FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 89 



(17) BUPALUS PINIARIA. During June bred a Scotch 

 form of both female and male, an interesting record in view 

 of the inclement spring. (W.P.C.) 



(18) DREPANA UNGUICULA. 21 July, 1917. One taken 

 at Melbury Park, near Dorchester. (F.L.B.) 



(19) HEPIALUS HUMULI. At Corfe Castle, swinging back 

 and fro in front of a red valerian on 13 July, 1917, a single 

 specimen of male var. thulensis. (D.D.) 



(Dr. Dru Drury kindly sent this very interesting capture 

 for inspection. It is a small male in good condition and a 

 remarkably fine example of this Shetland race. ED. Phen. 

 Notes.) 



BOTANICAL NOTES. 



Taraxacum officinale (The Dandelion). Mr. R. Edwards, 

 of Parkstone, whilst getting me some dandelion for food 

 plant, on 29 September, 1917, gathered a number of leaves 

 from one plant (a wild one) of the following extraordinary 

 dimensions, given in inches : 21 x 7; 20| x 5J ; 18| x 5J ; 

 20| x 5; 20 x 7|; 21f x 6J ; 22 x 6J ; 17| x 5f. The 

 measurements for length were taken from the point on the 

 mid-rib where the leaf was cut off along the mid-rib to the 

 distal extremity. The width was measured from the tip of 

 the longest pinna on the left to the mid-lib, and from the 

 mid-rib to the tip of the longest pinna on the right ; the 

 measurements for width are therefore extreme and not 

 average. The leaves were exceedingly handsome and well 

 worth making plaster casts from. (W.P.C.) 



I have been fortunate enough to find Mr. Linton's note 

 to me, referred to in the last Volume. It was safely filed 

 so safely that I only came across it in August, 1917. The 

 following records for first flower are start lingly early : 



Vicia sepium. Flower, Feb. 10 extraordinary. 



Leaf, March 4 rational. 

 Prunus spinosa. Leaf, January 11. 



Flower, January 1. 



