NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
35 
ship” rather than worship. He was promptly captured and taken into the 
vestry, where he remained during the service, and was then set free to continue 
his wanderings. 
S. Catherine's, Bear IVood, Berks. W. V. ViCKERS. 
y amtary 6, 1908. 
592. Swarming of Ants. — I fell into no error as to the meaning of 
Mr. Denning’s remarks in No. 560, and I should not have commented on them 
had he used the word “ flight ” instead of “swarming.” The latter has a definite 
meaning as applied to bees, and the former applied to ants could not be mistaken, 
as the occasion referred to is the only one on which they fly. 
C. Nicholson. 
593. By Loch Rannoch, Spiders and Butterflies. —Some years 
ago I was out on a naturalist’s prowl in Perthshire. It was one of those hot 
still days when everything was reflected in the glassy loch, and I was soon 
weary of stumbling amongst the sweet-gale and heather in search of the 
Northern Brown. Yet it could hardly be called a search, since they were in their 
thousands. I soon got all I wanted, and then made towards the lake shore. 
Just before I got there I discovered the most splendid spider I have ever seen ; 
its size was very great for a British spider, and its whole body and legs were 
flaming red. To see this scarlet “shilling” sitting in the middle of its great web 
was a wonderful sight. I have never again seen one of these spiders, and none 
of my friends know anything about spiders. It would give me very great 
pleasure to learn something about this creature. The big brown ones are 
common on the heather in some parts. I remember seeing a great many in the 
Abernethy Forest on Speyside, but I did not notice any other large spiders that 
day by Loch Rannoch. 
The previous year a friend of mine had captured a Clouded Yellow (Colias 
edusa) on Rannoch Moor. I think this is rather far north even during an “ Edusa 
year ” ! It certainly did not look at home on the bleak moor, far away from any 
cultivation. 
Grange— over-Sands, Lake District. R. C. Lowther. 
January 7. 
594. Convolvulus. — Since writing No. 583 I find that Johnson’s “ Gar- 
deners’ Dictionary ” and Nicholson’s “Dictionary of Gardening” both mention 
a rose- or red- flowered variety of Convolvulus sepium as native in North America 
and called var. incarnata, so that there is nothing improbable in the occurrence 
of such a variety in this country. 
C. Nicholson, B.E.N.A. 
595. — I have occasionally seen Convolvulus sepium with pink flowers. 
There was a fine plant (apparently wild) in a hedge at Criccieth, North Wales, 
last year. It is an uncommon form. 
Highgate. J. E. Cooper. 
596. Wild Herbs. — I think it unlikely that wild herbs would grow well 
“in or near smoky towns” (p. 12) if the cultivated kinds will not succeed, 
because the former would be much more susceptible to the adverse influences 
prevalent in such situations than the latter, which have become more or less 
inured to smoke, soot, sulphur, and fog. Incidentally, one might ask : “ Is it 
worth while to attempt to grow any herbs for culinary purposes in such localities 
in view of the amount of filth that must be deposited on the plants, and no 
amount of washing will entirely remove? The following cultural hints may be 
useful to anyone who has not been successful hitherto with the sorts principally 
grown, although the commonest ones do not seem to be very particular in this 
respect. Parsley likes a good open soil, fairly moist, and partial shade in a 
situation not too exposed, as it is rather liable to succumb to severe frost, 
especially if protracted. All the other herbs enjoy as much sun as they can get, 
but the moisture-loving ones must not be forgotten in long spells of hot dry 
weather. Borage, coriander, hyssop, marjoram, rosemary, tansy, and tarragon 
do best on a light, dry, and rather poor sandy or chalky soil, whilst a moderately 
rich, well-drained, sandy loam is best for caraway, chamomile, chives, dill, 
fennel, lavender, purslane, sage, savory (summer and winter), thyme, wormwood. 
