Yorkshire Naturalists' Union : Annual Report, 1921. 43 
associates Pterostichus lepideus F. and Miscodera arctica Pk. in some new 
stations. The re-appearance of the curious water beetle Pelobius tardus 
Hbst. in the Hull district, after many years, is worthy of special mention, 
as is also the extended distribution in the same district of Dytiscus 
circumflexus F. first recorded last year. 
Diptera (Chris. A. Cheetham) : — In the report for 1920, the story 
of a summer lacking sunny days was used to explain the scarcity of 
some sun -loving groups of diptera, the past summer has erred on the 
other side, and a lack of moisture may be the cause of a similar scarcity, 
for a degree of moisture is necessary to enable some flies to emerge from 
the pupal state. 
Again the Syrphids have been less frequent than in 1918/19, with the 
exception, as last year, of those with aquatic larvae ; the Limnobids and 
fungus gnats have certainly been less plentiful than in 1920, and some 
species of the former group, which were abundant in definite habitats 
then, have not been met with this year, though careful search has been 
made ; also several of the larger Tipulids have not appeared in their 
usual numbers. 
On the other hand, all who were present at the Wentworth meeting 
will agree that it would be hardly possible to get a larger number )f a 
single species, Hydrotaea irritans, than were present on that occasion ; 
many notes have appeared in the daily press about plagues of mosquitoes, 
possibly these refer to Culex pipiens, which has been abundant at Farnley 
this autumn, and certain Chironomids also appeared in great swarms. 
As a result of the year’s work, about 300 species have been added to 
the list and, as may be seen in F. W. Edward’s paper in the Entomological 
Society’s Transactions, some of these are additions to the British list. 
Hymenoptera (R. Butterfield) : — Spring was not unfavour- 
able for the Aculeates, but during the prolonged drought which 
followed, insects of this group were not much in evidence, except the 
Fossores. No new species are added, but a few previously resting on 
slender authority have been substantiated. A. E. Bradley has con- 
tinued his observations on the social bees, and has met with interesting 
varieties. Several nearly black males of Bombus hortorum were taken at 
Scarcroft. He took half a dozen males of Bombus distinguendus on heads 
of spear thistle at or about Roundhay and Scarcroft. In May I noticed 
queens of Bombus jonellus and B. lapponicus, on flowers of bilberry, at 
Embsay and near Harden. 
Agenia variegata, one of the Pompilidse, was found preying on spiders 
which frequented an old oak stump at Shipley Glen' On September 2nd 
last, I examined underground sites of eight wasp-nests in the High 
Wood at Grassington, and was surprised to find they were all deserted. 
Entrances to other deserted nests were seen. The woodman who accom- 
panied me said the tenants cleared at the latter part of August. The 
early dispersion of the queens, and the smallness of the nests in this dry, 
elevated wood, were probably due to the long drought. 
H. H. Wallis has paid some attention to Ichneumons. I bred a tiny 
ichneumon which is parasitic on eggs of the oil beetle, but have not been 
able to ascertain whether it is known or not. I also bred a tiny ichneumon 
formerly known as Theocolax fonmiciformis , parasitic on the furniture 
beetle ( Anobium ). 
Neuroptera (G. T. Porritt). — Practically nothing new or of interest 
had been done in this order. He had found a considerable colony of 
the Dragonfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula , on Harden Moss, and Chrysopa perla 
was not uncommon in Honley Wood, both new to the Huddersfield area, 
but plentiful enough in. the county generally. 
Arachnida (Wm. Falconer) : — Collecting during the year has 
been more of a casual nature than a systematic search. Chris. A. 
Cheetham records in the May issue of The Naturalist (p. 167) several 
species incidentally sifted from moss at Austwick ; one, Lophocarenum 
1922 Jan. 1 
