i8 94 .l THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



177 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



Euphrosyne in Somerset. — The earlier portion of the month of 

 May was here fine, but very windy, and amongst others, I noticed on 

 the wing Euphrosyne, Cardui, Cardamines, Fages, &c. The common 

 ladybird, C. septempunctata, was very abundant. — W. Macmillan, 

 Castle Cary, 18th May. 



ARACHNIDA. 



Nephila Madagascariensis. — This interesting spider is a native of 

 Madagascar, and is known amongst the natives as the Halabe. The 

 male does not exceed in length 3 cm., but the females are found having 

 attained the length of 15 cm. According to Camboue, a French 

 missionary, a single female during the breeding season yielded in a period 

 of twenty-seven days about 3,000 inches of fine silken thread, which is of 

 a golden colour, and which is of sufficient strength, according to 

 Maindron, to suspend a cork helmet. Textures woven of these threads 

 are used by the natives for the purpose of fastening flowers on 

 sunshades, &c. The native name signifies Great Spider. 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



The Greater Spotted Woodpecker (Picus Major) in Cheshire. 

 — A very fine specimen of this bird was in January last shot in 

 Cheshire by Mr. James Casey, Noctorum, Oxton, and sent to me to 

 mount. — W. Cox, Liverpool. 



The Bearded Tit (Parus Biarmarcus) in Cheshire. — On August 

 10th, 1893, I shot a pair of these rare birds in very fine plumage between 

 West Kirby and Hoylake. These were sold to Dr. W. H. Dobie, and 

 are now in the Grosvenor Museum, Chester. — W. Cox, 36, Manchester 

 Street, Liverpool. 



NOTES. 



North Lancashire Flora. — A reprint of the first two parts of 

 Mr. Lister Petty's "Constituents of the North of Lancashire Flora," 

 I 5°7 I 893, lies before us, and, estimating the work from 



these instalments, it should prove of great value to those Botanists 

 interested in the flora of Lancashire. The method of the work is 

 to give a chronological view of the plants ; and the author first gives 

 the name of the plant (with one or two exceptions) in the London 

 Catalogue, followed by the name given to the plant in the work 



