1899.] 



Notes. 



209 



Wasp Notes. 



Although an occasional queen wasp may still be met with, the season 

 during which they are to be caught in large numbers is now past, so that 

 one can note the results of the season's catch. 



I was away from Ireland till June 27th, but in the fortnight following 

 that date I was paying visits in the North of Ireland, at Bangor, Co. 

 Down, and near Kilrea, Co. Derry. While there I caught a considerable 

 number of queens, and even so early as that I caught a good many 

 workers, Vcspa rufa, V. norvegica, and V. sylvestrts, being the most common. 



During my absence from home I instructed my gardener to catch 

 queen wasps for me here, the following being the results of the catches 

 in the three places named : — 



The vast majority were caught on bushes of Cotoneaster Symondsi. This 

 shrub has a very great attraction for wasps when in flower, which this 

 year was the end of June and early part of July. 



I planted some of this shrub here some years ago for the purpose of 

 killing queen wasps on it, and have been very successful for several years 

 past in reducing the number of nests about, but before this year have not 

 taken note of the various species killed. 



The great fascination this plant has for queen wasps may possibly be 

 of interest to collectors. A friend of mine tells me that one year he killed 

 over a thousand queens on some plants of it in his garden. The great 

 numbers of V. rufa this year, both in this part and in the north of Ireland 

 is interesting, as I do not ever remember noticing this wasp here before. 



I examined some hundreds of workers here last autumn, but found 



nothing but V. vulgaris. Nests of V. rufa should be common this year, 



and there should be ample opportunities for confirming Mr. Robson's 



observations on the inquiline nature of V. austriaca which also seems to 



have been met w r ith in larger numbers than usual. 



Dknis R. Fack-Beresford. 

 Fenagh House, Bagnalstowu. 



