1916.] 07 



Earhj appearance of Halictus morio L., after hibernation. — -On January 28th, 

 an unusually briy-ht and warm day, I took a special look around to see if any 

 of the earlier spring bees had been tempted out by the mildness of the weather. 

 I quite expected to see Anthophora in the garden about tlie numerous flowers 

 of crocus, violet, primrose, etc., but was disappointed in this. In a lane near 

 by, however, I found a ? Halictus morio assiduously working the flowers of a 

 yellow composite. This is by far the earliest date on which I have observed 

 Halictus to leave its winter quarters.— E,. C. L. Perkins, Park Hill House, 

 Paignton : Jannary 31st, 1916. 



Flies in houses, — I have read Mr. Hagh Scott's note aboiit flies swarming in 

 houses with much interest, and am prompted thereby to relate my own experi- 

 ences with these insects. Every year in late autumn flies begin to come into 

 this house, but they particularly favour one room, a bedroom on the first floor — 

 a large, lofty room, facing nearly due south. Their favourite resting place, when 

 once winter has come on, is behind the shutters, for being an old house every 

 window is provided with shutters ; they also affect the backs of pictures. 



Mrs. Johnson, having discovered their habit, goes roimd with a dust-pan 

 and brush, sweeps them off, and destroys them. I have seen the back of a large 

 shutter completely covered with them. This happens every year, but I did not 

 pay any particular attention to them, not having any knowledge of Diptera. 

 The inquiry which arose about the hibernation or otherwise of the hovtse-fly 

 caused me to observe things a little more closely. Last October was a rather 

 cold month and there were several sharp frosts, the thermometer falling to 28° F. 

 I noticed the flies coming into the house in considerable numbers. They collected 

 in bunches along the moulding of the ceiling of their favoiirite room, and if the 

 day was bright and sunny, the large window which faces south was black with 

 them. I got a lot of them into a box and sent them to Mr. J. E. Collin, who 

 most kindly examined them, and informed me that three species were rr presented, 

 viz. : Polietes lardaria, Pyrellia lasiophthalma., and Lininophora septemnotata, of 

 which the last named was most numerous. 



In December, my attention was again called to the flies by Mrs. Johnson 

 bringing me to look at one of the window blinds in the same room. In the deep 

 hem of the blind a hole had been torn, and through this aperture the flies had 

 entered, and the whole hem was full of them. I thought this so curious that I 

 cut off the hem and sent it to Mr. Collin, who again most kindly examined the 

 flies, and informed me that the majority of those sent were Limnophora septem- 

 notata, and along with them were three Pollenia rudis and one Chloropisca 

 circumdata. 



This house stands on a hill, with falling ground to south, east and north ; 

 on the west the ground dips and then rises again. The room in which the flies 

 were taken faces south and east, with a very large window to the south, and 

 another not so large to the east. The east wall is covered with golden ivy, which 

 has grown round on to the south wall as far as the window ; on the south wall 

 there are roses and a Clematis montana. At a little distance on the south there 

 are several large beech trees and a large pine tree ; behind these are larch, pine, 



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