Short Notes and Queries. 



57 



Bingley district ; and a number of other species which are usually 

 common, have, this season, rarely been observed. The most interesting 

 capture which I made is one specimen of P. stratiotalis, which I took at 

 Frizinghall, in J uly, and which Mr. Porritt informs me has only been 

 recorded from three other Yorkshire localities. At the same place I took 

 H. nymphcealis very abundantly, S. cemhralis a few, and P. trigonodac- 

 tylus flying over coltsfoot, all of which are new~ to our district record 

 list. — J. W. Carter, 14, Yalley-st., Bradford, Sept. 10th. 



Ichneumons in Yorkshire. — Several ichneumons secured during the 

 year have been named for me by Mr. J. B. Bridgman, of Norwich, as 

 follows : — Ichneumo7i luctatorins, L., Cxrassington, Aug. 7th, 1882. I. 

 nigritarius, Gr. , Edlington Wood, Aug. 5th, 1882. J. alhicinctus, Gr. , 

 Edlington Wood, Aug. 5tli, 1882. Perilissus Jilicornis, (Gr.), variety? 

 Lepton Great Wood, near Huddersfield, Sept. 23rd, 1882. "^P. vernalis, 

 (Gr,), Yorkshire, June, 1882, (locality not certain.) ^ Tryplion signator, 

 Gr. , Edlington Wood, Aug. 5th, 1882. Those marked are new to the 

 Yorkshire list. — Geo. T. Porritt. 



New Yorkshire Mosses. — I have collected the following mosses which 

 are not recorded for Yorkshire in the London catalogue of British mosses 

 and hepatics : — Gymnostomum tortile, Schwg, Ingieborough, at 2000 feet, 

 and Malham, above the Cove, at 1100 feet ; Sphagnum cuspidatum, 

 Ehrh., var. falcatum, Buss. Baildon Moor ; S. suhsecundum, Nees., 

 var. auriculatum, Schpr., Adel ; and S. cymbifolium, Ehrh., var., con- 

 gestum, Schpr. Whernside, Baildon, &c. — W. West. 



The Effects of Weather on Insects : By Miss Ormeeod. — This 

 lady, the well-known entomologist, has recently delivered a lecture on 

 the above subject, at the Boyal Agricultural College, to a large number 

 of students, under the presidency of the Principal, the Rev. J. B. 

 McClellan, which we think deserves to be widely known. We therefore 

 make no apology for inserting a short abstract of her remarks, which, 

 though perhaps in some respects not new to many entomologists, 

 yet must interest all. The lecture was principally directed to the effects 

 of rain, frost, heat, drought, &c., on insect life, and the methods by 

 which these influences may be brought to bear practically in the course of 

 common agricultural treatment in diminishing the amount of insects 

 injurious to our crops. Miss Ormerod showed how, in addition to its 

 direct influence on insect life, the efiects of the weather may be traced 

 for one, two, or more years in its promotion of the growth of special 

 weeds, as, for instance, charlock, which may be the food-plant of some 

 special crop pest, and also in its interference with the regularity of 

 measures of cultivation by which plant and vermin are usually cleared 

 out. Reasons were advanced why common farm insects were uninjured 

 by even extreme cold, it being shown that they select some special locality 

 under leaves or stones, or form a cell, or in some way supply themselves 

 with shelter, and there they pass into a quiet, motionless state, the animal 



