14 The Irish Naturalist, February, 



at the Red Valerian, which grows so abundantty on the old 

 walls at the castle and elsewhere. Possibly if I had gone out 

 about midnight (summer time) I might have seen some, but 

 being no longer young I preferred to go to bed. I picked 

 up a few Dipt era, mostty, it will be seen, belonging to the 

 Syrphidae, for that is the section I am best acquainted with. 

 I give Catahomba selenitica and Syrphus labiatarum with 

 some reserve, as they are somewhat critical species and I 

 have no types. Among the Stratiomyidae are some very 

 beautiful flies, e.g., Odontoniyia viridula in green and black, 

 and Chloromyia formosa in most brilliant shining green. 

 Its furry body gives Bomby litis canescens a very remarkable 

 appearance. 



I had hoped to get a good many Aculeata, but the 

 meagre list presented tells the tale of my disappointed 

 hopes. I think that the fine warm weather of May had 

 brought them on earlier than usual, so that most were 

 over when I arrived on the scene. The wet season of last 

 year undoubtedly helped to reduce their numbers, for I 

 did not see anything like the usu?l number about Poyntz- 

 pass. 



The most p^lentiful bee was Andrena faccata, especially 

 males ; they were all over the place, and I kept catching 

 them, only to find that I had got what I did not want. 

 I got a few A. nana, a species I had not met with before, 

 and which, so far as I know, has only been recorded frc>m 

 the extreme south of Ireland (Cork and Kerry). 



I did much better with the Sawflies, though I was, of 

 course, too late for the early spring species. Most of these 

 were taken along the field path, but Pachyprotasis rapae 

 was captured on the old Omeath road in a rather peculiar 

 manner. First one flew on to Mrs. Johnson's dress, and, as 

 she had not her net with her, she called to me, and I duly 

 captured it. Three days later we were strolling along the 

 same road, from which there were very beautiful views up 

 and down the lough, when Mrs. Johnson pointed out to me 

 a Sawfly sitting on a frond of Bracken ; I duly captured 

 it, and it proved to be a second specimen of this species. 

 My best capture was Amauronematus vidnatus Zett., a 



