1922. Notes. 55 



Two small Parasitic Hymenoptera from Co Wexford. 



In the summer of 1920 I received from Miss Deane, of Longraigue, 

 Foulks Mills, Co. Wexford, a small cocoon, of cotton-like material, which 

 she had found attached to stems of the Rough Cocksfoot Grass {Dactylis 

 glomerata), and of which she wished to learn the origin. I accordingly 

 took it to the Museum and consulted Messrs. Halbert and Stelfox, who 

 at once took charge of the cocoon with a. view to the identification of the 

 inmates (some of the smaller Hymenoptera, as they at once perceived) 

 as soon as they emerged. The insects that emerged proved to be of two 

 species, Apanteles callidiis and Panavgyrops tenerriiiius, the former, I 

 believe, a known parasite on the larvae of lepidoptera, and the latter 

 a " hyper-parasite," victimising members of its own class. On January 

 2ist, 192 1, Mr. Stelfox wrote to me the interesting information that as 

 many as 133 insects had emerged from Miss Deane's small cocoon. Of 

 these 46 were assignable to Apanteles callidus, and 87 to the hyper-parasite 

 Panargyrops tenerrimus. A curious fact about the latter was that 71 of 

 the entire progeny were females and only 16 males. I hope that even 

 these isolated facts with regard to an order so little studied and so remark- 

 able in its instincts may be thought deserving of publication, 



C. B. Moffat. 

 Dublin. 



The Song of Birds. 



Perhaps some readers (from different parts of the country) .who are 

 interested in that branch of animal behaviour represented by birds' song, 

 would be good enough to take the following simple notes this June or 

 July about Chaffinches, Blackbirds and Thrushes, or any one of them, 

 and send them to me. The object being to explore any relation between 

 England and Ireland or between latitudes in the same, in respect to the 

 termination of the spring song period. (This appears to be also an 

 indication of the relative number of broods). 



1. Week when there appears to be very little song left. 



2. Date of last song noticed. 



With me, for example, (i) will likely be Chaffinch — second or third 

 week in June ; Blackbird — first week in June ; Song Thrush — second 

 or third week in June. 



J. P. BURKITT, 



Enniskillen. 



An Early Swallow. 



Mr. Joseph Skillen informs me that he saw a Swallow fiying about 

 at Kilroot, Co. Antrim, on 7th March of this year. So far as I know, 

 the previous earliest Irish record is 17th March {Irish Nat., vol. xii., p. 198). 



Nevin H. Foster. 

 Hillsborough, Co. Down, 



