76 The Irish Naturalist. A^ril, 



Lepidoptera from Ulster. 



At a uR-uting of the Lancashire and Chcbhiic Entomological Society 

 held 2 1st November, 1910, at the Royal Institution, Liverpool, H. R. 

 Sweeting, M.A., read a paper on Collecting in the North of Ireland during 

 August, 1910. In this period only eight whole days were free from 

 heavy rain, and in consequence of the unfavourable weather the results 

 were much lielow wliat one might reasonably expect under good conditions. 

 The outstanding feature of the holiday was the capture, on a private 

 estate, of a long series of Hydroccin cyinancnsis ; the moth was identified 

 by Mr. F. N. Pierce, who examined all the spocim"US, while the bodies 

 were yet soft enough to permit an inspection of the genitalia. .\ scries 

 of Cidaria truncata contained the usual forms and also a very fine mclanic 

 variety of the ccntiim-notata form wholly suffused with fuscous, the hind 

 wings being nearly as dark as the primaries ; other specimens also had 

 a strong melanic tendency. A series of Nociua dahlii contained some 

 almost black examples. The butterflies wenr noteworthy as showing 

 distinctly brighter colouring than is usually found in lingland. Lycoena 

 icanii, unfortunately was not im-t with : tlie females from this locality, 

 as is well known, having very bright blue coloration. Tlie paper was 

 illustrated by a large-scale map of the district, coloured to indicate the 

 collecting areas, a feature which added greatly to the interest of the 

 descriptions. A discussion ensued, in which several f)f the numbers 

 present gave their experiences in the North of Ireland. 



Hymenoptera from Ulster. 



Mv captures of llymrnoptcra for ujiu liave yielded some species new 

 to our county lists. I am indebted to the foHowiug gentlenu-n for 

 identifying species :— Rev. W. F. Johnson, D. R. Pack-Beresford. and 

 W. F. L. Sladen. To Mr. Sladen I sent a great many of my insects ; 

 amongst them ho discovered Psithyriis barhntcHus. This is i\\v tirst 

 time this species has been recorded from the North. Mr. Sladen has 

 also examined specimens recorded by me as Bombiis ciilhiinamis and 

 B. sororenrJs ; he finds that they belong to otlur species. B. culhimaniis 

 lias not th-n been taken in Ireland. The species collected in Co. Antrim 

 are Formica fiisca, Whitidieatl ; Myrmica sulcinodis, Belfast Cemetery ; 

 Salins rxaltattis. Cave Hill ; Cnibya ccplialolcs, Belfast Cemetery. In 

 Co. Down — Formica fusca, Vcspa germanica, Odyiicnis parictum, Andrena 

 minulula, all at Ballywalter ; Pxi/hyrits nipcstris at Dundrum ; P. 

 harbuleUus at Castlcreagh. In Co. \\\my^\\—Lcptothorax accrvorum and 

 P. barbitlelliis at Richhill. In Co. Louth— Fesprt sylvesitis, Bombus 

 horlorum, and U. ierresiris at Carlingford. 



Mr. Sladen informs me that all my Psilhynts vestalis belong to var. 



distinctus. ,.. t ^ 



H. L. Orr. 



Belfast. 



