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44.)

27th-31st March 1950. 
Dry, mainly dull and rather windy, first east, then W & NW.  Saw Anthriscus sylvestris in flower in two places, but nothing of importance. 


1st April 1950. 
A dull chilly day, with falling glass & very strong NW wind.  Carex stricta by motor house wall now well out.  Red & White Garden Mossy Saxifrages by gate in front garden both with flowers ready to open, but the former retarded by slugs having eaten the first buds early in March.  Euphorbia hiberna shoots up 4 to 6 inches on the old plant. 


2nd-4th April 1950. 

Cold, stormy, weather with heavy showers & often short sunbursts.  On 4th I received a letter from W.K. Ellis, Clonleigh, Ballindrait, E. Donegal, inclosing a ♀︎ Lissonota sp.:  it is dated "3rd April" & in it he says "I caught this beast yesterday & as it looks like an ichneumon I am sending it on to you in hope that it may be of interest" & so it is.  It is very like L. carbonaria except that the terebra is just as long as the abdomen & the tergites are very narrowly pale-margined:  if these margins are ignored it runs in Schmied. to L. distincta Bdg., if taken into account to L. segmentator but fits neither description, so put in coll. next the former & labelled "sp.?" A.W.S. .4.4.50.

The frog in back garden deposited its eggs in their dish under drip of motor house roof on night of 1st-2nd of April!


45.)

6th April 1950. 

The best day for some time, no showers & mild, but with increasing SSE wind in afternoon, when also considerable sun.  In afternoon drove to X roads above (S. of) Jobstown, left car, & walked up the boreen to Knocknarea & back again.  The gorse now nearly in full bloom.  On return journey via Marlfield & Old Bawn Bridge saw lots of Stichwort in flower for the first time though probably out for some time.


7th to 11th April 1950 - the Easter week-end!

Very bad weather!  Cold, very stormy, with heavy showers though sometimes quite long spells of hot sun.  Did not go anywhere or do anthing.


12th April 1950.

Cold but mainly sunny;  N.W. wind, strong in afternoon with several very severe hail showers.  On April 2nd (Sunday) F. Fox of Whitestown Tallaght, saw & recognised a ♂︎ Shore Lark on the west pier at Kingstown Harbour, which was subsequently seen by Very Rev. P.G. Kennedy, S.J., & others, during the following week.  On learning that it was still there on 11th Daisy & I went this aft. by bus (Wednesday 12th) & found it alone feeding on the short herbage (grass, &c.) on the west pier.  It was quite tame & we watched it before & after one of the heavy showers.  I am told this is only the second Irish record for this strikingly coloured bird.