consisted of the fortnight preceding 31 July. Upon that night, balmy and windless with slight zephyr from the southwest, we watched the Butterflies Semele and /Egon selecting nightquarters, while the fiery ball of the sun gradually sank over Rushmere. Dusk feil ; and Strigula (porphyrea) abounded over

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Heather with a few other Agrotes, Pruinata, Leuc. annulata and Myrtiii.

N o Castanea or, indeed, anything noteworthy excepting Ablipuncta (cf. p. 134) visited sugar ; but the evening seemed so favourable that the lamp was lit early. Common things flocked at once and a half-dozen unexpected Heteroptera Chorosoma Schillingi (cf. p. 54) and Heterotoma merioptera with many larvae of Euclidia mi crawled to the sheet from surrounding heath-grasses. Better kinds came later : Lithosia complana, Phrag. fuliginosa, Nanata, Quadrifasciaria,Lacertinaria and t w o Z . pyrina.

But, as at Kessingland, Micros greatly predominated and afforded the catch of the night : Anerastia lotella, surprising at nine miles from the sea and three from the River Orwell ; Salebria betulae, and not tili after midnight came dozens of <3 $ Acentropus niveus, hitherto considered rare in Suffolk and here, on the highest point of arid heathland, remarkable for a marsh-species feeding on Potamogeton !

Scoparia truncicollela, Endotricha and numerous Synaphe angustalis ; Euxanthis angustana, several common Hemimene, a few (Egoconia quadripuncta and many Elachista albifrontella. Borkhausia fuscesens on 8th and Cerostoma xylostella on 3 August were at Monks' Soham windows. As at Kessingland, one N E W Suffolk species flew to this Foxhall l i g h t : the very local Devon to Norfolk Phyctid Cateremna terebrella, Zinck, that feeds on Pine, within a hundred yards of which our light flashed. At 1 a.m. it was doused, as the moon rose redly over Martlesham aerodrome a mile away, and the carlights were turned on to the sheet. These brought merely E. popularis and C. umbra, so Foxhall was left in another half-hour, placid and serene as of yore.—MLY AND BTN. T O R T R I C I D N E W TO SUFFOLK.—When our H o n . Secretary and I were sweeping over very rough herbage, blackthorn six inches high &c., just outside the west edge of Barking Wood soon after noon on the dull and cool 5 June last, I found in my net a most conspicuous Tortricid, whose upper wings bore three gold and two black cross-bands. Neither of us knew it ; and he was sure it must be a county novelty. So we spent a füll hour thoroughly working the locality ; b u t no second specimen turned up.

Curiously, we were later on the point of sending it for determination to Canon Waller when a box arrived from him containing, out of the 2,313 (Heslop's 1947 total) British Lepidoptera, this very species labelled " Oxsted, 4 vi 1911, T W M " and duly named Euxanthis (olim Argyrolepia) ceneana, H b . T h i s is recorded (Mem. SNSoc. i, 141) from Essex, hence to be expected in Suffolk which, however, is its northern British limit, for Meyrick (1928,498) knew it' from only four extreme SE. counties : Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Middlesex, where Stainton gives it solely as once, before 1850 says Barrett, occurring commonly at Willesden.

T h e larva feeds throughout winter in roots and stems of the common and marsh Ragworts. O u r s was probably the first of his brood, as June is the imagines' normal month on the wing and many recen' nights had been chilly.—P. J. B U R T O N ; Lowestoft.

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E. ceneana is very local, though not so local as Meyrick estimates.

I myself have Seen it in Kent at Chattenden, St. Mary's-at-Hoo, in the Deal and Romney marshes ; in Surrey at Limpsfield, where Sheldan and I took it ; in south Hampshire [not NForest.—CM.], and the Yarmouth district of I. Wight. In Essex I have found it near Silbury, Mucking, Rettenden between here and Chelmsford, Orsett near Brentwood, and in the Southend district at Wakering, Eastwood, Canvey, Benfleet and Shoebury. I have vvorked north Essex very little, and believe I took it there once when with your Member, the late M r . W. S. Gilles ; but my diaries were lost in the 1939 war and no speeimen in my series is thence.

However, I should expect to find it anywhere there on heavy and dampish and tenacious clay with Ragwort, that is slightly raised ; I noticed it commonest on rather low hills of about 1-200 feet above sea level, though at Benfleet and Shoebury it is little more than ten feet above Ö.D. : most of my localities are on London Clay, while at Limpsfield and in I. Wight it Was a heavy blue clay.— H . C. H U G G I N S , F.R.E.S., 875 London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea ; 27 July 1948.

O A K S ' D E F O L I A T I O N . — I hope the present rains will soon wash at least some of the caterpillars, with which and their interminable webs one at present comes home festooned from every visit to the woeds ; already very many of the Oaks are presenting a bare, chewed-up and brown aspect.—(Miss) M A R G A R E T P. M U N N I N G S , Merton near Thetford ; 2 May. [Such defoliation was especially noticed by us at Shrubland Park on 5 June, when the majority of hedgerow Oaks had become quite broWn. T h e principal culprit is the Green Oak Moth Tortrix viridana (our 1937 Memoir, p. 143), but the Winter Moth Operophtera brumata is a good trencherman, and altogether no less than 104 different kinds of Macro-lepidoptera alone feed on Oaks, along with no doubt a much larger number of other Insects. If this grand old Tree bore humanly edible fruit, more would be heard about its ravagers.—Ed.]

At length, too late to benefit anything but autumn species, the weather began to balance on the genial side about mid-September, with gradually more sunshine tili on 26th came the hottest day in that special month since 1907, with no cloud from early morn to near dewy eve, when a storm lowered. Temperature rose in London to 77° and in High Suffolk well over 70°, with 68° at dusk. " Satyrus semele wras feeding on Michaelmas Daisies in my Long Melford garden on 23 r d ; and there I saw my first Vanessa c-album of 1948 on 27th," writes Member C H A R L E S H , R O W . " After an abominable summer, this is a capital autumn for sugaring," adds Member P. B. M . A L L A N from Bishops Stortford in Herts. on 28th ; " there have been literally thousands of Noctuce on my sugar recently." Best weather of the year was recorded for mid-Öctober when the phenomenal number of eleven Rhopalocera

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were observed in north-east Suffolk. T h e 12th was balmy and serene with small southerly air and a shadc temperature of 64 ', against Falmouth 52". Kessingland cliffs were bathed in sun.

Here were several shrubs of Sea Buckthorn with a Single large clump, along with flowering Tamarisk, bearing no Limotettix. • Blossoms of Poppy, Achilea, Tansy and Hieraceum (attracting the Bee Haiictus leucozonius) made a brave show, among which were the Butterflies Io, Comma, urticae pamphilus, phloeas. and one or two tardy C o m m o n Blues. A Meadow Broivn at Frostenden on 9th October and the two Whites, Rapae and Napi, complete the delayed eleven October Butterflies.—Ed. O C T O B E R ACULEATES, &C.—Remarkable for nothing b u t its very late date was the activity of a half-dozen Bees and Sand-wasps on 10 October this year. At Somerleyton common species of Bombt were frequently seen ; and Haiictus leucozonius, Scp., sitting on such flowers as were still in blossom. Half way between Herringfleet church and Somerleyton Station the Pleistocene valley-sand cliff, facing south-west over the Waveney marshes, is among the hottest spots of Suffolk. Here at a height of some fifty feet the sun poured down in unusual splendour in the afternoon, and the Fossor Mellinus arvensis, L., was busily storing its nests with the usual Muscid Diptera.

In the actual face of the cliff were some Ammophila sabulosa, L., one of which was watched for a füll hour both before and after tea at the adjacent Dukes Head : it went through all the interesting phases recounted at Trans, v, 228, but in this case the larval prey was Hadena lucipara, L. Close to its b u r r o w I netted a $ Salius exaltatus, Fab. and a couple of nidificating $ $ Pompilus rufipes, L., of which latter one was carrying a Spider that Dr. Hull has kindly determined as a peculiarly late $ of Aranea Redii, Scp., commonest in June. T h a t morning our H o n . Secretary and I had taken, among many common kinds, the I c h n e u m o n s Aritranis carnifex, Grav. and Ichneumon caloscelis, W s m . , on Angelica flowers in the same marshes close to Oulton church and just north of Oulton Broad.—P. J. B U R T O N , L o w e s t o f t ; 20 Oct. H A B I T S OF Bethylus fuscicornis, JUR.—At (Greenwich) noon in sun and slight southerly air on 30 August last, I noticed at Monks' Soham a presumably $ B. fuscicornis running about on the surface and, much less frequently, undersides of leäves of the Japanese Polygonum cuspidatum, S & Z., four feet f r o m the ground ; and knowing how little is upon record about the economy of that genus, set myself to watch it closely. T h i s I did for over a quarter-hour ; never once did it attempt to use its very short wings (var. syngenesice, Hai.) or take the least notice of me and the only other insects then upon the leaves : small black Phora: flies, probably Phora aterrima, Fab., grey Tachydromia, probably T. calceata, Meij., and Aphthona virescens.

It ran fairly rapidly with mouth close to

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OBSERVATIONS

fulcrum all round the edge of each leaf, with occasional detours to their inner parts, certainly searching as though for honeydew, none of which and Aphides were a p p a r e n t ; and rarely pausing as though to lap u p food with its ligula f r o m the leaf, f r o m which it passed to the next always by means of their stems. Never by other means, even when they touched ; and it seemed to recognise by scent or memory where it had already traversed : on finding its spoor, it followed the opposite direction. Nothing f u r t h e r seemed likely to happen, so I abandoned the Observation ; but, after jotting these notes, I found her still on an adjacent leaf at 12.45. At dusk that evening, with temp. 61°,thesameleaveswere being similarly searched by the Flies Dilophus febrilis, L . and Lauxania cenea, Mg., with Beetles Phalacrus coruscus, Pz., Cyphoti nitidulus, T h . and Phyllotretavittula, Redt. T h e present specimen's behaviour was very different to that of a macropterous $ seen running over leaves of Arctiurr. minus in the same garden on 3 July 1921 : these leaves she tapped with her antennal tips, precisely as do Ichmeumonids.—CLAUDE MORLEY.

ANOTHER Pimpla Burtoni (TRANS, V, 201).—A third specimen of this species new to Science was swept by me amongst Reeds at the marshy east end of Blythburgh Wood on 3 August 1947, in rather worn condition as one would expect in a a m o n t h later than either of the previous records. I am still hoping to discover which Leucania or Nonagria it is parastitic u p o n . — P . J. BURTON, L o w e s t o f t ; 5 Sept INSECTS ON IVY-FLOWERS.—After the October Meeting some M e m b e r s tried sugar on Walberswick Heath posts, quite vainly for not a Moth would stir when the temperature dropped ten degrees at dusk. But, in the densely sheltered Valley at Henstead marsh, the blossoms of old Ivy yielded unexpected results. Here was the local Hylophilid m o t h Sarrothripus Revayana, Scop., upon t h e m with a few common Noctuids. And, after we had beaten for some time with negative results, suddenly one particular Ivy-bough deposited on the tray a scintillating mass of about a thousand specimens of the Bibionid fly Scatopse scutellata, Lw., without a S. picea, Mg., among t h e m : along with a few Beetles, Epurea unicolor, Oliv, and Micrambe vini, Pz., neither of which seems recorded from Ivy before, though we took the former on it at Frostenden in late September 1945.—MLY and BTN. A TIPULID N E W TO SUFFOLK.—Many of the common British Daddy-longlegs are not yet noted in Suffolk, having been hitherto simply overlooked. One of these is Tipula signata, Staeg., of which a Q was taken Aying among grasses in my Monks' Soham paddock on 18 May last. I attracted several to M o t h s ' sugar at night during a month's work in Parkground at Lyndhurst, June 1936.

It differs from the common T. Steegen, Niel (Trans, v, 188), in its

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255

blackish alar Stigma which is conspicuously darker than the wings' ground coloration : a poor distinction since this density of pigment is very variable in the latter species ; better are the m u c h larger size, stouter structure and thicker legs.—Pales flavescens, L., were frequent, with one Limnophila fulvinervosa, Schm., at midnight light on Kessingland denes, 14 June ; Tipula oleracea, L., at n o r t h Flixton light, 9 June ; many T. vernalis, Mg., were in Frostenden brick-pits, 6 June ; and T. fulvipennis, D e G . , in M o n k s Soham paddock. Erioptera lutea, Mg., abounded at light after dark in Crettingham watery wood on 5 June. A $ Erioptera ttenionota, Mg., flew into Monks' Soham light, 8.30 on 31 Aug. ; and a $ Limnophila dispar, Mg., at 10 p.m. on 27 Sept.

M O S Q U I T O CONFIRMED AS S U F F O L C I A N . — T h e supposition that Culex fumipennis, Ste., occurs in our bogs (Trans, vi, 7) is confirmed by an abundance of $ $ that were dancing over Fritton Lake, close to the Hall boathouse on 12 June 1948. Elsewhere I have taken both sexes at Catfield marsh in Norfolk on 5 J u n e 1933 and $ $ by sweeping in Shapwick peatmoor, Somerset, on 16 July that year.

I will add that a $ Anopheles plumbceus, Ste., turned u p on a M o n k s Soham window, 18 August 1948.

Thalassomyia Frauenfeldi, S C H I N . , AT K I R K L E Y . — ^ ^ of this Clunionine G n a t were the commonest kind of Flies harbouring f r o m a stiff southerly breeze on the white-plastered Walls of shelters, with a few Crane-flies Tipula oleracea, L . and $$ Limonia maculipennis, Mg., at the base of Kirkley Cliff on 12 October last. A dozen feet away the sea at high tide Washes the base of the esplanade, which there is rendered bright green by a profuse growth of the Alga Ulva lactuca, L., u p o n which this Chironimid's larvae were found to feed at Gorleston (Trans, i, 212).

These sat quiescently at noon ; and, when disturbed by me, did not attempt to fly away but used their small wings to skip about against the wall with an obvious b u t inaudible buzz, quite unlike any other Chironomid of my acquaintance. O u r M e m b e r , Miss Williams, noticed none there three days later. T h e locality is new ; and the species now known (Trans, vi, 95) to occur along our whole coast-line at Green Lane in Baw'dsey (I.e. iv, p. xxv), Dunwich, Easton Broad, Kirkley and Gorleston.

F L Y N E W TO S U F F O L K . — A t 3 p . m . o n 2 3 O c t o b e r 1 9 4 7 I w a s

looking at Ivy in my Monks' Soham garden to see if any Vanessa were visible, of which none at all appeared after 30 September' (a u n i q u e circumstance), when the temperature dropped from normal 60° at 11 p.m. to 45°. Suddenly the curvilinear r u n of a small Fly on the surface of a leaf before my eye attracted attention, and its peculiarity instantly suggested Platypezae (Trans, iv, 272).

W i t h o u t a second look, I fetched a box f r o m the adjacent m u s e u m and was able, by a dexterous dash, to secure this r j Platypeza

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fasciata, M g . I t is forty years since my first was taken, similarly running about Laurel leaves, in M r . Albert Piffard's garden at Felden near Boxmoor ; nor has it occurred to m e in the interim.

T h e species seems hitherto unrecognised in eastern England ; Verrall's records are f r o m Sussex, Dorset, H e r e f o r d and H e r t f o r d during 7 Sept. to 10 Oct., suggesting Hibernation. Larvae d o u b t less feed in Fungi, which renders its appearance in this unusually dry year the more remarkable ; b u t close attention showed no second specimen.

MOREIcterica Westermanni, MG.—Ever since the last specimen of this novelty was observed on 19 August 1945 (Trans, v, p. 237), the numerous Ragwort in my Monks' S o h a m paddock has been constantly examined. N o t tili 15 August 1948 did another appear ; and, even then, they were distinctly rare, confined to the sole plant on which the first were taken three years ago, and there only in the hottest midday sunshine u p to 28th. Its rarity in Suffolk, compared with the ubiquity of its p a b u l u m , is remarkable, t h o u g h the sluggish habits contribute to obscurity. It never sits on the flowerheads, as did its close ally the common I. miliaria, Sehr., on 13 June last in Frostenden brick-pits in cop. u p o n Thistles. " MULTITUDES OF SEPSIDS " (Trans, iv, 125).—Other instances of these unaccountable congregations accrue :—(1) M y M S . E n t o m ological Diary of 9 August 1914 shows "Sepsis cynipsea, L . (teste Edwards), abounding at West Leake eight miles f r o m Nottingham in incredible n u m b e r s low on Spanish Chestnut, probably attracted

by Fungi ; they partially filled my net at a single stroke."

(2) E M M . 1920, p. 232, records S. cynipsea (t. Edwards) in Leigh W o o d s near Bristol on 31 August in " countless thousands swarming at 3.5 p.m. on a young Ash plant, whose leaves were black with them. I could find no reason, though about two feet away were h u n d r e d s of dead W a s p s , " presumably Vespavulgaris, L .

T o which Edwards in October 1920 adds, I.e. p. 233 (3) at Swanley in K e n t " recently the le'aves of Alder and river grasses Were black with t h e m . Its life-history is u n k n o w n . " (4 and 5) are at lib. cit. 1934, p. 181 and 1943, p. 251. (6) T h e latest account is in Proc. Ent. Soc. 1947, p. 37, where a similar swarm of the splitspecies Sepsis tonsa, D u d . , was " completely covering a Bramble bush about four feet high in Cambridge on 21 September ; sexes almost exactly equal." An explanation of this curious phenomenon, apparently unnoted on the continent, awaits discovery.

Discomya eimieiformis, HAL., N E W TO SUFFOLK.—As Haliday's n a m e shows, this remarkable Fly very strongly resembles a Bug ; in fact, when it is Walking, the wings are as closely curved u p o n its back as those of Chyliza annulipes, M c q . and, the whole insect being black with dark wings, it strongly resembles the Heteropteron

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257

Poeciloscytus Gyllenhali, Fall. I had captured only one specimen at Monks' Soham through forty years' collecting, before our late M e m b e r , M r . E. C. Bedwell, gave me another $ that he discovered in moss at Peppers Wash beside the stream running south into Framlingham on 27 December 1940, proving its hibernation.

T h e s e seem worth recording now, since I took a couple of <Jc? running u p the outside of Monks' Soham drawing room window, three feet f r o m the ground, on respectively 1 Oct. 1947 and 7 Sept. 1948. Of D. incurva, Fall., I have seen only one $ which I beat f r o m bushes in a wood at Bulls Cross (the noted Large Blue locality) near Stroud in Glos, on 24 July 1938. T h e genus comes next to the curious salt-marsh Parhydroptera discomysina, described

by Collin (Entom. 1913, p. 1) f r o m numerous specimens f o u n d new to Science beside the Buss Creek at Southwold by me.—CLAUDE MORLEY. PARASITE OF M I C R O P U S APUS, L I N N . — I should be grateful if you will let me know the name of enclosed Bird-louse, several of which were found d i n g i n g to the neck of a dead Swift at Lowestoft.—F. C. COOK ; 23 July 1948.

[The parasite sent is a specimen of the Dipterous Bird-fly Oxypterum pallidum, Leach, a species NEW to the county, though generally not u n c o m m o n through Britain, invariably larger with broader wings &c. than the Swallow-fly Stenopteryx hirundinis, L., which our M e m b e r the Revd. H . A. Harris has found commonly in that Bird's nests at T h o r n d o n and for which this specimen was at first mistaken.—Ed.] S T A R - F I S H MORTALITY.—Thousands of dead Star-fish [Phylum xiv : Echinodermata of T r a n s , v, 88] were washed on the n o r t h west coast of Norfolk at the beginning of March. In some places were areas of over a h u n d r e d Square yards or more where the dead Echinoderms [presumably our commonest EAnglian species, Asterias rubens, L.,loc. cit.] were closely packed together, in layers three or four deep. Local residents removed loads of t h e m for manurial purposes. Can any readers offer any explanation as to the cause of their death ; and w h y so many should be washed u p in such a concentrated area ?—H. C. S W A N N , Veterinary Hospital, L o n d o n Road, Kings L y n n : in the " Field," 27 M a r c h 1948.

[Sorry not. N o data adduced.—Ed.].

RAY NEW NAMED.—I am able to add to the List of Suffolk Pisces at Trans, ii, 130, the name of Raja Montagui, Fowler. = R . maculata, M o n t . (Trans, ii, 130), nec Shaw 1804. Of this I came across a specimen that had been washed u p on to the beach at Bawdsey this year ; but, owing to the rather " high " condition of the carcase, I was able to preserve only the head and tail. T h e arrangement of the dermal defences pointed distinctly to this species ; and, when I showed my debris to him at the Cardiff National M u s e u m , the zoologist agreed with my tentative determination.—PHILIP CAMBRIDGE, Wattisham, near Ipswich ; 2 Nov.

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NOTABLE FRESH-WATER F I S H . — A one-armed angler, M r . S .

Everitt, deserves congratulation on the Roach of 11/6. 11 oz. \drm., which he landed at Bures in Suffolk. Among smaller fry, outstanding is a Dace of 11 Jb. loxr. and 13 inches long, caught in the River Brett near south Higham in Suffolk by M r . S. Hopes of Hadleigh, announces a London paper last winter. [As a mere would-be fisherman with small opportunit es of plying the rod, I should say that Leuciscus dobula, L., is the better Fish. T h e L. rutilus, L., is quite a good one ; b u t mentioned mainly on account of the maimed angler's skill.—A. P. WALLER, 15 April.]

N O V E L STICKLEBACKS' RESEARCH.—Having said goodbye at least for some years to East Africa (Trans, vi, p. 41), I now have the post of Lecturer in Freshwater Zoology at Liverpool University, which gives me much more time for research. Recently I have been investigating the histories of the two freshwater Sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus and G. pungitius, Linn. T h e y are fascinating little animals, and I have found out a lot of surprising things about them. Yesterday the most interesting 1947 S N S . Trans, reached me by a very roundabout route.—(Dr.) N O E L H Y N E S , 2 0 Wembley Road, Liverpool, 18. ; 1 June.

F R O G ' S LEPIDOPTEROUS D I E T . — A large Frog, presumably Rana temporaria, L., though Bufo calamita, Laur., occurs there, Was hopping across the marshy path I was traversing, just at dusk on 5 September. As something was hanging from its mouth, I extricated it f r o m the herbage, to see what it might be eating.

T h i s was a fully-grown Elephant-hawk Caterpillar, Deilephila elpenor, L., about three-quarters of which was in the gullet and the remainder, including the head, still protruding f r o m the Frog's m o u t h . I took the larva home and my husband says he has never heard of such food of Frogs : so large was it that it s p u n - u p almost immediately. T h e marshy path is that from Reydon post-office to the sea at Buss Creek, just north of Southwold.—MRS. GEORGE BAKER, Reydon ; 9 October, 1948.

ADDERS' LOCAL INCREASE.—Everyone is sensible enough to leave Adders alone nowadays, so we are delighted to know that " Vipera berus is certainly not rare about Martlesham, where I have heard of several being seen and some unfortunately killed on the Heath.

In various parts of the county it seems less common than of yore ; and I had not seen one for years at Waldringfield tili a day or two ago, when I viewed a frne specimen and most venomous-looking beast, well over two feet in length. It was gliding across the road hence to Brightwell; I was in my car and could not wait to watch it, so whether it became a road-casualty I do not know.

But a large Adder was run over and slain on that road a few days before. Hence they seem increasing, possibly as a result of the decrease of Colchicum plasianus in oak-woods adjoining the heath.

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259

Last year a Dog was bitten on the heath and had a bad time, very nearly succumbing. Personally I do not like Adders and fear I had small sympathy with poor young Kirkby's ' Adder preserve ' (Trans, ii, 217); but it is well we do not all think alike : o f m y s o n s , Henry seems to have forsaken Biology for painting and literary work, Trevor sticks to his yachting hobbv ! "—(Canon) A. P. W A L L E R ; 30 April.

A G E N I A L JANUARY.—The bell-like or should one say ariel notes of Tom-tits, the spink-spink of Chaffinches, trilling Larks, the jingle of Hedge Accentors and sweet song of Robins compose an almost spring-like lullaby. On 1 Ith a Honey-bee was already working.

T h e flocks of Norwegian Thrushes here seem smaller than last winter.—DOROTHY GREGORY, Burneston, Hintlesham ; 15 Jan. I N W E S T SUFFOLK.—Among the less important Birds observed at Coney Weston this year are Green Woodpecker inspecting posts on 4 February ; Bullfinch on 20, and Nuthaich on 21 February ; a Black-headed Gull was noticed, among others, with a dark brown hood on 11 March, which hood is usually absent during the winter.

Treecreeper was at Knettishall on 2 Feb. J O H N L . GILBERT» Wansford, Northants ; 20 Oct.—While staying at the Grange Farm at Sapiston, I have seen a pair of Gadzoell and a pair of Mallard on the Blackburn River. BRIAN RUTTERFORD ; 22 April.

T w o GREAT G R E Y SHRIKES.—On 15 March I saw Lanius excubitor near Wickham Market for the first time in my life, though my eyes are ever alert for such items of interest in the world of Nature. In my car I passed him while he was perched upon a telegraph-wire, along the Charsfield-road ; then, upon realising the importance of his presence, I turned back and drew up alongside his wire. He did not appear at all shy, but sat basking in the spring sunshine, apparently quite oblivious of my proximity and interest.

While I sat watching, he took a dipping flight downwards and, without seeming to settle on the ground, presumably swept into his maw some early Insect from the Sandy bank below the wires, to which he immediately returned ät a position slightly further from me along the road than at first. It may be that this migrant is not uncommon in EAnglia, where I have but recently come to reside and, on more than one occasion, have seen the comparatively frequent Red-backedShrike.

I shall be glad to hear other Members' experience of the Grey one. Accept editorial congratulations upon the excellence of the Society's 1947 " Transactions : " it reveals a wealth of most valuable and interesting data. R. W. K I N G S L E Y K I F F O R D ; 17 March.—It may interest Members if I record that for some time on 20 March I watched, in sunshine at about 4 p.m., a Great Grey Shrike upon Waldringfield Heath.

T h e Bird was on a telegraph-wire and frequently flew down to collect an Insect of indeterminable species on the wing, returning

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to another part of the wire, whence he dropped sundry bits and pieces of his food that were presumably inedible, before repeating the Performance. H e frequently hovered, for some seconds, a foot or so above the ground. Incidentally, in following the Shrike, I flushed an early Stone Curlezv there.—F. H . K N I G H T S ; 25 March. [ T h e similarity of habit and proximity of dates are remarkable, especially since October is the species.commonest m o n t h here and few notes are in M a r c h ; usually but one or two have been seen each winter, but Babington shows it known in SufFolk for well over a certury.—Ed.] S P R I N G ARRIVALS.—Unsystemised records received show that, even with unusually cold weather, migrants reached us at about their wonted periods. Actually, compared at random with those of 1935 (Trans, iii, 206), seven species were earlier and five later this year. T h e sole Waxwing was noted in T h e b e r t o n - r o a d at Ipswich on 6 Feb. by Marion O ' C o n n o r . Goldeneye at Bury on 16 and Fiedfares on 17 Feb. at Coney Weston (Gilbert).

Stone Curlezv in March at Redisham (Brian Rutterford). Chiffchaff 21 M a r c h , plentiful by 30 at Glemsford (A. C. C. Hervey).

Swallow 10 April at Monks' Soham (Nita Creasy) ; 1 I t h Aldeburgh (J. T .

Fentön) ; 12th Felixstow (G. W . T u r n e r ) ; 14th Glemsford ( H e r v e y ) ; 15th Waldringfield (Canon W a l l e r ) ; 17th G r u n d i s b u r g h (H. T . Knights) ; 19th Stonham Parva (Elaine Fowler).

Willow Warbler 9 April, many by 13th at Glemsford (Hervey).

Nightingale 13 April Waldringfield (Waller) ; 16th Martlesham (Lingwood) and Haughley (White) ; 18th Monks' Soham and vociferous at midnight 1-18 M a y (Morley). Whitethroat 21 April Martlesham (Lingwood). Blackcap 5-10 Feb. several at Coney Weston (Gilbert). House Martin 20 April Sproughton ( T u r n e r ) .

Cuckoo 2 April Ipswich (Bird) ; 13 Martlesham ( L i n g w o o d ) ; 18th Waldringfield (Waller) and Ipswich (Janet Grout) ; 19th S t o n h a m (Fowler).—Is it unusual for the Cuckoo to call during the night, for I was very surprised to hear one at 2 a.m. on 29 Aprii this year, asks Miss M u n n i n g s f r o m M e r t o n near T h e t f o r d . Turtle Dove 25, and Swift 14, April Waldringfield (Waller). Reed Bunting 9 April Glemsford (Hervey).

Muscicapa hypoleuca, PALL AND A BUZZARD.—This m o r n i n g of 5 M a y a Pied Flycatcher spent some time in m y garden at Hotson Road in the north end of Southwold, and the adjacent ones. I t appeared to be a male in breeding plumage which made it conspicuous, although i s m o v e m e n t ! were very reminiscent of its commoner Spotted rel tive. H e stayed with us about a quarter of an hour and then passed on. T i c e h u r s t remarks (Birds Suff. 177) that, " T h o u g h I have seen it annually on a u t u m n passage, I regard it as rather rare on spring passage ; and during seventeen vears I have seen it only three times myself, and have gathered but two more records f r o m o t h e r sources."—A specimen of the

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C o m m o n Buzzard Buteo vulgaris, Lch., was brought for identification on 7 March last. It had been caught in a trap at W r e n t h a m , on Sir R. Gooch's estate. T h e Bird Was very thin, b u t in gootl plumage.—(Dr.) D. W . C O L L I N G S .

C U C K O O C A L L S AND A POSSIBLE OSPREY.—The morning of 3 0 May last was supremely lovely, woods and their glades fragrant and dewy, with carpets of spring flowers and tender young foliage.

I sat in a Clearing of Hessett Wood, much of which had grown up naturally upon erstwhile arable land, enjoying the Birches' viridescence and listening to many Birds' songs. Among them, a Cuckoo was calling almost persistently, so I tried to check its unpausing n u m b e r : on and on it cuckooed to the truly amazing total of 269 continuous repetitions. More : I consider it had already called at least 40 times before I began my count. After such an effort it did pause for just a few seconds ; then called 28 times ; then 5 times. Later, the duration of its calls were more normal : 13, 18, 18, 5 and 9 times respectively.—At Alderton, between Shinglestreet and Bawdsey, in early September I surprised a very large Bird that was resting on the sea near the shore ; unfortunately it immediately took wing eastward and was soon out of sight. From such little as I was enabled to see of it, I believe it to have been an Osprey Pandion haliaetus, Linn., a m u c h rarer visitor to Suffolk than a Century ago.—F. W. S I M P S O N .

T H E B I R D S OF M A R T L E S H A M . — C h i f f - c h a f f arrived on 25 March, and was still singing near the church on 25 July. Willow Wren came 31 March, and is singing gaily, despite an unusually cold August, on 7th. Cuckoo was first heard on 13 A p r i l ; Nightingale on 17 and Whitethroat on 20th. A couple of Blackcaps sang vigorously in different parts of garden, where doubtless they nested ; and many Willow Wrens and Whitethroats reared families.

A pair of Long-tailed Tits had a nest in an adjacent tree, whence the charming family of at least six were wont to come searching their food in our hedges. Iiere seemed to be an unusually large n u m b e r of Blackbirds, though never a Song T h r u s h . Magpies have totally usurped the place of Jays ; and one pair of Missel Thrushes was unkindly received on the terrace by Blackbirds. Occasionally a single brood of Larks visited us ; but no c o m m o n W r e n s have been observed since the great frost of early 1947.—(Mrs.) E L S I E L I N G W O O D ; 7 August.

K I N G F I S H E R S are breeding again at Fiatford near the River Stour.

Last year the frost killed them all and not an individual came here to nest, so I am now delighted to see them. L E O N A R D R I C H A R D S O N ; 14 M a r c h . — D a r i n g the last few days I have enjoyed repeated opportunities while rush-cutting on freshwater reaches of the River Deben, of watching a family of Kingfishers. Four were Aying together low over the water on 12th ; two sat together u n d e r an

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Oak beside the stream on 1 Ith ; and one, fishing from another perch, made three dives while I watched on lOth. RICHARD PINNEY, Orford (Local Daily Paper, 16 Aug.).—One flashed past us going low in shade over the fast-running Ken Brook at Foxhall Hall, when we were vainly searching for the Dragonfly Cordylegaster Boltoni at 4 p.m. on 31 July.—Ed. A WHITE Delichon urbica, LINN.—On 6 September I saw one that was quite white Aying among several other ordinarily coloured House Martins near St. Olaves bridge over the Waveney at Herringfleet. Is such a formuncommon ?—(Major) F. H. W. ROSS-LEWIN. [There are several Suffolk instances of its occurrence in our Transactions, where (i, 148) such albinism is shown to be, no casual freak or winter plumage as used to be supposed but, due to the Bird's diseased liver draining pigment from the feathers.—Ed.] ALBINOS AT BUXHALL.—For the last two years a Blackbird has been fed in winter that had a pale-white neck band ; and this year, the following have appeared : one with a patch of white on right cheek, another with white on its rump and, best of all, another with a broad pure-white neck band, a similar breast and both wings having their outer and inner feathers totally white : in flight the last presents a curious sight. T h e r e may be a late nest of one of these Birds, for which a careful watch is being maintained ; but at present they seem to have strayed away from my rectory garden.

In its vicinity during my own residence, I have seen albinoRooksand Jackdaws with white wing-feathers ; Swallows, Sparrows, Robins almost white, and a single Thrush. Also a Hare Lepus Europaus was shot, with the front of its head quite white. I was reared upon the information that a line d r a w n f r o m H u l l t h r o u g h E A n g l i a to Sudbury would indicate more albinism than anywhere eise in England. Can any Member substantiate such a supposition ?

This year here has been an almost entire absence of Swallows and Martins ; Swifts, which usually put five pairs into our church-tower are represented by only one pair. More Flycatchers and Blackbirds than usual are noticeable [also at Monks' Soham—Ed.]. T h e sickle, cutting graveyard grass, damaged a sitting hen Partridge on eleven eggs. Within a foot of the nest was found a pure-white egg, of true Partriüge shape : I am told that of ten the final egg of a clutch of this species is white, and should like the Statement confirmed. [A white Partridge is recorded at Trans, ii, 94 ; and there at pagelxxxvi we exhibited just such a white egg of Perdix cinerea, Leth., that we had found on the bare sand of Barton-on-Sea cliff in Hants. and the Revd. Chris. Greaves had, after no small research, managed to definitely name.—Ed.] One day I was able to watch, from the front door a Merlin exactly over me, with tail-feathers extended in the usual way ; presently it came down and settled upon a dead bough, enabling me to focus glasses upon it—(Revd.)

H.

COPINGER H I L L ,

Buxhall;

5

July.

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263

I noticed an albino in a flock of Starlings on 1 May last, and was later told of the presence of three there. So I followed-up the Birds and discovered them on an allotment-garden between the Barking and Ipswich roads in N e e d h a m Market. Cautious Observation showed no less than four true albinos, along with one specimen of a cream-pink coloration, among the flock. One wonders if these were raised f r o m a single clutch of eggs : such a " white " family in a concourse of rather over a h u n d r e d individuals gave a most odd appearance.

ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR OF Turdus mercula, L . — A n u m e r o u s Stack of straight pea-canes had been set on end in my shed after their 1947 use (they, also, might become rationed or nationalised ere long !). A Blackbird nested upon their sharp tops, gaining access through the four-inches vacuum over the door ; but b r o u g h t off only a single young, which stayed quite tamely inside the shed.

Its parents carefully cleaned and relined the nest, wherein the hen laid again. When I entered the shed the male flew o u t ; b u t the hen continued to sit placidly. N o t only so, but the singleton was nestling beside her ; and, when she did make off, he snuggled down on to the second-brood eggs tili her return. Between them, all the new brood eventually flew successfully, while the original f o r l o m s t e r still hops around me whenever I do gardening there.— E. W . PLATTEN, N e e d h a m Market, 1948.

PERCEPTION OF Dryobates minor, L . , AT FAULT.—Lesser-spotted Wood-peckers nested in June 1948 at or in the vicinity of Barking rectory : during the m o n t h I twice obtained a clear vieW of the Birds. About this species I find the Post Master General has recently had m u c h trouble ; for, despite the telegraph-pole's Saturation to fully an inch in creosote, the Birds persisted in excavating the pine-logs to a depth that varied f r o m one to four inches. M u c h t h o u g h t and experiment were given the subject, especially what should cause Wood-peckers to attack material wherein could possibly be no Insect-food for them. It is distinctly valuable, as a criterion of their avian intelligence, to discover that t h e y were led into the error of mistaking the h u m of the poles, invariably set u p by the Vibration of the too closely attached wires, for the natural gnawing of Beetle-larva inside the Wood. A gadget is now being attached between pole and wire, minimising or stultifying the latter's Vibration u p o n the former, and its effect is considered to counteract all Wood-pecker' interest in telegraph posts.—E. W.

PLATTEN.

QUAIL IN BEDS. AND S U F F O L K . — A t T o t t e n h o e near Dunstablein Bedford on 28 August last, I p u t u p a brace of Quail in a stubblefield.

N o doubt of their identity is entertainable, as I a m well acquainted with the species b o t h on the Continent and in South Africa. T h i s , however, is the first occasion u p o n which I have seen t h e m in England ; and I should be glad to know if their

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occurrence here is rare.-—RICHARD STILES, St. Albans ; 4 Sept.

[Information duly supplied him. Ed.]—One of three specimens of Coturnix communis, Bon., was unfortunately shot at Long Melford during the last week of August; but the other two were again seen hale and hearty on 28 August, and were NOT shot.— CHARLES H. ROW ; 7 Sept.

CHIFF-CHAFF IN AUTUMN.—The last time we heard this Bird was on 28 September, an unusually late date in our Martlesham garden. On 23rd I had actually seen it on an Elder-bush near the house ; and for three weeks it stayed in the garden though, as a rule the Chiff-chaff makes only a two days' visit to us in both spring and autumn.—(Mrs.) ELSIE LINGWOOD ; 15 Oct. Charadrius curonicus, GMEL., A BIRD NEW TO SUFFOLK.—The use of solely English names has led to amusing confusion in our county this year. In the autumn number of " Bird Notes " is the record that " The Little Ringed Plover " had bred for the first time in Suffolk. This, when ventilated in the local press, was at once taken by one of our Members to refer to the Eastern Ringed Plover But an application to the R. Soc. Protection Birds elicited the reply that " The Little Ringed Plover referred to are the true Little Ringed Plovers : " illuminating ! Witherby's 1924 Check List shows Britain to have twelve Plovers, excluding the Green one which is better termed Lapwing ; of these the Northern and Southern Golden Plovers are forms of a single species, as also are the American and Asiatic Golden Plovers : making ten distinct kinds.

Of these Ticehurst enumerates six as breeding in Suffolk, among which is now The Little Ringed Plover, Charadrius curonicus Gmelin ; and this is the species that was proved to breed in buttolk last spring. It is a rare vagrant to both England and Scotland, notfiguredby Kirkman and Jourdain's 1930 excellent book on " British Birds," which shows all the other species of our county excepting the Caspiam Plover, C. Asiaticus, Pallas. This addition to the local faunafirstnested in Britain at Tnng in Herts so recently as 1938 ; only eight nests were discovered in all England last season.—Ed. LITTLE AUK FAR INLAND.—Moyses Hall Museum has received a specimen of Alca alle, L., which was picked up on 8 November in Lidgate by Mr. C'. Matthews there and, after following him about tarnely for some time, eventually died. I feel you should have this Information for your records of Bird-life.-H. J. M. MALTBY, curator Bury [It is rare indeed that this boreal species is dnven so tar from the coast, especialy after such balmy winds as have persisted throughout this autumn. Yet, in the arctic Winter ol 1894-i), no less than forty are upon record from Newmarket. That Winter we well remember skating with our Member, Ernest Baylis (from whom we have not heard for too long), from Ipswich to B akenham locks, and, on skates, collecting Beetles from under Willow-bark beside the river !—Ed.]

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Puffinus griseus, GMEL.—Another addition to Suffolk Birds : a N E W - c o m e r , who did not stay b u t was identified and is duly recorded in the October ' British Birds ' magazine by M r . R. A. Richardson of Aylsham in Norfolk. H e writes that " on 31 August 1947 a Shearwater, which was very dark all over except a somewhat lighter wing lining and later identified by M r . W . B. Alexander as a Sooty Shearwater, was seen heading due north, parallel with the coast, between Lowestoft and Yarmouth. I t was about a quarter-mile off shore (I was on a pleasure steamer at the time), and seen on both sides of the county boundary.

The Observation appears to be the first record of this species for Suffolk, and only the second for Norfolk." It is merely an a u t u m n visitor to Britain.—HAROLD R. LINGWOOD ; 30 October.

Sorex minutus, L., AT KENTON.—You would be interested in a Pigmy Shew, which I found this winter in m y house here. I t seemed quite mature, b u t weighed very little, exactly balancing a silver threepenny-bit on the letter scales, i.e. between ten and eleven grains.—C. EDWARD ROSE, Suddon Hall, Kenton ; 24 Feb. [COLONEL MANGLES teils us he captured a Bank Vole Evotomys glareolus, Sch., at Berechurch near Colchester in August.—Ed.] AN ALBINO FOX.—Because " Sir Harry Johnston says " the coloration of the English Fox is alike in winter and s u m m e r " (Brit. Mammals, 121) without reference to any hiemal albinism, I was surprised to see, in a London paper on 12 December 1947, that " yesterday the Fox that raced, ahead of the Coniston foxhounds in Lancs., to earth in a rabbit-warren was white," of which fact the followers were confident, though none had hunted a white Fox before. A terrier, put into the earth, bolted a Fox of the usual red tint, to the general astonishment. But later the white one was also bolted : its fate is untold.—Nearer home, we are very glad to hear that, through lack of gamekeepers, this handsome Animal has recently multiplied to an appreciable extent in at least the Waveney Valley, where the Ipswich daily paper on 13 of last M a r c h records one shot while still in a rabbit-trap at Westhall, adding their presence to the south of both Bungay and Harleston ; plenty are believed to harbour in the woods round Redisham, where those formerly on the skirts of Beccles seem to have retired.

A large dog Fox was killed after being unearthed on a W e y b r e a d farm ; and shooting a Fox seems the common practice, defensible only where huntsmen will not pay for the fowls they destroy.

M r . Hills of Bredfield points out (pub. cit. 23 Aug.) that such depredation, ascribed to this Canis vulpes, L., has often been actually done by lone-Dogs and escaped Polecat-ferrets. He considers a doe Stoat to destroy'more game than a Vixen because more thoroughly ravaging a smaller area. And shows that Foxes beneficially kill a m u c h greater proportion of pests than is generally known ; " no other wild Animal in this country destroys more

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ground vermin. I have counted twenty Rats taken from the paunch of one dead Fox, and been surprised at the number found in and near the burrow when digging out cubs." A Single occasion showed remains of Moles, Hedgehogs, young Hares, Rabbits with both Brown Rats and Water Yoles Arvicola amphibia, L., among which was no Bird except a newly-slain $ Pheasant's wings.

Hence it most certainly is, and not merely " seems, a pity that the fate of this clever, interesting, and useful Animal should be decided by a political tribunal " of incompetent parliament-men.—Ed. O U R B A D G E R S . — I am very keen on preserving our local Meies taxus, and believe there is still a holt near our Member Laurence's house at Langham. Several such Badgers' earths are in a wood near Nayland ; and two very carefully preserved on a farm there by Mr. Wyncoll. The latter must not be advertised as the farmer does his best to maintain the Animals, and I will try to obtain further details when I am next in that district. There is now left no trace of any Badgers in the very suitable hill-side, where the Society has annually paid £3 for their preservation ; regrettable as this certainly is, we may congratulate ourselves upon giving them a merry life for fifteen solid years : ever since Miss Vulliamy suggested we should take up the matter (Trans, ii, 200) in 1932. I sincerely wish the Society could similarly preserve other kinds of Mammals : a few years ago there were several Otters Lutra vulgaris, Erx., on my land at Fiatford by the River Stour ; but now there is no sign of one. LEONARD RICHARDSON ; 14 March.—I know where there is a sprightly Badger, living in a pit near Long Melford.

And I have begged the farmer there not to murder it. CHARLES H. Row ; 7 September.

OTTER C U B S W A N D E R . — I t is unfortunate that the landlord of the Three Tuns Inn at Needham Market should have slain the two cubs that were discovered on 6 October in his cellar ; they could easily have been handled alive and would have made tractable pets. But his ignorance rendered their destruction excusable. I have since seen the cubs and find them between ten and twelve weeks old ; but cannot conceive why they should be so far, quite 150 yards, from the River Gipping ; or taken refuge in practically the main street of a town, where they had a five-feet drop into the cellar. Otters will draw away from water and " lie-up " in quite unexpected places, especially when rivers are in flood ; and these cubs were too small to have travelled three miles. Do not slay such vagrant Otters but communicate with E. S. Stearn, Hon. See. E. Counties Otter Hounds, Hill House, Claydon (Local Daily paper ; 9 Oct. 1929). " Man is a great exterminator of fera naturae ; many Birds and Beasts, that formerly had their habitats in Norfolk, are now never or very rarely seen within it. The Otter [Lutra vulgaris, Erx.] is an animal that has been driven almost from our streams [surely an

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267

exaggeration ?]. I n old times and even the eighteenth Century, these animals were so numerous that hunting them was a trade.

T h e Yare so greatly abounded with them, during the sixteenth Century, that they were formidable rivals to the fisherman.

Accordingly, in some regulations made in 1557 by the Norwich Assembly ' for the freshwater fishermen between the tower of Conisford and Hardley Cross,' it was provided that ' every man shall be bound to keep a dog to h u n t the Otter, and to make a general hunt twice or thrice in the year or more, at time or times convenient, upon pain to forfeit 10.?.'—The two following accounts of Otter H u n t s are from the Norwich Gazette of May 1729 : (1) 1 am credibly informed that M r . Daniel Spalding of Brockdish, the famous Otter hunter who last year kissed the King [George ii]'s hand at Newmarket, has killed three brace of old Otters this journey near Norwich. (2) Peter Riehes Esq., [doubtless his son] John Riehes, John Rogers, Richard Farrant, Hy Ford, Rob't.

Chittock jun., all residents in Palgrave, Suffolk, and lovers of the diversion of Otter hunting, have between 18 March and 20 May this season, by their own skill and experience in the trade and with the assistance of six couple of beagles only, killed seventeen brace of [34] Otters, out of which there were sixteen brace of [32] old ones, and only three brace of [6, totalling 38 !] dog Otters, which is more than M r . Daniel Sp the famous Otter hunter ever did in his life ; and he is, therefore, in that trade not worthy to carry their staves after t h e m , " obviously a menial office of contempt, plainly showing local jealousy, as quoted at E. Counties Collectan'ea i, No. 15, M a r c h 1873, p. 176.

SUFFOLK ROE-DEER INCREASING.—There were always a few at my old home at West Tofts, in Norfolk ; but, when the Stamford battle-area was formed in 1941, I was evacuated and shall not return there : I do not suppose any are now left. When shooting with the Duke of Grafton in November 1947,1 saw one at Elveden ; and another there during the last war. But I fear the countryside is now despoiled of t h e m and all eise of i n t e r e s t : the Forestry Commission will have accounted for the majority. Major J . L L O Y D , Warren Cottage, Euston ; 2 0 Feb. 1948.—I do not suppose it generally known that Roe-deer [Cervus capreolus, L. (Trans, ii, 23). Ed.] are very common in the Forestry area here.

One of their keepers sees them at least thrice every week, usually early when they feed in the rides, as well as of an evening. I have seen no Pole-cats in the Breck [cf. loc. cit., p. 20. Ed.] ; b u t am told that, some uncertain years ago, it was often trapped and, indeed, was even considered common on what is locally termed " the low grounds," namely the f e n s west of Eriswell. However, no recent occurrences can be cited.—T. R. E V A N S , Elveden ; 24 Aug. 1948.

SNEEZE OF Felis domesticus, L . — I n one of the stilliest " watches of the night," I was abruptly torn from amid musty tomes by the most eldritch scream resounding through the room that has ever startled

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my susceptibilities. All other folk were long a-bed ; alone the Cat, in his arm-chair, bore me Company. After assuring myself no fortuitous Member of the SNS. was peering from the garden through the dark uncurtained windows, I looked a question at Felis, whereto he responded by another sneeze ! Then it Struck me that I could haye never heard a Cat sneeze, or so rarely as to have forgotten its high, liquid, clipt sound, as bizarre as to resemble both the screech of a Tawny Owl and an exaggeratedly loud Snake's hiss.—CLAUDE MORLEY.

AFRICAN AND GIBRALTER MAMMALS.—A capitalfinalewas afforded my African jaunt by spending some days with the Warden of Nairobi National Park, where I slept in a bungalow twenty yards from his house up a garden where spoor of Felix leo, L., was of common occurrence. The whole time six Lions with a Lioness andfivecubs were lying up by day in some thin bush just outside theflimsyBamboo fence. Once I went so close that I could hear the $ purring and cubs mewling. I did patrol in the Warden's silent car and, thefirstevening on a dirt-track in hilly forest, we came to a slope's crest at foot of which was a herd of Impala ; and stopped just in line with four Lionesses trying an encircling stalk of these JEpyceros melampus : the four were in crescent fo tion, about hundred yards apart, and the nearest only a few yards from my side, utterly ignoring us ! As we watched, unfortunately another car came and frightened the Buck away, whereon the disappointed Lions drew together and sat upon their haunches, again quite close to me, whom they regarded with so penetrating a frown as to make me feel illused ! Altogether I saw some forty species of Mammals and did actually all I wanted to in the whole year I spent by myself right out in the virgin wilds ; Elephants were my sole regret, but none were in that district. Now I have left Africa for good ; for, much as I love foreign lands, I am a mere rover and no settler, with streng penchant for the English countryside. The great heat of the Rift Valley is too exhausting as a permanent residence ; and I refused, as too near the line, a splendid offer from the E. Coast Historical Museum, inte which the huge old Portugese Fort at Mombasa has been adapted. From the Rift I have a veryfineMollusc-shell for you, pure white and 4J inches long : the sole one of the kind I saw [likely to be Bulimus sp— Ed. of Beetles there were merely small kinds in dung and a coleopteris I met at Olorgesailie said nothing much occurred there except during the rains, which entirely failed before I left. On the way home I saw four different Cetacea, including a big Blue Whale in the Gibralter straits. In the Red Sea a small school of Risso's Grampi [Grampus griseus, Riss. : Trans, iv, 289] came and pla in front of the stem, when I was up on the foc'sle-head watching for just some such an occurrence. I got home late in Feb. and doubtless crossed the 1 March Meeting-card going to the Nairobi so could not attend.—HENRY ANDREWS, 14a Anglesearoad, Ipswich ; 14 March.

M u s e u m ,