Notes. 67 



Anoplodactylus petiolatus, Kr., off the South-West Coast. 



— In my paper on Irish Pycnogonida (Set. Proc. R.D.S., vol. viii., p. 197), I 

 was able to record only a single female of this species, from Loughrosmore 

 Bay, Co. Donegal. Mr. J. E. Dnerden has lately found several examples 

 of both sexes which were dredged by the " Harlequin " in 55 fathoms 

 off the mouth of Kenmare River, but which had been overlooked when 

 the material from the survey was handed to me last year. — GEO. H. 

 Carpenter. 



INSECTS. 



Winter Larvae of Vanessa atalanta. — In the Entomologist's Record 

 for January, we notice a record that living caterpillars of the " Red 

 Admiral" were taken at Skibbereen on Jan. nth. It would seem that the 

 mild autumn of last year caused an abnormal second brood. 



Hymenoptera in Co. Dublin. — The following Aculeate Hymen- 

 optera were among my captures in this county last summer. Social 

 Wasps — Vespa germanica, abundantly; V. sylvestris, sparingly; and V. 

 norvegica, in some numbers. Solitary Wasps — Odynerus pictus and 0. 

 parietum, abundantly; 0. parietinns, less commonly; and 0. spinipes once, at 

 Killiney. Bees — Megachile centuncularis frequently; and Ccelioxys elongata, 

 once. The latter curious species, parasitic upon Megachile, was taken in 

 my garden here, in company with its host. Two other bees of this class, 

 parasitic on the Andrenidcc, occurred at Foxrock — Nomada ruficornis and 

 N. succincta. Of Andrena itself I met with no noteworthy species, except 

 A. fucata at Skerries, but A. Gwynana was taken at Dundruni by my 

 friend, Mr. Percy Freke.— H. G. CuthberT, Blackrock, Dublin. 



MOLL USCS. 



Land -Shells at the Giant's Causeway. — Visitors to the Giant's 

 Causeway will perhaps recollect a rather marshy bit of ground in 

 Portnoffer, almost immediately below the " Shepherd's Path," which 

 leads to the top of the cliffs. It is strewn with stones, large and small, 

 and to a conchological eye suggests at once a happy hunting ground, — 

 a suggestion, the correctness of which no collector should fail to test, 

 if he has the chance. The dry summer of 1893 is hardly a fair season on 

 which to base a comprehensive estimate of the district's land-shells, 

 and I will only record a few interesting species that occurred in this spot 

 at the Causeway. I might perhaps make an exception with regard to 

 Helix virgata, as to the distribution of which in the north of Ireland I 

 understand that special interest attaches. This species was plentiful by 

 the side of the road leading down to the harbour at Ballintoy, but I saw it 

 nowhere westward of that place, my researches extending to Port 

 Ballintrae. Helix ericetoruiu and Coc Micella acuta were plentiful throughout. 

 To return to Portnoffer — the best shell to be had there is certainly 

 Vertigo substriata, and it is not uncommon, but a little villain to see. I 

 found that the only plan was to lie amongst the reeds full length, and in- 

 spect at the closest possible quarters the rough surfaces of the boulders, 

 turning down very carefully the grass and weeds round the edges. Some 

 specimens of course were to be found on small, manageable stones, but 

 the majority prefer the seclusion of the big, fixed blocks. Vertigo anti- 

 vertigo was extremely scarce, V. edentula fairly common, but V. pygmcca 

 occurred in profusion there as well as in other drier spots along the 

 coast. It is easy however to recognize substriata from the rest by its 

 paler yellow colour, and in fresh specimens the striae are distinctly 

 plain to the naked eye. The colour of the animal seems to be very pale 

 indeed. Pupa ringens was fairly common, and I got a nice series of 

 Helix rotundata V. alba. Perhaps the most abundant shell of all there is 

 Clausilia rugosa, and it was at once noticed that nearly all the shells were 



