Notes and Observations 10 Part 2

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS YELLOW NECKED MOUSE (Apodemusflovicollis).Has been recorded from the following fresh localities:— Farnham (in a granary with Mus musculus). MRS. HARE. Stowmarket by a river bank with A. sylvaticus. W. G. THURLOW. BARBASTELLE (Barbastella barbastellus). Mr. M. Hare brought me (Oct. 1956) two barbastelles found in a hollow tree at Farnham. There are not many records of this bat from Suffolk probably mainly because few people handle specimens and fewer still are interested enough to identify.

CRANBROOK. GREY SEAL (Halichoerus grypus). Mrs. Hickling, Hon. See. of the Natural History Society of Northumberland, Durham and Newcastle-upon-Tyne informs me that a grey seal ringed as a calf on the Farne Islands, Dec. 6th, 1952, was found in a distressed condition at Covehithe on Feb. 26th, 1953, and later destroyed. Approximate age 12 weeks. This seems to be the first definite record of the occurrence of H. grypus in Suffolk.

CRANBROOK.

PORPOISE (Phocaena phocaena). A dead female porpoise 5' 2" long was washed up on the Felixstowe side of the StourOrwell estuary in the last week of October, 1956. H. C. GRANT. FISH PARASITE new to Suffolk. In a Rainbow trout caught at Gt. Glemham, I found some worms identified as Neoechinorhyncus rutili Muller by Mr. W. G. Inglis at the Natural History Museum.

CRANBROOK.

HON. MRS. C. BERNARD writes : on April 23rd, we watched a Humming Bird Hawk Moth feeding on some purple Honesty flowers. Is this exceptionally early ?

(MR. CHIPPERFIELD : It is quite early, but the insect has been found in every month of the year, and any immigration would probably Start about now.)

DIOTIS MARITIMA (= Otanthus maritima). Wasfirstrecorded at Landguard Fort, Felixstowe, in 1793. It seems it was still there when Hooker mentions it for that place in 1870, but a few years later my father searched for it and marked it as probably extinet. Clapham, Tutin and Warburg do not give it for Suffolk at all but say it is rare and decreasing. Hind however in 1889 gave several localities for it along the coast. It may be worth while keeping a special look out for it around Lowestoft, Southwold, Dunwich and Orford.

J. C. N. WILLIS.

172 CYCLAMEN

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

Was growinginthe Woods at WaldIt is now extinct there, possibly transplanted

NEAPOLITANUM.

ringfield many years. to gardens.

T H E REV. TREVOR W A L L E R .

A U T U M N CROCUS (Colchicum autumnale). Was growing in the woods near Woolpit many years ago, but is now extinct. Hind in 1889 records it for many places throughout the county besides Woolpit.

T H E REV. P H I L I P BARKER. PHEASANT'S E Y E (Adonis annua).

I fear that this will soon be destroyed in my neighbourhood. It does not appear every year, but I did see it last year. This bright scarlet Pheasant's Eye is a temptation to " pickers ". D o leave it and let it seed. In the same parish wild tulips have gone for ever, covered with metal and concrete junk.

Miss JOYCE BLAKE. DITTANDER. (Lepidium latifolium). Has been destroyed owing to the widening of the Toll gate Bridge at Bury St. Edmunds where it had probably existed for 1,000 years or more. T h e remains of Babwell Priory lie on the other side of the road and these plants may well have been grown by the Grey Friars in their herb garden, for although the natural habitat of this plant is sah marshes and wet sands it was formerly cultivated inland as a condiment and for its medicinal virtues.

H. J. BOREHAM. NOTES ON SAVING RARE PLANTS.

Such notes lead one to remind members that this Society can do something to save some threatened rare or beautiful plants, if only members will keep alert and give warning in time, by appealing to County Planning Officers. These Officers are not unsympathetic and can sometimes take steps to spare a plant when widening of a road or building is intended. It is no use mourning after the event; keep your ears open for what is going on. But until flame-throwers, poison-sprayers and bull-dozers of hedges and wild borders can bepersuadedto listen to what leading biologists say about upsetting the balance of nature by destroyi*g the " weeds " and hedges which harbour the insects and birds which keep " pests " in control we must greatly fear that serious disaster to crops as well as wild plants is in stรถre for the next generation.

HON.

SEC.

T H R O U G H THE GENEROSITY of the Carnegie Trust, it will be possible for the Field Study Centres to accept members of natural history societies at a much reduced fee. Anyone interested in attending a course at Fiatford Mill, or any of the Field Studies Council Centres, should get in touch with the Warden of the Centre they wish to visit.

F. J . BINGLEY.