FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT, FOR I903. 9 



The bad weather has interfered with the nidification of birds, 

 resulting in an unusually large number of deserted nests con- 

 taining eggs and also young. 



The swallow tribe, generally speaking, were much less 

 numerous than usual. Swifts were very abundant. They were, 

 however, late in arriving, and some of them stayed much later 

 than they generally do. 



The occurrence of the nightingale quite close to Harrogate 

 is worthy of note, and it is a matter of congratulation that they 

 were able to rear their young in safety. 



It is recommended that the following be elected during 

 1904 :— 



Chairman and Convener — T. H. Nelson, IM.B.O.U. 

 Representative on Executive — Riley Fortune, F.Z.S. 

 Other Members— R. Fortune, K. McLean, and A. White, 

 F.Z.S. 



Entomolog-ical Section. — Mr. W. Hewett, F.E.S., 



writes: — The abundant rain and wind this year has militated 

 considerably against active out-door collecting, and the season, 

 speaking generally, has been a bad one ; still, as often happens 

 during exceptionally bad years, a few unusually rare species 

 have occurred, such as the eight specimens of Laphygma 

 exigna, captured by Mr. Thomas Fieldhouse, near Keighley, 

 on the 22nd September, and the perhaps more important 

 capture of Xylophasia zollickofevi, by Mr. T. A. Lofthouse, 

 of Middlesbro', in his own garden, at sugar, on the 26th 

 September. The importance of this capture may be appre- 

 ciated when it is stated that this is only the third British 

 specimen on record, and probably the second most inter- 

 esting capture in Britain, amongst Lepidoptera, this year. 

 Mr. Lofthouse also captured Nola cvistnlalis, at Sandsend, in 

 June, and Noctua rJiomboidea, at Glaisdale, in August. Mr. 

 Lofthouse records a specimen o{ Acherontia atvopos, taken off the 

 staircase window of a house in Cambridge Road, Middlesbro', 

 on June 25th. The Rev. C. D. Ash secured a specimen of 

 Zenztva asculi, at Skipwith, and Mr. Samuel Walker four Eupevia 

 fulvago (palacea), at Sandburn, and a single specimen of Cloantha 

 solidaginis, at Askham Bogs. Mr. B. Morley has again taken 

 Eupevia fulvago {palacea) in some numbers, and Noctua dahlii in 

 plenty, both at Skelmanthorpe, and reports the occurrence of a 

 fine male A. atropos near Skelmanthorpe, on September 26th. 

 Mr. R. Button, of York, had two specimens of Sphinx convolvuli 

 brought to him in September, both captured on different dates, 

 and in different parts of the city. Mr. Arthur Whitaker, of 

 Barnsley, has taken, at sugar, the following good species, all in 



