254 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



like asserted itself strongly, and chickens for table purposes were 

 tabooed in the meantime. The fowls in question had been reared, 

 and were running, upon a large piece of rough uncultivated hill 

 ground to the rear of a farmhouse. Cocks and hens do on occa- 

 sion devour strange things, and I have seen a hen chase, catch, kill, 

 and swallow not without much straining and gulping a mouse. - 

 R. SERVICE, Maxwelltown. 



Lepidoptera in Banffshire. In July last, Argynnis aglaia, Linn., 

 was not uncommon on the Banffshire coast. At one part, where 

 the rock-cistus (Helianthemum vnlgare) abounds, I found the rare 

 Polyommatus artaxerxes, Fabr. My son caught the first specimen 

 seen. He also captured a worn specimen of the Painted Lady 

 (Pyra?neis cardui, Linn.) beside the cairn on the Binn of Cullen, 

 1050 feet above sea-level. The Six-spot Burnet Moth (A. filipen- 

 dulce) was flying in great numbers over the bent in one valley close 

 to the beach. HENRY H. BROWN, Cupar-Fife. 



Pupa Angliea (Fer.) in Midlothian (Forth Area). On i4th 

 June last I found a few specimens (one of which has been shown to 

 Mr. J. W. Taylor, Leeds) of this small mollusc on withered sedge- 

 leaves in a wet spot in the wooded ravine of the Fullarton Water (a 

 tributary of the Esk) below Edgelaw, Midlothian. In Roebuck's 

 " Census " of Scottish Land and Fresh-water Mollusca no locality 

 falling within the Forth area is given for the species, but many years 

 ago it was recorded from "Banks of the Esk" in Stark's "Picture 

 of Edinburgh" (1834). WILLIAM EVANS, Edinburgh. 



BOTANICAL NOTES AND NEWS. 



The Rowan-tree and its Parasites on Speyside. August of 

 this year was spent by me near Kincraig. The Rowan (Pyn/s 

 Aucuparia, Ehrh.) is of frequent occurrence in the district ; and, 

 as Junipers are also very abundant, the leaves of most of the 

 Rowans showed the orange-yellow thickened spots due to Gymno- 

 sporangium niniperinum in the stage formerly known as Rccstelia 

 cornuta. Some trees had the leaves so severely attacked that it 

 seemed the fungus must seriously weaken the hosts, yet the latter 

 seemed not much the worse. But the parasite that most interested 

 me was Aphis Sorbi, Kalt., on account both of its action on the 

 twigs and of its relation to the Wood Ant (Formica rufa). My 

 attention was drawn to the presence of a parasite by the strange 

 appearance of the twigs on certain young trees. The leaves were 

 rolled backward into balls from i| to nearly 3 inches in diameter. 

 On one tree of about seven feet in height and little branched, I 



