212 [February, 



Observations on insects at Worcester in 1879. — The gorse (Ulex europceus) 

 showed very strikingly the ill effects of the ■winter : two-thirds of it was killed down 

 to the ground, and what remained alive was but poorly supplied with blossoms, and 

 very few of them expanded at the beginning of May. As a consequence, it was 

 useless to spend time beating or searching that plant, the result of five hours' work 

 being less than could be obtained in half-an-liour in an average spring. Rain, pro- 

 ducing frequent floods, rough winds and gloom predominated through the summer 

 time ; but the autumn brought better weather, and collecting became profitable. 



The following remarks are merely founded on my own experience. The district 

 traversed was small, being almost confined to a tract of some sixteen square miles on 

 the west of the town. 



Excepting a weak nest of Formica nigra and one of F.fiava, I did not see twenty 

 aats during the year. Very few social wasps occurred, and only three species, Vespa 

 sylvestris, vulgaris, and germanica. Twenty-three Odyneri were taken in the garden, 

 but only one (O. sinuatus) was captured elsewhere. Bomhi and Apathi were as 

 numerous, in species and individuals, as usual. Symptoms of spring occurred at end 

 of March, bringing out Anthophora acervorum ; but wintry weather again set in within 

 a few days, and the bee disappeared till the end of April, thenceforth flying, when days 

 were tolerable, throughout May. Andrena, Halictl, and other solitary bees were scarce 

 throughout the year. Only four specimens oi Anthidium manicatumvicYeiowad., the 

 first on July 15th, the others on August 25th — then quite fresh looking. As this species 

 occurs at my own door, I had the best of opportunities for observing it. Of Fossores, 

 under twenty individuals were found, all small black species. Not more than ten 

 specimens of ChrysididcB were seen. Ichneumons were less numerous than usual ; 

 and Oxyura and Chalcids were notably few. The galls of Cy nip idee were rather 

 commoner than during 1877—8, but few insects were bred from them, except in the 

 case of Andricus alhipes, every gall of which yielded up its tenant. Few species of 

 saw-flies were seen. Athalia roscB was uncommon, though in the summer of 1878 it 

 was so plentiful as to be ti'oublesome to the collector. Selandria serva, on the other 

 hand, was far more abundant than I ever before witnessed. Larvae of some species 

 were commoner than usual, e. g., Nematus ribesii (far too common), Cladius BruUcei, 

 rvfipes, padi, Fenusa melanopoda, and PhyUotoma vagans; whereas, those of Fenusa 

 hetulcB and piimila were extremely scarce. 



Water was too prevalent to allow of much beating, sweeping, or searching on 

 the ground, consequently not much was done in Coleoptera ; but Cryptorhynchus 

 lapathi was noticed as much commoner than visual, so were some Elaters. MeloJontha 

 vulgaris was uncommon, and first seen on June 13th ; Rhizotrogus solstitialis was 

 not seen at all. Larvae of some of the leaf-mining Ehynchophora were noticed as 

 fully as numerous as usual. 



The PanorpidcB were not uncommon ; but Chrysopa was only represented by 



one example ; and of Hemerolius only three specimens were taken. No Coniopteryx 



was seen. Of Sialis lutaria only one was found, but three of S.fuliginosa were caught. 



PsocidcB were common in the autumn, though few traces of them were found 



earlier. PerlidcB, Odonata, and Ephemeridce seemed as common as usual. 



Few Orthoptera were seen : the only earwig met with being Forficulaforcipata, 

 and that, fortunately, was uncommon. 



Very few species of butterflies were seen ; uo fritillary, no Thecla, no Qrapta 



