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DONCASTER NATURAL HISTORY NOTES FOR 1917. 



The following is a summary of the records made in the Doncaster 

 District by the members of the Doncaster Scientific Society, during 1917. 



Birds. — There was a marked diminution in number in many species 

 owing to the severe and prolonged winter of 1916-1917. All the Turdidae, 

 with perhaps the exception of the Missel Thrush, were greatly decreased. 

 The summer migrants were few in number with the exception of the House 

 Martins, these were more abundant than usual. Starlings were greatly 

 reduced, but perhaps the most marked case was with the Winter Thrushes, 

 Redwings and Fieldfares ; the former were far from common, and the 

 latter almost completely absent. 



CoNCHOLOGY. — Mr. Moat has discovered an extraordinary abundance 

 of the larger Helices near Blaxton. This is a district of peat, sand and 

 gravel ; the class of soil on which shelled molluscs are usually rare. But 

 here they were found literally in thousands. The species included Arianta 

 arhiistorum, abundant, fine and varied, including one specimen of a pale 

 colour intermediate between v. flavescens and v. albina ; Helix aspersa, 

 fine, but not much varied ; Cepcsa nemoralis in great profusion, their 

 colour and banding is much varied and some are of a remarkably large 

 size ; among them is a very fine specimen of v. conica ; C. hortensis, also 

 in abundance and great variety, the v. liitea without bands being the 

 commonest ; Theba cantiana, very abundant. Four species have been 

 found in the district that are new to our local lists, namely, Hygroniia 

 granidata at Wadworth, Jaminia niuscorum at Little Smeaton, Segmentina 

 nitida at Askern, and Vivipara coniecta near Blaxton and Bentley. 



Lepidoptera. — -The most interesting facts noted were the great 

 abundance of many species usually rare or absent here. Among these 

 Vanessa io, Sphinx convolvuli and Pygcera biicephala were specially 

 abundant. Other species taken include Argynnis cydippe at Martin Beck, 

 Satynis (ggevia at Brock-o-dale, S. hyperantus at Martin Beck, Manduca 

 atropos at Doncaster, Chcprocampa elpenor (larva;) feeding on Goodetia at 

 Doncaster, Zeuzera pyrini at Doncaster, Amphydasis strataria in Wheatley 

 and Wadworth Woods, Cymatoplwva dtiplaris, Stigmonota nitidana and 

 Choreutes scintillunana, all at Martin Beck. 



CoLEOPTERA. — The following sj)ecies among others have been taken : — 

 Ips ^-guttata in Wheatley Wood, new to v.c. 63 ; Cryptocephaliis pusillus 

 at Martin Beck, new to Yorkshire ; Tacyphloeus olivieri and Orthochcstes 

 setiger at Little Smeaton, both new to v.c. 63 ; and Malthinus frontalis, 

 new to v.c. 63, at Martin Beck. 



Hymenoptera. — The following species have been collected, all of them 

 new to the county list: — Tenthredopsis inornata, Martin Beck; Ten- 

 thredella colon, Wheatley Wood ; Pferomts oligospitus, Rossington ; 

 Rhodogaster viridis. Martin Beck and Edlington Wood ; Bethylus 

 cephalotes, Little Smeaton ; and Ichneumon gracilentus, Wheatley Wood. 



Odonata. — Sympetrum striolatuni. West Moor ; Libelhtla 4-maculata, 

 Martin Beck ; Aeschna juncea, Doncaster ; and Lestes sponsa, Martin 

 Beck. 



Hemiptera. — Among those that have been diagnosed are Acanihosoma 

 dentatmn, Wheatley Wood ; A. interstinciiim, Martin Beck and Wheatley 

 Wood ; Scoloposthetus affinis, Wheatley Wood ; Lopiis goihicus, Martin 

 Beck ; Phytocoris longipennis and Ph. pini, Wheatley Wood ; Ph. populi, 

 Cyllocoris histvionicus, Meconima ambulans and Psallus betuleti, Martin 

 Beck ; Ps. ambiguus and Ps. falleni, Wheatley Wood. 



Microscopy. — Special attention has been paid to the Diatoms of 

 Martin Beck. So far 106 spp. and vars. have been found, 23 of which are 

 not included in ' West's Alga Flora of Yorkshire,' and 40 have not been 

 recorded for v.c. 63. No fewer than 37 sp. and vars. of the genus Navicula 

 were found, of which the more notable were Navicula americana, a very 

 rare diatom, new to Yorkshire if not to England. The two specimens 



Naturalist, 



