2921-. 



Notes. 



147 



Digging Wasps and a single specimen was caught running over one of 

 the large blocks of fallen calcrete in Glenasmole, not far from the entrance 

 to the Rathmines Water Works, the date being the 13th of July. The 

 latter belongs to a genus of bees hitherto unrepresented in Ireland, though 

 numerous species occur in Great Britain, A single male was captured 

 on the " Island," Malahide, on 21st May. The day was windy and un- 

 favourable ; but on the 24th of the month I had the pleasure of capturing 

 both males and females in the same locality — about a dozen specimens 

 in all. Besides its beauty, this bee is extremely interesting owing to the 

 fact that it makes use of the empty snail-shells lying about the sand- 

 hills, instead of digging burrows in the earth, wherein to rear its young. 

 The shells of Helix nemoralis, are apparently the most popular, but 

 I captured one female laden with pollen entering an empty shell of 

 Helicella itala. In the latter shell the cells of the bee would of necessity 

 be placed end to end. Unlike ordinary bees the Osmiae do not carry 

 pollen on their legs, but they store it all on the under side of the abdomen. 



National Museum, Dublin., A. W. Stelfox, 



Donisthorpea mixta and D. umbrata\ two Ants new to 



Ireland. 



On May 26th. 192 1, 1 discovered under a stone in a wood at Graigue- 

 namanagh, Co. Kilkenny, a. small colony of yellow ants which from their 

 movements and large size seemed to me to be distinct from the common 

 yellow ant {D. flava). On my sending specimens to Mr. A. W. Stelfox, 

 he recognized the species as Donisthorpea mixta (Nylander). 



Since then workers of the same species has been found near New Ross, 

 Co. Wexford, and again at Graiguenamanagh (A.W.S. and R.A.P.) ; and 

 a dealated female under a stone near Maryborough, Queen's Co. (R.A.P.). 



In September, on the sandhills at Rosslare, Co. Wexford, I met with 

 two large colonies of another ant of the " yellow " group, one containing 

 numerous workers and a single winged female and the other, numerous 

 workers and males evidently preparing for a marriage flight. Specimens 

 from each were identified by Mr. Stelfox as D. umbrata (Nylander). 



These two ants are widely distributed on the continent, and in 

 England, extending their range into southern Scotland, but neither has 

 hitherto been known to exist in Ireland. Mr. Steliox's identification of 

 «ach species has been verified by Mr. H. St. J. K. Donisthorpe, F.Z.S. 



Cork. R, A. Phillips. 



Lasius mixtus and L umbraius of most authors. 



