The Irish Naturalist. 



Augusti 



its correlated instincts. This would hardly be recognised in a mounted 

 cabinet specimen. It must be seen in its peculiar position of rest on the 

 foliage of the Birch, the wings close pressed together, inclining down- 

 wards and to one side, and the brown marginal dots exactly producing 

 the effect of the dentate edge of the leaf. It allows itself to be closely in- 

 spected ; but it is all alive. An incautious movement, and it flutters away, 

 and vanishes like a ghost. 



W. E. Hart. 



Kilderry, Co. Donegal. 



Vespa austriaca in Co. Wexford. 



On June isth I found running up a window-pane at Ballyhyland a light 

 yellow wasp, which on being caught proved to be a female Vespa attstriaca. 

 As far as I know, this is the first recorded occurrence of atistriaca in Co. 

 Wexford, the counties already credited with that species or form in the 

 Irish Naturalist being Wicklow, Carlow, Dublin, Down, Derry, Donegal, 

 and Kerry. On the following day, June i6th, I took a second example 

 as it was flying about a hedge-bank. These were the only two wasps I 

 caught during the few days that I was in the country, and it is curious 

 that they should both have belonged to the rare form which I have 

 looked for vainly in previous summers. Of course, before catching them 

 I could tell from their pale colour that they were either rufa or atistriaca, 

 but in former years I have caught numbers of similar light-coloured 

 wasps in the hope of meeting austriaca, and have invariably obtained only 

 rufa. Probably, therefore, 1905 is an austriaca year. 



C. B. MOKFAT. 



Ballyhyland, Co. Wexford. 



Turnstones in the nesting season. 



In the July number Mr. B. L. M'Clintock seems to be surprised at see- 

 ing Turnstones so late in the year as May. I believe odd birds are not 

 uncommon on some parts of the west coast during the summer months. 

 Two years ago on the Rockabill, off the coast of Dublin, in June I saw a 

 flock of nineteen. They were very tame and allowed me to approach 

 them close enough to see that they were in full breeding plumage. To 

 find birds in breeding season has been long known to be no criterion 

 that thev are nesting in the district. 



J. TrumbuIvI,. 



Malahide. 



[It was the fact of finding Turnstones on an inland freshwater lake 

 that was deemed noteworthy, — Bds,] 



Quail in Co. Kildare. 



On June 12th, between Celbridge and I^eixlip, I heard a Quail, but could 

 not see the bird as it was in a meadow still standing. 



Francis N^ai,^. 



Dublin. 



