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141. 22/4/42, cont. Glenasmole, DU., cont. Cryptini ♀︎ seen in path. Orthocentrus radialis ♀︎ at 2. Thersilochid ♂︎ at Salex near St. Anne's church. Dacnusa areolaris. Large ♂︎ & ♀︎ at 1, smaller ♂︎♂︎ & ♀︎♀︎ at 2: the usual spring dark-legged form, which may well be a distinct species or race. D. longiradialis ♂︎♂︎ at 2. Monoctonus caricis 1♀︎ in marsh below dam at 2. Aphidius ♂︎ at 2. Nothing mounted or kept of these! 23/4/42. Went with G.F. Mitchell & A.F. Farrington to Portrane, Co. DU., where on coast just N. of Asylum the former had noticed a black band with bones in the beach gravels of the "cliff" below road along coast. Very cold & dull, with E. wind. Spent 3 hours examining same & came away with many burnt chips of bone, some at least of which were human bones. Did not collect. At 4 P.M. on this day in Dublin it became so dark with English smoke!) that all lights in houses & on cars were lit up. Later a gale, with rain, though glass rising all day. 23rd & 24th/4/42. Cardamine pratensis flowers open on 23rd & Orchis mascula with first flowers open on 24th: three spikes of flowers on latter this year. 142. 24th April '42. A ♂︎ Emperor Moth (S. pavonia) emerged from one of several cocoons given me in autuum of 1941 by A.M. Gwynn: released it in garden in sun the following day. 24th-26th '42. Three consecutive days of E. gale, very cold, with intense sun in afternoon of 25th & nearly all day on 26th. Did not go out at all on 26th (Sunday) as useless for collecting & had a sore throat. 26th April 1942. On this day found several Aphid parasites had hatched from specimens found on cabbage leaves which had been in my snail-breeding boxes in motor house throughout the winter & since Oct. 1941. Five specimens in all (2 living 3 already dead) were secured & mounted & proved to be as follows:- Aphidius brassicae 1 typical ♀︎, with 14-seg. antennae. Praon sp. near abjectum but antennae longer & more slender & 1st tergite also distinctly more slender; antennae of 2♂︎♂︎ both 19-segmented & of 2♀︎♀︎, respectively, 17- & 18-segmented. Perhaps only a race of P. abjectum but, I think, deserving of a name for which I think Praon oleris good enough from olus "a culinary vegetable"! AWS. 27/4/42.