282 The Irish Naturalist. [Oct., 



INSECTS. 



wasps In Co. Waterford. 



I have observed the same scarcity of Wasps this year about Portlaw, 

 as Mr. Barrington notes in his neighbourhood. I don't think I have 

 seen half a dozen, and I have not heard of any nests. 



This is the more surprising, inasmuch as wasps are usually abundant 

 about here. It seems extraordinary that this year should form an ex- 

 ception, when we remember that the spring was so favourable, and the 

 summer very hot. Can any readers of the Irish Naturalut suggest an 



explanation .'' 



WlIvIvIAM W- Fl^EMYNG. 



Autumn Scarcity of Wasps. 



In regard to this district (Blackrock), I can bear out Mr. Barrington's 

 experience as to the scarcity of worker-wasps this autumn. While at 

 Ballybunnion, in Kerry, in August, I noticed numbers of workers of 

 Vesta sylvestris, but of no other wasp. Since my return to Dublin I have 

 only seen two males of V. gertnanica^ and two workers of V. vulgaris. 

 Queens of our six Irish species were not rare in the spring and early 

 summer. 



Mr. Percy Freke has noticed the same circumstance at Borris, in Co. 

 Carlow. In a letter, dated 19th August, he writes : — " There has been a 

 most remarkable scarcity of worker Vespce and Bombi this season that I 

 ever remember. The females were exceedingly numerous in spring and 

 early summer, and I thought we would have a flood of workers presently. 

 I have not yet seen a single wasps' nest this season. Last year I could 

 probably have found a hundred within a mile or so of my house." 



It is possible that the very wet autumn of last year may have prevented 



the impregnation of the queens. I can suggest no other explanation of 



the present happy scarcity. 



H. G. CUTHBERT. 



GEnlstls quadra In Co. Waterford. 



I see Mr. Bonaparte-Wj'se's note about this rare moth (ante p. 252), 



and write to say that I took a specimen in Curraghmore on the i6th of 



August, 1895. 



WII.I.IAM W. FivEMYNG. 



CoIIas edusa In Co. Cork. 



Mr. R. A. Phillips wrote to me that he saw a single Colias edusa near 

 Skibbereen on August 3rd. I have accordingly been hoping for its 

 reappearance, and was pleased to see two on Sept. 12th, four on Sept. 

 14th, nine or ten on Sep. 15th, and a few more on the i6th, so if fine 

 weather continues I expect they will become more common, and, as in 

 1888, continue with us till the middle of October or longer. All I have 

 yet seen distinctly enough to distinguish sex, including four captured, 

 were males. 



John J. Woi^fis. 



