34° MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



NOTE—DIPTERA. 



Nycteribia latreillii in Cheshire. — As the curious insects of the genus- 



Nycteribia are not often obtained by entomologists, it may be well to record the 

 occurrence of this species in Cheshire. On December 15th, 1894, Mr. T. A. Coward 

 and I obtained a Daubenton's Bat ( Vcspertilio daubentonii) in the old copper mines 

 at Alderley Edge, which was infested with these parasites. To secure them 

 proved to be no easy matter, as they seemed to swim through the fur of their host,, 

 swiftly gliding along the surface for a moment, and then disappearing again before 

 we could seize them with a pair of forceps. Mr. P. H. Grimshaw has kindly 

 identified the species for me. — Chas. Oldham, August 24th, 1896. 



NOTE— FUNGI. 



Jews-ears and Scarlet Peziza in Furness. — Many years ago the Rev. F. A. 



Malleson told me he had found Hirneola auricula-jud(Z Berk, near Broughton- 

 in-Furness. Early this year Mr. W. Duckworth sent me some beautiful specimens 

 collected in Plumpton Woods, near Ulverston, on elder. There may be other 

 records for this species in this district, but I am not aware of them. The Scarlet 

 Peziza {Peziza coccinea Jacq. ) is fairly well distributed, sometimes almost abundant,, 

 especially after the coppices have been cut. In the Duddon Woods (S. W. 

 Cumberland) often in great quantity, and I have gathered it also in two woods in 

 the neighbourhood of Broughton-in-Furness, and Old Hall Wood near Ulverston. 

 Mr. W. Waite saw it in quantity this year in White Ghyll Wood, near Ulverston ; 

 and a lady sent some to a friend of mine gathered in the Plumpton Woods. Each 

 of these places is on the coast side of the Furness area, and in each case the fungus- 

 was growing on hazel.— S. L. Petty, Ulverston, October 10th, 1896. 



NO TES— OKNITHOL OGY. 



Late Stay of Swift in Cheshire.— The Swifts (Cypseius apus) as a rale, 



leave us in the latter half of August, and it is unusual to see even a solitary 

 laggard at the end of the month. I was therefore surprised to see a single bird 

 hawking about with some Swallows (Hirundo rustica) and House Martins (Ckeliaott 

 urbica) near Romiley, on the afternoon of September 13th. — Chas. Oldham, 

 Romiley, September 19th, 1896. 



Buffon's Skua in Northumberland.— A fine specimen of Buffon's Skua 

 {Siercorarius parasiticus), in immature plumage, has been shot on the Northumber- 

 land coast. This bird — as far as I know — is very rare on this coast. 1" 

 Richardson's Skua (St. crepidatus), the shafts of the wing feathers are all white, 

 but in BurTon's only the first two. The young bird has not the long tail of the 

 mature. This present specimen is in the hands of Mr. Duncan, for preservation.. 

 — H. T. Archer, Lombard Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, October 9th, 1896. 



Flamborough Bird-Notes, October 1896.— So far the month of October 



has been a very wet and boisterous one, but I am glad to say we have had no 

 shipwrecks or loss of li(c, although the coast of Flamborough is a very rough ana 

 dangerous one. Ever since the month came in hundreds of birds have arrived on 

 the headland. Great flocks of Larks (Aiauda arvensis) have been coming in trom 

 the sea; Lapwings iVanellus vamllus), Hooded Crows {Corvus comix), and 

 Blackbirds ( Tardus merula). On the 13th, I had brought in the Great Shrike 

 {Lanius excubitor), also the Quail (Cotumix cotumix). Several Woodcocks 

 (Scoiopax m ticoia) have been shot, and several seen. Yesterdav, Mr. AHfe*j® 

 Sedman saw the Great Spotted Woodpecker {Dendrocopus major). On the Sib, 

 hundreds of flocks of Kit ti wakes {Rissa tridactvia) were passing south, and flock 

 of Skuas (Stercorarius sp. ) following in the same direction. On the 12th, I^k 

 15th, and 16th, we had nothing but gales of wind which brought great quantities 



of Kittiwakes, this time ail going north.— Matthew Bailev, Flamborougn, 

 October 19th, 1896. 



Naturalist 



