1900.] ^y 



NOTES. 



ZOOLOGY. 



INSECTS. 



Abundance of Colias edusa in Connemara. 



In the January number of the Entom. Mo. Mag. (vol. xxvi., p. i), the 

 Rev. C. T. Cruttwell, of Kilworth, Leicestershire, records the occurrence 

 of hundreds of males of this butteifly at Renvyle during the past 



summer. 



Zelleria phillyrella, Mllliere, Introduced in Connemara. 



On pp. 4-6 of the same number of the EiiL Mo. Mag., Mr. C. G. Barrett 

 records the capture by Mr. Crutwell of a single specimen of this South 

 European insect at Renvyle. He states, on the authority of Mr. W. F. 

 de V. Kane, that several species of its food-plant — PInlly)xa — are cultivated 

 in gardens in the West of Ireland, and expresses his opinion that the 

 moth has been then introduced into our country. 



Late Wasps' Nests. 



On December Stli, I saw three wasps' nests all working, in the vicinity 

 of Fassaroe, Co. Wicklow. On December 15th one of these had 

 apparently ceased, but the other two were still lively. Last year (189S) I 

 saw a wasps' nest in the same neighbourhood hard at work on December 

 23rd ; and I learned from Mr. Harrington that this nest continued active 

 until the beginning of the new year. Mr. Barrington also told me that 

 in a former year he had observed one so late as January loth. At Bally- 

 hyland I have never seen, and only once heard of, a wasps' nest working 

 in December ; but this would seem to be of normal occurrence in parts 

 of Co. Wicklow. The nests referred to above were, I believe, all inhabited 

 by Vespa vulgaris. 



Ballyhylaud, Co. Wexford. 



C. B. Moffat. 



MOLLUSCS. 



Arion ater, var. Bocagrei, in Ireland. 



Some years ^ago Prof, Simroth described a new variety of the 

 common slug, Arion ater, from Portugal, which, instead of being uniform 

 in colour, was yellow above, with brown sides. He named it variety 

 Bocagei, after the Portuguese naturalist, Bocage. Mr. CoUinge now 

 records {Jouni. MalacoL, 1899, vol.7 p. 33\ the same variety from the 

 South of Ireland, and expresses the view that it belongs to the same 

 catagory as Geomalaciis niacnlostis, as far as distribution is concerned. Mr 

 Collinge, it will be noticed, uses the name Arion eiiipiricontm of 

 Ferussac instead of the earlier A. ater., as he believes these to be two dis- 

 tinct species. Prof. Simroth and I do not agree with him, and it 

 certainly seems to me that Arion ater, being the older name, has the 

 priority, and should therefore be used. 



R. F. SCHARFF. 



Science and Art Museum, Dublin. 



