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61.

7th March 1943. 

A windless day, but almost sunless!  After a damp foggy forenoon, the sun broke through about 1.30 P.M. but did not last - a high cloud drift from E & misty fog blowing off the plain from NW. contrived to cover up such blue holes as appeared in the upper clouds.  In afternoon rode to Clondalkin, up canal to Ballymakaily Mill & back to Clondalkin by road.  Swept for some time at back gate of dairy 1/2 mile up canal, where took a few beetles & 2♂︎♂︎ Aphidiids, these being the only hymenoptera seen: -
= Monoctonus caricis  ♂︎, ant. 16.
Aphidius cf acalephae  ♀︎, ant. 16.

On way back by road to Clondalkin saw one bush of Blackthorn in flower.  Also saw Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris) in flower by drain parallel to canal on way up same & some flower spikes on Butterbur (Petasites vulgaris) with stamens just showing.



62.

9th - ? 8th March 1943 (Monday). 

Another fine day, with much sun, some cloud & cool N. breezee.  On leave for a few days.  In afternoon went by bus to Botanic Garden, Glasnevin, & spent a couple of hours there.  Saw many Bumbles, mostly B. lucorum but two certainly B. terrestris & also one B. jonellus ♀︎ on flower of Skimmia fortunei, whose flowers have a beautiful sweet, honey-like, smell, which mixed with last season scarlet berries, make a bright picture & were covered with Bumbles. 

By the Tolka, or pond, in the garden Alec. Comfort (a medical student from England taking a course at the Rotunda hospital here) recently found dead shells of the snail Ashfordia granulata & a few days later yet more on the right hand of the Tolka a couple of miles further up - just below the bridge crossed by the old road to Finglass, constituting an addition to the fauna of Co. Dublin [or a verification of an old & long doubted record?]