108 



The Na.turalist. 



The total Rainfall for the Six Months— October, 1857, to March, 1858, 

 was only 3*58 . 



The average Fall for each 5 years shows a steady increase in number of 

 days on which Rain was measured, and a similar increase in quantity, 

 with the exception of the fourth period, the average of which was reduced 

 by the two dry years 1873 and 1874 ; the last period shewing an average 

 annual excess of 3 inches over the year's average fall for the 25 years. 



Wettest Half-year was the second half of 1880, with fall of 22-27. 



Sljort pnfcs aitb ^xxtxm. 



Badgees in Yorkshire. — In compliance with Mr. George Roberts' 

 request for a list of the occurrences of the above animals in Yorkshire, 

 I report for this district as follows : — One Sunday morning in 1832, Mr. 

 John Taylor, of Stainlaiid, went into Hardplatts Wood, accompanied by 

 his famous dog " Jack." They encountered a fine full-grown badger, and 

 immediately commenced the struggle for existence. Mr. Taylor was not 

 slow to perceive that the badger was going to be the fittest, but, providing 

 himseK with a heavy cudgel, after a tough fight he secured the survival 

 for his four-footed companion. Less than three years ago, a fine badger 

 w;is caught in Turner Wood, Rishworth ; it is in the possession of Mr. 

 Wheelwright, of Ripponden, on whose estate it was captured. It was 

 thought to be an escape. — 0. C. Hanson. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES.— A short time ago Mr. A. E. Atmore 

 sent me a series of Tortrix Lafauryana, a species he had added to the 

 British list from specimens taken at King's Lynn in 1880, and which 

 species had been announced as new to science in France so recently as 

 1876. During the past season Mr. Atmore reared it rather freely 

 from larvae found feeding between united leaves and tops of Myrica gale. 

 When in London last month, Mr. W. H. Tugwell very kindly gave me a 

 fine series of each of Nola centonalis, Ennumos autiimnaria (alniaria) and 

 Nyctegretes achatinella — all from Deal recently. I am also indebted to 

 Mrs. Frazer for a nice set of Grambus fnrcatellus, captured by herself in 

 the Highlands of Scotland during the past summer ; and lately I have 

 ascertained that some tortrices I netted in Wicken Fen last Whitsuntide, 

 and which had been put on one side since then, include Phoxopteryx 

 paludayia, P. biarcuana, and P. siculana. — G. T. Porritt. 



Entomological Notes from York. — The past unfavourable season has 

 not furnished you with many good lists of captures from collectors through- 

 out the county ; and I think it cannot be questioned but that there has 

 been a decided dearth amongst all orders of insect life, from what causes 

 it is ditiicult to say, unless the three or four preceding bad seasons have 

 been eflfectual in destroying, in some stage or other, insect life. In this 

 neighbourhood, the Diurni have been particularly noticeable by their 

 absence, as I only remember seeing one A. cardamines, one A. Atalanta, 

 a few V. urticcB, no P. Phlceas, and no L. Alexis, although P. hrassic(je and 



