NOTES ON SOME PECULIARITIES OF INSECT LIFE IN 1861. 219 
XX XII.—Dates of the arrival of Birds, §c., in the neighbourhood 
of Durham, in the years 1858-1861. By Wiit1aM Green, jun. 
NAME. 1859 1861 
Primrose 22.200 ccccscce «- March 16 April 4 
Nest and eggs of Thrush .. ae we April 6 March 22 
Swallow: seccscecceccess| , April 23 April 21 May 1 April 24 
CUCKOO Ni ciajercleiclelciee slenteretets ee DNIler Zo) May 1 May 1 April 30 
Wilts coe clere ale) May 13 May 10 May 18 
Hawthorn ........s-0-.00-, June é June 3 ee June 1 
Wild Rese..co.cce-+ coerse| osune 21 June$ July 4 June 17 
Wheat Shot .cceccoe.s core ate June 15 se June 17 
Hay Cut...ccc.cccecrcees-|/ June 28 July 4 June 28 ee 
Harvest General.......c0- August 11 | August 19 * August 20 
* Very little corn led, October 3. A large quantity of corn still out, November 7, 
XX XITI.—WNotes on some Peculiarities of Insect lifein 1861. By 
Tuomas Joun Boxp. 
Never perhaps were insects generally, so scarce asin 1861; the 
effects, without doubt, of the cold and wet summer of the pre- 
vious year. Some remarkable exceptions to this, and one or two 
other peculiarities, I have thought worthy of record. Thus 
whilst bees, fossores, and saw-flies were so scarce, that they 
might be said not to be in existence at all, yet wasps were in 
such abundance, in some places, as to become a perfect pest. 
Everywhere in our own district, more than plenty of them were 
astir, and these were principally the ground wasps, Vespa vul- 
garis, and V. rufa. In the vicinity of Wigton, Cumberland, the 
wasps were abundant enough to dispute possession of the cherry 
crops with the owners, these also were the ground species. Near 
Brampton, and eastward by Lannercost, towards our own district 
one of the tree wasps, Vespa norvegica, was the predominant species. 
By the road-sides, leading from the railway station, to Naworth 
Castle, their nests might be noticed in especial abundance. 
VOL. V. PT. Il. 2B 
