40 QUARTEELY JOURNAL OF TEE; YETEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY.

ENTOMOLOGICAL ~EPORT FOR 1880. By the Rev. C a a a ~ ~ s H. GRIFFITH, F.M.S.

I DO not wish to commence myreport this year, as on the last occasion, with R jeremiad of complaints with regard to the paucity and meagreness of the observations sent to me. I would only remind the staff that it is entirely from the number of the observations in different localities and the diligence with which first appearances are searched for, that these reports can produce any really good result. It has, I believe, been proposed to revise and alter the lists of Insects to be observed ; of course I bow to superior judgment, but, if I may be permitted to offer my own humble opinion on this point, I would certainly make very slight alteration : except tliat I think Tiichocc.m hitr~ialis, the Winter Gnat, might be omitted, because this insect may be xeen nearly every mild day from November to March, and therefore gives no further indication than that the weather was fine and mild when the insect was seen. I would also dismiss Rhi,zotrogu.s sobtitklis , the Fern-chafer, because it is a very local insect, entirely unknown in very many districts. Bibio Murci (St. Mark’s Fly) might also be dispensed with, as its appear- ance is only recorded at three stations out of 25, with an interval of observation fro= April 25th to June 26th, although the Fly is commonly distributed and so well marked with its black hairy body and legs that I should have thought it could hardly have escaped observation. My reason for suggesting so little alteration in the Insects to be observed is that the list emanated from the pen of a most trustworthy naturalist, and includes well-known and common species whose appearances and numbers fairly represent the condition of the weather from January to July. And also because if the list were dtered and amended, all previous observations would be useless for purposes of comparison, and we should have to begin our calculations of results entirely de rtovo. It appears to me that what we really want is not an altei-ation of our present adopted species, but B little more alertness and watchfulness in carefully observing what we have already selected.

From the observers’ notes and from my own observations I am compelled to remark that the late season has not been particularly good for entomo- logical research. Insects of all kinds have been scarce, and more variable than usud in the times of their appearance. Great disparity of dates therefore appear in the returns of observers, the &-st appearance of Apis niellifica, the Honey Bee, for instance, ranging from January 2nd to April 7th, and Pierk B r a s s h from March 29th to. June 11th. A9 is so frequently the case in ( 6 bad ” years, rarities have been more numerous than asual, Colins Edusa (the Clouded Yellow Butterfly) has been reported from several districts ; &Iqdborough reports its first appearance on August 26th. I have also seen several and captured a few. Marlborough also comes to the front again in recording the capture of a Camberwell Beauty, Vanessa Antiopa, on August 30th.

The entomological pear has been chiefly marked by the wonderful number

PRESTON-REPORT ON THE PEENOLOGICAL OBYERVSTIONS FOB TBE IXAR 1880. 41

of wasps, Vrspa oulyaris, due chiefly to the fairly fine weather during their period of incubation in the grub stat’e. The first Queen recorded was seen at Strathfield Turgiss on the 10th of March, and nests have been numerous to a wonderful extent in this and other neighbourhoods. AS many 88 71 nesta have been destroyed on one small farm or estate near this station. These insects are great pests in the Autumn, especially during the fruit season, and they try the tamper of the grocers here considerably. A plan has been tried here which answers well in effecting a diminution of their numbers, and that is, to offer to the small boys of the village, who are rather proud of being stung, 8 reward of 6d. for each Queen wasp brought dead before say the last day of March or the 14th of April: as these are the founders of the f’uture colony, their execution lessens the coming broods. To any who &us benevolently endeavour to help their neighbours by the destruction of these pests, it is as well to suggest that it is expedient that the head or abdomen of the Queen-wasp, so paid for, be clipped from the animal on its presenta- tion for payment, or else, in these degenerate days, he may be called upon to pay twice or even more frequently for the same creature. To destroy the nests, a good plan is to pour quickly about 9 an ounce of bi-sulphide of carbon into the aperture of the nest, if vertical; or to inject with a small glass syringe if the hole be oblique, and then stop the hole. In a very few seconds the wasps will all have perished. But those who use the bi-sulphide should be warned that it is a dangerous liquid to play with.

The report from Bath this year is unusually good and full, and draws attention to a point I have myself observed-viz. that the month of April was a remarkably unproductive month, very few insects of any kind having been seen. Attention is also drawn by this observer to the early appearance of bfacroylossn stellntamm, the Hnmming-bird Moth, on the 18th of March. The charming little denizen of our woodland hedges, the AntlLochnris Cardn- miner, Orange-tip Butterfly, has been very scarce, and I have not heard of one female having been observed. The observer at Great Cotes reports great injury done to the crops of oats and barley by the larva? of a species of Tipula or Crane-fly. He says, L L N ~ top dressing of lime, soot, or salt appears to have any effect in destroykg these obnoxious and extremely injurious grubs. The only plan I have found available in any way for checking their ravages is by repeated m d heavy rolling of the land. It is,” he adds, a ‘I very good plan in the Autumn, before ploughing in the clover stubbles to dress the land with ‘gas-lime,’ thereby either destroying thousands of the eggs of the fly, or in some manner checking their develop- ment.”

The observer at Cteldeston, Norfolk, draws attention to the fact that she has noticed ‘I holes cut out at the base of the coroIIa of the Snapdragon, dntirrhinum rnajtbs, sometimes the whole of the corollm being cut, during the month of July, and asks if there be some special insect that does this. There is I know a Leaf-cutter Bee, Uegnchile, but whether this Bee attacks the Snapdragon I am unable to say ; but if the observer would kincUg send me t h o aggressor in question, I probably could advise her.

42 QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE SXETEOROLOOICAL SOCIETP.

At this station the Gooseberry and Currant trees have sdered severely from the attacks of the Gooseberry Saw-fly, Nematzls Ribsaii, but in all cases where the suggestion of Miss Ormerod of laying cloths satmted with gss tar around the stems on the ground under the trees has been adopted, the plague has been abated.

The observer at Farley entirely bears out my remarks upon the barrenness of the past entomological year, and adds that with careful observation he has only seen three white Butterflies, and his assistant only one. The brown Buttedies (EpiiiepJde Jnnira) and the Cockchafers (Melolontlru vuZgur;9) he says have also been exceedingly scarce.

Appended is a summary of the observers' notes of the year. 79. Tricliocerir hienwtis, the Winter Gnat, has been observed nearly every

mild day. 74. Apis meUi,fcu, the Honey Bee. Uppingham, January 2 ; Trusham,

February 13 ; Cardington, February 16 ; Hatton, February 19 ; Hertford, February 23 ; Watford, March 1 ; Addington, March 4 ; Isleworth, March 6 ; Great Cotes, March 7 ; Strathfield Turgiss, March 9 ; Odsey, March 9 ; Bath, March 12 ; Cheltenham, March 21 ; Harpenden, April 7.

76. P66 Rupce, Small White Buttemy." Marlborough, Narch 5 ; Down- side, March 11 ; Addington and Cardington, March 24 ; Strathiield Turgiss, March 24 ; Hertford, March 25 ; Ardbourne and Cheltenham, March 29 ; Trnshsm and Naker, March SO ; Ware, April 17 ; Babbacombe, A p d 20 ; Isleworth and Great Cotes, April SO ; Bishop Frome, May 1.

Trusham, March 29 ; Watford, April 19 ; Upping- ham, April 22 ; Harpenden, April 30 ; Strathfield Turgiss, May 1 ; Babba- combe, May 5; Totness, May 13 ; Downside, May 18 ; Great Cotes, May 30 ; Marlborough, June 11.

78. Bibw Marei, St. Mark's Fly. Watford, April 25; Strathfield Turgiss, May 1 ; Great Cotes, June 26.

72. ikIeloltnzthn mlgark, the Cockchafer. Downside, May 4 ; Uppingham, May 14; Strathfield Tmgiss, May 1 7 ; Cheltenham, May 26; Totness, July 7.

77. EpinqhiZd Juuirn, Meadow Brown Butterfly. Hertford, May 24 ; Uppingham, May 20 ; StraUeld Turgiss, June 13 ; Totness, June 30 ; Addington, June 21 ; Isleworth, June 24 ; Bradenham, Juno 28 ; Great Cotes, June 29 ; Hatton, June SO ; Marlborough, July 3.

Gowpteryx Riuzmni, Brimstone Butterfly. Strathiield Turgiss, February 10 ; Addington, March 7 ;* Uppingham, March 18 ; Downside, May 1.

ATzthocharis Cnrdamines, Orange Tip Butterfly. Strathfield Turgiss, April 30 ; Bradenham, May 1 ; Bath, May 13 ; Marlborough, Nay 14 ; Addington, May 17 ; Babbacombe, May 21 ; Hatton, June 19.

Downside, February 1 ; Strathfield Twgiss, February 18 ; Hatton, March 5 ; ;\larlborough, March 9 ; Addinen, March 15 ; Bradenham, Narch 17 ; Uppingham, March 25 ; Cheltenham, March 28.

Strathficld Turgiss, March 11 ; Xm-1- borongh, l fay 15 ; Domisidc, Xay 2.5 ; Uppingham, Jldr~.h 28.

75. Pieris Bro&m.

Vanessa uttiea, Small Tortoise-shell Butterfly.

T'altessn l o , Peacock Butterfly.