32 2 The Irish Nattcra list. 



Erica mcditerranea flowering in October. — From Acliill 

 Island Mr. J. R. Sheridan has sent nie a few branches of Erica Diediterranea, 

 which he found flowering at the ver}^ unusual date of loth October, and 

 he remarks that it had been out for a week or two previously. This is, 

 no doubt, a result of the extraordinary fine and hot summer which we 

 have experienced this year, and which has caused many other spring- 

 flowering plants to anticipate their usual date. — A. G. More, Dublin. 



Autumn Blossomingr of Spring Flowers. — In the notice on 

 this subject in the last number of the Irish Nat., Mr. Praeger includes 

 Mertcnsia inariti}na. According to the " Cybele Hibernica" it flowers from 

 " May to August," and Babington's " Manual " gives June to August. As 

 far as my experience goes, it flowers the whole summer, and I have 

 gathered it in flower in September ten years ago at the station (Malin 

 Head) cited by Mr. Praeger. In this mild district we have alwa^'s early- 

 flowering species re-appearing in a desultory fashion in November and 

 December. The most remarkable instance I notice at present is that of 

 the Hazel, which is now in blossom, its usual season being February to 

 March. But I have seen it last year flowering in December. Ivy has 

 been in bloom since August. It is in the garden, however, that abnormal 

 flowering is most conspicuous at present. INIan}^ instances have been 

 noted in the columns of the various horticultural papers. In my 

 garden Tazetta Narcissi have their buds formed and the colour already 

 showing. Another sort that I am not sure of has its buds formed. All 

 sorts have their leaves above ground, four inches to a foot or more in 

 height. Numerous other alarming growths are occurring, chiefly 

 amongst bulbs. — H. C. Hart, Carrablagh, Co. Donegal. 



ZOOLOGY. 



SPONGES. 



Spongilla lacustris at Ballyshannon.— On October 22nd I 

 collected some Spongiila in Columbkille Lough, near Ballyshannon, and 

 sent it to Dr. Scharff for identification. He writes me: — "I am very 

 glad to get the fresh- water sponges at the present time of year, as the 

 ovaries are now developed, which form an easy means of determination. 

 The ordinary spicules are almost worthless in that respect. There are 

 two groups of fresh-water sponges, fhejiuviafilis and the lacustris group. 

 Numerous varieties, by some regarded as species, have been described of 

 each. The absence of amphidiscs in the covering of the ovaries 

 characterises the lacustris group, while the other has them. They are 

 disc-shaped silicious structures united by a rod. I could not find any of 

 them in your specimens, and would not hesitate, therefore, to call them 

 S. lacustris.'' Possibly this locality may be worth recording, as from Dr. 

 Scharfl''s note in /. N. for October, S. lacustris appears not to have been 

 recorded from N. of Ireland. — R. H. CreighTon, Ballyshannon. 



INS ECTS. 



Picris daplidice, L. in Ireland. — I beg to record the occurrence 

 of the " Bath White " butterfly in this district during the present month. 

 I showed the vSpecimen to Mr. Pearce, of Ronise}-, Southampton, and to 

 Mr. Gore Cuthbert of Dublin, who confirmed my identification. — N. S. 

 Hind, Ferns, Co. Wexford. 



Lepidoptera at Howth and Castlebellingham. — In going 

 over a very interesting collection of Lepidoptera made this year at 

 Castlebellingham by Mr. W. B. Thornhill, I found three specimens of 

 Aplccta advcna ; also a nice series of Apaniea Jibiosa and leucostigvia, Agrotis 

 lunigera, Plusia bractea, and Zancloonatha tarsipennalis. Mr. Thornhill had 

 also taken some curious forms of Hydrocampa nymphceata and H. stagnata. 

 The occurrence of ^. lunigera struck me as surprising, but Mr, Thornhill 

 informs me that his i^arden is within a mile of the sea. 



