The remaining species have a widespread lateral distribution but 

 are less numerous in built-up areas and in drier heathland and dune 

 vegetation. Sampling shows the majority of them are most abundant 

 in open deciduous woodland. 



More records are needed to ascertain the precise lateral distribution 

 and preference habitats of some species, particularly Trogulus and 

 Anelasmocephalus ; there are abundant opportunities for work in this 

 field in South-East Kent. 



REFERENCES 



1. Bristowe, W. S. (1949). The distribution of harvestmen (Phalangida) in Great Britain and 



Ireland, with notes on their names, enemies and food. J. Anim. EcoL, 18:1, 100. 



2. Brown, D. G. and Sankey, J. H. P. (1950). The harvest-spider Nelima silvatica (Simon) 



in Great Britain. Proc. zool. Soc. Lond., 119: 867. 



3. Pabst, W. (1951). Biologische Beobachtungen an einheimischen Troguliden. Zool. Anz. 



147: 267. 



4. Sankey, J. H. P. (1949). British Harvest-spiders. Essex Naturalist, 28: 4, 181. 



5. „ (1951). Notes on the lateral distribution of some British harvest-spiders (Arach- 



nida, Opiliones), Ent. mon. Mag., 87: 238. 



6. ,, (1953). Further records of British harvest-spiders (Arachnida, Opiliones) with 



a note on Nelima fuscifrons (Simon), possibly new to Britain. Entomologist, 86 : 116. 



7. „ (1953). The natural history of Chalk. Trans. Folkestone Nat. Hist. Soc. ,1952-3, ^. 



WEATHER AND PLANT OBSERVATIONS. 



1953-54 



nPHE warmest November for 13 years, when the temperature was in 

 •^ the 60's on the 28th and 29th and people were bathing on the South 

 Coast, was followed by the warmest December for 80 years — on 

 December 1st it was 10° warmer than on Coronation Day, June 3rd. In 

 spite of this, sunshine was said to be below average in many places, but 

 not in Folkestone. Primroses were out in quantity before Christmas. 

 The mild weather continued until mid -January when persistent icy 

 winds turned to a blizzard and by the beginning of February temperatures 

 were remarkably low and everything frozen hard. In fact when the 

 temperature rose to freezing point it felt positively warm ! Drifts of 

 powdery snow blowing off the hills blocked roads at Faversham and 

 Charing, but there was very little at Folkestone, East Cliff getting the 

 least. Many garden plants had started into untimely growth during the 

 mild autumn and severe losses occurred. The wild plants were not as 

 precocious so did not receive as much damage, except for the fragrant 

 Butterburs which were all killed back. 



A curious thing was that flowers picked and brought into the house 

 immediately before the cold spell, lasted an unusually long time in water, 

 for no obvious reason. 



Vera F. P. Day, n.d.h., f.r.h.s. 



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