348 MR. R. s. bagnall's report of 



The ornithologists, led by Mr. T. Robson, made many 

 discoveries ; a waterhen's nest with seven eggs, a sparrow- 

 hawk's with five eggs, a blackbird's nest built in a wall, and 

 nests of the hedge-sparrow, missel-thrush, robin, blackbird 

 and magpie, all containing young birds, some of which were 

 pictured by the photographers of the party. Wild duck and 

 a pair of sandpipers were set up from the river, and shortly 

 afterwards that most beautiful of birds, the kingfisher, was 

 observed ; the jay, chiff-chaff, willow-wren and redstart were 

 recorded, and towards evening the metallic trill of the grass- 

 hopper warbler was heard both at Hollinside and Gibside, two 

 of the party observing this rare and shy bird at close quarters. 



A notable capture was that of a shrimp-like bristle-tail 

 (Prcemachilis brevicornis Ridley), which had been overlooked 

 by naturalists until recently discovered on the Axwell Park 

 wall ; whilst a minute spring-tail (Megalothorax miniums 

 Willem), the smallest known insect, was found under bark of 

 old logs. This was of particular interest to me as it was only 

 last year that I had the pleasure of discovering this species in 

 this country; a creature so small that it would require 16,000 

 specimens to cover one square inch of paper. Of the numerous 

 Myriapods three deserve special mention, the Diplopod Isobates 

 varieor/iis C. L. K., new to the British fauna, Scolopendrella 

 dunelmensis Bagnall, a new species of Symphyla, and a 

 centipede, Scolioplanes crassipes, new to the counties. An 

 interesting thrips — Bagnallia agnessae Bagnall — was found in 

 its original habitat, including the male, which I had not 

 previously found. 



I have said enough to show the wonderful nature of the 

 fauna of this fertile valley, and, entomologically, it may be 

 said that the afternoon had been spent on classic ground — 

 the home of the beetles Pterostichus parumpunctatus, Triplax 

 bicolor, Agathidium badium, Cerylon fagi, Rhizophagns 

 coemleipennis, Stenostola ferrea, numerous rare Scydmcenida ; 

 of the spiders Diplocephalus protuberans, B alius depressus ; of 

 the Myriapods Lithobius nigrifrons Latzel, Scolopendrella 



