102 NOTES — DIPTERA AND ORNITHOLOGY. 



Cecidomyia rosarum Hardy. OnRosa canina. Folded incrassated 



leaflet. Near Kirkby Overblow. 

 Cecidomyia corrugans F. Lw. On Heracleum sphondylium. 



Lobes of leaf puckered and prevented from expanding. Near 



Catterton (about a mile and a half N.E. of Tadcaster). 

 Cecidomyia pilosellae Binn. On Hieracium pilosella. Margin 



of leaf involutely rolled. Near Great Aim's Cliff. 

 Diplosis botularia Winn. On Fraxinus excelsior. Fleshy fold 



along midrib of leaf. Boston Spa. 

 Diplosis tritici Kirby. Living free in the heads of wheat. 



Tadcaster. 

 Hormomyia piligera Lw. On Fagus sylvatica. Cylindrico- 



conical hairy gall on upper surface of leaf. Tadcaster. 

 Hormomyia capreae Winn. On Salix caprea. Swellings on 



midrib and principal veins of leaf, hemispherical above, conical 



below. Kirkby Overblow. 



NO TE— DIPTERA . 



A Swarm of Diptera in February. — During a country walk in the neighbour- 

 hood of Idle, on February 17th, I witnessed a somewhat remarkable phenomenon. 

 Along the highway, extending for two field lengths, was an immense number of 

 small flies, about half the size of the 'house-fly.' At this particular point, but 

 nowhere else, they were in countless numbers, both on the pavement and on the 

 walls ; indeed, I never at any time saw more insects together. Apparently they 

 were all one species, and many of them were infested with a small parasite. A few 

 days previously manure had been spread on the fields, from which I imagined the 

 flies had been brought forth by the unusually warm sunshine which prevailed. 

 However, I secured a few examples, and forwarded them to Mr. R. H. Meade, 

 of Bradford, a well-known authority on this class of insects, who says : — ' The little- 

 flies have all emerged from the manure, as you supposed, and are specimens of the 

 common Borborns equinus Fallen. The larva; feed on horse-dung, and I have 

 often noticed that the manure spread on fields was full of pupae. It is not usual 

 for them to hatch in such numbers quite so early in the year, but I have 

 frequently seen a good many of the flies out in mild weather in the winter and 

 early spring.' — H. T. SOPPITT, 3, Rosemount, Bolton, Bradford, March 16th, 1889. 



NO TES— ORNITHOL OGY. 



Hawfinches in Northumberland. — The Hawfinch {Coccothrattstes vulgaris) 

 is still increasing in numbers in the North, several having been shot last week up 

 the valley of the Tyne. — II. T. Archer, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Feb. 14th, 18S9. 



Tame Blackbird in the Newcastle Museum.— A female Blackbird [Turdus 

 merula) has taken up her abode in one of the curator's rooms in our museum, and 

 although the window is constantly open she only occasionally flies out, but returns 

 before long. In the same room is a live Kestrel, of which the Blackbird has not 

 the least fear. — H. T. Archer, Newcastle-on-Tyne, February 14th, 1889. 



Crossbills in Cheshire. — On Jan. 22nd, I saw and watched for some time 

 a flock of about twenty Crossbills (Lox/a curvirostra) ; they were feeding on 

 the larches in a plantation bordering Vale Royal New Park, on the outskirts of 

 the Delamere Forest district, and were very tame. — W. I. Beaumont, Knutsford, 



March 6th, 1889. 



Naturalist. 



