igoo.'J 1 8r 



NOTES. 



BOTANY. 



Orobanche major fertilised by Wasps. 



I do uot know whether it has been recorded that wasps are agents in 

 the fertilisation of the Greater Broou:-rape {Orobanche major, L.)- At the 

 beginning of June this year I twice observed a wasp busy gathering 

 hone_y from that plant, the upper surface of the insect's thorax getting 

 conipletel}' dusted over with the whitish pollen. The wasp was Vcspa 

 riifa in at least one instance, probably in both. Wasps are known to be 

 the principal pollen-carriers of Scrophularia aquatica and S. nodosa, and, 

 according to Darwin, are the only insects which perform that office for 

 Epipactis latifoUa. But, on the whole, the wasp-fertilised flowers of this 

 country may be considered a small and select group. As far as I know, 

 they are all dull in colour, in which respect Orehattche major is well 

 qualified to join the circle. Have bees, hive or humble, been observed 

 visiting this Broom-rape ? I do not remember having seen them at it. 



C. B. Moffat. 



Ballyhyland. 



ZOOLOGY. 



ANNELIDS. 

 British Marine Worms. 



The second part of Prof \V. C. MTntosh's great monograph of the 

 British Annelids has recentl}' been issued by the Ray Society. The first 

 part was published in 1873--74, and included the nemertine worms — a 

 group but little known to the ordinary public, although comprising 

 some marine species attaining to a length of several yards. The part 

 now issued included five families of PoU'chseta, almost all of which are 

 marine worms. They have a conspicuous head and the segmented body 

 is furnished at the sides with bristles. 



It may be mentioned that Prof M'Intosh applies the term British 

 (now frequently used for purely English and Scottish species) to species 

 occurring not only in Irish waters, bnt on the coasts of the Channel 

 Islands. Prof M'Intosh has had the opportunity of examining the large 

 collection of marine worms in the Dublin Museum, and he acknowledges 

 the assistance received from various Irish naturalists in the wa}' of 

 specimens. Over thirt}- of the species mentioned in this part of the 

 monograph are Irish, the following being peculiar to the Irish marine 

 area : — Euphrosyne artnadillo, Lactmatonice producta var. britannica ; 

 Harmothoe Fraser-Thomsoni, Phyllantino'e mollis ^2iXi^ Sthetielais [effreysii. 



Eusthendais hibernica, since its discovery off the Irish coast, has also 

 been taken in the Mediterranean, but nowhere as yet in the strictly 

 British marine area. 



