96 The Irish Naturalist. August, 1922. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Felted Beech Coccus in Ireland. 



In the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries (England) leaflet No. 140 

 the Felted Beech Coccus, Cryptococcus fagi, is stated to have been recorded 

 from only one locality in Ireland (not given). Some five years ago I 

 first noticed this insect on the beech boles at Ballynafeigh, Belfast. 

 Since then it seems to have spread rapidly and now occurs through- 

 out this district. Recently I have found it extensively in North Down. 



Museum, Belfast. J. A. Sidney Stendall. 



Eg-g- of Fulmar Petrel — -an Irish Example. 



What I believe to be the first Irish-taken egg of the Fulmar reached 

 me in June, from Rathlin Island. The specimen is smaller than the 

 average, only measuring 60.5 mm., but being broken and having lost 

 some of its contents, I was of course unable to determine its weight. 

 Further the egg was infertile which is of interest when considering the 

 remarks made by Mr. E. W. Wade in the July Nainralist (England), 

 p. 223. Mr Wade comments on the breeding of the Fulmar on the 

 Yorkshire cH"^'"s — a new breeding habitat — which he remarks " is a matter 

 for congratulation to the naturalists of Yorkshire, but there is nothing 

 surprising in the event." The author has made a study of the Fulinar 

 at St. Kilda and found " about 25 per cent, of the eggs examined on the 

 outlying stacks to be addled, as if the birds were getting old and past laying 

 further eggs.*' Presumably the eggs laid in the main colony are those 

 of prime birds and the inference is that the bdrds on the stacks have been 

 crushed out by the younger and stronger generation. Our only evidence 

 in Ireland as to the breeding powers of the bird seems to be from the 

 egg now in my possession which gives a direct negative on account of its 

 infertility. It seems probable that Irish examples of the species are 

 also outcasts and possibly very few young are reared on our cliffs. 



Museum, Belfast. " J. A. Sidney Stendall. 



NEWS GLEANINGS. 



• The greatly increased membership of the Belfast Naturalists' Field 

 Club during the Session 1921-1922 and two months over — fourteen months 

 in all — is evidence of the fact that societies like our Irish Field Clubs, 

 strictly non-sectarian and non-political, can continue their activities in 

 the cause of Irish science and their hobbies in natural history in spite 

 of the general unrest and political situation. The B.N.F.C. has added 

 one hundred and eighty new members to its list in the fourteen months 

 ending May last ; of these the Hon. Treasurer (T. E. Osborne. F.R.S.A.I.) 

 obtained one hundred and fifty-eight, and has added many others since. 

 Surely this is a record for a Naturalists' Field Club in the British Islands. 

 Many English clubs have less for a total membership. 



