52 The Irish Naturalisf. March 1915. 



NOTES. 



BOTANY. 



Fulig^o septica var. candidar 



In the month of September last when at Woodlawn, Co. Galway, I 

 gathered on moss on a decaying tree-stump a dark cushion-Hke mass 

 about an inch and a half in diameter. On looking at it with a lens I 

 saw that it was a Myxomycete. The specimen was somewhat weathered 

 and the cortex partly dispersed. On microscopical examination I found 

 it was a species of Fuligo, but as it differed in some respects from F. 

 septica notably in the colour of the lime knots of the capillitium, and 

 did not agree with the characters of F. cinerea (which I had never seen) 

 I sent it to Miss G. Lister who very kindly wrote as follows : — " I am 

 very pleased to see your specimens. If No. i was a puzzler I am not 

 surprised. I call it Fuligo septica var. Candida (Pers. as sp.) a new record 

 for Ireland. The spores are rather darker than is typical for F. septica 

 and measure 7 to 9 ^^ : the character of the long slender lime knots 

 and abundant straight hyaline threads is right for jF. septica. We have 

 often been puzzled with forms intermediate between var. Candida and 

 F. cinerea var. ecorticata, but your specimen lies comfortably on the 

 F. septica heap, I think. 



W. F. GUNN. 

 Rathgar, Dublin. 



ZOOLOGY. 

 Abundance of Lepidoptera in 1917. 



With reference to Mr. Workman's note in the January Irish Natitralisi 

 (p. II, supra) , it may be of interest to note that in this immediate neighbour- 

 hood the past year showed a very marked increase in several species of 

 Lepidoptera. The Silver-washed Fritillary [Argynnis paphia) and the 

 Small Heath {Coenonympha pamphilus), both new to me in the district, 

 were observed, the former in very large numbers. The Grayling {Satyrus 

 semele) was much more numerous than usual and the same applies to 

 the Painted Lady ( Vanessa cardui) and the Small Copper [Chrysophanus 

 phloeas). Among Moths the Six-spot Burnet {Anthrocera filipendulae) , 

 of which I had only one record prior to this year, was found on several 

 occasions positively swarming. A specimen of the Convolvolus Hawk 

 Moth [Sphinx convolvuli) was taken on September 2nd, this being the 

 second occurrence in the neighbourhood of late. The first was taken 

 on October 6th, 19 15. Both were captured at the rectory, the first 



hovering round a plant of tobacco in the garden, the second in the house. 



T. W. L. Keane. 

 Ardmore. Co. Waterford. 



