1922. Notes. II 



for Counties Wexford and Cork, Freke also gives " Portballintrae (Co. 

 Antrim), Rev. W. F. Johnson." A specimen bearing this label stands 

 under B. sylvarum in the National Museum and was passed as correctly 

 named by Sladen when he revised the Irish collection of Humble Bees 

 in 191 1. The specimen in question is, however, nothing more than a 

 very pale dilapidated worker of B. agrorum. How Sladen came to pass 

 it is difficult to imagine. It will be seen, therefore, that the existing 

 Irisli records for B. sylvarum are all erroneous, and on Mr. Moffat's advice 

 I had decided to withdraw the species from the Irish list, when there 

 arrived by post a beautiful living queen of the true B. sylvarum L. This 

 specimen was captured by Mr. R. A. Phillips at Rosslare, Co. Wexford, 

 on the 6th of October last. On this queen, I believe, rests the sole claim 

 of B. sylvarum for inclusion in the Irish fauna. 



A. W. Stelfox. 

 National Museum, Dublin. 



Helicella heripensis : supposed Occurrence in Ireland. 



Helicella heripensis Mabille is a snail closely related to our common 

 H. inter sect a Poir. [H. caper ata Mont.). In Great Britain it occurs 

 abundantly in the south-eastern counties, extending its range westward 

 into Wales and northward to Yorkshire. In March, 1920, Prof. A. E. 

 Boycott wrote me saying that amongst the MS. for a new edition of the 

 " Census," left by the late Mr. W. Denison Roebuck, he had discovered 

 an authenticated record for H. heripensis for Co. Kildare. Subsequently 

 he found the specimens which he forwarded to me for examination — two 

 " dead " shells (one broken) : both typical H. heripensis. The label 

 attached to the shells read as follows : — " Camp ground about 3 miles 

 north of Kildare. E. Stainton, 1 4/3/1 8. Under stones and debris 

 in a dry ditch. Situation rather dry, but sheltered." The shells were 

 associated in the box with some Hygroniia hispida. apparently collected 

 at the same time. The label shows Mr. Stainton to have been a careful 

 collector, but on inquiry he was unable to give me any further information 

 about the shells, and apparently was not aware when he collected them 

 to what species they belonged. It is now necessarj^ to ask merely whether 

 two dead shells collected on a camp ground can be taken as proof that 

 the species is native or even lives in Ireland. 



Would it not be safer to await confirmation in the shape of living speci- 

 mens from a more natural piece of ground ? Yet in the Census of the 

 Conchological Society, just published, the shell is definitely recorded for 

 Co. Kildare, so that the record cannot be ignored, though personally 

 I am inclined to regard the Kildare specimen as having been imported 

 from England or the Continent with war stores, possibly fodder for horses. 



A. W. Stelfox. 

 National Museum, Dublin. 



