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1945. 

The year opened fine & mild with high barometer & the morning of the 2nd. Jan. was so beautifuly sunny that I decided to take "a half-day" & go to look for wasps, which I did; but by 1 o'clock as I left the museum a cold, strong, S.W., wind had sprung up & there were signs of a change coming. By 2 o'clock, a jam had formed to S. over the hills & another to W. over the plain & the wind increased to half a gale, against which we struggled on bikes to Whitehall Ho. across "The Green Hills", by which time a blue hole had formed on the district & the sun come out again, but the wind very cold & strong. Stopping at the best patch of ivy blossom in the hedge (about 100 yards N. of Whitehall House gate?) we awaited events & just as I was giving up all hope Daisy saw a wasp which I captured. This proved to be a worker Vespa vulgaris! A few minutes later another arrived & then another several times seen during next ten minutes, but as sun again observed & weather worsening we

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2nd Jan. 45, cont

came home via Tallaght & Willington House, but saw no more wasps. This is my first January wasp, though R.M. Bennington writing in Irish Nat. in 1900 says that at Fasaroe, Bray, he saw some nearly every year into January, though he could not recollect ever seeing any later than the 10th of the month. 

By the evening a full gale was blowing & the glass was falling ever more steeply, according to our barograph just purchased as a Christmas present with funds sent us by George from France. The gale continued all night but no [[?]] of rain fell till 9.30 next morning (3rd Jan.) & at 10 AM. a terrific hail-storm coincided with a turn up of the barograph, after which it was quite horizontal & the wind dropped completely. As I came home at 1 P.M. I could see that the hills were completely covered with snow.

3rd to 6th Jan. '45. Hard frost on nights of 3rd & 4th with barograph still keeping level at bottom of depression & it remained  so during 5th & 6th, though these days milder, mainly dry & no frost.