307 

 YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS AT WENTWORTH. 



F. A. MASON, F.R.M.S., AND W. H. PEARSALL, D.SC. 



In spite of an overcast morning, the meeting of the Union at Wentworth 

 on July 7th was favoured with glorious, if somewhat tropical weather. 

 Members started from various points under the leadership of Messrs. E.G. 

 Bayford, T. Baldwin and A. Kay, and also had the advantage of being 

 piloted to places of particular interest by Earl Fitzwilliam's keepers. 

 The day's proceedings were enlivened by the abundant historical associa- 

 tions of the locality, especially its connexion with Thomas Wentworth, 

 Earl of Strafford. Equally striking were the pre-Roman earthworks in 

 Scholes Coppice. Although the dry weather had burnt rxp much of the 

 vegetation, it was possible to make a thorough examination of various 

 ponds and of the lakes in the park. There members had the pleasure of 

 seeing a Kingfisher, and of watching the evolutions of a pair of Great 

 Crested Grebes. 



Although the area traversed lies on the Middle Coal ]\Ieasures, and 

 many of the prospects are spoilt by mines and waste heaps. Dr. Woodhead 

 drew attention to the successful manner in which these heaps have been 

 planted with timber. Many, if not most of the woods visited, occupy 

 sites of this type. 



At the meeting in the evening, the Rev. W. Dyer being in the chair, 

 a vote of thanks was passed to Earl Fitzwilliam for his kindness in 

 permitting the Union to visit the estate, and in placing keepers at the 

 members' disposal. The following observations were recorded by the 

 various sections represented : — 



Botany. — On the drying mud of several of the ponds, the alga, 

 Botrydiuni granulatuni was present in fair quantity, and a curious 

 straight -beaked form of Carex flava was also gathered. The following 

 were also present : — 



Ranunculus sceleraUis Agrostis alba var. coavctata 



Scutellaria galericulata Typha latifolia 



Carex remota Equisetum lirnosum 



In Hood Hill plantation ferns were abundant, and the varieties 

 pseudo-mas and paleacea Druce, of the male fern, were both present. 

 Genista anglica was seen on a partly colonised waste heap, and the spread- 

 ing of Epilobium angustifolium along the railways was very noticeable. 



Birds. — The following birds are worthy of mention : — Kingfisher, 

 Sandpiper, Great Crested Grebe, Chiff-chaff, Coot, Water-hen and 

 Tufted Duck. 



CoLEOPTERA. — This group was represented by : — 

 Notiophilus biguttatus F. Meligethes aeneus F. 



Lorocera pilicornis F. Helmis mangei var. aenea Miill. 



Platynus assimilis Payk. 



Hymenoptera. — Few species were noticed, but lack of variety was 

 more than balanced by the number of individuals of Vespa vulgaris L., 

 whose unwelcome attentions were unwittingly invited by a member of 

 the party stepping over a nest. 



Neuroptera. — 



Ischnura elegans Lind. Chrysopa per la L. 



Euallagma cyathigerum Charp. 



Trichoptera. — -Larvae of one or more species were seen in a small 

 stream between Scholes and Wentworth. 



Lepidoptera. — The Red Admiral and two other species of butterfly 

 were seen, viz., Pieris napi L., and Epinephele janira L. 



The commonest moth was undoubtedly Agroiis pronuba L., but 

 Baptria atrata L., Selidosema repandata L., and Pterophorus pentadac- 

 -tylus L., were also recorded. 



1921 Sept. 1 



