The Irish Naturalist* 



September, 



ZOOLOGY. 



Some new stations for Trichoniscus roseus. 



This very local and usually rare species of woodlouse, easily recognised 

 by its small size, and beautiful rosy colour with a yellow or orange band 

 down middle of back, has again {I.N. vol. xiii., p. 260), turned up in 

 several localities, including two which are the first records for the West 

 of Ireland. While visiting the old graveyard in Castle Upton demesne, 

 Antrim, a few days ago, I found a fine bright-coloured specimen, as large 

 as the form from Bushy Park, Dublin ; it is likely rare here as I could 

 not find a second specimen. While shell-hunting along the margins of 

 the Shannon, with Mr. J. T. Tatlow, at Castleconnell, I^imerick, I found 

 it plentiful but very local under stones about a quarter mile north of 

 The World's End. Some small stones had five or six individuals under 

 them. As I write, a tin box comes to hand from Mr. R. LI. Praeger con- 

 taining living specimens from the basement of Glenade House, Co. 

 Leitrim. In April last while on a visit to Mr. Pinion, at The Priory, 

 Grassendale, Liverpool, his boys and I found it abundant in the old 

 garden there. It is much more local in England than in Ireland. 



Belfast. R. WeIvCH. 



Sirex gigas in the North. 



This troublesome insect has been much more in evidence than usual 

 here. At least a dozen specimens have come under my notice during 

 the month of July. Three were taken at Cultra, two at Ballymacarrett, 

 two more in other parts of Belfast, while four or five were brought to the 

 Curator of the Municipal Museum to be identified. I saw two flying 

 about one of the principal streets of Belfast on two successive days, and 

 heard of several being seen in Holywood. 



Robert PArr^RSON. 



Holywood, Co. Down. 



Psithyrus campestris in Co. Wicklow. 



Last July and August the Misses Barrington found the above-named 

 parasitic Humble-bee at Fassaroe, Co. Wicklow. The specimens, three 

 in number, are all referable to the very dark variety of this species, with 

 only slight traces of the usual bands of yellow hairs present in the typical 

 form. Although it is a common species in England there are very few Irish 

 records of Psithyrus campestris, Panz. In IMr. Freke's list {Irish Naturalist, 

 1896), the only definite locality mentioned is Rosscarberry, Co. Cork. 

 We have, however, in the Museum collection examples of this bee 

 collected by Mr. Freke at Borris and in Co. Kildare, and a dark form 

 similar to the Fassaroe ones collected by Colonel Yerbury in the Kenmare 

 district. Mr. H. G. Cuthbert has also recorded {Irish Naturalist, 1898), it 



