154 -^^^ Irish Naturalist. September, 



The customary business meeting was held in the Cathedral schoolhouse — 



the Vice-President, A. M'l. Cleland, in the chair. A cordial vote of thanks 

 was awarded to Rev. Canon and Miss Pounden for their attention and 

 hospitality ; R. M. Close was elected an ordinary member of the Club. 



The interests of the walk by the canal side were chiefly botanical, and 

 it was rather disappointing that in this unusually late season some of the 

 rarer plants which have found a habitat were not yet in flower ; and 

 interest chiefly centred in the Sweet Flag, Acorus Calamus, of which many 

 flowering specimens were available. This plant was (upwards of 200 years 

 ago) introduced by Sir Arthur Rawdon into his gardens at Moira. His 

 gardens wit-h their ponds have long since disappeared, but from them the 

 Sweet Flag has spread, and now practically lines the canal on both sides 

 from Lough Neagh to Belfast. In Ireland it is only found in a few other 

 outlying stations, where it had doubtless been planted. Among other 

 of our less common plants observed may be mentioned Nasturtium am- 

 phibium, Habenaria Morantha, Carex panicidata, C. vesicaria and 

 Catabrosa aquatica. 



NOTES. 



ZOOLOGY. 

 Psithyrus rupestris in Co. Wexford. 



I caught a female of this conspicuous " usurper-bee " at Ballyhyland 

 on August 3rd, and another on August 14th. Though it probably occurs 

 in most parts of Ireland, it appears to have been recorded from only 

 quite a few localities. Mr, Sladen in his fascinating book " The Humble- 

 Bee " credits only three Irish counties — Cork, Limerick, and Sligo — with 

 records of this species. He might, however, have added Down, where it 

 it was taken by the late Mr. H. L. Orr {Irish Naturalist, vol. xx., p. 76). 

 With Wexford added, the range is seen to extend into all the four pro- 

 vinces. The insect is probably often overlooked owing to its resemblance 

 to Bombus lapidarius ; but by coming abroad in August, when queens of 

 the last-named species are not likely to be on the wing, it sometimes runs 

 a risk of easy detection. I should like to know how these two females 

 came to be travelling about at so late a date. 



C. B. Moffat. 



Ballyhyland, Co. Wexford. 



