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132. 

10th March 1939.  Taken by E. O'Mahony in St. Anne's, Clontarf, C. DU., sweeping grass, in afternoon.
A very fine mild day with much sun!

Pezomachis  small red ♀.
Blacus ruficornis  1♀, no doubt just out of hibernation.
Dacnusa areolaris var.?  2♂♂, with very black body & legs like darkest form of maculipes, but no sternauli present & stigma long & narrow towards apex.


12th March 1939.
A most perfect day, after a clear frosty night & considerable rain on 11th:  hot sun practically all day, with cool but gentle N.W. breeze.  Went by 10.30 bus to Old Bawn & walked up road on E. side of Glensamole & down lane leading to upper dam, then cut across fields to 3rd coomb on E. side of lower reservoir, where stayed a couple of hours basking, then by "willow-glade" & jungle path to upper dam & so back to bus via Moore's & road to Bohernabreena.  Primroses in quantity by the Dodder at footbridge above Moores, & here & there in jungle &c.  One female willow (S. cinerea) with a few flowers out


133.

12.3.39 cont.  Glenasmole, DU. cont.

in willow glade & others nearly out, but the only trees with male catkins out seen on slopes just above fallen block near Mr. Doyle's & by road below R.C. Chapel, Bohernabreena.

No bees seen at bee bank in 3rd coomb, but just above same took a very fresh ♂ Andrena clarkella, which lit on grass tuft at 1.30 pm.  And just before this in same place saw a ♀ Dolerus nitius fly down amongst grass  moss & successfully stalked & put tube over her.  Previously my earliest date for a Dolerus was 25th March (1928) in Gold Mine Valley, WI.

On way through willow glade saw scores of the usual Thersilochus (?) at ♀ willow catkins & captured 2♂♂.  Except a few Chalcids the only other hymenoptera seen were an active colony of Myrmica scabrinodis v. sabuleti on the bee bank in 3rd coomb.

No Bombus seen or heard all day.

Frogspawn already hatched in spring-pool in field above & on way down to 3rd coombs.