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269. 8th April 1941. First red Saxifraga flowers in front garden opened - E. wind continues, but some sun. 11th April 1941 (Good Friday). In afternoon walked from Rathfarnham to Marley Grange & round by St. Columba's College back to Whitechurch bus. Milder with falling glass & skiffs of rain on hills. Leaves coming out on Chestnuts, [[?whitith]] lilacs & many shrubs. Blackthorn flowers not yet out [& no sign of Willow Warbler, Swallow or Sand Martins]. In Garden, 14 Clareville Rd., ferns coming up i.e. Cystopteris & Osmunda. 12th April 1941. First ♂︎ catkin of Salix aurita in back garden turned yellow. Carex stricta flower-spikes up 6-7 inches. Quite mild & some hot sun. 16th April 1941. A fine sunny morning with fresh W. wind: showers in afternoon & heavy rain with jam over Glenasmole at 4.30-5.30 P.M. Took 2.10 bus to Bohernabreena & walked up to upper dam in Glenasmole in sunshine, then came a slight shower which wet everything, then more 270. delightful sun bursts, but as we turned to catch 5.15 bus a jam formed & wind backed to SW. with steady rain till we got home, then more sun, then more rain later in evening. In Glenasmole saw several Bombus lucorum ♀︎♀︎, 1♀︎ of Vespa vulgaris & what was probably a ♂︎ Nomada bifida. Over lower reservoir saw flock (nearly 100) of House Martins (many), Swallows (some) & I think some Sand Martins. Willow Wrens singing throughout the glen, except about Moore's. Blackthorn out on bluff at bus stop at Bohernabreena. In garden, 14 Clareville Rd., saw a Peacock Butterfly (in motor house) at 2 P.M. & after tea (6.30) saw a ♀︎ Bombus terrestris. Euphorbia hiberna shoots in front garden coming up strongly & Lily of the Valley flower buds showing. Salix aurita in full flower & covered with Honey Bees. Sawflies. On 11th April a ♀︎ Amauronematus sagmarius appeared in a sawfly pot from which all labels had been removed [[strikethrough]] last autumn & destroyed, as it was considered impossible there could be any remaining alive; [[/strikethrough]] but certainly from Drumgoff, Co. WI. as the rest! AWS. On 12th a ♂︎ emerged & on 13th 2♂︎♂︎, while on 15th 1♂︎ & 1♀︎ were found & on 16th a Tachinid fly. On 11th a ♀︎ Amauronematus [[strikethrough]] cf. mundus [[/strikethrough]] viduatus √ R.B. Benson 11.3.43. emerged in pot containing larvae from Drumgoff, Co. WI., taken on Salix on 28/5/1939 & on 16th a Tachinid fly was found in this pot also. P.T.O. Wood Sorrell & Anemone out near Moore's house.