1892.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



103 



numbers of others at this time, are only waiting the attentions of the 

 assiduous worker. — G. Elisha, Shepherdess Walk, London. 



Myrmica ruginodis making war on its own species. — Rambling 

 near Clearbroak on the border of Dartmoor on the loth instant I 

 caught sight of Myrmica ruginodis carrying something that I could not 

 at first well define. Standing quietly a few moments I saw many 

 others loaded in the same manner, I captured one and to my surprise 

 I found it was another of the same species it was carrying; 1 have 

 no doubt a raid has been made on a smaller colony and the victorious 

 party were conveying them off to strengthen their home. The 

 prisoner was grasped by the throat, the abdomen turned over on the 

 top of the head of the carrier. I have several times seen Formica nifa 

 at the same business, this is the first time I have witnessed it with 

 ruginodis. — G. C. Bignell, F.E.S., Stonehouse, i3th April, 1892. 



Vanessa Io. — The Peacock butterfly has appeared in this district 

 in unusual abundance during the last few days. It has been almost 

 as plentiful as the Small Tortoiseshell, which is a most unusual thing 

 here. — W. Macmillan, Castle Gary, Somerset. 



The Sallows in Donegal.— From all it appears to me that we 

 are very deficient over here as to numbers of insects, and we certainly 

 are as to numbers of species. I have just returned from the County 

 of Donegal, where I have been sallow hunting from time to time with 

 very poor success, except that in one place I found T. rubricosa 

 abundant. It has, I believe, been regarded as rather scarce in 

 Ireland. Mr. Birchall says, "County Wicklow, Mr. Bristowe," 

 which is a sure sign that he never took it himself. I also took some 

 curious pale varieties of T. gothica, and some nearly black instahilis, 

 also some hibernated Calocampa exoleta, but nothing really good. — G. 

 V. Hart, Dublin. 



Sallov/s at Hartlepool. — Common things are very abundant 

 this year at the sallows, but so far, better species have not appeared 

 at all. In Hezleden Dene near the sea T. gracilis, was the most 

 numerous, varying from the pale form [pallida, Steph.), to that much 

 sprinkled with dark scales, which I suppose is the type.=Sparsus, 

 Haw.; next in number was rubricosa, then gothica, with odd specimens 

 stabilis and instahiiis. In a railway cutting not a mile away, gothica 

 was tlie most plentiful and I got some fine varieties from pale grey to 

 very dark grey brown, and from pale reddish brown to dark red- 

 brown, \\\t\\ ihe gothica mark in every stage of developement ; none 

 however could be called gothicina, as the tendency here appears to be 

 for the mark to be eliuiinated rather than changed in colour. Next to 

 gothica, rubricosa was most numerous then stabilis, of gracilis. 1 only got 

 four.— John E. Robson, Hartlepool. 



