Notes and Observations 8 Part 2

105

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS A LIVE spider which turned u p in bananas at Messrs. Millington's störe, Ipswich, was identified by the British M u s e u m (Natural History) Department of Zoology as a female of Torania variata, Pocock, of the family Sparassidae. It is a native of the Cameroons.

— F . W . SIMPSON, 16th J a n u a r y ,

1953.

T H E " LOCUST " (reported in the papers about the same date) turned out to be an Egyptian grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium).

—P. J. O. TRIST, 23rd January, 1953.

M A R C H C O M M A — I found a good specimen of the C o m m a butterfly, Vanessa c-album, sunning itself in my garden this morning.

—GEOFFREY M . FRENCH, Felixstowe, 26th March, 1953.

BADGER I N EAST SUFFOLK (Meies m. meles, Linn.)—A man gassing rabbits on the Forestry Commission land at Tunstal] reported to-day having accidentally killed a badger.—CRANBROOK, 18th April, 1953.

P U R E M I S C H I E F ? — I take it that M r . Maclennan'svoles(p. 84)are hungry and lilac bark tasty, b u t what of two starlings I have seen for several mornings at work Stripping the bark f r o m two branches of a lime tree opposite m y bedroom window ? Are they wanting bast to line their nest ? But no, they leave it hanging in tatters.

Nor do they appear to be hunting for bugs for breakfast. Like small children pulling wall-paper off the nursery wall, they just find it good f u n . — J . C . N . W . , April 6th, 1953.

FLOODMARSHES.—The recent severe flooding of the salt-marshes along the Suffolk coast make an article in " Agriculture " by our member, M r . P. J. O. Trist, of topical interest. W h e n in the spring of 1949 the land which has been used as a battle-training area was given back, it was agreed that 380 acres should remain as a nature reserve, whilst the remaining 120 acres should be reclaimed. H e speaks of the following plants as fairly or highly tolerant of salinity :— Sea aster (Aster tripolium), Sea spurrey (Spergularia salina), Golden dock (Rumex maritimus), Sea clubrush (Scirpus maritimus), Orache (Atriplex hastata and A. patula), Goosefoot (Chenopodium r u b r u m and C. album), C o m m o n reed (Phragmites communis), K n o t grass (Polygonum aviculare), Marsh sow-thistle (Sonchus palustris), Marsh foxtail (Alopecurus geniculatus), Perennial rye-grass (Lolium perenne). T h e study of sah-tolerant flora after earlier fioodings in 1940 (as a defence measure) and again in the winter of 1950-51 shows clearly that soil conditions have altered considerably and favoured certain flora that would not be f o u n d in the Company of a marsh sward.

105

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

But it would not be fair to quote more ; those who are interested can obtain the article in leaflet form from Mr. Trist, Dairy Farm House, Waldringfield.

A WATER SHREW.—The scene was the lakeside at Tattingstone Park near Ipswich on an August evening in 1951. A man sat on the bank watching his rod and line, for he was angling for carp.

Now of all fishermen in order to obtain success, the carp angler must be still and so he remained for more than an hour, screened from the water by a palisade of tall yellow ins stems.

In order to improve his chances should a carp take the proffered bait he had cleared a little of the Vegetation from around his rod,' so as to permit free running of the line ; this Clearing had breached a gap in the nearmost stems and laid open for a yard's breadth a space of shallow water and flattened stems.

Contemplating and imbibing the perfect peace of the summer evening scene, the angler had his attention suddenly attracted by a movement at the base of the iris stems, and watching, he saw a little dark mouse-like animal. Its tiny truncated nose was held aloft as if testing the air, and for a few moments the little creature remained hesitant. Then, finding that all was still and qmet, the " wee timorous beastie " made a quick dash over the Clearing ; skipping over the fallen flags and rapidly swimming the water, it gained the dense reed thicket on the other side.

There was opportunity, though fleeting, to observe the blackbrown upper parts with sharp line of demarcation from the whitish grey below.

After about ten minutes, its mission evidently accomplished, the shrew made its return trip, and quickly vanished in the dense Vegetation.—R. W. K. KEFFORD, Wickham Market.

Miss W H I T I N G writes reminiscently of her pleasure in coming across some of the less common species in her neighbourhood, although, she says, they have probably been recorded already. " In 1925 I found a single specimen of the Buck-bean (or 13ogbean) Menyanthes trifoliata, L. on the marshes near my cottage and Potentilla norvegica, L. growing between the flagstones at Walberswick Ferry (it loves to grow in stones and walls) and Potentilla argentea, L. on a grassy bank at Wenhaston. In 1939 I found a single plant of Lepidium Smithu (Hook.) near Stone Hoüse Farm at Thorington, and two aliens, Datura Stramomum, L. and Amaranthus Blitum, L„ growing on rubbish heaps in Blythburgh gardens. In 1947 I saw a clump of the fairy-like little flower, Corydalis claviculata, D . C . - j u s t one clump that persisted onlv another year or so on the old railway line. In 1950 three Poppv spp.—P. rhoeas, L., P. dubium, L., and P. argemone, L were all growing within a few feet of each other at Blythburgh Bridge.—M.M.W."

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NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

Corydalis bulbosa, L. used to appear year after year in a wild part of our garden at Bucklesham and near it grew Malva moschata, pure white with very deeply cut Upper leaves, until someone who disapproved of " weeds " made a " flower-bed " there.—J.C.N.W.

Volucella zonaria AT WIMBLEDON.—I caught this remarkable looking Syrphid fly on a south window in my house at Copse Hill, Wimbledon on August 27th, 1952. It has been identified

by Baron de Worms, who says " a newcomer to our shores, it has become fairly widespread in the south since 1946. There is a London record."—C. C. T . GILES. RARE ICHNEUMON IN SUFFOLK.—While beating spruce at Frostendenonjanuary 1 Ith, 1953, I secured a female ichneumonid, Ephialtes dilutus, Ratz., a rare species in Suffolk according to

M o r l e y . — P . J . BURTON. •

saw a Polygonia c-album at Kessingland on Februarv 22nd, 1953.—P. J. BURTON. EARLY BUTTERFLY.—I

SEAL I N THE ORWELL.—On March 28th of this year I spent about f hour watching a Common Seal (Phoca vitulina, Linn.) in the River Orwell between the Cathouse and Pin Mill. Though the tide was low I managed to cross a hard part of the mud and the seal surfaced on one occasion within twenty yards of me.

Viewed at this ränge with X12 binoculars the identification given above was certain. It dived frequently, but whether this was for feeding or merely because it was pestered to a great extent by immature Blackback and Herring Gulls I could not determine.

Eventually disturbed by a passing boat it swam further down river and was finally lost to view.—J. T . FENTON, April, 1953.

CASUAL PHEASANTS.—Last Saturday Walking over marshland, which recently was under three feet of salt water, I unfortunately flushed a wild duck five feet in front of me. The bird flew off leisurely and made no vocal sound, only to pitch down at a short distance.

She had left her well-downed nest of fifteen eggs. Nine of the eggs were her own, the other six were those of a pheasant.

I have known the pheasant to drop her eggs in the nest of the Common Partridge, Red-legged Partridge, Waterhen on swampy ground, a White Aylesbury Duck's nest on a bank and in the "est of a Light Sussex.

Possibly other bird-watchers and keepers can add to this list.

—HERBERT

DRAKE.

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

108

UNUSUAL

FISH

Mr R W Blacker of the Fisheries Laboratory, Lowestoft has kindly supplied the following list of unusual fish, etc., which have been reported from the county during the past 5 years Further details can be found in the Lowestoft Field Club Reports " for the years 1948-51 in which most of these records have already appeared. Arrangements have been made to exchange publications with that Society and a complete run ot its annual reports can be seen in the Ipswich Museum : — Dec. 13th, 1948. teb.

i7 t h 1949 /th, I V « .

Dec 3rd 1950 Nov 21th - 2Ist, 1950.

A Sun-fish, (Mola mola, L.), washed up at Benacre Ness.

Eagle Ray, v(Myliobatis aquila, L.), ^ ^ b > / t h c s ; i . .. M a r g a r e t Hyde » from 40 miles east of Lowestoft.

John Dory, (Zeus faber, L.), washed up on Corton Beach. (H. E. Jenner).

A large number of the bivalve Mactra stultorum was washed up on Lowestoft beach during a strong easterly gale.

At the same time, small numbers of Razor Shell, and sea-mice, (Aphrodite,) and common starfish, (Asteria rubens,) were also washed up.

Dec 21st - 22nd, 1950.

Cuttlefish, (Sepia officinalis,) were washed up in large numbers along the shores around Lowestoft. Specimens were probably killed by a fall in the sea temperature.

vr n v

Ray's Bream. One specimen caught at Gorleston on the 12th (approx), two landed by a drifter on the 19th, and three washed up at Corton on the 22nd.

1952