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36.) 3rd March 1950. Colder than 2nd with rather sharp NW-W wind; mainly cloudy, with drizzle before breakfast, then fine, then a jam with quite heavy rain & then mainly dry and dull in afternoon. In afternoon we walked to Rathfarnham Bridge, down the Dodder & home via Orwell Road. Several ♂︎ willows out on left bank of river just about the weir below Rathfarnham Bridge & saw on one a small bird we could not identify. On path just above new footbridge across river to park at Orwell Bridge Daisy found a torpid ♀︎ Bombus terrestris: I carried it into the park & hid it at foot of a tree in an old cigarette cargon to keep it dry in case it rained during the night & in the hope that tomorrow would be sunny. See below under 5.3.50. 4th March. A most lovely sunny afternoon after a dully misty morning. 5th March. All sunny after 9 AM. when misty clouds melted. Rest of day with very hot sun & blue sky & very gentle easterly zephir. Bombus lucorum seen in garden at noon; & again in afternoon at ♀︎ Salix cinerea catkins till 5 P.M. At 1.45 PM. a small ♀︎ B. jonellus at ♀︎ Salix; at which ☿☿ Honey Bees busy all day long. In afternoon walked to park by the Dodder above Orwell Bridge & found that the Bombus terrestris 37.) 5.3.1950, cont. hidden at foot of tree in cigarette carton on 3rd was no longer in it & so I hope she is safe & well. On way up to Rathfarnham Bridge saw a ♀︎ Bombus (size of lucorum!) at ♂︎ Salix across the Dodder & below Meadow Bank; also many Honey Gees & one Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly. Daisy saw the B. lucorum at flowers of Daphne blaggiana [[blagayana]] (& I Honey Bees) in back garden during forenoon! 6th March 1950. Another beautiful day but foggy next early did not really clear all day & fell again early in afternoon & so robbed the sun of much of its heat. About noon saw a ♀︎ B. lucorum on ♀︎ Salix in back garden; & at 2.30 on way up Rathgar Avenue Daisy spotted a queen wasp, which I was able to prove to be Vespa vulgaris. Took bus to Ballyboden & walked back to "Pussys Lep" & so home by 49 bus in time to let George, who had been home for weekend, get his tea & catch 6.15 back to Belfast. Marcus Graham, who came in evening, reported seeing a ♀︎ B. agrorum in Trinity Coll. Bot. Gardens on this day. 7th March. A still more perfect day & no mist or fog after 10 A.M. Saw ♀︎ B. lucorum in back garden several times in afternoon & a ♀︎ Wasp trying to get out of motor house. Started to feed the snails after winter sleep.