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NUARY-MARCH 1980 (No 952)
VOLUME 105
THE
MTUIMLI5T
Quarterly Journal of Natural History for the North of England
Edited by M. R. D. SEAWARD, MSc, PhD, FLS, The University, Bradford
PAGE
CONTENTS
3
Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets
in Yorkshire and Adjacent Areas — C. A. Howes
17
An Occurrence of Halophilic Diatoms in a Freshwater Habitat
in Cambridge — J. H. Belcher and E. M. F. Swale
23
Some Aspects of Flocking Behaviour in Lapwings During the
Moulting Period — F. L. Symonds
29
Two Letters of Bryological Interest from Richard Spruce to
David Moore — M. R. D. Seaward
33
William Sutcliffe of Heptonstall and his Collection of British and
Irish Mosses — T.L. Blockeel
16, 22, 28,
37-39
Book Reviews
40
Shorter Reviews
40
Letter to the Editor
PUBLISHED BY
THE YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION
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THE
NOTHMUST
A Quarterly Journal of Natural History for the North of England
Edited by M. R. D. SEAWARD. MSc. PhD. FLS, The University. Bradford
VOLUME
105
1980
PUBLISHED BY
THE YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION
3
ASPECTS OF THE HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION OF POLECATS
AND FERRETS IN YORKSHIRE AND ADJACENT AREAS
C. A. HOWES
Museum and Art Gallery, Doncaster
Introduction
Recent archival and literature searches have provided evidence of the past abundance, wide-
spread distribution and subsequent decline of the polecat, Mustela putorius L., in Yorkshire
and adjacent areas. The history of the introduction and use in Yorkshire of the possibly
conspecific domesticated ferret M. furo L. was similarly traced. Various forms of persecution
and land-use changes are reviewed as possible causes of the polecat’s decline, and
speculation made regarding the future status of the ferret as a feral species.
A History of the Status and Distribution of the Polecat
Yorkshire
Records of polecats in Yorkshire from 1664 (see Fig 1 and Appendix) and trends in the
numbers surrendered for bounty payments (see Fig 3) indicate that this mustelid underwent
a pattern of persecution and decline similar to that of the otter Lutra lutra (L.).30 Up to and
including the nineteenth century, polecats were apparently widely scattered throughout the
five Yorkshire vice counties, though the preponderance of data from VC 63 probably only
indicates that West Riding sources were more accessible to the author.
During the 1830s Clarke and Roebuck7 commented that in Yorkshire ‘this species was
generally abundant’. Grabham19 also noted that ‘it was not uncommon’, a view borne out by
numerous mid-nineteenth -century faunal reviews (see Appendix). In Upper Nidderdale it
had been ‘common’,8 it had ‘abounded’ in the Carrs around Doncaster prior to their
drainage,26 it had been ‘fairly common’ around Halifax39 and was ‘widely distributed’ in the
Sheffield area.13 In certain districts polecats were indeed abundant, parish records regularly
listing the payment of bounties for up to six animals per year. As many as ten were recorded
at Bawtry in 1723 and 1731 and at Terrington in 1880. Twenty-four were killed at Cotting-
ham in 1664 and in the parish of Arksey with Bentley between twenty and thirty were killed
in the years 1723, 1724, 1732, 1734, 1742, and 1757 with a massive peak of sixty-one killed in
1735 (see Fig 2).
Northumberland and Durham
The 653 polecats recorded killed for bounties between 1677 and 1724 in the parish of
Corbridge indicate the abundance of the species in this area of Northumberland.24 Indeed
Mennell and Perkins38 commented that up to the 1850s polecats were ‘still plentiful in both
counties’. In Northumberland six were caught in the North Tyne area and one at Harbottle
in 1862, and ‘a few’ were taken in the Cheviots in 1863. Undated records are cited from
Chillingham Park and Alnwick.17 In Co Durham during the 1860s they were ‘not infre-
quently killed in Weardale’ and a female with a litter was recorded near Walsingham. Two
animals were killed near Middleton-in-Teesdale in 1890 and one was recorded at Cleadon
cl900.18
Cumberland, Westmorland and North Lancashire
Eighteenth-century records came from the parishes of Grayrigg and Underbarrow in West-
morland.36 In the Lake District the polecat ‘enjoyed a very general distribution’, being found
in ‘almost every dale and on all the mosses’. To the north of the district the mosses and flows
of the Cumberland plain were regarded as being a stronghold, so too were the mosses to the
south, around Morecambe Bay.37 Harting24 quotes his correspondent Thomas Farrall as
reporting that in 1883 ‘polecats were plentiful in the district embracing the sandy slopes of
the Solway, the mosses of Abbey Holme and the adjoining waste known as Wedholme Flow’.
Naturalist 105 (1980)
4 Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire
FIGURE 1 Yorkshire polecat records.
A = pre 1900; • = 1901-20; ■ = post 1920
Amongst extensive anecdotes, Farrall alluded to polecats being hunted during the 1880s in
the Cumberland districts of Aspatria, Ellenborough, Isell, Wigton, Thrustonfield, Allonby,
and Cooper, also on the fells above Ambleside in Westmorland, at Newby Bridge, Gray-
thwaite, Hawkshead, and Laughrigg Fell in north Lancashire and during the 1860s around
Rochdale and ‘the vale and moorland country of north-east Lancashire’.
Derbyshire
Jourdain,32 referring to the 1850s, noted that polecats were ‘very common and widely
distributed’. Eighteenth-century records came from Staveley and animals were reported in
that district as late as 1892. In 1842 they were ‘common’ in the Tutbury district and up till
1875 were regarded as ‘not uncommon’ in the upper part of the Derwent Valley and on the
edge of the moors. At Meynell Langley polecats were recorded in 1890, 1896 and 1900 and in
the Ashbourne district they were alleged to be still present in 190532.
Lincolnshire
Prior to c 1875 polecats were ‘fairly common in many parts of the county’.4 One was reported
near Grantham in 1882, 24 they were recorded around Grimsby in 1887 and were present in
the Mablethorpe district during the early 1900s.47
5
Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire
Habitat and Behaviour
Describing its breeding behaviour, the polecat hunters of Cumbria maintained that ‘the
female polecat generally selects her lair in the autumn, occupies it during the winter and
brings forth her young in it in spring. She has usually four to five at a time so that the species
multiplies rapidly . . .’24 Walton51 however, states that the single annual litter consists of
from five to ten young. The lair was said to be composed of ‘two distinct parts, one made of
leaves for the reception and rearing of young and the other serving as a storehouse for
food’.24
Hatfield,25 who derived most of his natural history information from the Doncaster
naturalist and taxidermist Hugh Reid (1783-1863), commented that on the Doncaster Carrs
it ‘did not restrict itself to game but waged war against the inhabitants of river and pond . . .
Frogs, toads, newts and fish were amongst the creatures that fell victim . . . Large stores of
eels have been found in the larders of the polecat. Even the formidably defended nests of the
wild bees are said to yield up their honeyed store to the fearless attack of this rapacious
creature’. In Cumberland young rabbits, leverets, partridge chicks, ducklings, larks, frogs,
and eels have been found in polecat lairs.24
Although some late records refer to upland Pennine and Cumbrian districts, where stone
walls36 and ‘rough upland banks’32 were favoured habitats, most late nineteenth- and early
twentieth-century data infers polecats to be lowland or at least valley bottom specialists. In
the Lake District it was regarded as being the lowland counterpart of the pine marten Martes
martes (L.).36 Jourdain32 referred to it as occurring in ‘the tangled willow beds by the sides of
rivers and streams’. In Lincolnshire the coastal marshes of the Mablethorpe and Grimsby
districts seem to have been a last stronghold47 and Cordeaux12 claimed to have found
evidence of its presence in the sand dunes of Spurn, east Yorkshire.
FIGURE 2
Total numbers of surviving records of bounties paid for polecats, weasels, otters and foxes in
the parish of Arksey, South Yorkshire during five-year periods from 1720 to 1769.
Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire
a ® = % occurrence at - Arksey
1 = Cottingham
2 = Fishlake
3- Bawtry
2 4= Adwick-le- Street
•
A = Last bounty payments in the parishes of
A = Bolton Percy 1798
a B = Terrington 1827
C = Worsborough 1871
• Luddenden 1874
Sowerby 1874
• = Fast becoming extinct in Yorkshire
» m • (Clarke and Roebuck 1881 )
i 1 i 1 i 1 i ' i 1 i 1 i 1 i ' i ' i ' i 1 i ' i ' i ' i * i * i ' i ' i 1 i 1 r
1660 70 80 90 1700 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 1800 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
90 1900
FIGURE 3
The declining status of the polecat in Yorkshire as shown by plotting (A) polecat bounties per
five-year period, (B) the last recorded dates for the payment of polecat bounties and (C) the
publication date of the statement of the polecat’s impending extinction.
In Cumberland,36 Lincolnshire4 and Derbyshire,32 polecats were also associated with
woodland which was considered to be a summer habitat. They were also known to frequent
barns and outhouses,32 doubtless attracted by rodent pests of stored agricultural products,
though ‘The poultry yards of Abbey Holme farms (Cumberland) suffer much from the
depredations of foumarts’.24 On 3 March 1849, a polecat entered a house at Trafalgar,
Halifax36 and ‘two or three were caught in the bottom of a haystack at Red House Farm,
Wilstrop, in 1886. 50 Today this synanthropic trait would be attributed to escaped ferrets.
Persecution
The reasons for the decline and evident extinction of polecats in the north of England is not
exactly known; however, a review of factors associated with persecution and land-use
changes may throw light on the possible causes and therefore help in its conservation in areas
where it still survives.
The Fur Trade
Hatfield26 commented that the fur of the polecat being of a ‘beautiful texture, would be
nearly as valuable as sable but for the difficulty attendant upon the removal of the very
disagreeable odour. Indeed, it may have become scarce much earlier were this not the case.’
Although trapped for its pelt (fitch), during the late 1400s the fur trade did not represent a
major threat to English polecat populations — other furs, possibly for the reason mentioned
by Hatfield, being vastly more popular and prestigious.49 Later, however, with ‘martin’
Martes martes (L.), which provided one of the most sought-after ‘home grown’ luxury furs,
becoming too scarce in England to meet the rising demand for their pelts, the trade turned to
‘fitch’ as a cheap substitute. Evidence of its regular use is in the Ordinances of the Skinners
of the City of York43 where in 1500 charges were set out for the preparation of polecat skins.
Demand was also increased when sable M. zibellina (L.) from the forests of Scandinavia and
northern Russia became, by contemporary standards, fabulously expensive, costing £2 per
pelt during the 1400s, and the sumptuary laws restricted its use to Royalty.49 Fitch was thus
used in lieu of sable and ‘marten’, eg in the civic finery of Mayors, Sheriffs and Aldermen —
indeed Veals49 mentions an Alderman in 1516 owning a gown furred entirely with ‘fitch’.
Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire 7
The high demand for ‘marten’ pelts during the late Middle Ages could have helped reduce
English populations to the point where it became necessary to import them from Wales,
Scotland and eventually Scandinavia and northern Europe. The subsequent swing to the use
of ‘fitch’ apparently did not similarly affect polecat populations, as up to the mid-nineteenth-
century they were still generally abundant.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries many ‘fitch’ pelts would have been
available to the trade via the vigilant game keeper; Hatfield26 in 1866 notes that ‘skins found
customers at 1 shilling each’.
During the mid-1800s locally obtained polecat pelts suddenly became scarce, the volume
of trade in fitch at the Dumfries fur market, which received pelts from Northumberland and
Cumberland, illustrating this phenomenon. In 1829 400 pelts were sold, in 1831 600 and in
1840 pelts were sold in ‘considerable numbers’. However, by 1854 they were ‘getting scarcer’,
in 1858 they were ‘very scarce’ and the last recorded sale was of ‘a dozen only’ in 1866. 24 As
the decline in sales was accompanied by a considerable increase in price — from 12 shillings
to 36 shillings per ‘furriers dozen’ over the period indicated — the decline in sales would
appear to be due to a genuine scarcity rather than to a fall in demand. To illustrate the
continuing demand for ‘fitch’, at least from the nineteenth century, polecat hair has been
extensively used in quality ‘sable’ paint brushes. For this and other purposes 77,578 polecat
pelts were sold on the London fur market during the trading year 1905-06, though by this
date most, if not all of the pelts would have come from suppliers in Denmark, Holland,
Germany, and Russia.42
Hunting for Sport
Georgian England witnessed the rise and sophistication of fighting, baiting, hunting, and
shooting of many animals for sport. Polecat hunting apparently only attracted a small
following and probably had little more than a local and sporadic effect on populations.
Polecats were hunted in Dorset during the eighteenth century.33 In North Wales, they were
regularly hunted in Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire during the late nineteenth
century24 and in the Lake District, Macpherson36 reports that to the ‘active yeoman’ the
polecat ‘was an object of admiration because of the sport it offered to their hounds’. For
Cumberland, Harting24 gives extensive information on hunting packs and the districts in
which they worked during the fifty years up to 1883. He also notes that ‘At a wayside inn near
Maryport is a splendid case of stuffed polecats killed by the Ellensborough hunt’.
In South Yorkshire during the early 1800s Hatfield26 tells of ‘James Thornton and James
Taylor of Doncaster who used to hunt the polecat with two or three good terriers. They
seldom returned without securing a dozen and not unfrequently a score during a visit.’
Although this would seem to be an excessively high number, high annual totals in parish
records could give credence to these claims; also, during the spring, the destruction of
polecat lairs containing young would help to achieve these high totals.
Game Keeping
‘The stinking polecat, shunned by most people and persecuted by all.’ These words of
Charles Waterton (1782-1865)56 illustrate the eighteenth- and nineteenth -century attitude
towards this predator.
The effects of game keeping and in particular the rearing of pheasants seem to have had a
significant influence on the fate of the polecat in Britain. In England, the ‘common’
pheasant Phasianus c. colchicus L., a native of Asia Minor, had from before the Norman
conquest been bred in captivity both for ornament and food. However, by the late fifteenth
century it had become naturalized and an act was passed granting it protection — its
sporting potential having been realized.35 An early Yorkshire record is of pheasants from the
Selby warren being feasted upon at Selby Abbey in 1416- 17.23 Over the next 400 years a
series of historical events elevated the pheasant to being the most important game species in
Britain, its management developing into a major rural industry.
With the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the ‘sporting upper classes’ were re-
established in the country estates, giving fresh stimulus to sporting pursuits generally. From
8 Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire
the seventeenth to the nineteenth century the development of guns and ammunition
specifically for sporting purposes made shooting simpler, safer and more predictable, thus
greatly increasing its popularity as a recreation. Being essentially a class sport, the social
standing of a landowner was enhanced by his ability to provide good and eventful shooting
for his guests. For this fashionable facility, the craft of game keeping evolved: teams of game
keepers being employed at estates throughout Britain for the purpose of rearing game birds
and for the destruction of their predators, both real and alleged.
Indicative of the improvement of game management techniques was the growth of trade
between estates in pheasant stocks; indeed stocks were exported to the colonies, eg North
America in 1790’1 while oriental forms were imported to add interest and vitality to the
naturalized population. The ‘Japanese’ pheasant P. c. versicolor Viellot was introduced in
1741, the ‘Chinese ring-necked’ pheasant/1, c. torquatus Gmelin, not uncommon in aviaries
in the 1780s, had become established in the wild by the 1820s35 and the ‘Mongolian ring-
necked’ pheasant P. c. mongolicus Brandt was introduced into feral stocks during the
nineteenth century.14
The polecat’s reputation as a predator of game birds and particularly of young pheasants
rendered it an obvious target for the game keeper; indeed in some quarters foxes Vulpes
vulpes L. were encouraged on the grounds that they were thought to kill polecats.33
During the mid-1700s the gin trap was added to the game keeper’s armoury and proved to
be a landmark in the history of ‘vermin’ control. Up till the 1880s the use of the gin trap had
been legally restricted to those employed in game rearing; however the ground game laws of
that year made it possible for farmers and their employees to use these traps to protect their
crops from the vast and highly destructive populations of rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.).
Paradoxically, with the new found income from rabbit (coney) skins and meat, farm workers
were encouraged to conserve rabbits by controlling their predators, thus polecats which
‘inhabit rabbit warrens and are very destructive’32 became increasingly persecuted. In
Cumberland polecats were locally exterminated by the use of rabbit traps37 and it was
noticed in Lincolnshire that they survived better in areas free of rabbits.24
As with pheasant shoots, developments in grouse moor management no doubt also played
a significant part in polecat eradication in upland districts. Up to the late 1600s red grouse
Lagopus scoticus L. were taken in relatively small numbers, being caught by hawk or flushed
into nets. Later, birds were shot either on the ground or after being flushed by dogs. During
the early 1800s, a technique was evolved whereby grouse were driven before waiting guns and
shot on the wing.40 This revolutionary method, which enormously increased the numbers of
birds shot, quickly became the vogue and consequently put pressure on keepers to rear
sufficient new stock to satisfy the potential of this highly efficient form of shooting. In the
process the predator/ prey ecology of the Pennine and North Yorkshire heather moors was
radically altered. Upland species like the hen harrier Circus cyaneus (L.) suffered the
‘onslaught of the gamekeepers’, becoming scarce by 1844 and being reduced to the status of
a bird of passage by 1906, 40 and ‘the almost complete loss to the country of the common
buzzard Buteo buteo (L.) as a breeding species is another price paid ... for the supposed
benefits of sportsmen’.6
Significantly, predators suffered less in areas not controlled by keepers or at times when
game keeping was relaxed. Chislett6 remarked that the sparrow hawk Accipiter nisus (L.)
fared better ‘in areas not keepered’ and ‘gained temporarily in status’ during the two World
Wars. Similarly Harting’s correspondents24 observed that in Lincolnshire polecats fared
better ‘where game was not preserved’. A small batch of Yorkshire polecat records were
made soon after the end of the Second World War (see Appendix). Their validity, however, is
considered suspect and the general revival of the species inferred by Batten3 appears not to
have continued in Yorkshire, though Welsh populations have greatly increased and have
spread into adjacent English counties.51
Change of Habitat
The enclosure awards from the mid-eighteenth to the mid-nineteenth century had a
profound effect on the pattern of the Yorkshire landscape, bringing vast areas of ‘wild’
Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire 9
countryside under agricultural and game management. Drainage and land improvement
schemes, often undertaken with a view to enclosure, also flourished during this period. The
drainage and first attempts to cultivate the Doncaster Carrs commenced during the mid-
1700s, a period when similar schemes were being undertaken in wetland areas throughout
lowland Yorkshire. These developments coincided with the disappearance as breeding
species of the bittern Botaurus stellaris (L.) ‘which deserted the (Doncaster) Carrs about the
year 1750’26 and the marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus (L.) ‘which formerly bred on the
wastes around Doncaster and the East Riding’ but was ‘compelled to retreat before the
spread of agriculture and the misplaced zeal of the game preserver’.40
With polecats showing a lowland and often water-side preference, preying on a wide range
of aquatic vertebrates, they were no doubt hard hit by these revolutionary changes.
Hatfield,26 discussing the decline of the polecat on the Doncaster Carrs, claimed that ‘the
cultivation of the land has been a most formidable enemy in its destruction’.
Bounty Payments
To further encourage the persecution of polecats, from the sixteenth to the nineteenth
century, parish authorities offered a bounty, usually of 4d, for polecat heads, bounty
payments being recorded in the accounts of either the church wardens, parish constables or
the overseers of the poor. To date the payments of polecat bounties have been located in the
records of nineteen Yorkshire parishes (see Appendix). They were recorded under a variety
of names, most being based on the old English name, ‘foulmart’. The term polecat,
apparently more widely used in the South of England,23 was first used, if briefly, in these
records in 1752. As no mention is made of stoats Mustela erminea it is assumed that these
were classified as weasels M. nivalis. Proof to the contrary would of course invalidate the
following findings. One can also speculate that stoats may have been rarer during the period
of polecat abundance. Up to the mid- 1700s records of bounties paid for polecat heads were
numerous and often outnumbered those for all other mammal species. In 1664 in the parish
of Cottingham, polecats (n = 24) accounted for 80 per cent of the mustelids surrendered for
bounties. At Fishlake between 1710 and 1714 polecats (n = 14) were the only mustelids
recorded and at Bawtry between 1723 and 1737 (ten complete years recorded) they
represented 76 per cent (n = 57) of the mustelids recorded.
The most extensive series of vermin records examined to date is from the church warden’s
accounts of the parish of Arksey with Bentley and covers the period 1719-74. Fig 2 shows the
actual numbers of all carnivores recorded, grouped for convenience in five-year periods. As
yearly fluctuations are affected by the varying completeness of the records and as
fluctuations could also have been caused by vermin eradication schemes or by financial
hardship of the parish poor, records of polecats for the five-year periods have been expressed
as a percentage of the total mustelids recorded for those periods (see Fig 3).
Population Decline
Well before naturalists began to notice a decline, the Arksey data suggests that a decline was
already in progress through the mid- and late-1700s. This trend is emphasized by
comparison with data from other parishes (see Fig 3). A general drop in annual tolls of
polecats and a decline in their frequency relative to the numbers of other mustelids was
monitored elsewhere in Yorkshire during the early nineteenth century. At Terrington from
1802 to 1812 twenty-nine polecats were recorded, between 1813 and 1821 there- were fourteen
and between 1822 and 1832 only six, the last entry being in 1827. At Adwick-le- Street only
one polecat (3.7 per cent of total mustelids) was recorded between 1817 and 1822 and at
Fishlake none were recorded during the twenty years for which parish records still survive
between 1811 and 1894. Although in some parishes polecat bounties were still being paid
during the mid- and late- 1800s, these were few, the last located to date being from
Worsborough in 1871 and Luddenden and Sowerby in 1874.
By the mid-nineteenth century the polecat decline was being generally noticed, Clarke and
Roebuck in 18817 reporting it to be ‘irregularly distributed, extremely rare and fast
10 Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire
becoming extinct’. A review of comments in the appendix from the 1860s more closely
monitors its decline in specific districts.
The polecat ‘era’ in Yorkshire came to a close in 1928 when Riley Rotrune16 declared that
the polecat was ‘now regarded as extinct in the county’, subsequent reports being attributed
to escaped ferrets or feral polecat/ferret hybrids. Batten3 however, was convinced, by
coloration and size, of the validity of specimens in the Grimwith district from c 1900 to
c 1945 and from Forge Valley c 1945 (see Appendix). If authentic, these would give support to
records from Cayton in June 1939, 11 and 12 Hebden Valley in 193927 and Malham Moor in
1945. 28
In other northern counties the pattern and period of decline was similar. The last North-
umberland record was in about 1910, and it was thought to have died out in Durham during
the 1890s.18 In Derbyshire it was ‘not uncommon’ in the north-west of the county ‘as late as
1860-1876’ but generally numbers had decreased rapidly during the latter half of the
nineteenth century, it being considered ‘practically extinct’ by 1905. 32 In Lincolnshire a
rapid decline had been noticed from 1875 and by 1912 it was ‘practically extinct in many of
its former haunts’4 the last record to hand being from Louth in 1910. 48 Although considered
extinct in south-east Cumberland by 1901, the Solway mosses were still regarded as a
refuge.24 36 and 37 A rapid decline in the North Lancashire and Westmorland population took
place during the latter half of the nineteenth century, though in Westmorland it survived in
the Tebay area as late as 1912 (YNU Circular no 240).
FIGURE 4
Distribution of old rabbit warrens in Yorkshire.
Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire 1 1
Notes on the History of the Ferret in Yorkshire
Since the domesticated ferret Mustela furo L. is interfertile with the polecat and as some dark
forms of polecat/ferret hybrids are externally indistinguishable from polecats,51 confusion
has occurred in the monitoring of the status and history of the indigenous polecat,
particularly since the late nineteenth century.
The ferret, described by Conrad Gesner in 1555 as being the colour of urine stained wool,
is the product of selective breeding of albino polecats, white animals being chosen due to
their visibility in the twilight when used to catch or flush rabbits.35 It is however, a matter of
debate as to whether M. putorius L. or M. eversmanni Lesson was used for domestication
and indeed whether these two are conspecific.51
Owen41 has traced the domestication of the ferret back to 63 bc and its use in Britain from
1223 where it was already a vital feature of medieval rabbit warren exploitation. As rabbit
warrens are recorded in Yorkshire at least from 1232 (Howes, in prep) it is probable that
ferrets were used from this time — the earliest reference to ferrets in Yorkshire is of them
being used by rabbit poachers in 1389.45 Its use by both warreners and poachers became
commonplace in Britain by 1391 when a law was passed limiting the ownership of ferrets to
those with an annual income of not less than 40 shillings. This was construed by Owen41 as a
move to curtail an increase in illegal ferreting by the lower classes.
With such an extensive history of ferret keeping in Yorkshire, there could well have been
many occasions when animals escaped and interbred with indigenous polecats. Indeed
12 Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire
Fitter15 quotes Dr L. Harrison Matthews as saying that ‘perhaps there are ... no pure bred
wild polecats left’. Fig 4 which includes data from Harris23 and the results of extensive
cartographic, archival and place-name studies, summarizes a preliminary survey of com-
mercial rabbit warrens in Yorkshire and indicates the sites from which ferrets could have
escaped. Although a wide distribution is shown, evidence of warrens has not been traced in
the western and north-eastern extremities of the county, a feature which could possibly lend
weight to the validity of polecat records in these areas.
Today, ferrets are widely kept as ‘working’ pets, animals being offered for sale in pet
shops, from market stalls and from numerous ‘back garden’ breeders throughout Yorkshire.
Escapees from captivity and from rabbit hunting forays are frequently reported, mainly from
the rural fringes of urban and particularly coal mining areas, Fig 5 graphically showing the
concentration of records in the South Yorkshire coalfield where there has long been a strong
tradition in ferret keeping.
It is not known how long ferrets survive in the wild. Some are relocated in the same
warrens several months after their escape, though animals lost in regularly worked warrens
are probably claimed by other ferreters and do not get the opportunity to ‘go wild’. It is
strange, however, that there is so little evidence of the establishment of feral populations. In
1890 Graves20 listed ferrets as part of the Cleveland fauna, though this could merely refer to
tame animals being kept in the area. Colin Simms {pers comm 1975) has located a viable
population in North Yorkshire and in 1975 a white ferret was seen in a North Nottingham-
shire gravel pit carrying young in its mouth.
Elsewhere, feral populations are known from the Isle of Man, Anglesey, Renfrewshire and
a population was established on Mull up till at least 1951. 51
Notes
1 Austin, O L(1961 ) Birds of the World. Hamlyn, London.
2 Barry, J W (1907) Notes of the changes among animals in Fylingdales, north-east
Yorkshire. Naturalist, pp 307-9.
3 Batten, H M (1952 ) British Wild Animals. Odhams, London.
4 Blathwayt, Rev F L (1912) A preliminary list of Lincolnshire mammalia. Trans Lines
Nat Un, 3, pp 60—7.
5 Booth, H B (1939) An old Wakefield record of the polecat. Naturalist, p 208.
6 Chislett, R (1952) Yorkshire Birds. Brown, Hull.
7 Clarke, W E and Roebuck, W D (1881) A Handbook of the Vertebrate Fauna of
Yorkshire. Lovell Reeve, London.
8 Clarke, W E, Roebuck, W D and Storey, W (1886) Upper Nidderdale and its fauna.
Naturalist, pp 193—211.
9 Clarke, W J (1892) Zoologist, pp 222-3.
10 Cooke, H B (1887) Polecats in Yorkshire. Field 9 July, p 50.
11 Cooper, J (1939) Supposed polecat near Scarborough. Naturalist, p. 236.
12 Cordeaux, J. (1884) in Circular for the YNU excursion to ‘The Spurn’. September, 1884.
13 Denny, A (1910) Mammalia. Proc Sheffield Nat Club, 1, pp 94—8.
14 Fisher, J ed (1967) Thorburn ’s Birds. Ebury Press and Michael Joseph, London.
15 Fitter, R S R (1959) The Ark in Our Midst. Collins, London.
16 Fortune, R (1928) Annual report of the YNU vertebrate section. Naturalist, pp 202-9.
17 Gibb, T H (1866) Notes on the Mustelidae of Northumberland. Naturalist, pp 187-90.
18 Gill, L (1905) Mammals. In Page, W ed, Victoria History of the County of Durham, 1.
Archibald Constable, London.
19Grabham, O (1907) Mammals. In Page, W, ed, Victoria History of the County of
Yorkshire, 1. Archibald Constable, London.
20 Graves, Rev J (1808) The History and Antiquity of Cleveland. F Jollie, Carlisle.
21 Hanson, C C (1883) Foumart Mustela putorius in Yorkshire. Naturalist, p 155.
22 Hanson, C C (1886) Foumarts near Huddersfield. Naturalist, p 113.
Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire 13
23 Harris, A (1970) The rabbit warrens of East Yorkshire in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries. Yorks Archael J, 2, pp 429-43.
24 Harting, J E (1891) The polecat Mustela putorius. Zoologist, pp 281-94.
25 Haslop, G S (1976) A Selby kitchener’s roll of the early fifteenth century. Yorks Archael J,
48, pp 119-33.
26 Hatfield, C W (1866) Historical Notices of Doncaster , 1. Doncaster.
27 Hazlewood, E (1940) YNU Annual Mammal Report for 1939. Naturalist, p 5.
28 Hazlewood, E (1946) YNU Annual Mammal Report for 1945. Naturalist, pp 30-1.
29 Hobkirk, C P (1868) Huddersfield, its History and Natural History. London.
30 Howes, C A (1976) The decline of the otter in South Yorkshire and adjacent areas.
Naturalist, pp 3— 12.
31 Johnson, J E (1903) Cottingham church warden’s accounts. Naturalist, p 28.
32Jourdain, Rev F C R (1905) Mammals. In Page, W, ed, Victoria History of the County of
Derbyshire. Archibald Constable, London.
33 Langrigg, R (1977) The English Squire and his Sport. Michael Joseph, London.
34 Lankester, E (1842) An Account of Askern. John Churchill, London.
35 Lever, C (1977) The Naturalised Animals of the British Isles. Hutchinson, London.
36 Macpherson, Rev H A (1892) The Vertebrate Fauna of Lakeland. Douglas, Edinburgh.
37 Macpherson, Rev H A (1901) Mammals. In Doubleday, H A, ed, Victoria History of the
County of Cumberland. Archibald Constable, London.
38Menell, T and Perkins, V R (1863) A Catalogue of the Mammalia of Northumberland
and Durham. Trans Tyneside Nat Field Club, 6, pp 111-77.
39 Morley, I (1965) Vertebrate Fauna of the Halifax Parish. Halifax Scientific Society,
Halifax.
40 Nelson, T (1907) The Birds of Yorkshire. A Brown, Hull.
41 Owen, C (1969) The domestication of the ferret. In Ucko, P J and Dimbleby, G W, eds,
The Domestication and Exploitation of Plants and Animals. Duckworth, London.
42 Parker, W S (1910) Fur. In Encyclopedia Britannica, II, 11th ed: pp 346-57.
43 Raine, A, ed (1943) York Civic Records, 3. Yorkshire Archaeological Soiety, York.
44 Rimmington, F C (1956) Mammals. In Walsh, G B and Rimmingtin, F C, eds, The
Natural History of the Scarborough District. Scarborough Field Naturalists Society,
Scarborough.
45 Roberts, Rev G (1882) The Topography and Natural History of the Lofthouse Neighbour-
hood. London.
46 Rudston, A G and Whitney, D (1934) Hooton Pagnell — The Agricultural Evolution of a
Yorkshire Village. Edward Arnold, London.
47 Smith, A (1905) Lincolnshire Mammals. Naturalist, pp 45—9.
48 Taylor, E W (1956) A summary of our knowledge of Yorkshire mammals 1881-1955.
Naturalist , pp 37—44.
49 Veals, E M (1966) The English Fur Trade in the Late Middle Ages. Oxford University
Press, Oxford.
50 Waite, E (1891) Vertebrates of the Western Ainsty. Naturalist, pp 81-114.
51 Walton, K C (1977) Polecat and Ferret. In Corbet, G B and Southern, H N, eds, The
Handbook of British Mammals. 2nd edition. Blackwell, Oxford.
52 Wilkinson, J (1872) The History of Worsborough . London.
53 Wood, C H (1891) The vertebrate fauna of Langstrothdale, mid-west Yorkshire.
Naturalist, pp 135-9.
54 Wright, J (1898) Natural history notes from the Terrington church wardens’ accounts.
Naturalist, pp 305-6.
14 Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire
Appendix
* Date of publication only
Date
Locality and grid ref
Notes
Source
1664
Cottingham TA 0432
Parish records
(31)
1680
Bradford SE 1633
Parish records
(45)
1680
Bolling SE 1531
Parish records
(48)
1680
Horton SE 1431
Parish records
(48)
1680
Manningham SE 1534
Parish records
(48)
1682
Wakefield SE 3320
Parish records
(45)
1704, 1706,
1830, and 1871
Worsborough SE 3503
i
Parish records
(52)
1710-14
Fishlake SE 6513
Parish records
Sheffield City
Archives
1719-75
Arksey SE 5706
Parish records
Sheffield City
Archives
1723-37
Bawtry SK 6593
Parish records
Cusworth Hall
Museum
1724
Wath and Swinton SK49
Parish records
Sheffield City
Archives
1773-1814
Thurstonland SE 1610
Parish records
Tolson Memorial
Museum records
1774-76
Scarborough TA 0388
Parish records
(9)
1787-1874
Luddenden SE 0426
Parish records
(39)
1787-1874
Sowerby SE 0423
Parish records
(39)
1788, 1789, Bolton Percy SE 5341
1795, and 1798
Parish records
(45)
1802-27
Terrington SE 6770
Parish records
(54)
* Early 1800s
Cleveland NZ52
Listed for the area
(20)
1808-27
Skipton SD 9851
Parish records
(48)
1811
East Ardsley SE 2925
Parish records
(45)
1822
Adwick-le-Street
SE 5408
Parish records
Sheffield City
Archives
1836
Walton Park SE 3616
Specimen in the Waterton
Collection
(5)
*1842
Askern SE 5513
Listed for the area
(34)
1849
Halifax SE 02
(39)
*1859
Fixby SE 1319
(29)
*1858
Kirklees SE 1723
(29)
*1859
Whitley SE 2218
(29)
1860
Sowerby Moor SE 0223
(39)
c 1860
‘Fly Flatts’ SE 0231
One trapped
(39)
1861-62
Clowes Moor SE 021 1
Three trapped during the winter
(21)
*1866
Doncaster Carrs SE 5900
(26)
1868
Hooton Pagnell SE 4807
Two shot
(46)
1869
Cudworth Pasture
SE0211
One killed by a dog
(21)
1870
Marr Wood SE4905
Specimen (now destroyed)
presented to Doncaster Museum
1875
Strangsty Wood SE 1120
One caught
(21)
1875
Three Nunns, Kirklees
SE 1722
One seen
(21)
15
Date
1876
1878
1878
* 1880
1882
1884
1884
* 1885
1886
1887
*1887
*1887
*1888
*1889
*1891
*1891
*1892
1894
*1896
*1897
*1897
*1898
*1899
*1900
*1900
Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire
Locality and grid ref
Rish worth SE 0218
Greenfield SD 90
Stanley SE 3423
Ingmanthorpe SE 4250
Scarborough TA 08
Marsden Moor SE 0310
Spurn TA 41
Nidderdale SE 16
Wilstrop SE 4854
Jugger How Beck SE9399
Sedbergh SD 6692
Hatfield Chase SE 69
Saddleworth SD 9905
Kirkham Abbey SE 7365
Sledmere SE 9364
Langstrothdale SD 97
Horton-in-Ribblesdale
SD 8172
Seamer Carrs TA 0382
Staithes NZ 7818
Boston Spa SE 4245
Cotherstone NZ 01 19
Inglebrough SD 6973
Dent SD 7086
Crosland Hall SE1114
Arkengarthdale NZ 10
Notes
One male trapped ‘none
heard of since’
One trapped
Specimen noted in Wakefield
Museum catalogue
Last date known for district
by W J Clarke
Male trapped in February and
female trapped in March
Tracks found by John
Cordeaux
‘A species of the past . . . though
may still survive
Two or three caught in haystack
Five specimens seen
Two undated local specimens
in the collection of the
Vicar of Hatfield
‘Occurred sparingly within the
memory of the older
inhabitants ... is now
probably extinct’
‘Formerly found . . . does not
now occur’
‘Rare’
‘Common once . . . rare now’
‘Formerly common but now
almost extinct’
‘Formerly’
‘Rare’
Common about the middle of
the nineteenth century,
‘appear to be extinct at
present time’
Source
(21)
(21)
(YNU Circular
June 1880 and (50))
(9)
(22)
(YNU Circular,
September 1884)
(YNU Circular
no 63 and (8))
(50)
(10)
(YNU Circular
no 68)
(YNU Circular
no 70 and
Naturalist
(1888) 83-9)
(YNU Circular
no 73)
(YNU Circular
no 82)
(YNU Circular
no 93)
(53)
(YNU Circular
no 96)
(44)
(YNU Circular
no 126)
(YNU Circular
no 129)
(YNU Circular
no 131)
(YNU Circular
no 136)
(YNU Circular
no 143)
(YNU Circular
no 152)
(YNU Circular
no 153)
16 Aspects of the History and Distribution of Polecats and Ferrets in Yorkshire
Date
Locality and grid ref
Notes
Source
Early 1900s
Grimwith SE 0664
Two or three corpses hanging
on barn door at Grimwith
House, also specimen observed
at close range and shot at
(3)
1903
Darley SE 2059
One shot
(48)
1903
Fyling Hall NZ9304
One trapped ‘used to appear
on keeper’s lists’
(2)
*1904
Hebden Bridge SD 9827
‘Still occasionally met with’
(YNU Circular
no 179)
1907
Ramsdale NZ9203
‘Still present’
(48)
*1907
Burton Agnes TA 1063
Undated specimen in collection
of Sir Wickham Boynton
(19)
*1909
Cawthorne SE 2807
‘Formerly to be found but now
probably extinct’
(YNU Circular
no 219)
1910
Wassand TA 1746
(48)
*1910
Sheffield area SK 38
‘. . . on the verge of extinction’
(13)
1912
Tanfield SE 2678
‘A recent unconfirmed record’
(YNU Circular
no 238)
1939
Killerby Hall, Cayton
TA 0682
Regarded as probable polecat/
ferret
(11 and 27)
1939
Hebden Valley SD 9827
Regarded as probable polecat/
ferret
(27)
c 1935
Grimwith SE 0664
One shot as it swam in
Grimwith reservoir
(3)
c 1945
Appletreewick Moor
SE 0765
Reappeared on the moors
above the reservoir
(3)
c 1945
Forge Valley SE 9886
(3)
1945
Malham Moor SD 8867
One trapped. Regarded as
probable polecat/ferret
(28)
BOOK REVIEW
Plants and Beekeeping by F. N. Howes. Pp. 236. Faber & Faber. 1979. £3.95 paperback
Divided into three sections Dr. Howes’ book includes, in the first, an account of nectar, its
sites of production in different plants and the factors affecting its production. The nature
and quality of honey in relation to the plants from which it is derived, and the use bees make
of pollen are dealt with. The merits of the hive bee as a pollinator and the dependence of
some commercial crops on its activities are emphasized. Hints for the design and planting of
a bee garden and apiary hedges are provided. Propolis and honeydew are discussed.
The second section is devoted to major honey plants, wild and cultivated, their usefulness
to bees, the type of honey derived from each and the principal localities where these plants
are found. This is not a botanical text; the descriptions and remarks on habitats of wild
species are presented as reminders rather than as guides for identification.
The third section, taking up the major part of the book, is entitled ‘Other plants visited by
the honey bee.’ The plants are presented alphabetically using common names (scientific
names are also given). As in the previous section the notes are useful only as reminders.
Many fascinating snippets of information and apt quotations are offered to make this
section, like the rest of the book, thoroughly readable; it also includes a useful bibliography.
From the viewpoint of a prospective bee-keeper and keen gardener this book is well worth
having. My only serious criticism is of some duplication of information between sections.
JMD
AN OCCURRENCE OF HALOPHILIC DIATOMS
IN A FRESHWATER HABITAT IN CAMBRIDGE
17
J. H. BELCHER and E. M. F. SWALE
Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Culture Centre of Algae and Protozoa,
36 Storey's Way, Cambridge CB3 ODT
During a study of the algae of the River Cam and its marshes, a remarkable association of
salt-loving diatoms was found in a ditch on Coe Fen, Cambridge, Nat Grid TL/447 573. The
area sampled forms the dead end of a fen ditch which is permanent and eventually joins the
Cam. It is so shallow and clogged with vegetation in parts, however, that except in periods of
flood, the water in it is probably derived almost entirely from rain and surface run-off from
the adjacent grassland. The end under consideration is about 2 m in width, with a bottom of
bare mud lying about 50cm below field level. The depth of the water, even after rainy
weather, seldom exceeds 8 cm. In dry periods the water gradually evaporates so that the mud
becomes exposed and eventually dries out completely. While in a semi-dry state the area is
much puddled by mallard ducks and is also pitted by the hooves of cattle and horses. In
November 1978 the bed of the ditch was nearly dry but the hoof-prints held water up to 3 cm
deep. The bottoms of these and the surface of the damp mud between them was covered with
a continuous brown gelatinous layer, which proved to be made up almost entirely of diatoms.
A combined water sample was collected by pipette and analysed by the chemistry section
of the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology. Scrapings of the brown layer showed the diatoms to be
dominated by Nitzschia tryblionella , all the cells being alive and actively motile. Counts were
made on four samples by means of transects across thinly strewn slides mounted in
‘naphrax’. Further samples of diatoms were taken for comparison in February and April
1979.
The results from the transects of the November samples are expressed in Table 1. The first
column after the names of species, ‘Assessment’, indicates a category of salinity preference
TABLE 1
Species
Assessment
A
B
C
D
Av
Nitzschia tryblionella
mesohalobous
27
50
61
35
44
Navicula pygmaea
mesohalobous
10
11
10
13
11
Surirella ovalis
mesohalobous
7
2
3
3
4
Nitzschia hungarica
mesohalobous
10
5
—
—
4
Navicula cryptocephala
indifferent
11
—
2
2
4
Nitzschia tryblionella
var. levidensis
mesohalobous
4
4
2
2
3
Navicula rhynchocephala
indifferent
4
2
2
3
3
Total % mesohalobous spp
60
72
76
56
66
Total % halophilous spp
7
6
9
9
7.75
Total % indifferent spp
30
21
13
32
24
Total % unassessed spp
3
1
2
3
2.25
Percentage of species present in four samples, A, B, C, D collected from Coe Fen in
November 1978. The assessments are taken from Petersen (1943) except those for Nitzschia
tryblionella (from Foged, 1977) and its variety levidensis (from Hustedt, 1930, who says that
the varieties occur with the type). Only species with an average frequency of more than
2.5 per cent are included.
Naturalist 105 (1980)
18 An Occurrence of Halophilic Diatoms in a Freshwater Habitat in Cambridge
according to a scale devised by Kolbe (1927) to show the reaction of different species to
varying salinity. Using Kolbe’s scale, Petersen (1943) produced a list of species and
introduced the terms ‘mesohalobous’ and ‘halophilous’ to apply to those thought to favour
5-20°/0o (parts per thousand) and less than 5°/00 respectively. In the latter group the
salinity is assumed still to be appreciable (and measurable) and Petersen put the lower limit
of the preferred range of halophilous diatoms at 0.18°/00. Other terms in this system are
‘indifferent’, which is self-explanatory, and ‘unassessed’, which we are using for those
diatoms which Petersen did not assign to a group. Sometimes we have been able to place a
species, based on the work of other investigators, and the above terminology is useful in
comparing different populations.
The species recorded in the four November samples are listed in order of average
frequency, above an arbitrary level of 2.5 per cent, to simplify the table. Below these appear
the total percentages for mesohalobous, halophilous, indifferent and unassessed species.
Petersen’s category of ‘halophobous’ (for diatoms intolerant of any salt) is not represented.
It can be seen that all four of the November samples show a preponderance of two
mesohalobous species, Nitzschia tryblionella and Navicula pygmaea, which together account
for 55 per cent of the average. This would indicate a habitat of considerable salinity, which is
borne out to some extent by the chemical analysis. The total dissolved matter was 140Qppm
or 1.4°/ 00. This is 4 per cent of the total dissolved matter in full-strength sea water, although
of course the ionic composition is different. Chloride ion accounted for 250 ppm. These levels
are about five times those present in water from the Cam, but are lower than might be
expected from the diatom flora present, judging by the work of Petersen. It should be
stressed, however, that the water sample was collected from tiny pools still remaining; the
salinity of the drying mud surface itself would probably be higher but there was no suitable
method of sampling it.
The February sample showed a quite different species composition but, even after a wet
winter, with the water in the ditch constantly high, the dominant diatom, Navicula cincta
var. heufleri, was a halophilous one.
The April sample showed a further change, with Navicula viridula (38 per cent) the most
frequent. This species is classed as indifferent but the mesohalobous and halophilous forms,
although only occurring in small numbers, together accounted for 50 per cent of the total
(the remaining 12 per cent being indifferent). In June the ditch again dried out. Examination
when the average depth of water in the hollows was 2 cm showed that Nitzschia tryblionella
was once more preponderant and, four days later, when the last of the water had evaporated,
it was still dominant in the brown coating of the mud surface. It appears that the salt-loving
species are probably always present but become prevalent only when the salinity increases.
Salt-tolerant species such as Nitzschia tryblionella, N. sigma, Surirella ovalis and
Amphiprora paludosa are found regularly in small numbers in ditches around Cambridge
and would be expected to become more prominent where favoured by an increase in salinity.
A search was made for another habitat where such an increase might be produced by
evaporation and the consequent concentration of slightly polluted water. A likely candidate
was a shallow saucer-like pond on Stourbridge Common, Cambridge (Nat Grid TL/474 600).
The diatom flora indicated a somewhat saline habitat but one less so that the Coe Fen ditch.
The dominant species, Navicula accomoda, is classed as indifferent by Petersen, although it
has been reported to favour slightly polluted water (Hustedt, 1960-66; Schoemann and
Archibald, 1977). The salt-tolerant element was conspicuous, however, with mesohalobous
and halophilous species (Nitzschia hungarica, N. tryblionella , Navicula pygmaea and others)
making up almost half the population (48 per cent).
An attempt was made to grow some of the diatoms in media made up with various con-
centrations of sea water. Drops of diatom suspension from Coe Fen were added to flasks
containing solutions with O, 50 and 100 per cent sea water respectively, made by mixing
together appropriate volumes of a fresh water and a sea water culture medium (‘E’ + ‘S’ and
‘Erd Schreiber’ media — see George, 1976). The flasks were then placed under a fluorescent
lamp at approximately 25°C.
An Occurrence of Halophilic Diatoms in a Freshwater Habitat in Cambridge 19
Growth was poor in the fresh water medium, which even after seventeen days produced
only a sparse population of Nitzschia palea with a few individuals of Navicula pygmaea and
Surirella ovata. By contrast, after seven days the culture in medium containing 50 per cent
sea water was noticeably brown, with a rich growth of the following species, all well repre-
sented: Achnanthes lanceolata, Amphora montana, Anomoeoneis sphaerophora, Gyrosigma
attenuatum, Navicula cryptocephala, N. monoculata, N. permitis, N. pygmaea, N. viridula,
Nitzschia capitellata, N. communis , N. hungarica, N. palea and its variety levidensis,
Pinnularia microstauron, Surirella ovalis, and S. ovata. In addition, there were a few delicate
collapsed thin frustules of what was apparently Leptocylindrus danicus Cleve, its presence in
this most unlikely situation being a complete mystery.
With 100 per cent sea water in the medium, growth was intermediate between the
50 per cent and 0 per cent concentrations. The culture did not become appreciably brown
until fourteen days from the start of the experiment, when it contained Navicula
cryptocephala and Nitzschia communis as dominants. Also present were a few cells of
Navicula pygmaea, Nitzschia palea, N. tryblionella var. levidensis, and N. hungarica.
Encouraged by these experiments an attempt was made to isolate some of the species by
spreading a suspension of Coe Fen diatoms on Petri dishes of 50 per cent sea water medium
as above with 2 per cent agar. Numerous cells grew and healthy unialgal cultures of a
number of species were obtained. These are marked by asterisks in the following list of all
diatoms found in the Coe Fen samples:
Achnanthes affinis Grun., A. clevei Grun., A. lanceolata Breb.*
Amphiprora paludosa W. Smith
Amphora ovalis (Kiitz.) v&r.pediculus Kiitz., A. montana Krasske*
Anomoeoneis sphaerophora (Kiitz.) Pfitzner*
Caloneis amphisbaena (Bory) Cleve
Cocconeis pediculus Ehr., C. placentula Ehr.
Cyclotella kuetzingiana Thwaites, C. meneghiniana Kiitz.*
Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breb.) Grun.
Cymatopleura solea (Breb.) W. Smith
Cymbella cuspidata Kiitz.
Diatoma vulgar e Bory
Frustulia vulgaris Thwaites
Gomphonema parvulum Kiitz.
Gyrosigma acuminatum (Kiitz.) Rabh., G. attenuatum (Kiitz.) Rabh.
Hantzschia amphioxys (Ehr.) Grun.
Melosira varians C.A.Ag.
Navicula accomoda Hustedt, N. cincta (Ehr.) Kiitz. var. heufleri Grun., N. cryptocephala
Kiitz.,* N. cuspidata Kiitz., N. cuspidata var. ambigua (Ehr.) Cleve, N. dicephala (Ehr.)
W. Smith, N. fritschii Lund,* N. gracilis Ehr., N. graciloides A. Mayer, N. gregaria Donkin,
N. halophila (Grun.) Cleve, N. hungarica Grun., N. insociabilis Krasske, N. menisculus
Schumann, N. minima Grun. var. atomoides (Grun.) Cleve,* N. monoculata Hustedt,*
N. mutica Kiitz., N. permitis Hustedt, N. pupula Kiitz., N. pygmaea Kiitz.,* N. rhynchoce-
phala Kiitz., N. salinarum Grun., N. twymanniana Archibald, N. viridula Kiitz.
Neidium affine (Ehr.) Cleve var. amphirhynchus (Ehr.) Cleve
Nitzschia amphibia Grun., N. capitella Hustedt, N. communis Rabh.,* N. commutata
Grun., N. frustulium Kiitz. var. perpusilla (Rabh.) Grun., N. hungarica Grun., N. linearis
W. Smith, N. microcephala Grun., N. palea (Kiitz.) W. Smith,* N. recta Hantzsch, N.
sigma (Kiitz.) W. Smith, N. sigmoidea (Ehr.) W. Smith, N. tryblionella Hantzsch,
N. tryblionella var. levidensis (W. Smith) Grun.*
Pinnularia microstauron (Ehr.) Cleve,* P. viridis (Nitzsch) Ehr.
Rhoicosphenia curvata (Kiitz.) Grun.
Rhopalodia musculus (Kiitz.) O. Miill.
Stauroneis smithii Grun.
Surirella angusta Kiitz. (?),S. ovalis Breb. ,* S. ovata Kiitz.
Synedra parasitica W. Smith
20 An Occurrence of Halophilic Diatoms in a Freshwater Habitat in Cambridge
Notes on Species of Particular Interest
For examples of British records of these, see Whitton et al (1978) unless otherwise indicated.
Amphiprora paludosa W. Smith
Occasional in the Coe Fen samples and in ditches around Cambridge. Regarded by
Petersen as mesohalobous, it is common in Britain in brackish coastal habitats but is
sometimes recorded from fresh water.
Amphora montana Krasske
A tiny species occasional in Coe Fen and isolated into culture from there, using a medium
with half sea water. It is not included by Hustedt (1930), Petersen (1943), or Whitton,
et al, although Lund (1946) found it to be a common diatom of soil. We have not seen it
in samples from local soils.
Anomoeoneis sphaerophora (Kiitz.) Pfitzer
Common in the Coe Fen ditch and isolated and grown in medium with half strength sea
water. Regarded by Petersen as halophilous, it has been recorded occasionally from this
country, usually in brackish waters but also from calcareous rivers.
Caloneis amphisbaena (Bory) Cleve
Conspicuous in the Coe Fen samples and in the benthos of the Cam. It was not assessed
by Petersen but British records suggest that here it occurs mainly in calcareous waters.
Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breb.) Grun.
Common in Coe Fen, also in the pond on Stourbridge Common, and seen occasionally in
the benthos of the Cam. Although abundant enough, it does not appear in Table 1
because the frustule is so delicate that it is often distorted out of recognition during
cleaning and mounting. It is best recognized alive by its shape and by the characteristic
rotary movement due to the screw form of the raphe. Petersen did not record it but
Hustedt (1930) says that it is found particularly in brackish water. Rarely seen, it is not
included in Whitton et al but Scourfield (1943) gave an interesting account, with records
from five bomb-crater pools in Epping Forest. Perhaps in this case salts accumulated in
the water of the clay-lined pools as we suspect they do on Coe Fen.
Navicula cuspidata Kiitz. and var. ambigua (Ehr.) Cleve
Common in the Coe Fen ditch. Assessed by Petersen as indifferent, it is fairly common in
fresh water in Britain. Three cells of this species were found to have the markings of the
variety ambigua on one valve and of the variety heribaudii on the other, confirming a
connection between these which was suspected by Hustedt (1961-66). Bastow (1949)
made a similar observation.
Navicula pygmaea Kiitz.
Sub-dominant in the Coe Fen samples in November and common in later samples from
there and from the Stourbridge Common pond. Otherwise it has been met with
sporadically, as individual cells, in the Cam. N. pygmaea is well known as an alga of
brackish water and is also found occasionally in calcareous rivers in this country (eg
Peabody and Whitton, 1968). It was isolated and grew well with 50 per cent sea water.
Nitzschia hungarica Grun.
Common in the Coe Fen samples and in the Cam. Regarded by Petersen as
mesohalobous. Not included in Whitton et al but has been found occasionally in
calcareous rivers (eg Peabody and Whitton, 1968).
Nitzschia sigma W. Smith
Occasional in Coe Fen and in ditches around Cambridge. In this country it is commonly
found in estuaries and less frequently in calcareous rivers (eg Peabody and Whitton,
1968). Not included by Whitton et al.
Nitzschia tryblionella Hantzsch
This species was dominant in all the November samples and is frequent as single cells in
the Cam and in pools and ditches near Cambridge. Petersen did not observe it and Foged
(1977) regarded it as mesohalobous. Common in brackish water but with occasional
records from fresh water in Britain (eg Woodhead and Tweed, 1938). Not included in
Whitton et al. The species grew well on agar but could not be isolated into unialgal
An Occurrence of Halophilic Diatoms in a Freshwater Habitat in Cambridge 21
culture. The variety levidensis (W. Smith) Grun was also present in Coe Fen samples and
was isolated successfully and grew well with 50 per cent sea water medium.
Surirella ovalis Breb.
Common in the Coe Fen samples and also frequent in ponds and ditches near Cambridge.
Not recorded by Petersen; regarded as characteristic of brackish water by Kolbe (1927)
and Hustedt (1930). It was isolated and grew well in the 50 per cent sea water medium.
Discussion
Although many inland saline habitats of northern Europe have been investigated for
diatoms, little is known of the algae of such water bodies in England. Round (1960) studied
the salt spring in Borrowdale, Cumbria. This had more than half the salinity of sea water but
did not show a characteristic diatom flora like that of Coe Fen. Round also mentioned saline
ditches near Droitwich, Worcestershire, where Bacillaria paradoxa and Surirella gemma
(typical estuarine forms) were found, but no further details were given.
The saline habitats which have been described in this country can be classed into three
types according to the origin of the dissolved salts. Firstly, those whose high salt concentra-
tion derives from geological saline strata, as with the salt spring and ditches mentioned
above; secondly, those fed by saline industrial effluent, eg the lagoons in Yorkshire described
by Fryer (1978); and, thirdly, water bodies near the coast, which receive periodic incursions
of sea water, such as Hickling Broad, Norfolk (Gurney, 1965). Small areas of water like the
ditch on Coe Fen would appear to constitute a fourth type, where the salt content is derived
mainly from animals (in this case ducks and cows). The clay bottom of this ditch ensures that
in dry weather the concentration of the salts in the water increases steadily due to evapora-
tion, thus favouring the growth of species of diatoms (and possibly of other organisms)
tolerant of a relatively high salinity. Such intermittently saline habitats may well be found
commonly in the countryside wherever there is a suitable combination of clay soil, poor
drainage, lack of disturbance and the presence of animals. It would be worth while
investigating any suitable-looking ponds or ditches in the later stages of drying up.
Similar microhabitats where salts accumulate sometimes occur at the bases of walls and
rocks and these conditions are known to encourage the growth of the salt-loving red alga
Porphyridium cruentum, which in culture also benefits by the addition of sea water
(Pringsheim and Pringsheim, 1949).
For the development of populations of halophytic diatoms, individuals are needed to form
an inoculum. The salt-loving (or tolerating?) species which multiplied in the Coe Fen ditch
are met with sporadically in the Cam and Great Ouse river systems and probably occur in
many other base-rich water bodies in Britain.
Some of the smaller species recorded from Coe Fen are common and widely distributed
soil algae, for instance Amphora montana, Navicula cryptocephala, N. fritschii, N. minima,
and Nitzschia palea (Lund, 1946). As mentioned above, these species were all readily isolated
from the November samples and grew well in a medium containing half sea water. This raises
the interesting points as to whether high salt concentrations sometimes develop round
particles of drying soil and whether this may select for a degree of tolerance in soil diatoms,
which (as with all diatoms) do not have cysts or resistant zygotes to survive unfavourable con-
ditions. The whitened areas on the sides of clay pots containing ‘pot-bound’ plants probably
indicate such a localized accumulation of salts.
References
Bastow, R. F. (1949) The Freshwater Bacillariales (diatoms) of Devonshire. Trans.
Devonshire Ass. Adv. Sci. Lit. Art, 81, pp 303-10.
Foged, N. (1977) Freshwater diatoms in Ireland. Bibliotheca phycologica, 34, pp 1-221.
George, E. A. (1976) List of strains, Natural Environment Research Council Culture Centre
of Algae & Protozoa. 3rded., Cambridge.
Gurney, R. (1965) Life in fresh water, with special reference to the aquatic fauna of the
Broads, and an account of the Crustacea. In: Ellis, E. A., The Broads, pp 151-60.
London.
22 An Occurrence ofHalophilic Diatoms in a Freshwater Habitat in Cambridge
Hustedt, F. (1930) Die Siisswasserflora Mitteleuropas, 10. Bacillariophyta (Diatomeae).
Jena.
Hustedt, F. (1961—66) Die Kieseialgen. In: Rabenhorst, L., Kryptogamen flora von Deutsch-
land, Osterreich und der Schweiz, 7 (3), pp 1-800.
Kolbe, R. W. (1927) Zur Okologie, Morphologie und Systematik der Brackwasser-
diatomeen. Die Kieseialgen des Sperenberger Salzgebiets. Pflanzenforschung , 7, pp 1—
145.
Lund, J. W. G. (1946) Observations on soil algae. 1. The ecology, size and taxonomy of
British soil diatoms. Part 2. New Phytol, 45, pp 56-110.
Peabody, A. J. and Whitton, B. A. (1968) Algae of the River Wear. 1. Diatoms. Naturalist,
Hull, pp 89-96.
Petersen, J. B. (1943) Some halobion spectra. Biol. Meddr, 17 (9), pp 1-95.
Pringsheim, E. G. and Pringsheim, O. (1949) The growth requirements of Porphyridium
cruentum : with remarks on the ecology of brackish water algae. /. Ecol. , 37, pp 57-64.
Round, F. E. (1960) The algal flora of the salt spring region at Manesty, Grange in Borrow-
dale. Naturalist, Hull, pp 117-21.
Schoeman, F. R. and Archibald, R. E. M. (1977) The diatom flora of Southern Africa.
Pretoria.
Scourfield, D. J. (1943) The rare spiral diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis and its occurrence in
Epping Forest. Essex Nat. , 27, pp 182-7.
Whitton, B. A., Holmes, N. T. H. and Sinclair, C. (1978). A coded list of 1000 freshwater
algae of the British Isles. Reading.
Woodhead, N. and Tweed, R. D. (1954) The freshwater algae of Anglesey and Caernarvon-
shire. (In part). NWest Nat. , 25, pp 255-96.
BOOK REVIEWS
The Illustrated Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, abridged and introduced by Richard
E. Leakey. Pp. 240, including text illustrations (plates and line drawings) in monochrome
and colour, Faber & Faber. 1979. £8.95
The recent spate of new books on Darwin continues, and it is not surprising to see his most
famous work presented in a form suitable for a wider readership. The original publication,
still on many recommended reading lists in schools, proves heavy-going for many. Richard
Leakey’s informative introduction and his imaginative use throughout an abridged text of
illustrations and detailed annotations of more modern discoveries and thinking in
evolutionary biology make this both an attractive and thoroughly readable version of one of
the most important books ever published. Both author and publishers are to be con-
gratulated.
Darwin and the Mysterious Mr. X by Loren Eiseley. Pp. xiv + 278, plus 12 pages of mono-
chrome plates. J. M. Dent. 1979. £6.95
Edward Blyth (1810-1873), ‘the mysterious Mr. X’, published important zoological papers
between 1835 and 1837 which show him to be a progenitor of the theorists on natural
selection. Darwin was known to be familiar with these publications and according to Loren
Eiseley would have used them as a source for his Origin of Species published more than
twenty years later. Eiseley clarifies not only Darwin’s debt to Blyth but also to Alfred Russel
Wallace and Charles Lyell. The more important of Blyth’s published papers and Arthur
Crote’s memoir/obituary of him are reprinted in full and form a major part of the text.
Detailed notes, references and index are also provided.
MRDS
23
SOME ASPECTS OF FLOCKING BEHAVIOUR IN LAPWINGS
DURING THE MOULTING PERIOD
F. L. SYMONDS
Department of Zoology, University of Durham
Abstract
Evidence is presented to suggest that a summer moulting flock of Lapwings (Vanellus
vanellus) is largely comprised of birds from the local breeding population and the flock
spends the majority of its time on the site at rest. Feeding and roosting take place at different
sites. Possible reasons for these findings are presented.
Introduction
Several theories have been proposed to account for flocking in birds. Lack (1968) maintained
that individuals benefit from increased protection afforded by greater numbers. Wynne-
Edwards (1962) suggested that birds flock so that they are able to assess the size of their
populations and could thus regulate their subsequent breeding output. Ward and Zahavi
(1973) suggested that flocks act as ‘information centres’ to allow efficient exploitation of
irregularly distributed food reserves. Zahavi (1971) suggested that the improvement to the
individual’s feeding success whilst a member of a flock is probably more important than the
greater protection it provides. Murton (1971) has shown that particular classes of Wood-
pigeon (Columba palumbus) individuals benefit by observing the feeding behaviour of
others. He also pointed out that species which feed in flocks have prominent plumage
markings. All these authors point out the advantages of flocking, however. Goss-Custard
(1976) suggested that feeding in flocks is not always advantageous because at high bird
densities disturbance of prey may reduce feeding success.
During a study of the ecology of an upland population of Lapwings in North Yorkshire, in
1977, I made observations on a summering flock with the aim of explaining this activity
during the breeding season.
Spencer (1953) stated that at periods of full moon Lapwings roost during the day and move
to the feeding areas at night, but that this behaviour does not occur at other stages of the
moon. He cited counts of a flock at Witton Flashes, Cheshire, which showed peak numbers
around the full moon period, in support of this contention. Spencer also suggests that a
summering flock of Lapwings near Burnley was composed of failed breeding adults or post
breeders and that adult and fledgeling birds formed separate flocks. 1 intend to show in this
paper that Spencer’s suggestion that different age-classes form different flocks is not
necessarily always correct.
Study Area
Gouthwaite reservoir, in the Nidd valley, N. Yorkshire (54.07’N I.48’W) is surrounded by an
upland region which supports a fairly high density of about 1.25 prs/ha of breeding
Lapwings on most of the available suitable habitat. The distribution of breeding areas is
patchy due to variations in the habitat type. The shallow reservoir provides extensive muddy
shores during the summer months, which soon become colonized by a variety of low growing
vegetation and this area forms the gathering area for the summering flock. The shore is
fringed by a narrow Juncus effusus marsh which provides a sheltered border.
Methods and Results
Counts were made throughout the day at hourly intervals, on a weekly basis from early May
until late June and also at irregular times at more frequent intervals. Fig 1 shows the
numbers present throughout the day (from 10.30 to 17.00 hrs BST) and the peak counts
throughout the study period are plotted in Fig 2.
Fig 1 shows that peaks always occurred between 15.00 and 17.00 hrs and for reasons of
consistency it is these figures which are used in the plot of Fig 2. The patterns illustrate a
Naturalist 105 (1980)
24 Some Aspects of Flocking Behaviour in Lapwings During the Moulting Period
No BIRDS
HRS ( BST)
FIGURE 1
Change in flock size during the day. Five dates, May- June 1977
gradual build up in flock size during the day, reaching a peak in the late afternoon and then
declining gradually again, together with a fluctuating but gradual increase in the size of the
peak count through the season. Fig 2 shows a sharp increase in the numbers present after
the full moon, consistent with Spencer’s findings. However, observations covered only one
full moon period. Counts made between the hours of 06.30 — 10.30 hrs and 17.00 —
22.00 hrs on other dates are consistent with the trends shown by Fig 1.
In order to determine the activities of the flock throughout the day, spot observation
techniques were used at half-hourly intervals between 10.30 and 17.00 hrs on the five dates
included in Fig 1. Five parameters were used: flying, feeding, resting, preening, and bath-
ing/drinking. The full results expressed as the percentage of the flock engaged in each of the
above categories are available from the author. The combined percentages of resting and
preening birds appear in Table 1. It is clear from the data that the flock spent most of its
time in resting activities, particularly during the afternoon.
Table 1 shows that there is an increase in the percentage of birds resting towards the end of
the five-week study period. The difference between the percentages resting throughout the
day on the 19 May and the 16 June is statistically significant (t = 3.8, df = 22, probability
level 0.1%). The smaller proportions resting during the first few weeks may have been due to
the hot, dry, weather conditions which prevailed until the 3 June. These may have stimulated
an increase in the number of birds bathing and drinking. (A few birds were also seen to feed
on the two observation days in May.)
Sampling of the mudline (to a depth of 10cm) where these birds had been seen feeding
indicated a very poor invertebrate fauna: Chironomid larvae, Nematodes, small Crustacea,
etc, with very few animals exceeding 5 mm in length. This may help to explain why feeding
represented a minor activity.
25
Some Aspects of Flocking Behaviour in Lapwings During the Moulting Period
TABLE 1
Spot Observation Results for Preening and Resting Birds
The percentage of flock in combined activities of
preening and resting to show changes in activity throughout the day
Date
Time
19/5/77
26/5/77
2/6/77
9/6/77
16/6/77
11.05
16%
77%
95%
89%
96%
11.30
0
49
88
91
100
12.05
40
50
90
93
100
12.30
50
25
91
97
88
13.05
80
76
69
95.5
87
13.30
44
71
67
92
81
14.05
66
76
93
90
88
14.30
65
77.5
85
82
94
15.05
95
84
88
95
99
15.30
72
80
87
94
93
16.05
73.5
87
87
94
93
16.30
92
76
86
100
97
N° BIRDS
220
200'
180
160
K0-
1 20-
100-
60-
40-
2 0'
00 .
IS
H 2§ ~T
MAY /
15 W
2§
FIGURE 2
Flock size, peak counts 15.00 — 17.00 hrs BST, May- June 1977
Discussion
The evidence from counts and spot observations of the flock indicates that it does not form as
a daytime feeding flock. The hourly counts indicate that the flock builds up from low
numbers in the early morning, reaches a peak by late afternoon and gradually declines
26 Some Aspects of Flocking Behaviour in Lapwings During the Moulting Period
again. It was not possible to ascertain whether birds rejoined the flock after dark and left at
dawn. However, circumstantial evidence suggests that there was not a night roosting flock,
so presumably the birds move away from the reservoir at night, probably to feed. Spencer
stated that during June and July, Lapwings move onto high ground to feed on the larvae of
the Antler Moth (Charaeas graminis). If true for the Gouthwaite flock, the feeding activity
must have been concentrated during the early morning, late evening, and maybe at night.
Gouthwaite appears to be used almost exclusively by the birds as a moulting area. The site
is open, with low vegetation cover, and has a nearby water supply for bathing and drinking.
The flocking behaviour at this site is likely to be in response to increased protection in
numbers, in accordance with Lack (1968).
Some Aspects of Flocking Behaviour in Lapwings During the Moulting Period 27
Origin of the Flocking Birds
The gradual increase in the flock size during the season raises the question of where the
additional birds come from? As part of a long term project, Lapwing chicks within a 10 km
radius of the valley have been individually marked with colour-rings and their rearing site
plotted on a map. During the late summer some of these individually marked birds joined
the flock. The newly fledged birds did not leave the rearing ground as soon as they could fly
but remained on the high ground. They started to filter onto the lower ground to join the
moulting flock at the beginning of July and continued to appear throughout the autumn. The
presence of these young birds in the flock discounts Spencer’s theory that immatures and
adults do not mix in one flock. The sightings of colour-marked birds identified the ‘catch-
ment area' of the reservoir for Lapwings. Fig. 3 shows the distribution of the chief breeding
areas of the species near Gouthwaite and the areas from which chicks have moved to the
reservoir. It must be pointed out that these links represent the minimum catchment,
although a few birds ringed at more distant sites have not been seen at the study site.
After the end of June the flock consisted of young birds and postbreeders, but what
categories of birds formed the flock prior to this period? First-year birds are capable of
breeding but by no means all do so (Spencer, 1953). The non-breeding first-year birds are
therefore likely to flock early. During the early part of the 1977 breeding season, these non-
breeding birds occurred around the breeding sites. At this time of year the vegetation was low
and the ground damp and it is likely that the birds were feeding on neutral territories (as
described by Spencer) within the breeding areas. As these areas dried out during May, the
number of surplus birds on the breeding sites dropped (and the Gouthwaite flock size
increased). These birds may have been young birds which had been unsuccessful in claiming
territories or acquiring a mate and presumably joined the moulting flock once they
abandoned their attempts to breed. Observations also indicated that birds failing during
breeding towards the end of the season deserted their sites rapidly. Breeding adult birds were
seen to leave the sites which neighboured the reservoir for a short time to join the flock and
then return to the nesting area.
Acknowledgements
My thanks are extended to Dr J. C. Coulson who supervised the project, to Dr P. R. Evans
for helpful comments on the draft of the paper and to J. Owen and M. Garnett who helped in
finding colour marked birds.
Summary
Observations were made on a summering flock of Lapwings during May and June 1977.
Details are included of the change in flock size during the day with evidence to suggest that
the flock uses the site during the day as a resting site and leaves at night to feed elsewhere.
The flock was found to build up erratically during the season and observations of
individually marked birds showed that the new arrivals included newly fledged chicks from
breeding areas up to 3£ miles away. Post-breeding and failed-breeding adults were also
thought to join the moulting flock.
References
Goss-Custard, J. D. (1976) Variation in the dispersion of Redshank on their winter feeding
grounds. Ibis, 118: 257-63.
Lack, D. L. (1968 ) Ecological Adaptations for Breeding in Birds. Methuen, London.
Murton, R. K. (1971) Why do some birds feed in flocks? Ibis, 113:534-6.
Spencer, K. G. (1953) The Lapwing in Britain. A. Brown & Sons, London and Hull.
Ward, P. and Zahavi, A. (1973) The importance of certain assemblages of birds as
Information Centres for food-finding. Ibis, 115: 517-34.
Wynne-Edwards, V. C. (1962) Animal Dispersion in relation to Social Behaviour. Oliver &
Boyd, Edinburgh.
Zahavi, A. (1971) The function of pre-roost gatherings and communal roosts. Ibis, 113:
106-9.
28
BOOK REVIEWS
The Naturalised Animals of the British Isles by Christopher Lever. Pp. 600. Paladin Books.
1979. Paperback, £2.95
Mr Lever, for what are on the whole sound ecological and conservational reasons, is against
the introduction of foreign species, but by including some rather doubtful examples such as
the guppy, the midwife toad and the Soay sheep, he has compiled a list of 22 mammals, 22
birds, 1 reptile, 6 amphibians and 13 fish which have become more or less permanent
members of the British fauna through human agency. His book, first published in 1977 and
now available in paperback, provides a drawing and a distribution map of each of them, and
remarkably detailed accounts of their origins and how they came to be established in this
country.
FHB
The Royal Parks of London by Guy Williams. Pp. 234. Constable. 1978. £6.95
This book provides an enjoyable, mildly instructive account of the nine royal parks which the
residents of and visitors to London are privileged to use for their recreation. It provides an
outline of the history of each of them, and many anecdotal sidelights of a light-hearted and
amusing kind. The text is enlivened by maps and a score or so of photographs.
JSK
A Natural History of Britain and Ireland by Eric Simms. Pp. 258. J. M. Dent. 1979. £6.95
A pleasing general account of the wealth of natural history to be found throughout the
British Isles by the well-known broadcaster and writer. Each of the fifteen chapters is
devoted to a region, ranging from London (as the ‘Concrete Desert’) to the Scottish uplands
(as the ‘Bottle-Green Pines’). The content is biased towards mammals and birds, and the
task is perhaps too ambitious as can be gauged, for example, from the treatment of Ireland
in nineteen pages.
The Observer’s Book of Rocks and Minerals by R. and F. Atkinson. Pp. 184, with 58 colour
and 7 black and white photographs and many line illustrations. Warne. 1979. £1.50
A convenient pocket book, which provides a useful introduction to the young student or
layman who wants information about the identification and character of rocks and minerals.
There is a short but sound introductory section which deals with classes of rock and field
methods of identifying minerals. The body of the book deals with seventy-two minerals and
fifty-two rock types. Though these are arranged in an unconventional manner, the index
enables appropriate sections to be found readily. The illustrations are generally clear though
the inclusion of a scale would have improved several of them.
DC
From the Edge of Extinction: Endangered Species in North America by D. Stewart. Pp. 191,
with 21 line drawings. Frederick Warne. 1979. £6.95
The message of this book is that conservation of endangered species can be successfully
accomplished providing that people and governments become sufficiently motivated. A
series of twenty-one case histories describes the measures taken to ensure the survival of
bison, trumpeter swans, timber wolves, etc. Each chapter is illustrated by a line drawing of
the particular animal discussed but those of the mammals are rather uninspiring. The type is
large and there are a number of blank pages so that the text is shorter than the page number
would suggest; in addition there is no index. Although limited to North American examples
the book, which is very readable, would be a valuable addition to school libraries or an
interesting evening’s reading for the amateur naturalist.
DHSR
29
TWO LETTERS OF BRYOLOGICAL INTEREST
FROM RICHARD SPRUCE TO DAVID MOORE
M. R. D. SEAWARD
School of Environmental Science, University of Bradford
Richard Spruce needs little introduction: his achievements as botanist and explorer in the
Amazonian and Andean regions in the mid-nineteenth century opened up this part of the
world to botanical science.
Spruce was born at Ganthorpe, near Castle Howard on 10 September 1817, and spent
most of his life, apart from his travels, in the North Yorkshire villages of Welburn (vide
letterheads below) and Coneysthorpe. Spruce was educated by his father, and followed him
into the teaching profession. He became a teacher of mathematics at the Collegiate School,
York, in 1839, where he remained until it closed down in 1844. He devoted his time there-
after to botanical pursuits, and although of delicate health, undertook a collecting excursion
to the Pyrenees during 1845-46; in 1849 he embarked on his major travels to South America,
where he remained until 1864.
He is best known as a bryologist: research on hepatics occupied most of his life, and his
South American collections provided the material for numerous published papers, in parti-
cular Hepaticae Amazonicae et Andinae. These collections were sent to William Mitten
(1819-1906, bryologist) in 1863, but Spruce was dismayed, on his return to England, to find
the condition they were in, and remarked in a letter to William Wilson (1799-1871,
bryologist) ‘. . . he [Mitten] has had them in hand nearly two years and a half, and has not
yet made up a single set or found a subscriber ... he has taken the best specimens of every-
thing for himself, and has worked them up in his own herbarium so as to shine on them, no
doubt, some day ... he has quashed all my mss. names, and substituted others of his
own . . .’ (Sayre, 1975). However, in the spring of 1866, Spruce distributed sets of mosses he
had prepared himself; they each bore label titles of ‘MUSCI AMAZONICI ET ANDINI . . .
Legit RIC. SPRUCE, DET.W. MITTEN’. The sets first sent out were without names but with
Mitten’s serial numbers; these vary considerably: according to Sayre (1975), the list shows
1462 consecutive numbers with scattered addenda to 1518, and some specimens have
duplicates. Later sets have Mitten’s determinations which Spruce had published as a
catalogue in 1867. The material provided an indispensable source for Mitten’s Musci Austro -
americani published in 1869.
From 1864 until his death at Coneysthorpe on 28 December 1893, Spruce gave help and
advice to many bryologists throughout the world, mainly through the lively correspondence
he maintained. His letters are notable both for their calligraphy and for their clarity of
expression. The two letters transcribed below were recently discovered among the private
papers of Major General F. D. Moore in the course of the author’s research on his grand-
father David Moore (1807-79). David Moore, as Superintendent (and later Curator) of the
National Botanic Garden, Glasnevin, Dublin, naturally corresponded with the leading
European botanists of the day; included among their number was Richard Spruce. The
handwriting and style of these two letters are typical of Spruce’s correspondence.
Further biographical details on Richard Spruce are to be found in Stabler (1894), Spruce
(1908), Sheppard (1909), Scott (1961), Sledge (1971), and Desmond (1977), and information
on David Moore in Praeger (1949), Desmond (1977) and Seaward and Coppins (1980).
The nomenclature of the hepatics quoted in the letters has been revised according to Paton
(1965).
Naturalist 105 (1980)
30 Two Letters of Bryological Interest from Richard Spruce to David Moore
Welburn,
York.
15 Sept. 1873.
My dear Sir
I was much obliged for your letter, & for the interesting Descriptive Catalogue of
Irish Mosses,1 which I trust you will soon supplement with a similar Catalogue of the
Hepaticae.2 1 should have written sooner to thank you, but that writing, or occupation of any
kind, except what I can do when lying on my back, is painful,3 & I have of late employed my
little strength in the study of South American Hepaticae — an almost interminable task —
which has almost entirely prevented me from writing letters.4
I heard a few days ago from our friend Lindberg.5 He had enjoyed his visit to Ireland,
and especially to Glasnevin, but he says little about his journeyings in your company, except
that he visited the Killarney region, & was delighted to gather Lejeunea calyptrifolia6 and
other rarities. What was your route, & what places did you more particularly explore?
In the summer of 1842 I spent nearly 4 weeks with our late friend Dr. Taylor.7 I was
unfortunately ill all the time, & could get about very little, so that I gathered only things near
at hand, my farthest excursion being to Cromaglown.8 I am very desirous to ascertain if any
of Dr. Taylor’s descendants are in being, and where. He had a son (Joseph) & I think 6
grandsons. Do any of these still live at Dunkerron;9 and is there now any resident botanist at
all in Kerry?
I should be thankful for a scrap, in good state, of such forms of the species of Frullania,
Lejeunea & Radula as you may have to spare, as also for a specimen of Anthoceros laevis.
But if you cannot spare either the specimens or the time to look then out, then do not trouble
about it, for I can offer very little in exchange. When I found my working days were virtually
over I gave away my large collection of duplicate Cryptogamia, & it is only by accident that a
few British Mosses & Hepatics have been reserved. Such as they are, you are very welcome to
any of them.10
You ought to have more Sphagna in Ireland than have yet been found11 — What species
preponderate in bogs near Dublin; and do they ever grow with you, (as they do in the North
of England,) on ledges of wet rocks, e.g. Sphagnum rubellum,12 which is a great ornament to
rocks in Teesdale?
Believe me
Yours very faithfully
Rich^ Spruce.
Welburn, York.
10 March, 1874.
My dear Sir
I ought to have written to you long ago, and even now I cannot write as I wd.
wish, for I wanted first to examine your Hepaticae & report on them; but my capacity for
sedentary occupation has been for months so slight, that all I have done has been to work up
a few arrears of my South American Hepaticae. I am much obliged for the fine specimens, &
have just looked at them sufficiently to decide that there was not among them (as I hoped
there might be) any trace of a Lejeunea, which I suppose new to Europe, that I picked a few
stems of among Hepaticae gathered by Dr. Taylor & myself. What I have of it is unfortu-
nately sterile, & I cannot yet satisfy myself if it be a form of the almost cosmopolitan
L. cucullata13 or an undescribed species.
I am sorry you can give me so little information about Dr. Taylor’s family. His eldest
grandson was a sharp little fellow of 6 or 8, in 1842. I recollect one day when the Doctor <& I
were deep in Crypts, & discussing the characters of Plagiochila, Mastigobryum, & other
groups of the recently-split-up Jungermania, [sic] the little boy was annoyed that we did not
play with him, & strutted about the room talking to himself. After a while we noticed that he
Two Letters of Bryological Interest from Richard Spruce to David Moore 31
was mimicking our discourse, & we burst into a roar of laughter as we heard him muttering
“Plaguy ugly!” “Nasty boy, Bryan!” which was his version of the above outlandish names.
I shall look with much interest for your promised Catalogue of Irish Hepaticae. I was often
reminded, when gathering mosses on the slopes of the Andes, of the Kerry mountains, whose
vegetation — especially cryptogamic — is the nearest approach to that of tropical mountains
we have anywhere in Europe. On the volcano Tungmagna, in the Equatorial Andes, some
species of Clethra, & even of Thibandia, have often reminded me of the Arbutus. Instead of
heaths, there were low bushy Gaultherias. Whortleberries were represented by true
Vacciniums. St. John’s Worts by true Hypericums. Instead of Broom, there was the very
similar Genista Initensis. Then, among Hepaticae, Frullania Hutchinsiae14 was there, in
person. So was Adelanthus decipiens; and Lepidozia cupressina,15 from which I try in vain to
separate Taylor’s L. tumidula.16 Dumortiera hirsuta grew everywhere on shaded rocks, wet
& dry, & you know Lindberg says our Irish D. irrigua17 is not distinct from it, but I have not
yet got as far as that genus in my study of the S. American Hepaticae, & cannot say if he be
right. Of course the number of species was vastly greater; but the general characters of
Andine cryptogamic vegetation is very fairly represented on the mountains of Kerry — far
more than in the Alps & Pyrenees.
I am going a second time through the Lejeuneae & allied genera (or subgenera) of my own
gathering in S. America. They amount to over 500 forms, & cannot comprise fewer than 200
distinct species. The Frullaniae, too, are a very fine lot — I have plants half-a-yard long, &
there are several undescribed species.
I gave away most of my European duplicates long ago, & I fear I have little to offer you.
Perhaps I may have fertile Jung. Francisci18 & a few others, if you care for them.
I wish indeed Dr. Carrington19 would publish, but (like myself) I fear he is a great invalid.
I am very grateful for the kind letter you have written me, & shall always be glad to hear
from or of you, as well as to receive a scrap of any of your additions to the Hepaticology of
Ireland.
Believe me
Dear Sir
Very faithfully yours
Richd^ Spruce.
Notes
4See Moore (1873).
2 This was never done, but a ‘Report on Irish hepaticae’ appeared four years later (Moore,
1877).
3 Spruce suffered from ill-health for much of his life. He was never robust, and as a young
man was considered by some to be consumptive; despite this, he undertook a most arduous
exploration of South America during 1849—64. Not surprisingly his health was further
impaired; he records for 24 April 1860; ‘Woke up this morning paralysed in my back and
legs. From that day forth I was never more able to sit straight up or walk about without
great pain and discomfort’. Soon after his return to Yorkshire in 1867 his health deterio-
rated; he writes ‘I can hardly write in any other way than reclining in my easy chair with a
large book across my knee by way of a table, and consequently I rarely write anything but
what is absolutely necessary’, and by 1869 he wrote ‘I fear I must henceforth shut my eyes
to cryptogams; I have packed the microscope away lest I should enter into temptation’. By
1871, however, his condition had improved slightly and he was able to continue his
researches. He died following an attack of influenza, which his frail constitution was
unable to withstand.
4This ‘almost interminable task’ culminated in the publication of his monumental work,
Hepaticae Amazonicae et Andinae, in 1884-85. The publication date is variously cited as
1884 or 1885; in actual fact, pages 1-308 were published in April 1884 and pages i-xi and
309-588 in November 1885 (P. W. James, pers. comm.)-
32 Two Letters of Bryological Interest from Richard Spruce to David Moore
5 Sextus O. Lindberg, 1835-89, Professor of Botany, University of Helsinki; he visited
Ireland in 1873.
6= Coiura calyptrifolia (Hook.) Dum.
7Thomas Taylor, d. 1848, acting Professor of Botany and Natural History, Royal Cork
Scientific Institution; responsible for the cryptogamic section of Mackay’s Flora Hibernica
(1836), and co-author, with W. J. Hooker, of Muscologia Britannica (1818).
8Cromaglown (= Cromaglan), favourite haunt of botanists, 6 miles SW of Killarney, Co.
Kerry.
9Taylor (see note 7) retired to Dunkerron, near Kenmare, Co. Kerry.
10 Spruce’s major plant collections are now housed at Kew, Manchester Museum, York
Museum, and Harvard University.
nNine species only are listed in Moore (1873), pp. 460-3; cf. Smith (1978), pp. 30-78.
12 = S. capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw.
13NotZ,. cucullata = Acrolejeunea pycnoclada (Tayl.) Schiffn. (see Gradstein, 1975, p. 109)
a widely distributed species of tropical Africa, Indo-Malesia and the Pacific islands, but
Lejeunea diversiloba Spruce — see Greig-Smith (1953); Hep. Brit. Exsicc. no. 281 of
Carrington and Pearson (1878-90).
u=Jubula hutchinsiae (Hook.) Dum.
l5=L. pinnata (Hook.) Dum.
16 Now included within L. pinnata.
17 Now included within D. hirsuta (Swartz) Nees.
18 = Cladopdiella francisci (Hook.) Buch.
19Benjamin Carrington, 1827-93, medical practitioner and co-author, with L. C. Miall, of
Flora of the West Riding (1862); he specialized in hepatics and was the author of British
Hepaticae (commenced 1874 — incomplete) and also compiled a published exsiccata,
Hepaticae Britannicae (1878-90), which was added to by W. H. Pearson (see Sayre, 1971,
p. 189.
References
Carrington, B. and Pearson, W. H. (1878-90) Hepaticae Britannicae Exsiccatae. Fasc.
I-IV, nos 1-290. Manchester.
Desmond, R. (1977) Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturists. Taylor
& Francis, London.
Gradstein, S. R. (1975) A taxonomic monograph of the genus Acrolejeunea (Hepaticae).
Bryophytorum Bibliotheca 4: 1-162, plus 24 plates.
Greig-Smith, P. (1953) Notes on Lejeuneaceae I. Microlejeunea diversiloba (Spr.) K. M.
Trans. Brit, bryol. Soc. 2: 285-8.
Hooker, W. J. and Taylor, T. (1818) Muscologia Britannica. Longman, London.
Mackay, J. T. (1836) Flora Hibernica. Part second, comprising the musci, hepaticae and
lichenes (pp. 1-156 in vol. 2 by T. Taylor). William Curry, Dublin.
Miall, L. C, and Carrington, B. (1862) The Flora of the West Riding. W. Pamplin, London.
Mitten, W. (1869) Musci Austro-americani./. Linn. Soc. Lond., Bot. 12: 1—659.
Moore, D. (1873) A synopsis of the mosses of Ireland. Proc. R. Ir. Acad. , ser. 2, 1: 329-474.
Moore, D. (1877) Report of Irish hepaticae. Proc. R. Ir. Acad., ser. 2, 2: 591-672.
Paton, J. A. (1965) Census Catalogue of British Hepatics. 4th edn. British Bryological
Society, Ipswich.
Praeger, R. LI. (1949) Some Irish Naturalists. Dundalgan Press, Dundalk.
Sayre, G. (1971) Cryptogamae exsiccatae — an annotated bibliography of exsiccatae of
algae, lichenes, hepaticae, and musci. IV. Bryophyta. Mem. N. Y. Bot. Gdn 19: 175-276.
Sayre, G. (1975) Cryptogamae exsiccatae — an annotated bibliography of exsiccatae of
algae, lichenes, hepaticae, and musci. V. Unpublished exsiccatae. I. Collectors. Mem.
N.Y. Bot. Gdn 19: 277-423.
Scott, L. I. (1961) Bryology and bryologists in Yorkshire. Naturalist 155-60.
William Sutcliffe of Heptonstall and his Collection of British and Irish Mosses 33
Seaward, M. R. D. and Coppins, B. J. (1980) David Moore and Isaac Carroll: some licheno-
logical correspondence. Notes R. Bot. Gdn Edinb. , 38. (In press.)
Sheppard, T. (1909) A Yorkshire botanist. Richard Spruce (1817—93). Naturalist 45-8.
Sledge, W. A. (1971) Richard Spruce. Naturalist 129-31.
Smith, A. J. E. (1978) The Moss Flora of Britain and Ireland. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge.
Spruce, R. (1884—85 ) Hepaticae Amazonicae et Andinae. Trans. Proc. Bot. Soc. Edinb. 15:
i-xi, 1-588.
Spruce, R. (1908) Notes of a Botanist on the Amazon and Andes. (A. R. Wallace, ed.)
2vols. Macmillan, London.
Stabler, G. (1894) Obituary notice of Richard Spruce, Ph.D. Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinb. 20:
99-109.
WILLIAM SUTCLIFFE OF HEPTONSTALL AND HIS COLLECTION
OF BRITISH AND IRISH MOSSES
T. L. BLOCKEEL
John Nowell of Todmorden, though rightly celebrated for his bryological achievements
against a background of hardship and poverty, was nevertheless only one of several
enthusiastic botanists active in Calderdale in the early and middle years of the nineteenth
century. Many of his famous discoveries were made in the company of friends and colleagues
(cf Cash (1883) on the finding of Cinclidium stygium). One such friend was Abraham
Stansfield, and he and Nowell were leading lights in the formation of the Todmorden
Botanical Society in 1852 (cf Crump and Crossland, 1904). It was at a meeting of the Society
on 19 March 1866 that Nowell as vice-president read a paper entitled ‘Notes on some rare
mosses at Todmorden’, and illustrated it with beautifully mounted specimens (Nowell,
1866). The causes of the disappearance of ‘these beautiful plants’ stimulated a discussion to
which many members contributed, including Nowell himself, T. Stansfield, W. Patman and
W. Sutcliffe.
William M. Sutcliffe would be nothing more than a name to us but for the survival of his
bryophyte collection, now housed at the Bankfield Museum, Halifax. A few scraps of
biographical information may be gleaned from the papers used in packeting the specimens.
Two sheets, dated 1827 and 1829 respectively, are examples of Sutcliffe’s own ‘penmanship’
as a pupil at Heptonstall School. He appears indeed to have lived at Heptonstall throughout
his life: one packet is the front page of the Leeds Mercury (8 September 1858) addressed to
Sutcliffe at Heptonstall. Other packets offer good evidence that he was involved with the
school as an adult, presumably as a teacher. Many packets are formed from children’s
exercise books (dated 1856-61), including that of a Henry Nowell. Some localities refer to
‘school land’ or ‘school land lane’, and a gathering of Bartramia pomiformis is labelled
‘Gibson Wood and Lee Wood, class H, 22 Feb 60’. Perhaps it was collected on a nature
ramble!
The collection bears evidence of collaboration between the Calderdale botanists. Some
specimens were passed to Sutcliffe by Nowell, including some sent to Nowell by his corres-
pondents in other parts of the country (eg H. Boswell and W. Curnow). Two packets bear the
initials of W. Patman, one of the members present at the Todmorden Botanical Society
meeting referred to above. A third packet, evidently sent for identification, has the message
‘Mr. Patman will bring name’. In fact many packets carry annotations which indicate that
they were sent for naming or checking, presumably to Nowell. The names are almost
invariably correct and testify to the reliability and accuracy of Nowell’s work.
Most of the packets are dated between 1856 and 1863. They indicate that Sutcliffe visited
the Lake District in July 1859, Ireland in July 1860, and Wales in September 1860.
Naturalist 105(1980)
34 William Sutcliffe of Heptonstall and his Collection of British and Irish Mosses
The Collection
There are a little over 500 packets in the herbarium. Less than half of these are from Calder-
dale, the remainder originating from other parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire, with a
substantial number from Wales, Ireland and Cumbria, with a few from Cheshire,
Oxfordshire, Cornwall, Derbyshire, Ayrshire, and the Isle of Man. The remaining packets
either have no locality, or the locality has not been deciphered or traced with accuracy.
The identity of the collector is not always certain, even where there is a name on the
packet. Thus, Nowell’s name is on a packet of Pterygoneurum ovatum from Oxford which
was almost certainly gathered and sent by Boswell. Nowell is nevertheless represented by a
number of gatherings from various parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire, with a few from his
excursions to North Wales and Pontefract. His packets are neatly folded from plain paper, in
contrast to Sutcliffe’s, which are formed from newspapers, school-books and other scraps.
Many packets, of both types, bear the initial S. I do not know the significance of this
abbreviation, but it is improbable that it refers to Sutcliffe, whose name is usually written as
WS.
Other collectors are represented by only a very few packets. They are H. Boswell (Oxford),
W. Curnow (Cornwall), W. Patman (Todmorden), and Dr J. B. Wood (Pontefract).
I have examined all packets in the herbarium but the systematic list includes only the more
important.
Calderdale (VC 59 and 63)
There are over 200 packets. Two taxa are new to VC 63, one is confirmed for VC 59, and
there are some important additions to Calderdale as well as vouchers for extinct or rare
species.
Pogonatum nanum: Horsebridge Clough (VC 63), WS, 28/11/1859.
Polytrichum commune var. perigoniale: Widdop Gate (new to VC 63), 2/6/1860.
Fissidens exilis: banks, Harleywood, Todmorden (VC 63), — /2/1864.
F. incurvus: banks, Harleywood, Todmorden (VC 63), — /2/1864.
F. pusillus: wet rock, Hebden (VC 63), WS, 4/8/1860 (This isF. pusillus sensu Bruggeman-
Nannenga, but would come under F. viridulus sensu A. J. E. Smith.)
Pleuridium subulatum: fallow field, Heptonstall (VC 63), 19/3/1862.
Distichium capillaceum: wet scar, Eaves Bottom (VC 63), 14/2/1863.
Seligeria donniana: shady rocks, Highgreenwood (VC 63), -/9/1855; wet rock, Eaves
Bottom (VC 63), 7/8/1860.
Dicranella secunda: bank near Gibson Mill (VC 63), — / 1 1/ 1854.
Dicranum fuscescens: rocks, Highgreenwood (VC 63), -/9/1848.
Gymnostomum aeruginosum: Ramsden Gough (VC 59), two packets, 30/9/1854 and
-/ 10/ 1860.
Weissia microstoma: fallow field, White Hill Nook (VC 63), -/5/1863.
Ptychomitrium polyphyllum: wall, Greetland (VC 63), -/6/1862.
Splachnum sphaericum: Stansfield Moor (VC 63), 30/6/1862.
Schistostega pennata: Thieveley Scouts (VC 59), W Patman, -/5/1863.
Tetrodontium brownianum: dripping rock, Hebden (VC 63), WS, 24/11/1860; rocks,
Gorple Clough (VC 63), WS, 2/6/1860.
Pohlia elongata sensu stricto: Rattan Clough (confirmed for VC 59), — /7/1857.
Mnium stellare: Dulesgate (VC 59), J Nowell, -78/1860.
M. marginatum: Sheddin (VC 59), 4/5/1861.
Plagiomnium elatum: wet spring, Widdop (VC 63), 30/5/1863; wet bog among rushes,
Widdop Gough (VC 63), 3/6/1860; bog, Sheddin, (VC 59), WS, 4/5/1861.
Rhizonmium pseudopunctatum : bog, Sheddin (VC 59), WS, 4/5/1861; ditto, 3/3/1862.
Amblyodon dealbatus: Stansfield Moor (VC 63), S, — /6/1857.
Bartramia pomiformis: rock, Gibson Wood and Lee Wood (VC 63), class H, 22/2/1860;
wall, Lee Wood (VC 63), -/5/1860.
Philonotis calcarea: Sheddin (VC 59), 4/5/1861.
Amphidium mougeotii: Cragg Vale and Hebden (VC 63), 3/4/1862 and 5/4/1862.
William Sutcliffe of Heptonstall and his Collection of British and Irish Mosses 35
Hookeria lucens: Gibson Wood (VC 63), 22/2/1860.
Fontinalis squamosa: Hebden (VC 63), 19/5/1860.
Leskea polycarpa (among Brachythecium populeum ): rock, Gibson Wood (VC 63),
-/7/1860.
Platydictya jungermannioides: shady rocks, Sheddin (VC 59), —/— /1851.
Hygrohypnum ochraceum: wet rocks, Hebden and Gorple Clough (VC 63), 30/5/1863.
Calliergon giganteum: in wet swamps, Kant Clough (VC 59), Sutcliffe, — / 1 1/ 1860; Sheddin
(VC 59), WS, 4/5/1861.
Orthothecium intricatum: clefts of rock, Dill Scout (VC 63), — / 11/1859.
Isopterygium pulchellum: Dulesgate (VC 59), — /9/1855; wet shale, Hardcastle (VC 63),
WS, 19/9/1861; Gibson Wood (VC 63), 29/2/1860.
Plagiothecium latebricola: roots of decayed oaks, Harleywood (VC 63), no date.
Hypnum mammillatum: Highgreenwood (new to VC 63), 27/9/1859; damp rock, Lower
Hebden Wood (VC 63), 16/2/1860; + two further packets from the Hebden Valley.
Yorkshire, Excluding Calderdale (VC 63, 64 and 65)
Fissidens minutulus: banks near Pontefract (VC 63), -/12/1863. This isF. minutulus sensu
Bruggeman-Nannenga, but would come under F. viridulus sensu A. J. E. Smith.
Distichium capillaceum: Teesdale (VC 65 or 66), -/8/1855; Bolton Woods, Strid (VC 64),
Good Friday 1862; banks of the Dee near Dent (VC 65), S, 5/6/1861.
Dichodontium flavescens cfr: Bolton Woods (VC 64), S, -/5/1858.
Aloina rigida: wall, York Road, Leeds (VC 64), 18/11/1860.
Gymnostomum recurvirostre: moist shady rocks by River Dee near Dent (VC 65), S,
5/6/1861.
Mnium marginatum: Bolton Woods (VC 64), Good Friday 1862.
Plagiopus oederi: Deepdale near Dent (VC 65), 2/6/1861.
Orthotrichum cupulatum var riparium: stones, the Hodder (VC 64 or possibly 60), S,
-/4/1860. Perhaps collected by Dr Wood (cf Braithwaite (1888-95) p 78).
O. stramineum: on ash trees, vale of Dent (VC 65), S, 3/6/1861.
Neckera pumila: Bolton Woods (VC 64), S, — /4/1858.
Myrinia pulvinata: on old willows near York (VC 61, 62 or 64), S, — / 8/ 1851 .
Myurella julacea: limestone rocks, Ingleborough (VC 64), S, 1/6/1861.
Scorpidium scorpioides: nr Malham Tarn (VC 64), — /6/1856.
Hygrophypnum eugyrium: Cautley Waterfall near Sedbergh (VC 65), S, 4/6/1861.
H. dilatatum: Cautley Waterfall near Sedbergh (VC 65), S, 4/6/1861.
Rhynchostegiella teesdalei: rocks in a small stream near the Hodder (VC 64 or possibly 60),
19/4/1862.
Orthothecium intricatum: shady rocks near Malham (VC 64), S.
O. rufescens: three packets from head of Gordale (VC 64), 1850 and 1856.
Entodon concinnus: rocky banks near Malham (VC 64), two packets, — /— /1856 and
-/9/1859.
Taxiphyllum wissgrillii: rocks by banks of the Hodder (VC 64 or possibly 60), 19/4/1862.
Pylaisia polyantha: on thorns, Broughton Hall near Skipton (VC 63), S, — /4/1858.
There are thirty-eight additional packets not listed here.
Lancashire, Excluding Calderdale, and Cheshire (VC 59 and 58)
Dicranum undulatum: two packets from Wybunbury Bog (VC 58), S, -/6/1855.
Orthodontium gracile: new red sandstone rock, Alderley Edge (VC 58), 30/3/1861.
Bryum warneum: Southport (VC 59), J. Nowell, -/9/1860.
B. calophyllum: Southport (VC 59), J. Nowell, -/9/1860.
B. knowltonii: Southport (VC 59), J. Nowell, -/9/1860.
Meesia uliginosa: sandhills near Southport (VC 59), S, -/5/1858.
Catoscopium nigritum: among sandhills near Southport (VC 59), S, -/9/1858.
Philonotis caespitosa: Walton (VC 59), J. Nowell, -/9/1860.
Drepanocladus vernicosus: Wybunbury Bog (VC 58), J. Nowell, -/9/1860.
36 William Sutcliffe of Heptonstall and his Collection of British and Irish Mosses
D. lycopodioides: near Southport (VC 59), S, — /6/1859.
Calliergon giganteum: Wybunbury Bog (VC 58), J. Nowell, — /9/1860.
There are thirteen additional packets not listed here.
Cumbria (VC 69 and 70)
Splachnum ampullaceum: bog near Kendal Fell, Staveley (VC 69), 4/7/1859.
Bartramia halleriana: Westmorland (VC 69), — /7/1859.
Hedwigia ciliata: Staveley (VC 69), WS, two packets, 4/7/1859.
Leptodon smithii: Cumberland (VC 70), -/7/1859. Probably from the Borrowdale site
(there are Borrowdale gatherings of Racomitrium aquaticum and Isothecium
myosuroides in the collection).
Leucodon sciuroides: Staveley (VC 69), WS, -/7/1859.
Rhytidium rugosum: Arnside (VC 69), WS, 11/7/1859.
There are twenty-six additional packets not listed here.
North Wales (VC 49)
Diphyscium foliosum: bank, pass of Llanberis (VC 49), -/7/1852; bank of river below the
waterfall, Aber(VC49), S, 15/9/1860.
Cynodontium bruntonii: rocks, Aber (VC 49), S, 21/5/1861.
Encalypta vulgaris: Conway Castle (VC 49), 6/9/1860.
Aloina aloides var. ambigua: Ormeshead (VC 49), 4/9/1860.
Bryum radiculosum: mortared walls, Bangor and Aber (VC 49), 24/5/1863.
Orthotrichum striatum: woods near Trefriw (VC 49), S, 14/9/1860; tree, Llanberis
(VC 49), 8/9/1860.
O. tenellum: on trees near Aber waterfall (VC 49), S, 21/5/1861.
Pterogonium gracile: rock near Dolbadarn Castle (VC 49), 5/8/1856.
Hygrohypnum eugyrium: stones in the watercourse, Aber (VC 49), JN, two packets,
24/5/1863.
H. dilatatum: near Aber (VC 49), -/5/1863.
There are thirty-eight additional packets not listed here.
Oxford (VC 23)
All packets presumably sent by H Boswell, though three bear Nowell’s name.
Pogonatum nanum: Bagley Wood near Oxford (VC 23), H. Boswell, — /11/1861: Oxford
(VC 23), Nowell, -/11/1860 and -/1/1861.
Pterygoneurum ovatum: Oxford (VC 23), Nowell, reed 7/1/1861.
P. lamellatum: nr Oxford (VC 23), H. Boswell, -/2/1860.
Barbula hornschuchiana: near Oxford (VC 23), Boswell, -/-/1860.
Gyroweisia tenuis: Blenheim Park (VC 23), H. Boswell, 19/7/1861.
There are five additional packets not listed here.
Derbyshire (VC 57)
Two packets only: Tortula subulata and Grimmia pulvinata from Buxton, 16/7/1860.
Isle of Man (VC 71)
Schistidium maritimum: Isle of Man, Dr Wood, — /9/1859.
Cornwall (VC 1)
Three packets from Penzance, sent by Curnow: Schistidium maritimum, -/3/1862;
Epipterygium tozeri, — / 10/ 1861 ; Eurhynchium speciosum, — / 10/ 1861 .
Ayrshire (VC 75)
Two packets: Orthotrichum rivulare and O. pulchellum, from near Dailly, S, — /5/1860.
37
William Sutcliffe of Heptonstall and his Collection of British and Irish Mosses
Connemara, Ireland (VCH16)
Metzgeria fruticulosa sensu stricto: intermixed with Cryphaea in the packet from
Oughterard (new to VC H16).
Pleurozia purpurea: mountains of Connemara (VC H16), 18/7/ 1860.
Andreaea alpina: mountains of Connemana (VC H16), WS, -/7/1860.
Aloina aloides var. aloides: Connemara (VC H16), WS, — /7/1860.
Funaria obtusa: Connemara (VC H16), WS, — /7/1860.
Zygodon conoideus: trees near Oughterard, Connemara (VC H16), S, 20/7/1860.
Ulota phyllantha: near Clifden Castle, Connemara (VC H16), S, 19/7/1860.
U hutchsinsiae: rocks, Connemara (VC H16), WS, two packets, 18/7/1860.
Hedmgia ciliata: rocks, Connemara (VC H16), WS, two packets, 18/7/1860.
Cryphaea heteromalla: on trees near Oughterard (VC H16), S, — /7/1860.
Calliergon sarmentosum: wet rocks, Connemara (VC H16), S, — /7/1860.
There are nine additional packets not listed here.
Locality Untraced or Not Stated
There are almost 100 such packets. They include a substantial number bearing the name
Hanson (or H) or ?Labzey (L, La), but usually no other information. I have been unable to
identify these two names. No point is served in listing these unlocalized packets, but there are
a few others where the locality is stated but has not been traced with certainty. Most involve
common species; three have been located tentatively.
Polytrichum alpinum: Blackdain, 2/7/1860. This is probably Blake Dean (34/9531) or
Black Clough (34/9733) in the Alcomden area north of Hebden Bridge (VC 63).
Orthotrichum affine: tree, Earlees Wood, WS, 25/7/1859. This may be Ealees Wood,
Littleborough (34/9416, VC 59).
Neckera crispa: Earlees, WS, 25/7/1859.
Acknowledgements
The late Miss M. Dalby first drew my attention to this collection. I wish to thank Mr P. M.
Earland- Bennett of Bankfield Museum for permission to examine the collection and for
information on localities, Mr G. A. Shaw for help on various points of information, and the
following who gave their opinion on critical material: J. Appleyard, D. F. Chamberlain,
M. F. V. Corley, M. O. Hill, A. J. E. Smith, and E. C. Wallace.
References
Braithwaite, R. (1888-95) The British Moss-Flora , II. London.
Cash, J. (1883) On Cinclidium stygium Swartz. Naturalist , pp 150-4.
Crump, W. B. and Crossland, C. (1904) The Flora of the Parish of Halifax, Halifax.
Nowell, J. (1866) Notes on some rare mosses at Todmorden, In: Reports of Societies.
Todmorden Botanical Society, Naturalist, pp 1-2.
BOOK REVIEWS
A Recorder’s Log Book or Label List of British Butterflies and Moths by J. D. Bradley and
D. S. Fletcher. Curwen Books. 1979. £2
Lepidopterists will welcome this publication which is complementary to the series of volumes
of ‘The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland’. It provides a cheap and readily
available version of the 1972 Kloet and Hincks check list and it can be used as a field record
book, as a means of submitting records to the Biological Records Centre, or as a label list.
Although printed on both sides of the paper the carefully thought out design is such that by
cutting the pages in half the printed list is on each half.
Compilers and publishers are to be congratulated on providing lepidopterists with a very
useful addition to their library.
RC
38 Book Reviews
British Ascophoran Bryozoans by P. J. Hayward and J. S. Hyland. Pp. vi + 312, including
129 figures. £6.80; British Coastal Shrimps and Prawns by G. Smaldon. Pp. vi + 126,
including 51 figures. £4.50; British Nearshore Foraminiferids by John W. Murray. Pp. vi +
68, including 22 figures and frontispiece. £2.80. Linnean Society of London /Academic
Press. 1979.
Numbers 14, 15 and 16 in the impotant new series of Synopses of the British Fauna, contain-
ing valuable introductory matter, keys, descriptions, bibliographic references, etc. Most
detailed and useful monographs of British taxa.
A Key to the British Freshwater Leeches by J. M. Elliott and K. H. Mann. Pp. 72, including
1 coloured plate and 52 figures. 1979. £2; A Guide to Methods for Estimating Microbial
Numbers and Biomass in Fresh Water by J. G. Jones. Pp. 112, including 6 figures and 4
tables. 1979. £2.50. Both published by Freshwater Biological Association, The Ferry House,
Ambleside, Cumbria LA 22 OLP.
British Freshwater Leeches (first published 1954; 2nd edition 1964) is a greatly revised and
enlarged new publication rather than just a third edition of the original key. Since the
previous edition, one new species has been added to the British list, more information has
become available on leech natural history, and a considerable number of publications have
extended the bibliography.
Microbial Numbers and Biomass will provide a most valuable practical guide and a reference
source for the freshwater ecologist.
The Observer’s Book of Caterpillars by David J. Carter. Pp 159, with 32 coloured plates and
17 figures in the text. Warne. 1979. £1.25
A very useful little pocket book for those who would like to identify many of the fairly
distinctive caterpillars likely to be found reasonably commonly in this country. The
illustrations are bright, clear and accurately coloured. The body of the text consists of brief
notes on food-plants, season, distribution and habits, exactly what the observer generally
needs to know. There is a short introduction dealing with general structure and biology, how
to distinguish the caterpillars of butterflies and moths from those of saw-flies, how to collect,
rear and preserve, all factual and practical.
One in ten of our British species is selected for illustration and where there are two or three
distinct colour forms of a species examples of each are featured. Thirty-eight butterfly
caterpillars, including all those likely to be seen in the general countryside, and 165 moth
caterpillars are included. In a work of this nature the choice of species is most important.
Your reviewer made a selection of 50 moths and found that 39 of these had been included in
this book. Among those omitted were such common moths as the Silver Ground Carpet, the
Scalloped Oak and the Sallow. The reader is sensibly warned in the introduction that he is
not always going to get an accurate identification because so many species are necessarily
omitted but the author is to be congratulated on the selection he has made.
This handy little volume has now been added to that select little library that travels
permanently on the rear shelf of my car.
JHF
The Year of the Greylag Goose by Konrad Lorenz. Pp. 199, with 147 colour photographs by
Sybille and Klaus Kalas. Eyre Methuen. 1979. £9.95
Originally published in 1978 in France, the present English translation is from the
subsequent German edition.
The book is summed up in its first six words and in the postscript. It is not, we are told, an
attempt to provide a scientifically cohesive description of the life of the Greylag. Rather, we
are to regard it as merely an exposition to accompany the photographs which themselves
really tell the story. In attributing the major contribution to the photographic skills and
devotion of his assistants and research colleagues, Lorenz does less than justice to his own
scientific and philosophical comment. As an ethologist, he draws an analogy between goose
behaviour and human family life. Nor does he consider it anthropomorphic to find that geese
Book Reviews 39
have a capacity for grief and joy, form homosexual bonds, or indulge in loveless copulatory
relationships. His own involvement with Greylags pre-dates his well-known King Solomon’s
Ring (1952), and obviously he writes with authority.
Although qualified by the statement that the photographs demonstrate how beautiful
objective truth can be, it is still hard to believe that they were taken purely for scientific
purposes. Even if taken with no particular artistic quality in mind, that same quality must
certainly have played a major part in their selection.
The whole book is outstanding and a sheer delight. With this foretaste, the promised
monograph on the Greylag is eagerly awaited.
Wings over Wales by Gerald Summers. Pp. 207. Collins. 1979. £6.50
The title and dust-cover illustration might lead naturalists to expect a book to their liking.
Generally, I think they would be disappointed.
In part it is the story of a kind of Welsh Battersea dogs’ home. In the main however, it
deals with the author’s preoccupation with birds of prey; one suspects that like the dealers
whom he condemns, the author too is cashing in on the ‘growing public interest in anything
connected with falconry’. He does the cause no great service. Falconry is described as a hard-
pressed sport, but in the next paragraph as a show business.
On the one hand we find him sympathetic: ‘Buzzards look their best when soaring at a
height,’ or ‘no eagle . . . should have to spend his life just looking ornamental.’ On the other
an apparent callousness shows through: ‘suddenly it lunged forward, falling the length of the
leash and hung, slowly gyrating with half open wings . . . now swinging like a pendulum.’
His statements that ‘the chances of sooner or later losing the bird in the field are consider-
able,’ and ‘a hawk has gone adrift, as so frequently happens’ also seem to me eloquent
arguments for considerably tightening the law.
Though very readable, not a book to my liking.
RrL)
Discovering Birds, text and illustrations by Ian Wallis. Pp. 127, with many colour and black
and white photographs and drawings. Whizzard Press/Andre Deutsch 1979. £4.95
This is a curious little book, a mixture of information for the beginner and for the advanced
rarity hunter. The author will be recognized as a leader in the latter category. The early
chapters deal with the evolution, structure and classification of birds, an approach to their
study and identification and equipment suitable for the job.
However, the main body of the book is a highly personalized guide to a number of
scattered and varied bird places throughout Britain, including East Anglia, the Scottish
Highlands and Islands, Flamborough Head, Regents Park in London and the Scilly Isles.
These chapters, and the subsequent ones describing a birdwatcher’s calendar and exciting
incidents from the author’s own experiences with birds, are written in an unpretentious and
infectiously enthusiastic style rare in bird books today.
In spite of what many may regard as an overpersonal style, the author nevertheless
includes much useful information on good bird places, and, importantly, excellent advice on
observer self-discipline.
The reproductions of plates from the author’s sketchbooks are delightful. M D
Collins Handguide to the Wild Flowers of Britain & Northern Europe by Marjorie Blarney
and Richard Fitter. Pp. 127. Collins. 1979. £3.95, hardback; £1.95, paperback.
This is essentially a picture book with a minimal amount of text allotted to each species. Miss
Blarney’s paintings are realistic and the colour reproductions — several per page — are
mostly good, so the user should have little trouble in matching his specimen with one of the
illustrations, or at least in getting near the right answer, for this book shares the limitations
of all such selective pictorial works. The Scentless Mayweed for example is illustrated but
none of the other superficially similar, white-flowered, Mayweed-like species and the
reference to these in the text is too meagre to permit of more than an approximate identifica-
tion. WAS
40
SHORTER REVIEWS
Taxonomy in Britain by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils. Pp. viii + 126.
HMSO. 1979. £3.50, paperback
Detailed government report on the status of taxonomy in higher education institutions,
research establishments, museums, etc., indicating the courses and facilities available for
the subject and the needs on UK and overseas users.
British Fungus Flora: Agarics and Boleti. 2 Coprinaceae: Coprinus by P. D. Orton and R.
Watiing. Pp. 149, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh: HMSO. 1979. £12, paperback
Detailed taxonomic treatment of ninety-two species of Coprinus, subdivided into three
sections (Coprinus, Micaceus and Pseudocoprinus), plus key, ecological list, several indexes
and 231 figures (line drawings). Invaluable to the professional mycologist, but alas, at this
price, most amateurs will have to rely on borrowing a copy.
First in the Field: America’s Pioneering Naturalists by Robert Elman. Pp. xx + 231, plus
16 pages of plates. Van Nostrand Reinhold. 1979. £4.45, paperback
Delightful account of the lives and works of 18th and 19th century American naturalists,
including Catesby, the Bartrams and Audubon. A highly enjoyable and informative book
presented in an attractive format.
Vegetation Dynamics by J. Miles (80pp.) and Island Ecology by M. Gorman (79 pp.).
Chapman and Hall. 1979. Each £1.95, paperback
Two titles in a new series entitled ‘Outline Studies in Ecology’ edited by Professors G. M.
Dunnet and C. H. Gimingham: good foundations and excellent source books for the under-
graduate. Text supplemented by numerous figures, tables, extensive bibliography and index.
Subjects announced for forthcoming works in this series look very promising and are awaited
with interest.
Birds of St Kilda by Michael P. Harris and Stuart Murray (pp. vi + 42; price £3.50, paper-
back) and Distribution of Freshwaters in Great Britain by Ian Smith and Alex Lyle (pp. 44;
price £2, paperback). Institute of Terrestrial Ecology. 1979.
Latest publications of the Natural Environment Research Council: informative texts,
copiously illustrated and attractively presented.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir,
I am researching the life and achievements of James Bolton, the eighteenth century
Halifax naturalist who wrote ‘A History of Fungusses Growing About Halifax’, ‘Filices
Britannicae’ and ‘Harmonia Ruralis’. If any of your readers have letters, diaries or other
unpublished material relating to him or to his family and friends I should be most grateful if
they would get in touch with me. His family and friends included his brother Thomas Bolton,
Judge John Milnes of Wakefield, Dr. William Alexander of Halifax, John Dewhurst of
Southowram, Stephen Hartley and Bernard Hartley of Halifax, John Binns (bookseller) of
Leeds, Mrs. Ralph, the wife of the Rev. John Ralph of Northgate End Chapel, Halifax, and
John Ingham, the master of Cockpit School, Illingworth. I am particularly anxious to trace
the diaries of the two last mentioned individuals.
Yours faithfully
G. W. Priestley
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16. Water-bugs (Hemiptera-Heteroptera) (Macan, 1965) £0.80
17. Adults & nymphs of stoneflies (Hynes, 1977) £1.00
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30. Aquatic and water-borne Hyphomycetes (Ingold, 1975) £1.00
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32. Freshwater Crustacea: Malacostraca (Gledhill, Sutcliffe &
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37. Chironomidae (adult males) (Pinder, 1978) £4.50
38. Freshwater planktonic Rotif era (Pontin, 1978) £3.50
40. Freshwater leeches (Elliott & Mann, 1979) £2.00
OTHER HANDBOOKS
25. Statistical analysis of samples of benthic invertebrates
(Elliott, 1977) £2.00
29. Turbulence in lakes and rivers (Smith, 1975) £1.00
33. Depth charts of the Cumbrian lakes (Ramsbottom, 1976) £0.60
36. Water analysis: some revised methods for limnologists
(Mackereth, Heron & Tailing, 1978) £2.50
39. Methods for estimating microbial numbers and biomass
(Jones, 1979) £2.50
All these publications may be ordered from The Librarian, The Ferry
House, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0LP. A discount of 25% is given on
orders of 5 or more copies of one title (UK only).
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L-JUNE 1980 (No 953)
VOLUME 105
THE
NffNMJST
uarterly Journal of Natural History for the North of England
7, HZ
Edited by M. R. D. SEAWARD, MSc, PhD, FLS, The University, Bradford
PAGE CONTENTS
41 Mixed Hedges of the Former East Riding of Yorkshire — D. J. Boatman
45 Records of Flower Visiting by Scuttle Flies (Diptera: Phoridae) in the
British Isles — R. H. L. Disney
51 Notes on some Sawflies (Hym., Symphyta) found in Scotland, with a
Description of a New Species of Pachynematus Konow from Wester
Ross — A. D. Liston
54 Hymenoptera in Yorkshire, 1975-78 — H. E. andJ. H. Flint
57 Some Particular Observations at a Badger Sett over an Eleven-Year
Period — R. J. Paget
61 Y.N.U. Bryological Section: Annual Report 1979 — T. L. Blockeel
63 The Bryology of Dentdale — T. L. Blockeel
65 George Allan Shaw 1916-80
67 Thuidium recognitum (Hedw.) Lindb. in Yorkshire — G. A. Shaw
69 The Use of Man-Made Pools by Diving Ducks and Terns off
Morecambe, Lancashire — Laurence N. Rose
71 The Mining Social Bee, Lasiog/ossum Calceatum (Scopoli)
(Hymenoptera: Halictidae) in Dallowgill, Yorkshire — M. E. Archer
72 Askham Bog — W. A. Sledge
56, 68, 74 Book Reviews
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on Y.N.U. and Society meetings and activities, items of broad Natural History interest,
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MIXED HEDGES OF THE FORMER EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE
D. J. BOATMAN
University of Hull
Introduction and Methods
A survey of hedges over the whole of East Yorkshire was begun in 1976. Most of those
examined were roadside hedges and initially data were collected during journeys along the
main routes traversing the county. Later a large number of small roads and tracks were
explored in order to obtain as complete a cover as possible.
The unit used for the study was one side of a field and only hedges containing four or more
woody species (excluding climbers and scramblers such as Rubus spp and Rosa spp) were
considered. The data were transferred to punched cards and, for ease of retrieval, the cards
were arranged in order from west to east. Altogether 117 hedges have been recorded.
Inspection of the pack of punched cards revealed that the distribution of certain species
was localized. Since the arrangement accords with the main topographic features of the area,
the Vale of York, the Wolds and Holderness, the cards were segregated on this basis and the
percentage occurrence of each species (i.e. the percentage of hedges in which the species
occurred) determined for each area.
Results
Altogether thirty-two species of tree and shrub were recorded. Seven of these were present in
2 per cent or less of the hedges and are not listed in Table 1. These species included Berberis
vulgaris and a Prunus species, which were recorded only in Holderness, Frangula alnus and
Salix fragilis recorded only in the Vale of York and Euonymous europaeus recorded only on
the Wolds. Fagus sylvatica was found in Holderness and the Vale of York and Ribes uva
crispa in Holderness and on the Wolds.
1 . Holderness
All of the hedges investigated occurred on boulder clay. Of the twenty species listed for this
area in Table 1, six occurred in more than 75 per cent of the hedges. These species are Acer
campestre, Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Fraxinus excelsior, Prunus spinosa and
Sambucus nigra. Most of the species were scattered throughout the area but Ilex aquifolium
was found only in the south-western part, i.e. west of the River Hull and south of National
Grid northing 400.
Most of the data were collected during the summer but nine of the Holderness hedges were
visited in spring when the herbaceous flora could also be recorded. Woodland herbs were
associated with all of them and the more common species, with the number of hedges in
which they occurred, were Ficaria verna (9), Endymion non-scriptus (8), Arum maculatum
(7), Mercurialis perennis (6), Stellaria holostea (5), Melandrium rubrum (4), Brachypodium
sylvaticum (3), and Nepeta hederacea (3).
2. The Wolds, including the Jurassic belt
These hedges, eleven of which occurred on the chalk, showed a strong resemblance to those
in Holderness. Sixteen species were common to both areas and for most of these the
percentage occurrence was similar (Table 1). Four species occurred in 75 per cent or more of
the hedges, viz. Coryllus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa and Sambucus
nigra. Of the species listed in Table 1 only four that occurred in Holderness were absent from
the Wolds, viz. Populus tremula, Salix caprea, Ulex europaeus, and Ulmus glabra and the
percentage occurrence of these species in Holderness is low. Euonymous europaeus was
recorded in two Wolds hedges but none of those in Holderness or the Vale of York.
Naturalist 105 (1980)
42 Mixed Hedges of the Former East Riding of Yorkshire
An interesting feature of the data of this area is the high percentage occurrence of
Rhamnus cathartica. This is one of the common ‘calcicolous’ shrubs in Britain (Tansley,
1939), others being Euonymous europaeus, Ligustrum vulgare, Thelycrania sanguinea, and
Viburnum lantana. Rhamnus cathartica was present in five of the seven hedges recorded on
Jurassic strata and in three of these it was associated with Thelycrania sanguinea. At another
site on the chalk (York Grounds farm) it was associated with Euonymous europaeus.
TABLE 1
Percentage occurrence in hedges of the three topographic regions of East Yorkshire
of species recorded in more than 2 per cent of the total number of hedges
Vale of York
Wolds
Holderness
Acer campestre
17
35
80
A. pseudoplatanus
23
10
16
Alnus glutinosa
40
0
0
Betula pubescens
30
0
0
B. pendula
17
0
0
Corylus avellana
40
75
78
Crataegus monogyna
97
100
100
Fraxinus excelsior
70
50
76
Ilex aquifolium
10
10
16
Ligustrum vulgare
0
10
2
Populus tremula
15
0
2
Prunus spinosa
50
80
95
Pyrus malus
47
5
18
Quercus spp
67
10
34
Rhamnus cathartica
3
50
2
Salix caprea
17
0
3
S. cinerea
57
5
10
Sambucus nigra
23
85
79
Sarothamnus scoparius
27
0
0
Sorbus aucuparia
17
0
0
Thelycrania sanguinea
3
25
31
Ulex europaeus
17
0
7
Ulmus glabra
10
0
10
U. procera
13
10
9
Viburnum opulus
0
15
16
Total species recorded
26
18
25
Total samples
30
20
67
3. Vale of York
Altogether twenty-six species of tree and shrub were recorded in the Vale of York hedges,
more than in those of either Holderness or the Wolds. Five of them, namely Alnus glutinosa ,
Betula pubescens , Betula pendula, Sarothamnus scoparius, and Sorbus aucuparia were
found only in this area. Only one species, Crataegus monogyna, was recorded in 75 per cent
or more of the Vale of York hedges indicating that there was a greater degree of variation in
hedges of this area than elsewhere in East Yorkshire.
The percentage occurrence of Quercus spp in the Vale of York hedges is considerably
higher than in those of Holderness and the Wolds. This might be related to the way in which
these species are managed. In the Vale of York Quercus spp are often trimmed along with
the other shrubs whereas in Holderness and on the Wolds they are grown as ‘standards’.
Mixed Hedges of the Former East Riding of Yorkshire
43
Discussion
In his study of the hedges of Huntingdon and Peterborough Pollard (1973) gives special
consideration to a group of ‘mixed’ hedges, i.e. hedges composed of several species of tree
and shrub. These were located on or near the sites of former woodland and he also refers to
them as ‘woodland relic’ hedges. All of them occurred on clay or limestone soils and may
therefore be compared with those of Holderness and the Wolds.
Pollard lists the more common species encountered in his survey and in Table 2 his data,
converted to percentage occurrence, are given alongside those for Holderness and the Wolds
lumped together. The species marked with an asterisk occurred much more frequently in
Pollard’s woodland relic hedges than in those believed to have been planted and it can be
seen that most of these species also had a high percentage occurrence in Holderness and
Wolds hedges. Only Euonymous europaeus occurs with a much lower frequency.
In Holderness 57 per cent of the hedges found were located in the south-western part of the
area, i.e. west of the River Hull and south of Grid northing 400. According to Darby and
Maxwell (1962) this is the only part of Holderness where large areas of woodland were
recorded in the Domesday survey. Furthermore it is known that substantial areas of
woodland existed in this part of Holderness until the mid-sixteenth century or later.
Many areas of woodland existed in the Vale of York at the time of the Domesday survey
(Darby and Maxwell, 1962) but the composition of the mixed hedges in this general area is
very different from those in the Holderness/Wolds and Huntingdon /Peterborough areas.
The percentage occurrence of all the species marked with an asterisk in Table 2 except
Quercus spp is markedly lower while species characteristic of wet soils such as Alnus
glutinosa, Betula pubescens and Salix cinerea, together with others characteristic of well-
drained acid soils such as Betula pendula, Sarothamnus scoparius, Sorbus aucuparia and
Ulex europeaus are relatively more frequent.
Large areas of wetland formerly existed in Holderness, principally in the valley of the River
Hull and in the area known as Sunk Island on the north side of the Humber estuary so it
might be expected that wetland species would have been recorded in some of the Holderness
hedges. Effective drainage of the Hull valley began in 1760 (Sheppard, 1958) and this
appears to have been thorough as very few mixed hedges were found on the valley floor. To
judge from pollen data in an area of deep peat near Roos Alnus glutinosa appears to have
been common in Holderness in the past but the content of pollen of this species drops
dramatically in the uppermost sample (Beckett, 1975). This probably corresponds with the
period of drainage. A. glutinosa is now scarce in Holderness and has been found only at
TABLE 2
Percentage occurrence of certain species in woodland relic hedges of
Huntingdon and Peterborough and of Holderness and the Yorkshire Wolds
Huntingdon and
Peterborough
Holderness and
the Wolds
Acer campestre
63*
72
Corylus avellana
57*
77
Euonymous europaeus
36*
2
Fraxinus excelsior
48
70
Ligustrum vulgare
21
3
Prunus spinosa
97*
80
Quercus robur
21*
29
Sambucus nigra
27
80
Thelycrania sanguinea
45*
30
See text.
44 Mixed Hedges of the Former East Riding of Yorkshire
Hornsea, a small wood near Wilfholme and at Long Lane south of Beverley. Wetland at
Sunk Island was mainly saltmarsh so it is to be expected that scrub would not have been
common in this area.
The term ‘woodland relic hedge’ suggests that such a hedge is a remnant of a former
woodland and might, therefore, provide information on the composition of the woodland.
Unfortunately, old woodland is very scarce in East Yorkshire and the only site where it has
been possible to investigate the relationship between a hedge and adjacent woodland is
Burton Bushes west of Beverley. Burton Bushes is at the western side of the common known
as Beverley Westwoods and the boundary is occupied by a hedge. This is now separate from
the woodland proper though as little as twenty years ago the woodland reached the hedge.
Eight species of tree and shrub occurred in the hedge and all were present and were indeed
the more common species in the adjacent woodland. It is interesting to note that Thelycrania
sanguinea, a species which does not usually occur in the interior of woodlands, was not found
in Burton Bushes and was absent from the hedge.
Finally, the scarcity of the calcicolous shrubs on the Wolds compared with chalk and
limestone areas further south merits consideration. East Yorkshire appears to be outside the
range of Viburnum lantana (Perring and Walters, 1962) but of the other shrubs of this type
only Rhamnus cathartica occurred in more than 25 per cent of the hedges on the Cretaceous
and Jurassic rocks. Furthermore calcicolous shrubs rarely occur in scrub on the sides of dry
valleys in the Wolds.
There are two possible explanations for this state of affairs. Firstly the Wolds are close to
the northernmost limit of distribution in Britain of Thelycrania sqnguinea and Rhamnus
cathartica so these species at least might be expected to show a more scattered distribution
than on limestones further south. Alternatively the scarcity of these species might be a result
of past land use. The Wolds have been farmed intensively since the Bronze Age and only a
few areas of ‘underwood’ were recorded in the Domesday survey (Darby and Maxwell, 1962).
Furthermore most of the Wolds land was farmed on the open field system; until 1730 it was
the least enclosed part of the former county of the East Riding (Harris, 1959). Thus there
must have been few areas where hedges were created from scrub and few sources other than
the hawthorn hedges from which invasion of abandoned valley grasslands could occur. This
would also explain the difficulty experienced in finding mixed hedges on the Wolds (only
eleven were actually on chalk and the majority of these were on the fringes).
It has been pointed out that half of the hedges containing Rhamnus cathartica were on
Jurassic strata. It is also of interest that this species is a feature of the scrub associated with
springs arising at the bottom of the chalk scarp. Occasional bushes have been found at
Weedley Springs and near Goodmanham and Millington. Perhaps the land around the heads
of these springs has not been completely cleared in the past because it has been so wet.
References
Beckett, S. C. (1975) The Late Quaternary vegetational history of Holderness, Yorkshire.
Ph.D. thesis, University of Hull.
Clapham, A. R., Tutin, T. G. and Warburg, E. F. (2nd edn, 1958) Flora of the British Isles.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Darby, H. C. and Maxwell, I. S. (1962) Domesday geography of northern England.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Harris, A. (1959) The open fields of East Yorkshire. East Yorkshire Local History Series:
No. 9.
Perring, F. H. and Walters, S. M., ed. (1962) Atlas of the British Flora. London and
Edinburgh: Nelson and Botanical Society of British Isles.
Pollard, E. (1973) Hedges VII. Woodland relic hedges in Huntingdon and Peterborough.
J.Ecol., 61, 343-52.
Sheppard, J. A. (1958) The draining of the Hull valley. East Yorkshire Local History Series:
No. 8.
Tansley, A. G. (1939) The British Islands and their vegetation. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
45
RECORDS OF FLOWER VISITING BY
SCUTTLE FLIES (DIPTERA: PHORIDAE) IN THE BRITISH ISLES
R. H. L. DISNEY
Malham Tarn Field Centre, Settle, North Yorkshire
The Phoridae are an important group of flower visiting insects. How significant they are has
not yet been determined. It is evident, however, that their importance as flower visitors has
been under-valued. Firstly they are small and extremely fast moving. By the time a collector
has procured the larger flower visiting flies the Phoridae have disappeared. Secondly when
they have been procured their identification has proved troublesome. Many early records
either fail to identify the flowers or else fail to identify the scuttle flies beyond the family level,
or the identities, particularly in the giant genus Megaselia Rondani, are suspect. Baumann
(1978a) has usefully reviewed most of the published records of flower visiting by Phoridae
and supplemented this (1978b) by his own records for members of subfamily Phorinae
visiting Umbelliferae. However, the Metopininae are inadequately covered and there is need
for a more complete record for the Phoridae as a whole. The present paper reviews the
records of flower-visiting by Phoridae in the British Isles and contributes numerous new
records.
Twenty-three species of named Phoridae have previously been recorded visiting 16 species
of named flowers in the British Isles (Aston, 1957; Carr, 1924; Drabble and Drabble, 1927;
Grentsted, 1945; Malloch, 1908; Parmenter, 1965; Schmitz, 1938, 1949; Wood, 1906, 1908,
1909, 1910) including records published by the author (Disney, 1977, 1979a, 1979b).
Together with new data the records (the author’s being on 673 specimens belonging to 29
species visiting 33 species of flower) now cover 41 species of Phoridae and 45 species of
flowers in the British Isles.
In the list below the author’s records are for Malham Moor, Yorkshire unless stated other-
wise.
1. Anevrina unispinosa (Zett.) — on Angelica sylvestris Aston (1957).
2. Borophaga carinifrons (Zett.) — on Senecio jacobaea Aston (1957).
3. Citrago citreiformis (Becker) — on Angelica sylvestris Wood (1906), Disney 10 dd 1—
13 Aug 1975: Heracleum sphondylium Wood (1906) and Malloch (1908); Parnassia
palustris Disney 1 9 16 Sept 1971, 3 dd 29, 31 Aug 1975. In Germany Baumann (1978b)
recorded males at A. sylvestris, H. sphondylium , Peucedanum ostruthium , and Laserpitium
latifolium.
4. Conicera dauci (Meig.) — on Angelica sylvestris Parmenter (1965), Disney (1977) 2 dd
1 9 18 Aug 1976 (Athlone Ireland); Foeniculum vulgare Parmenter (1965); Heracleum
sphondylium Grensted (1945), Parmenter (1965), Disney 17 dd 1 9 13, 17 July 1976, 8 Aug
1977, 7 Aug 1978 (Malham; Chilmark Wiltshire; Juniper Hall, Surrey); Petroselinum sativa
Disney 1 d 1 9 8 Aug 1977 (Chilmark). In Germany Baumann (1978b) has recorded this
species at 8 species of Umbelliferae.
5. Conicera minuscula Schmitz — on Myrrhis odorata Disney 2 dd 2 June 1977. In
Germany Baumann (1978b) recorded this fly at 6 other species of Umbelliferae.
6. Conicera pauxilla Schmitz — on Heracleum sphondylium Disney 1 d 8 Aug 1977
(Chilmark, Wiltshire), 1 d 9 July 1978 (Juniper Hall, Surrey). Baumann (1978b) recorded it
in Germany at 4 other species of Umbelliferae as well.
7. Diplonevra funebris (Meigen) — on Potentilla anserina Schmitz (1949); Heracleum
sphondylium Disney 1 d 13 July 1978 (Juniper Hall, Surrey); Hypochoeris radicata Disney 24
dd 19, 20 July 1975 (Nettlecombe Court, Somerset); Leontodon autumnalis Disney 1 d
20 Aug 1977; Ranunculus acris Disney 1 d 20 July 1975 (Nettlecombe); Rubus fruticosus
Disney 1 d 20 Aug 1979 (Croyde, Devon); Taraxacum officinale 1 d 22 Sept 1975 (Watford
Gap Service Station).
Naturalist 105 (1980)
46
Records of Flower Visiting by Scuttle Flies in the British Isles
In Canada Judd (1975) recorded this species at Cornus obliqua. In Germany Baumann
(1978b) recorded it at H. sphondylium, Daucus carota and Chaerophyllum bulbosum. It
appears that only the male sex visits flowers.
8. Diplonevra glabra Schmitz — On Pastinaca sativa Parmenter (1965); Myrrhis odorata
Disney 19 5 June 1976; Potentilla sterilis Disney 1 <5 1 9 7 May 1976.
9. Diplonevra nitidula (Meigen) — on Anthriscus sylvestris and Salix cinera atrocinerea
Parmenter (1965); Heracleum sphondylium Disney 1 d 2 99 8 Aug 1977 (Chilmark,
Wiltshire), 3 dd 3 99 9, 13 July 1978 (Juniper Hall, Surrey); Ranunculus acris Disney
(1979a) 1 d 12 Sept 1975. In Germany Baumann (1978b) recorded it at 4 species of Umbelli-
ferae. I have also ‘observed a male feeding from a runner bean leaf by piercing it at the
junction of two veins’ (Disney, 1979a).
10. Gymnoptera longicostalis Schmitz — this species was not distinguished from G.
vitripennis (Meigen) until 1933. Wood’s (1906) records of G. vitripennis visiting Heracleum
sphondylium and Angelica sylvestris are now considered to refer to G. longicostalis.
Baumann (1978b) recorded this species at 4 species of Umbelliferae.
11. Megaselia angelicae (Wood) — on Angelica sylvestris and Heracleum sphondylium
Wood (1910).
12. Megaselia brevicostalis (Wood) — on Angelica sylvestris Wood (1910); Disney (see
below); Potentilla anserina and Taraxacum officinale Schmitz (1938), Disney (see below).
My records are:
Flower
Date
Locality
99
dd
Angelica sylvestris
13 Aug 1975
Malham Moor
1
—
Caltha palustris
8 May 1976
Malham Moor
1
—
Chrysanthemum maximum
25 July 1976
Clapham, Yorks.
—
1
Euphrasia nemorosa
13 Sept 1975
Malham Moor
—
3
Heracleum sphondylium
13 July 1978
Juniper Hall, Surrey
3
—
Hypochoeris radicata
19, 20 July 1975
Nettlecombe Court, Somerset
5
10
Leontodon autumnalis
12,29 Aug 1975
Malham Moor
9
3
L. autumnalis
20, 21 Sept 1975
Hanlith, Yorks.
1
1
L. autumnalis
20 Aug 1976
Ireland (Disney, 1977)
—
1
L. hispidus
20 Aug 1975
Malham Moor
1
—
L. hispidus
21 Sept 1975
Hanlith, Yorks.
1
Magnolia sp
6 May 1976
Ambleside, Cumbria
—
1
Narcissus hispanicus
18, 20 April 1976
Malham Moor
—
4
N. pseudonarcissus
6 May 1976
Ambleside, Cumbria
1
—
Parnassia palustris
25, 27, 31 Aug 1975
Malham Moor
11
10
P. palustris
16 Sept 1976
Malham Moor
—
1
Potentilla erect a
29 Aug 1975
Malham Moor
4
3
P. erecta
16 Sept 1975
Malham Moor
1
1
Potentilla sterilis
7 May 1976
Malham Moor
3
1
Ranunculus bulbosus
22 Aug 1977
Malham Moor
—
1
R. ficaria
20 April 1976
Malham Moor
4
16
Stellaria holostea
31 May 1979
Chilmark, Wilts.
—
1
Taraxacum officinale
24 Sept 1975
Ecton, Northants.
1
1
T. officinale
15, 22 Aug 1975
Malham Moor
1
3
T. officinale
12 Sept 1975
Malham Moor
1
—
T. officinale
7 Oct 1975
Malham Moor
6
4
T. officinale
24 April 1976
Malham Moor
1
—
T. officinale
7 May 1976
Malham Moor
1
—
T. officinale
6 May 1977
Malham Moor
1
—
Tussilago farfara
10, 15 April 1976
Malham Moor
10
10
Veronica filiformis
6 May 1976
Ambleside, Cumbria
—
1
Totals
68
77
Records of Flower Visiting by Scuttle Flies in the British Isles 47
13. Megaselia ciliata (Zett.) — on Heracleum sphondylium Disney 19 9 July 1978 (Juniper
Hall, Surrey); Magnolia sp Disney 19 6 May 1976 (Ambleside, Cumbria); Myrrhis odorata
Disney 19 2 June 1977 ; Narcissus hispanicus Disney 1 d 10 May 1977; Salix caprea Disney
(I. F. G. McLean) 1 9 17 April 1978 (Norwich, Norfolk).
14. Megaselia coei (Schmitz) — Schmitz (1938b) recorded this species on ‘Moss Campion’
(Silene acaulis) in Scotland (not on Platanthera in Ireland as stated by Baumann, 1978a).
15. Megaselia dahli (Becker) — on Aristolochia sipho Carr (1924).
16. Megaselia discreta (Wood) — on Angelica sylvestris Wood (1909).
17. Megaselia giraudii — on Angelica sylvestris Parmenter (1965); Heracleum
sphondylium Disney 1 d 9 July 1978 (Juniper Hall, Surrey); Parnassia palustris Disney 1 d
11 Sept 1975.
18. Megaselia hirsuta (Wood) — on Angelica sylvestris and Heracleum sphondylium Wood
(1910).
19. Megaselia hyalipennis (Wood) — on Acer pseudoplatanus Disney 1 d 2 June 1976;
Narcissus hispanicus Disney 2 dd 17 May 1976.
20. Megaselia longicostalis (Wood) — on Euphrasis nemorosa Disney 1 d 13 Sept 1975.
21. Megaselia mallochi (Wood) on Oxalis acetosella Parmenter (1965).
22. Megaselia manicata (Wood) — on Angelica sylvestris Wood (1910), Disney 7 dd 2 99
24 Sept 1975 (Garbutt Wood, Yorks.); Heracleum sphondylium Wood (1910).
23. Megaselia pectoralis (Wood) — on Salix caprea Disney (I. F. G. McLean) 3 99 16
April 1977 (Norwich, Norfolk).
24. Megaselia pleuralis (Wood) — on Hedera helix Parmenter (1965), Disney 2 99 4 Oct
1978 (Nettlecombe Court, Somerset); Angelica sylvestris Disney 19 9 Oct 1977; Leontodon
autumnalis Disney 19 9 Sept 1977.
25. Megaselia posticata (Strobl) — on Angelica sylvestris Wood (1908).
26. Megaselia pulicaria (Fallen) — I have recorded this species as follows:
Flower
Date
Locality
99
dd
Cirsium arvense
18 July 1975
Nettlecombe Court, Somerset
—
1
Hedera helix
7 Oct 1976
Twyford, Sussex (McLean)
2
4
Heracleum sphondylium
13 July 1976
Juniper Hall, Surrey
—
1
Limanthes douglasii
7 June 1964
Lough ton, Essex (Payne)
1
—
Myrris odorata
5 June 1976
Malham Moor
1
1
Narcissus hispanicus
18, 19, 20 April 1976
Malham Moor
62
63
N. hispanicus
4, 7, 17 May 1976
Malham Moor
13
9
N. hispanicus
1, 6, 10, 18 May 1977 Malham Moor
37
23
Parnassia palustris
31 Aug 1975
Malham Moor
1
—
Ran un cuius ficaria
20 April 1976
Malham Moor
1
—
Salix caprea
12, 17 March 1977
Norwich (McLean)
2
1
S. caprea
5, 16, 17 April 1977
Norwich (McLean)
7
4
S. cinerea
24 April 1976
Malham Moor
—
1
S. cinerea
Saxifraga diapensoides
10 May 1977
Malham Moor
1
—
v. lutea
19 April 1976
Malham Moor
1
2
Taraxacum officinale
6 May 1977
Malham Moor
1
—
Totals
130
110
21. Megaselia pygmaeoides (Lundbeck) — on Conium maculatum Parmenter (1965);
Saxifraga diapensoides var. lutea Disney 1 d 19 April 1976.
28. Megaselia rufipes (Meigen) — on Heracleum sphondylium Grensted (1945) Oxalis
acetosella Parmenter (1965); Narcissus hispanicus Disney 2 dd 18 April 1976.
29-32. Megaselia spp. — I have collected 9 specimens belonging to 4 species which cannot
be named with certainty as yet. Angelica sylvestris 1 d of 1 species 29 July 1977, 1 d of a
different species 13 Aug 1975; Salix cinerea 1 d (of same species) 10 May 1977; Narcissus
48 Records of Flower Visiting by Scuttle Flies in the British Isles
hispanicus 1 9 18 April 1976, 2 dd 1 9 18 April 1976; Heracleum sphondylium 2 99 9 and
13 July 1978 (Juniper Hall, Surrey).
33. Metopina heselhausi Schmitz — on Potentilla anserina and Taraxacum officinale
Schmitz (1938).
34. Metopina oligoneura (Mik) — all early records of this species visiting flowers need to be
treated with caution. In my recent review of the European species (Disney, 1979b) I
incorporated most of the following observations. On Anthemis cotula 9 99 6 dd 24 Sept
1975 (Ecton, Northamptonshire); Hypochoeris radicata 39 dd 19, 20 July 1975 (Nettlecombe
Court, Somerset); Leontodon autumnalis 25 9 9 10 dd 20, 21 Sept 1975 (Kirkby Malham,
Yorks.) 2 99 3 dd 26 Sept 1976; Ranunculus acris 1 d 20 July 1979 (Nettlecombe), 19 4 dd
21 June 1976 (Kettlesing, Yorks.); Taraxacum officinale 5 99 13 dd 24 Sept 1975 (Ecton),
2 99 2 dd 22 Sept 1975 (Watford Gap Service Station).
35. Metopina pileata Schmitz — on Heracleum sphondylium Disney, 1 9 1 d 13 July 1978
(Juniper Hall, Surrey).
36. Metopina ulrichi Disney — on Heracleum sphondylium Disney, 1 9 1 d 9 July 1978
(Juniper Hall, Surrey).
37. Phora aterrima (Fabr.) — on Anthriscus sylvestris Parmenter (1965), Disney 19 11
Aug 1975; Aster tripolium and Torilis japonica Parmenter (1965); Prunus laurocerasus
Disney (D. A. Smith) 1 9 10 May 1977 (Dagnam Park, Essex).
38. Phora edentata Schmitz — on Heracleum sphondylium Disney 1 d 9 July 1978 (Juniper
Hall, Surrey). The specimen was seized and killed by the spider Misumena vatia (Clerck).
39. Phora stictica Meigen — on Heracleum sphondylium Drabble and Drabble (1927);
Angelica sylvestris Disney, 9 99 1 d 29 July 1977, 4 99 3 dd 25, 29 Aug 1977. In Germany
Baumann (1978b) recorded it at both these species as well as 6 other species of Umbelliferae.
40. Triphleba nudipalpis (Becker) — on Narcissus hispanicus Disney 19 3 dd 18 April
1976, 1 9 7 May 1976, 1 d 1 9 10, 18 May 1977; Salix caprea Disney (I. F. F. McLean) 10 99
10 dd 16 April 1977, 2 99 5, 17 April 1978. (Norwich, Norfolk). Baumann (1978b) recorded
it at Peucedanum ostruthium in Germany.
41. Triphleba opaca (Meigen) — Colyer (unpublished notebooks) recorded this species at
‘sallow catkins’, Narcissus hispanicus Disney 1 d 4 May 1976; Salix caprea Disney (I. F. G.
McLean) 1 d 12 March 1977 (Norwich, Norfolk).
List of Plants
The names follow Clapham et al. (1962). The numbers against each species refer to the
phorid species above.
Acer pseudoplat anus 19.
Angelica sylvestris 1, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 22, 24, 25, 29, 32, 37, 39.
Anthriscus sylvestris 9, 37.
Anthemis cotula 34.
Aristolochia sipho 15.
Aster tripolium 37.
Caltha palustris 12.
Chrysanthemum maximum 12.
Cirsium arvense 26.
Conium maculatum 27.
Euphrasia nemorosa 12, 20.
Foeniculum vulgare 4.
Hedera helix 24, 26.
Heracleum sphondylium 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 22, 26, 28, 35, 36, 38, 39.
Hypochoeris radicata 7, 12, 34.
Leontodon autumnalis 7, 12, 24, 34.
L. hispidus 12.
Limanthes douglasii 26.
Magnolia sp 12, 13.
49
Records of Flower Visiting by Scuttle Flies in the British Isles
Myrrhis odorata 5, 8, 13, 26.
Narcissus hispanicus 12, 13, 19, 26, 28, 29, 31, 40, 41.
N. pseudonarcissus 12.
Oxalis acetosella 21, 28.
Parnassia palustris 3, 12, 17, 26.
Pastinaca sativa 8.
Petroselinum crispum 4.
Potentilla anserina 7, 12, 33.
P. erect a 12.
P. sterilis 8,12.
Prunus laurocerasus 37.
Ranunculus acris 7, 9, 34.
R. bulbosus 12.
R. ficaria 12, 26.
Rubus fruticosus agg. 7.
Salix caprea 13, 23, 26, 40, 41.
S. cinerea 26, 29.
S. cinerea atrocinerea 9.
Saxifraga diapensoides var. lutea 26, 27.
Senecio jacobaea 2.
Silene acaulis 14.
Stellaria holostea 12.
Taraxacum officinale 7, 12, 26, 33, 34.
Torilis japonica 37.
Tussilago far far a 12.
Veronica filformis 12.
Discussion
The above review has aimed to provide a basis for future work on the role of Phoridae as
flower visitors in the British Isles. It is clear that more detailed studies are required if an
adequate picture is to be obtained since so far less than 15 per cent of the species of Phoridae
on the British List have been recorded visiting flowers. The reasons for this are no doubt due
to inadequate observations of a sufficiently wide variety of flowers at a sufficiently wide range
of times of day and seasons of the year. However, species of Megaselia are frequently
observed lowering their mouthparts onto the surface of leaves coated with honeydew. In addi-
tion the observations of the male Diplonevra nitidula seen to be feeding from a leaf by
piercing it at the junction of two veins (Disney, 1979a) further suggests that many Phoridae
obtain plant sugars other than from flowers. The observations that Diplonevra funebris may
visit flowers in numbers and yet only males have been seen to do so is not without interest.
The proboscis of the male is decidedly more slender than that of the female (of Figs. 148a
and 148b in Schmitz, 1949), or of that found in other members of the genus in either sex.
The selection of pollen or nectar by phorids and the periodicity of feeding (both daily and
seasonal) need investigation.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Dr I. F. G. McLean, R. M. Payne and D. A. Smith for specimens collected
by them at named flowers. My work on Phoridae has benefited from grants from the Royal
Society.
References
Aston, A. (1957) The Diptera of Suffolk. Family XXVI: Phoridae — Hump-backed flies.
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. , 10: 223-7.
Baumann, E. (1978a) Rennfliegen (Diptera: Phoridea) als Bliitenbesucher Kritische
Sichtung der literatur. Flora , 167: 301-14.
50 Records of Flower Visiting by Scuttle Flies in the British Isles
Baumann, E. (1978b) Phoridae (Phoridae/Diptera, Rennfliegen) als Blutenbesucher auf
Doldengewachsen (Umbelliferae)P/. Syst. EvoL, 130: 43-52.
Carr, J. W. (1924) The Diptera pollinating the flowers of Aristolochia sipho. Entomologist’s
mon. Mag., 60: 258.
Clapham, A. R., Tutin, T. G. and Warburg, E. F. (1962) Flora of the British Isles. 2nd
Edn Cambridge, C.U.P.
Colyer, C. N. (unpublished notebooks). (Deposited in Diptera Section, Department of
Entomology, British Museum (Natural History).)
Disney, R. H. L. (1977) Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) from Inishbofin Co. Galway.
Ir. Nat. J. , 19: 57—61.
Disney, R. H. L. (1979a) Natural history notes on some British Phoridae (Diptera) with
comments on a changing pictur e Entomologist’s Gaz., 30: 141—50.
Disney, R. H. L. (1979b) The British Metopina (Diptera: Phoridae) with description of a
new species. Zool. L. Linnean Soc., 67: 97-113.
Drabble, E and Drabble, H. (1927) Some flowers and their Dipteran visitors. New Phytol.,
26: 115-23.
Grensted, L. W. (1945) Predators and other Diptera on Cow-parsnip. Entomologist’s mon.
Mag., 81:229.
Judd, W. W. (1975) Insects associated with flowering silky dogwood ( Cornus obliqua Raf.)
at Dunville, Haldimand County, Ontario. Ont. field biol. , 29: 26—35.
Malloch, J. R. (1908) Notes on Phoridae in Dumbartonshire, with description of a new
species. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. , 44: 203—5.
Parmenter, L. (1965) Notes on the distribution of Phoridae (Diptera) in Britain. Proc. S.
Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1965: 35—42.
Schmitz, H. (1938a) Zwei neue europaeische Megaselien. Nat. Maandbl. , 27: 8-9.
Schmitz, H. (1938b) On the Irish species of the dipterous family Phoridae. Proc. R. Irish
Acad., 44: (B) 9: 173-204.
Schmitz, H. (1949) In Linder, E. (Ed .) Die Fleigen der Palaearktischen Region 33 Phoridae.
160: 193-240.
Wood, J. H. (1906) On the British species oiPhora (Part I). Entomologist’s mon. Mag. , 42:
262-6.
Wood, J. H. (1908) On the British species oiPhora (Part II). Entomologist’s mon. Mag.,
44: 215-18.
Wood, J. H. (1909) On the British species oiPhora. Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 45: 240-4.
Wood, J. H. (1910) On the British species oiPhora. Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 46: 195—
202, 243-9.
IRISH NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL
A MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY
Published every Quarter by the I.N.J. Committee
Edited by ELIZABETH PLATTS, with the assistance of an Editorial Committee
Annual subscription £7 post free Single Parts £2
All communications to be addressed to:
The Editor, I.N.J. , Science Library, Queen’s University,
Belfast BT9 5EQ
51
NOTES ON SOME SAWFLIES (HYM., SYMPHYTA) FOUND
IN SCOTLAND, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF
A NEW SPECIES OF PACHYNEMATUS KONOW FROM WESTER ROSS
A. D. LISTON
99 Clermiston Road, Edinburgh
The contents of this work are intended to supplement and extent those given by Liston (in
press). Observations on biological aspects of some species are given, but mainly distri-
butional data are recorded. Species not previously formally recorded from Scotland in the
literature are marked with an asterisk.
Trichiosoma and Cimbex (Cimbicidae)
The adult feeding habits of the species in these two genera have excited much speculation,
but there is a lack of hard evidence to support the idea of their being predatory. Some
observations on adult specimens of Trichiosoma latreillei Leach and *T. lucorum (L.) kept in
captivity may therefore be of interest. During late June of 1979, one male and one female of
lucorum and one female latreillei were collected in a birch wood in the upper Whitadder
Valley, East Lothian. The specimens were kept separately in transparent plastic containers.
Each container held a sprig of birch with the base of its stem in water. A wide variety of
insects and insect larvae were introduced to the containers in the hope that the sawflies might
consume some of them, but at the end of three days the Trichiosoma had not shown any
interest in the smaller insects. Neither had the plant material been touched. On the fourth
day the lucorum female was dead and the other two specimens were obviously moribund. It
was at this point that I noticed a significant comment in Lorenz & Kraus (1957). These
authors noted that adult cimbicids can ‘ring’, or remove the bark, from the twigs of trees and
thereby gain access to the sap. This led me to think that the sawflies were suffering from
dehydration rather than any lack of solid matter. Water was sprayed onto the birch sprigs in
each of the two remaining containers and the insects’ reactions were watched. The effect was
immediate in the case of the male lucorum . This specimen was disturbed by a drop of water
and started to crawl up the birch stem. On reaching a small drop of water it extended its
glossa and paraglossa and using a ‘lapping’ motion, drank the drop in less than a minute.
The sawfly then extended its palpi, and with these in motion, moved off to another drop. The
latreillei female drank for over fifteen minutes at a small pool of water which had formed at
the foot of the container. Despite the fact that I kept the insects well supplied with water,
they were both dead eight days after the date of their collection.
These observations raise some interesting questions. Although they were not carried out in
natural conditions, it would seem that Trichiosoma , and probably also Cimbex, have little
need of solid food, only water. Presumably water is normally obtained in the form of dew or
raindrops on the vegetation. The ‘ringing’ of twigs may only be carried out as a last resort in
very dry weather, and may not even be developed in the British populations of these
Cimbicidae. Despite the note made by Howard, L. O., 1896. Proc. ent. soc. Wash., 4:31
(cited in Benson, 1950) about a specimen of Cimbex americana found in flight with a larva of
the gypsy moth in its grasp, I find it hard to believe that a predatory insect would have to
resort to the sap of trees for its moisture requirements.
Benson (1951) stated that T. lucorum is absent from Scotland. It is in fact just as common
as latreillei, and often flies with that species. There is of course some doubt as to their
validity as species (Enslin, 1912-17).
Naturalist 105 (1980)
52 Notes on some Sawflies found in Scotland
Aneugmenus padi (L.) (= coronatus Kl.)
This species is almost completely parthenogenetic in Britain. The only male known to
Benson (1952) was found in Hertfordshire, in 1929. A second British male was found in
Beecraigs Country Park on 27. vi. 1979. It is interesting to note that while the species its
parthenogenetic in Central and Northern Europe (Hellen, 1943. Muche, 1967-70), males are
commoner than females in Southern Europe (Benson, 1968).
Heterarthrus aceris (Kaltenbach)
An adult of this species has already been found on Corstorphine Hill, Edinburgh (Liston, in
press). Further visits to this locality revealed that practically every Acer pseudoplatanus L.
had one or more of its leaves mined by this species’ larvae.
Tenthredo maculata Geoff roy
On 1. vii. 1979 I watched a female specimen of this distinctive species land on some cuckoo-
spit on the stem of a bramble. The sawfly fed, or drank, at the froth for a few minutes and
then pushed its head into it and extracted the Homopteran nymph, which it flew off with.
Benson (1950) records sawflies feeding at cuckoo-spit but does not mention the fate of the
inhabitants.
Priophorus rufipes (Lep.)
A single male of this species was captured on Corstorphine Hill, Edinburgh, Midlothian with
some specimens of Fenusa ulmi (Sundewall) on 14. vi. 1979. Previously recorded from as far
north as Dumfries (Benson, 1958).
*Pristiphora denudata Konow
During vi. 1979 three female denudata were collected on Corstorphine Hill, Edinburgh. Two
were swept from Sorbus aucuparia L., the other from Betula. The larval foodplant of this
species is not known, but since P. pallidiventris (Fallen), a closely-related species, is known
to feed on various low growing Rosaceae, Sorbus is a distinct possibility as one of the food-
plants of denudata.
Nematus melanspis Hartig
An unusual specimen of this common species was found on Corstorphine Hill on 28. vi. 1979.
This female has a complete and well-defined suture dividing the anterior mesonotal lobes. It
is worthwhile noting that Benes (1967, 1968) has conducted studies into the ways in which
the structure oiPontania imagines vary according to the conditions which are imposed upon
them as larvae. He found that humidity, temperature and even lighting played a part. It is
not surprising, therefore, that sawflies vary extremely in morphology and coloration in the
arctic regions of the world (Benson, 1962). The specimen of N. melanaspis mentioned above
may somehow have been subjected to extreme warmth or cold at a critical time in its develop-
ment.
Pachynematus apicalis (Hartig)
A male of this sawfly was collected beside the Bonaly Burn, Pentland Hills, Midlothian,
28.vii.1979. In Scotland the species has previously been recorded from Lanarkshire,
Dunbartonshire and Inverness (Benson, 1958).
Pachynematus torridonensis sp. n.
FEMALE. Colour. Black, except for the following parts which are whitish: clypeus, labrum,
tegulae, costa, subcosta, stigma, ± apices and anterior parts of all femora (but very variable),
tibiae except for apices, and bases of basitarsi. The post orbital areas and the ventro-anal
region of the abdomen are brownish.
Head. Shining between ill-defined punctures. Subparallel behind eyes. Antenna as long as
costa of forewing, with 4th segment slightly longer than the longest axis of an eye. Frontal
wall complete. POL:OOL = 1.0: 1.6. Pubescence pale and very short.
Notes on some Sawflies found in Scotland 53
Thorax. Shining with feeble sculpture. Furrow dividing anterior lobe of mesonotum
obsolete posteriorally. Scutellum, without metascutellum, less than 1$ x as broad as long (as
in Fig. 2 of Benson, 1967). Inner hind tibial spur slightly shorter than the apical width of the
hind tibia. Hind tibia about 1$ x as long as hind femur (without 2nd trochanter). Hind tarsus
three-fifths as long as hind tibia. Hind basitarsus 3$ x as long as its apical width.
Abdomen. Tergites rather dull with alutaceous sculpture. Sawsheath subtriangular, as in
P. apicalis (Htg.) (see Benson, 1958, Fig. 770). Saw not very distinctive (Fig. 1): Its number
of teeth varies between 16 and 19.
FIGURE 1
Saw of Pachynematus torridonensis sp.n. (paratype)
MATERIAL. Holotype 9. Coire Mhic Nobuil, near Allt Toll a’Mhaidaich (150m), Wester
Ross, SCOTLAND, 16.5.78. PARATYPES. 19, Craig (5 miles north-west of Diabeg (sea-
level), W. Ross. 18.5.78. 1 9, Coire Dubh Mhor, on slope below Stuc a’Choire Dhuibh Bhig
(350m), W. Ross, 19.5.78. Holotype and first paratype deposited in Royal Scottish Museum,
Edinburgh. Other paratype in author’s collection.
Length of specimens: 5. 5-6.0 mm.
Biology. A species of probable arctic affinities. Larval foodplant possibly a species of
Care x, from which two of the above mentioned specimens were swept.
Affinities. Pachynematus torridonensis sp. n. is clearly allied to the P. apicalis group (as
defined in couplet 8(6) of Benson’s (1958) key) except for the short inner hind tibial spurs,
which distinguish it from all these species except P. omega (Benson).
It differs from P. apicalis in the following ways. Antennae shorter (as long as costa and
half stigma in apicalis). Tarsi shorter (three-quarters as long as hind tibia in apicalis ). Hind
basitarsus shorter (four and a half times as long as broad in apicalis). No confusion should
arise withP. clibrichellus (Cameron) which has long fuscous pubescence on head and thorax.
Probably differs from female of P. omega (Bens.) (only known from males taken in the Swiss
Alps. Benson, 1955) in having shorter tarsi and antennae. P. omega also has its mesopleura
only slightly tuberculate. P. moerens (Forster) has its hind tarsus much longer (as long as
hind fibia). Although moerens has the same length of antenna as torridonensis, the former
has the fourth segment shorter than the longest axis of the eye.
Acknowledgements
I thank Messrs. Q. Laidlaw, A. Leslie, S. McMaster and M. Robertson for their kind
assistance in collecting the Torridon specimens.
54 Notes on some Saw flies found in Scotland
References
Benes, K. (1967). Czechoslovak species of the Pontania crassipes group (Hymenoptera,
Tenthredinidae). Acta ent. Bohemoslav. 64: 371-86.
Benes, K. (1968) Galls and larvae of the European species of the genera Phyllocolpa and
Pontania (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae). Acta ent. Bohemoslav. 65: 112-37.
Benson, R. B. (1950). An introduction to the natural history of British sawflies. Trans. Soc.
Br. Ent. 10: 45-142.
Benson, R. B. (1951, 1952, 1958). Hymenoptera Symphyta. Handbk. Ident. Br. Insects , VI,
2 (pts. a, b and c): 1-252.
Benson, R. B. (1955). Some High Alpine Nematine Sawflies (Hym., Tenthredinidae).
Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 91: 103-5.
Benson, R. B. (1962). Holarctic Sawflies. Bull. Br. Mus. Nat. Hist. (Ent.) 12(8): 381-409.
Benson, R. B. (1967). Pachynematus laevigatus Zaddach as a British Sawfly and the females
of P. chambersi Benson, P. smithiae Ross and P. sulcatus Benson (Hym., Tenthredini-
dae). Entomologist ’s mon. Mag, 103: 141—3.
Benson, R. B. (1968) Hymenoptera from Turkey, Symphyta. Bull. Br. Mus. Nat. Hist.
(Ent.) 22(4): 109-207.
Enslin, E. (1912-17) Die Tenthredinoidea Mitteleuropas, pts. 1-7. Dt. ent. Z. , Beihefte.
Berlin, 1918. 790 pp.
Hellen, W. (1943) Mitteilungen fiber einige Tenthredinoiden Finnlands II. Notul. Ent.
23: 63-72.
Liston, A. D. (in press) Notes on some sawflies (Hym., Symphyta) collected in Scotland.
Entomologist’s mon. Mag.
Lorrenz, H. and Kraus, M. (1957). Die Larvalsystematik der Blattwespen. Abh. Larvalsyst.
Insekt. 1: 340 pp. +viii.
Muche, W. H. (1967-70) Die Blattwespen Deutschlands (Hym., Tenthredinidae). Ent.
Abh. Mus. Tierk. suppl. 36, I-IV. Dresden. 236 pp.
HYMENOPTERA IN YORKSHIRE, 1975-78
H. E. and J. H. FLINT
Several entomologists have been working steadily on the sawflies and on the aculeate wasps
and bees during the period since the last report but collecting these insects is particularly
susceptible to the weather. As a general rule they fly freely in warm, sunny weather and the
collector’s field days must coincide with the sunshine if he is to have much hope of success. A
fortunate discovery of the sawfly Dolerus coracinus (see below) inspired repeated visits to the
locality, 50 miles from home, in successive years in attempts to obtain further examples. All
were defeated by the weather. Either the sun disappeared, the wind rose or the temperature
dropped. A curiously contrary observation was made on a dull, cool, late afternoon on
Strensall Common by J.H.F. who found quite a number of the little rubytail wasp Notozus
constrictus Foerster flying over a sandy bank. This was surprising because the rubytails
generally only fly in hot, bright sunshine. The social bees and wasps, of course, are well
known to continue their activities in cold, dull weather.
Since the last report Bombus magnus Vogt has been reported in the county. Its status,
separate species or sub-species (or even form) of Bombus lucorum L., may still be uncertain.
As it may well be an upland and northern bee while B. lucorum is lowland and southern,
systematic collecting of both in Yorkshire may help to distinguish more clearly the range of
each.
Reports have been received from Dr. M. E. Archer, Mr. W. A. Ely and Mr. P. Skidmore
to whom we express our thanks. Only a selection of the less common species is listed. The
usual symbols denote county (f ) and vice-county (*) additions.
Hymenoptera in Yorkshire, 1975—78
55
Symphyta
* Pamphilius balteatus (Fallen) (62) Ashberry Nature Reserve, 6/6/76; H.E.F.
* Xiphydria camelus (L.) (62) Carnelian Bay, Scarborough, 15/8/75; one on the beach,
J.H.F. Local and scarce, its larva mines the trunks of alders. There are many dead and
dying alders on the lower and more exposed parts of the clay cliffs in the bay.
*Hartigia xanthostoma (Eversmann) (64) Hetchell Wood Nature Reserve, 6/6/78; H.E.F.
Only previously in Yorkshire from Ashberry, 1971.
*Aneugmenus fuerstenbergensis (Konow) (64) Lindley Wood, 29/5/60; H.E.F. Bilsdale is
the only other known Yorkshire locality.
• fDolerus coracinus Klug (62) Riccaldale, one female, 7/4/74; H.E.F. Known to Benson
(1952) only from a series of females taken at Aviemore in 1946.
*D. triplicatus Klug (61) Skipwith Common, 1/6/76; H.E.F. Spurn and Hetchell Wood are
the only other known Yorkshire localities.
Tenthredo fagi Panzer (63) Harthill, Rotherham, 27/6/78; M. Crittenden and D. W.
Twigg (fide W.A.E.). A scarce insect, mainly south-eastern, not reported in Yorkshire for
many years past.
* Hoplocampa alpina (Zetterstedt) (62) Ellerburn, on rowan, 20/6/76; H.E.F. Oxenber
Wood is the only other known Yorkshire locality.
fH. chrysorrhoea (Klug) (64) Adel Dam Nature Reserve, Leeds, 24/4/59; J.H.F.
f H. rutilicornis (Klug) (62) Ashberry Nature Reserve, on blackthorn (Prunus spinosa),
21/5/78; H.E.F.
■fDineura testaceipes (Klug) (64) Temple Newsam, Leeds, 28/7/64; W.A.E. (det. J.H.F.).
Pontania tuberculata (Benson) (64) Breary Marsh, Leeds, 28/5/63; J.H.F. Malham Tarn
was the only English locality known to Benson (1958).
*Nematus crassus (Fallen) (63) Shirley Pool, Askern, 22/6/75; J.H.F.
■fN. salicis (L.) (64) Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve, 9/6/63; H.E.F.
The following more common species are additions to vice-county lists: Empria alector
Benson (65) Reeth; Birka cinereipes Klug (63) Rotherham, (64) Leeds; Rhogogaster
chambersi Benson (61) Fordon Bank; R. punctulata (Klug) (65) Addleborough; Croesus
varus (Villaret) (64) Wistow; Pachynematus kirbyi (Dahlbom) (61) Wheldrake Ings.
Aculeata
fPrenanteon basalis (Dalman) (63) Bilham sandpit, 28/7/76; C. A. Howes (det. P.S.). The
black larval sacks of the dryinids are commonly seen on the hosts which they parasitise,
the cicadellid and delphacid hoppers, but the distinctive adults are not easily found.
Sapyga quinquepunctata (F.) (62) Heworth, York, 18 and 25/5/77 ; M.E.A.
Dipogon variegatus (L.) (62) Ashberry, 22/8/76; J.H.F.
"f Ancistrocerus gazella (Panzer) (62) Heworth, 22/6/76 and subsequently; M.E.A. This is
far to the north of any locality known to Spradbery (1973).
Symmorphus mutinensis (Baldini) (62) Keld Head, 9/7/78, 8/8/78; G. King (teste
M.E.A.).
Astata pinguis (Dahlbom) (61) Allerthorpe, 22/6/76; M.E.A.
* Crossocerus capitosus (Shuckard) (65) Reeth, colonies on the river bank, 18/7/76; J.H.F.
*C. cetratus (Shuckard) (62) Ashberry, 12/6/77; J.H.F.
Ectemnius ruficomis (Zetterstedt) (62) Heworth, 10/8/76; M.E.A.
*Nysson trimaculatus (Rossius) (61) Skipwith Common, 8/7/78; M.E.A. Armthorpe is the
only previous record.
Gorytes quadrifasciatus (F.) (61) Allerthorpe, 6/7/75; Skipwith, 28/7/78; M.E.A.
Nomada fulvicornis F. (= lineola Panzer) (61) Faxfleet, 3/6/78; J.H.F.
References
Benson, R. B. (1952 )Handb. Ident. Br. Insects , 6 Part 2(b): 72.
Benson, R. B. (1958 )Handb. Ident. Br. Insects , 6 Part 2(c): 205.
Spradbery, J. P. (1973) Wasps: an account of the biology and natural history of solitary and
social wasps. Collins.
56
BOOK REVIEWS
The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland edited by John Heath and A.
Maitland Emmett. Vol 9, Sphingidae — Noctuidae, Noctuinae and Hadeninae. Pp. 288,
16 colour plates, 203 maps, many text figures. Curwen Books. 1979. £25
During the greater part of this century British lepidopterists have relied on two quite
different works to identify the butterflies and larger moths, those of Richard South with
colour plates and of Edward Meyrick with dichotomous keys, brief descriptions and no
plates. The majority can be reliably named with South simply by matching the specimen to
the illustration but where there is doubt there is generally little help in the text. Most
amateurs, aud surely all beginners, rely on South. Meyrick’s keys, unsupported by coloured
illustrations, are by comparison slow and tedious to use and it is possible for the less
experienced to arrive at completely wrong conclusions. This new work combines the features
of Meyrick and South, dichotomous keys to species, descriptive text and coloured
illustrations of all the species and of many of the varieties and forms.
The coloured illustrations are beautifully and accurately drawn and coloured by Brian
Hargreaves. The detail is often picked out just a little more clearly than in life, truly
splendid, clear guides to determination. The colour printing also has a freshness of tone that
was absent from the first volume. Mr Hargreaves is to be congratulated. However, he will be
as dismayed as is the reviewer to see how faulty register of the colour printing has ruined
Plate 1 and blurred Plate 5. The contrast in clarity between the tiger moths on the latter plate
compared with those on Plate 6 is striking. Fortunately the distinctive hawk moths on Plate 1
can still be recognized but how sad that we cannot see the artist’s true representation of the
magnificent Oleander Hawk. It is natural to turn first to the attraction of the colour plates
but the meticulously drawn line figures by Maureen Lane equally deserve praise.
Most determinations will still be made by reference to the coloured illustrations and the
keys and descriptions used to supplement these in cases of doubt. Anyone who has emptied a
light trap knows how many brown noctuids, more or less rubbed, seem to fall into this
category. The reviewer has checked some of these against the plates and the keys and so far in
each case has reached a convinced conclusion. The keys and descriptive text are compiled by
specialists and seven entomologists have contributed to the systematic part of this volume. It
will generally be possible to run typical examples and some colour forms satisfactorily
through the keys but dark forms, e.g. the Shetland form oiHadena confusa (Plate 12, Fig
22) will not work out satisfactorily. The details of life history are concise but full. The 10 km2
distribution maps compiled by the Biological Records Centre indicate clearly the range of the
species and although much work on these is still to do they are a tribute to the many
entomologists, amateur and professional, whose field work and patient recording have
produced the information on which the maps are based. To some extent the maps are
affected by the incidence of recorders and it is clear that in Yorkshire the south-east and the
north-west have received little attention. The broad patterns of distribution, southern, south-
western, northern, coastal, etc, are clearly revealed.
The systematic part is preceded by a short chapter on reversible structures, the ‘scent
brushes’, which have only recently received much attention. There are also three colour
plates of photographs of widely varying quality covering a range of families but these do not
appear to be in any way linked to the text and the reason for their inclusion is not very
apparent.
This is undoubtedly the major work of reference its publishers claim and it will be
welcomed by all entomologists who can afford it or consult it in their local library. This
volume is particularly welcome since it includes part of Noctuidae, a family with its full
share of awkward species. The second to appear of the projected eleven volumes (Vol 11 will
deal with larvae), it is three years behind the schedule originally announced and it is impos-
sible to think that the target date of 1982 for the whole work can be met. It is also clear that
the whole will cost several hundred pounds and those who can purchase volumes at intervals
as they appear will be wise to do so and rejoice in their possession.
JHF
57
SOME PARTICULAR OBSERVATIONS AT A
BADGER SETT OVER AN ELEVEN-YEAR PERIOD
R. J. PAGET
Glebe Farm, Harthill, nr. Sheffield
Published reports of intensive badger watching at a single sett over several years are distinctly
rare. Regular watching over a seven-year period at a sett in Mirfield in West Yorkshire was
undertaken by Middleton (1974). Soper (1955) describes activity over a four-year period, and
Burness (1970) followed an albino animal for seven years. Since such reports are uncommon
it is felt that this paper may be of interest, concentrating on the fluctuating number of
badgers resident at the sett and some of the less usual examples of their behaviour. The data
from such a study, and conclusions drawn therefrom, must be analysed with caution,
appreciating the difficulties of badger watching in the field with no other aids than torch and
binoculars; and in arriving at some conclusions a certain amount of speculation is inevitable.
The sett was watched on average once a week during the eleven years 1969-79 inclusive, at
certain times several nights consecutively, but at other times less frequently when other setts
were being studied.
The sett is at Harthill with Woodall in South Yorkshire, on the side of a sandstone quarry
adjacent to arable land, pasture and garden allotments, with mainly mature sycamores for
cover. There is dim illumination from the village and good views of the badgers are possible
as they move off from the sett silhouetted against the skyline.
At the beginning of the study an outlying sub-sett in the hedgerow of an adjacent field was
occasionally used but not after 1970, and the social group used only the study sett. There are
two other main setts in the vicinity, one continuously occupied and sited in mixed woodland
about a mile away, and a second about half a mile distant also in a quarry which became
inactive in 1975 and remains so. The study sett held badgers throughout the eleven years,
varying from two to six animals.
1969
At the beginning of the year three badgers were commonly seen together, a boar and sow and
one of unknown sex which was not seen after the first week of April. On 13 Feb the boar
crossed from one of the pair of holes, and emitting a high-pitched whinneying call cautiously
entered the other. He remained below for more than an hour, and with hindsight this
behaviour may be taken as indicative of the presence of sow and offspring in this part of the
sett. (It is also possible to speculate that below-ground mating may have occurred.) Two cubs
were successfully reared, one first seen above ground on 13 May and the other on 6 June.
These remained at the sett for the rest of the year. On 21 Sept the sow was found dead near
the sett. Towards the end of August some chickens were killed nearby and a badger was seen
leaving an open hen hut on two occasions; this occurred sporadically through 1970 and the
boar was eventually shot in November 1971 whilst asleep among dead and living chickens
inside a roost. No further trouble of this kind followed.
1970
The above-mentioned boar was seen throughout the year. On 17 May a young female
weighing 21 pounds, and not lactating, was found dead beside the road some 200 yards from
the sett. Surprisingly, however, two cubs appeared: on 31 May one was seen and both the
next night. This was surprising, since only the boar and two yearlings were thought to be at
the sett, and one of the latter had now been killed. Had these cubs been mothered by a
yearling? This is extremely rare, but if so it lends support to the report by Knight (1970) and
referred to by Neal (1977) when a semi-tame known yearling was found to be in milk. Excited
behaviour by the boar had been seen on 12 Feb possibly coinciding with post-partum oestrus.
Naturalist 105(1980)
58 Some particular observations at a Badger Sett over an Eleven-Year Period
However, another more likely explanation exists, since a third adult badger was seen the
night after the cubs were first seen; this may have been a sow who had recently moved from
the sub-sett, bringing her cubs with her. Middleton (1974) described a similar happening in
his series. The two cubs were regularly seen throughout June and July but not thereafter. A
fall in the number of animals seen occurred in late July and lasted through to early
September. This pattern was repeated in 1972/73/75/76/79 and was thought to be
associated with lying out above ground. Attempted mating, when all three badgers were
above ground, was seen on 21 Oct , and since the third badger was totally uninterested it
seemed likely this was a female.
1971
At the beginning of the year three badgers were thought to be in residence, the boar and sow
from the previous year and the adult which had appeared in June, thought to be a sow. Three
instances of sexual activity were seen in the early months: purring on 25 Jan and again on
7 Feb (widely enough separated dates to infer two different females being on heat, and
supporting the theory of the previous October that the population was one male and two
females), and on 25 April attempted mating with much excitement. Only one cub was seen
this year, initially on 3 May. On two occasions, 28 May and 7 Sept, four adults and not the
usual three were seen. Attempted mating by an excited boar, but with a sow which would not
stand, was seen on 6 Nov following a period of intense gathering of bedding material. Two
days later the boar was shot in the chicken hut as previously mentioned.
1972
Despite the boar being shot in 1971, this sex was definitely represented in the new year
(perhaps the occasional visitor seen the previous summer), since mating was witnessed on
14 Feb. Union was seen for twenty minutes, but the total time was longer as mating was in
progress as the sett was approached. After breaking the boar scratched the ground as
described by Paget (1970) at another sett. The boar purred again the following evening but
left the sett without others emerging. On 13 March the boar was again sexually excited, and
purring deeply half entered one of the entrances but was chased away by the sow. As she
came back to the sett a third adult emerged and the two left the quarry together. Both were
thought to be females, and this episode along with the definite mating a month earlier fits
well with the interval between the eventual emergence of two cubs, one on 16 April and a
second on 4 May, suggesting that one cub was born to each sow, the mid-February and mid-
March sexual activities representing post-partum oestrus in each. Only one cub was seen
after 18 May, and after 29 May one sow also disappeared: possibly the cub died, followed by
its mother. Interestingly, an adult’s skull with some dried soft tissue still attached was found
outside the sett in December. After the end of September only two badgers were seen.
1973
Only two badgers overwintered, boar and sow. On 4 Feb the boar emerged from one hole,
and, purring, crossed to another and half entered. It was from this hole that the sow
eventually brought a cub on 20 April. Neal (1977) points out that a good indicator of the hole
from which cubs will first emerge is that into which bedding is taken in February and March.
Whilst agreeing with this, it is also suggested that the entrance which will be used is that into
which the boar purrs at the time of post-partum oestrus. A second cub was eventually seen.
One of the cubs remained at the sett certainly until late December.
1974
Some purring by the boar was noted on 3 Feb. Two cubs were seen above ground on 4 June
but not again after 25 Aug. Only two adults were seen during the year.
1975
An example of marking by depositing dung was seen on 24 Jan, when the boar after entering
a second hole re-emerged to defaecate on the spoil heap outside: it was this hole the sow and
cubs used later in the year. Daytime visits to the sett showed many dung pits in the proximity
Some Particular Observations at a Badger Sett over an Eleven - Year Period 59
at this time. A third adult arrived, being seen first on 18 May and then at intervals
throughout the year. Two cubs appeared above ground, the first seen initially on 1 May and
the second on 13 May; yet again these had disappeared by mid- August.
1976
The sett was known to hold three badgers in January, February and early March. On 9 Feb
the boar was purring as he patrolled and as he later left the sett area. Only two adults were
seen after mid-March and during the remainder of the year. On 13 April the decomposing
carcase of an approximately four-week-old baby badger was found outside one of the holes,
probably born in the first week of February to the animal not seen after mid-March, which
had probably also died.
1977
On 11 Feb the boar was seen to deposit dung on the sett after emergence (compare 24
January 1975). Then he entered one of the holes from which the sow ran out with the boar in
pursuit. They ran from the sett area but she returned after ten minutes and following a short
period of scratching she went below. Two cubs were seen on 20 April but after the first week
of May only one was present; this stayed until the next summer. On 22 June the boar was
heard to be purring as he left the sett. On 26 Aug during an episode of digging, the boar
squatted to urinate on the freshly excavated earth; after a few minutes the sow came over and
did likewise, at the same place and in the same squatting position. Mutual grooming
followed during which the boar purred intermittently. The sow became more excited and
began to race around the vicinity of the sett, returning from time to time with tail erect
musking the boar. Both then made off into the corn field and purring and yaps indicated
mating to be in progress.
Thus at least two if not three episodes of oestrus in the same sow were witnessed this
year.
1978
The cub from the previous year was seen until mid-June but not thereafter. A sequence of
sexual behaviour was observed in the early part of the year, with the boar purring nightly
from 30 Jan and culminating in mating on 6 Feb. This took place in a furrow in the adjacent
ploughed field and lasted for more than twenty minutes. The most interesting feature of the
sequence however was on 2 Feb when the boar attempted to mate both of the other animals,
i.e. the sow and the daughter yearling. Two cubs were seen above ground, both on 20 May.
Of these one stayed through the winter but the other was not seen after late August.
The evening of 6 June produced an occurrence not seen before when the boar curled up
and went to sleep for about ten minutes outside one of the holes, lying in the rays of the
setting sun; he was awoken by the return of the others.
1979
There was a period of excitement in which all three badgers, boar, sow and yearling were
seen chasing each other in the snow on 3 Feb, but there were no clues that this was in any way
of sexual significance. A cub was seen on 16 April and by the end of the month three cubs
were emerging, bringing the total number of badgers at the sett to six, the most during the
period of study, and probably during its existence. On 2 July a most unusual happening was
witnessed when the boar after emergence from one hole, ran across to the sow and yearling,
just emerged from another hole; he jumped on the back of the latter which flopped to the
ground. The boar then dragged it in its flaccid state by the scruff of the neck across the
terraces and into the hole from which he (the boar) had emerged. Within moments the year-
ling ran out and left with the sow, but the boar did not immediately re-emerge. The yearling
was never seen again and it is tempting to think that this was submission of a male offspring
to its father.
Various combinations of boar, sow and cubs were seen during July and August, but the
numbers were very variable; one all-night watch was rewarded by the sighting of one animal
60 Some Particular Observations at a Badger Sett over an Eleven-Year Period
only, probably the sow; certainly she was the most regularly seen at this time. By September
and October the number seen was consistently three: boar, sow and a grown cub. Attempted
mating occurred on 4 Aug, and a brief interval of purring was heard from within a hole on
17 Nov.
Summary and Discussion
(1) Sexual activity was witnessed in ten of the eleven years, predominantly in February,
adding further support to views expressed by Paget and Middleton (1974), but also in April,
June, August, and October. Long duration mating was seen on four occasions, twice in
February and twice in August. At least two episodes of oestrus were seen in the same sow in
the same year. One sequence of sexual activity by the boar was observed for eight days, when
probably both sow and female yearling were on heat with overlapping oestrus, that in the sow
being post-partum, and the other its first.
(2) Breeding occurred in each of the eleven years of study with the number of cubs reared as
follows:
1969
2
1975
2 r
1970
2
1976
1 1 this died before coming
1971
1
1977
2 above ground
1972
2 one to each of the two females?
1978
2
1973
2
1979
3
1974
2
(3) <
Cubs sometimes remained at the sett through the winter becoming yearlings:
1969
. . . both, one killed on the road.
1975 . .
. . neither.
1970
. . . neither.
1976 . .
. . (no live cubs came above ground).
1971
. . . possibly stayed until December.
1977 . .
, . one of the pair.
1972
. . . neither.
1978 . .
. . one of the pair.
1973
. . . one of the pair.
1979 . .
, . one of the three.
1974
. . . neither.
Either cubs are dispersing to other setts, which seems very unlikely, or mortality is high in
the cub population in the summer.
(4) Yearlings appeared in the main to leave during the spring or summer. These may be
filling gaps at other setts: indeed unexplained arrivals of badgers occurred at this sett during
the time of study. However, in a limited experiment in Gloucestershire, Cheeseman and
Mallinson (pers comm), using marked yearlings, have not demonstrated any movement away
from the sett to other nearby territories. Possibly this reflects the much greater badger
density and the more intense territorial behaviour in that area.
(5) The number of badgers at the sett tended to be least in late summer, explained
mainly by some animals lying up in nearby fields of cereals (one was once found dead near
the sub-sett after combine harvesting).
(6) Possible submission of a yearling, thought to be a male, to its father was witnessed. The
aggressive behaviour by the boar brought about the permanent leaving of the sett by the
offspring.
References
Burness, G. (1970) Seven year watch on a white badger, Animals Magazine , Jan, 404—11.
Knight, J. (1970) Renegade badger in county Durham, Naturalist, 95—6.
Middleton, A. L. V. (1974 ) Badgers of Yorkshire and Humberside. Ebor, York.
Neal, E. G. (1977 ) Badgers. Blandford, Poole.
Paget, R. J. (1970) A badger mating with an hitherto unreported feature, Naturalist, 69.
Paget, R. J. and Middleton, A. L. V. (1974) Some observations on the sexual activities of
badgers in Yorkshire in the months December- April,/. Zool. 173: 256-60.
Soper, E. A. (1955) When Badgers Wake, Routledge and Keegan Paul, London.
61
Y.N.U. BRYOLOGICAL SECTION: ANNUAL REPORT 1979
T. L. BLOCKEEL
1979 has been another successful bryological year. Excursions have been held in the Derwent
Valley (V.C. 61) and in Dentdale (V.C. 65). The former has already been reported (Blocked,
1979a) and the latter proved to be one of the most productive sectional meetings for many
years. In addition, in November 1978, the British Bryological Society held a taxonomic
workshop in Leeds, followed by an excursion to Hardcastle Crags (V.C. 63) which resulted in
the rediscovery of Bazzania trilobata and other important records in what was considered a
well-worked locality (see Blocked, 1979b).
Notes have been published in the Naturalist on the distribution of Orthothecium rufescens
(Shaw, 1979) and on Andreaea at Hebden Bridge (Blocked, 1979c).
Records
Recent taxonomic work relevant to Yorkshire species has included the following:
Plagiochila spp. Paton (1977) has reinstated P. killarniensis as a species distinct from
P. spinulosa. Moat Yorkshire specimens of the aggregate probably belong to P. spinulosa
sensu stricto, but P. killarniensis is known from the county as follows: Twistleton Glen,
Ingleton (64*), J. A. Paton and H. H. Birks, 1966. Paton (1979) has also described a new
species, P. brittanica, of which one of the earliest gatherings was by Mr. F. E. Branson: old
limestone quarry S. of Thornton Rust, Upper Wensleydale (65*), 1966.
Sphagnum recurvum. This species is now considered to comprise three varieties. The
commonest is var. mucronatum , which is abundant in Yorkshire. Var. amblyphyllum is also
known from all five vice-counties (see Bull. Br. bryol. Soc. 32, 1978, 16, and add: boggy
ground, Skell Gill, nr. Grantley, east of Ripon (64*), TLB, YNU Exc., June 1979). Var.
tenue is known only from V.C. 65.
Campylopus pyriformis. Var. azoricus (see Corley, 1976) is probably widespread in York-
shire. Corley reports it from V.C. 61 and 62 and it is also known from: boggy ground, Seckar
Wood, Newmillerdam (63*), TLB, Mar. 1979; bog below Addlebrough, Wensleydale (65*),
TLB, YNU Exc., July 1978.
Other interesting records are as follows. Those made during Y.N.U. Excursions, with the
exception of V.C. records, are not included here since they are to be reported elsewhere.
Riccia sorocarpa: (63) 44/21 Arable field, Bullcliffe Wood nr. Stocksmoor Common, TLB,
HLKW et al., Nov. 1978; 44/22 Howden Clough, Morley, TLB, June 1979.
Fossombronia wondraczeckii: (63) 44/21 Arable field, Stocksmoor Common, TLB, HLKW
et al., Nov. 1978.
Bazzania trilobata: (63*) 34/93 Hardcastle Crags, J. Roberts, BBS Exc., Nov. 1978.
Jungermannia lanceolata: (64) 44/13 Shipley Glen, JA, 1953. The specimen was originally
mistaken for Plagiochila asplenioides.
Mylia anomala: (63) 44/03 Howarth Moor, TLB, May 1979; 44/60 Hatfield Moor, BE,
Mar. 1979, det. TLB.
Plagiochila tridenticulata: (65*) 34/68 Brackensgill, Dentdale, TLB, YNU Exc., Sept. 1979.
Odontoschisma sphagni: (63) 44/03 Howarth Moor, TLB, May 1979; 43/19 Upper Derwent
Valley, TLB, Apr. 1979.
Scapania gracilis: (63*) 44/04 Sutton Clough, Glusburn, TLB, Oct. 1979.
Lejeunea lamacerina: (65*) 34/68 Helmside Gill and Brackensgill, Dentdale, TLB, YNU
Exc., May and Sep. 1979.
Aphanolejeunea microscopica: (65*) 34/68 Brackensgill, Dentdale, TLB, YNU Exc., Sep.
1979.
Naturalist 105(1980)
62
Y.N. U. Bryological Section: Annual Report 1979
Sphagnum tenellum : (63) 44/60 Hatfield Moor, BE, Apr. 1979, det. TLB.
Polytrichum commune var. perigoniale: (63*) 34/93 Widdup Gate, June 1860, Herb. W.
Sutcliffe, Bankfield Museum, Halifax.
Ditrichum cylindricum: (62) 45/70 Esk banks, East Arnecliffe, TLB, Oct. 1978.
Dicranum tauricum: (63) 43/38 Loxley Valley, Sheffield, TLB, Apr. 1979.
Tortula marginata: (61*) 44/76 Stonework of old mill by R. Derwent, Howsham Hall, TLB,
YNU Exc., Apr. 1979.
T. ruralis ssp. ruraliformis: (62*) sand dunes at Marske near Redcar, P. Robertson, 1978
{Bull. Br. bryol. Soc. 34, 1979, 27).
Desmatodon cernuus: (63) 43/59 Spoil heap near Cadeby Viaduct, TLB, Aug. 1979.
Gyroweisia tenuis: (63) 44/31 Wall, Seckar Wood, Newmillerdam, TLB, Mar. 1979.
Weissia microstoma var. brachycarpa: (63*) 44/23 Muddy field, Cockersdale, TLB, May
1979.
Discelium nudum: (62) 45/70 Esk banks, East Arnecliffe, TLB, Oct. 1978. This is locally
abundant in the S. Pennines, but there are few records from N.E. Yorkshire.
Pohlia bulbifera: (63) 34/90 Near Delph, TLB, Aug. 1979.
P. muyldermansii: (63*) 44/04 Soil in pasture, Sutton Clough near Glusburn, TLB, Oct.
1979. New to Yorkshire.
P. lutescens: (62*) 45/70 Esk banks, East Arnecliffe, TLB, Oct. 1978; (63*) 34/92 Green-
wood Lee, Hebden Valley, MJW, BBS Exc., Nov. 1978; 44/21 Field by Stocksmoor
Common, HLKW, Nov. 1978; 44/32 Royds Lane, Rothwell, TLB, Apr. 1979. New to
Yorkshire.
P. lescuriana: (63*) 34/92 Greenwood Lee, Hebden Valley, TLB and MJW, BBS Exc., Nov.
1978. New to Yorkshire.
Plagiobryum zierii: (63*) 34/93 Hardcastle Crags, J. Needham, Apr. 1898. Given in Cross-
land (1904), but not in the Census Catalogue. There is good material in the Needham
collection at Bankfield Museum, Halifax.
Bryum elegans: (65*) 34/68 Combe Scar, Dentdale, JR, YNU Exc., May 1979.
B. flaccidum: (65*) 34/78 Elm trunk, Flintergill, Dent, TLB, YNU Exc., Aug. 1979.
B. sauteri: (62*) 45/70 Esk banks, East Arnecliffe, TLB, Oct. 1978; (63*) 34/93 Cliff ledge,
Hardcastle Crags, CP, BBS Exc., Nov. 1978; 44/23 Muddy field, Cockersdale, TLB, May
1979. New to Yorkshire.
Plagiomnium affine: (63*) 44/23 Woodland path, Cockersdale, TLB, May 1979; (65*) 34/78
Grassy wall-top east of Dent, TLB, YNU Exc., May 1979. This species has often been
mis-recorded in the past.
Breutelia chrysocoma: (63*) 34/92 The Haven, Erringden, Roberts Leyland, c. 1840. Given
in Baines (1840) and confirmed by Crossland (1904) but not in the Census Catalogue.
There is a stem from Leyland’s Herbarium in the Needham collection at Bankfield
Museum, Halifax.
Orthotrichum sprucei: (62*) 45/80 Stones at water’s edge, Esk banks, Grosmont, TLB, Oct.
1978.
O. affine: (63) 34/90 Wall top near Delph, TLB, Aug. 1979. An interesting record of a rather
pollution sensitive species in the Greater Manchester area.
O. striatum: (65*) 34/68 On elder, Helmside, Dentdale, TLB, YNU Exc., May 1979.
O. stramineum: (65*) 34/78 On elm, Flintergill, Dent, TLB, YNU Exc., Aug. 1979.
O. pulchellum: (65*) On elder, West Lowfield, Kirkby Fleetham nr. Catterick, CP, 1978
{Bull. Br. bryol. Soc. , 34, 1979, 31).
Amblystegium fluviatile: (63) 34/95 Stepping stones in R. Aire, Gargrave, TLB-, Oct. 1979.
First record for V.C. 63 this century.
Brachythecium mildeanum: (61*) Stone by water-filled gravel pit, Keyingham, JA, 1955
{Bull. Br. bryol. Soc., 32, 1978, 34).
Plagiothecium ruthei: (63) 44/40 Houghton Common, Grimethorpe, TLB, Apr. 1979.
Hypnum mammillatum: (63*) 34/92 and 34/93 Hebden Valley, 1859 and 1860, four packets
in Herb. W. Sutcliffe, Bankfield Museum, Halifax.
The Bryology of Dentdale 63
The puzzling moss reported from the Y.N.U. Excursion at Newmillerdam in 1978
( Naturalist , 1979, 120) proved to be an attenuated form of Pohlia nutans , presumably
induced by periodic flooding.
An asterisk indicates a new vice-county record or an amendment to the Census Catalogue.
Recorders’ initials: JA = J. Appleyard, TLB = T. L. Blocked, BE = B. Eversham, CP =
C. Preston, JR = J. Robertson, HLKW = H. L. K. Whitehouse, MJW = M. J. Wigginton.
References
Baines, H. ( 1840) The Flora of Yorkshire. London.
Blocked, T. L. (1979a) Bryological meeting in the Derwent Valley. Naturalist 104: 111-12.
Blocked, T. L. (1979b) Taxonomic Workshop, 1978. Bull. Br. bryol. Soc. 34: 16-17.
Blocked, T. L. (1979c) The Andreaea of Hebden Bridge. Naturalist 104: 109.
Corley, M. F. V. (1976) The Taxonomy of Campylopus pyriformis (Schultz) Brid. and
related species. J. Bryol. 9: 193-212.
Crossland, C. (1904) The Moss-flora, in: Crump, W. B. and Crossland, C., The Flora of the
Parish of Halifax. Halifax.
Paton, J. A. (1977 ) Plagiochila killarniensis Pears, in the British Isles./. Bryol. 9: 451-9.
Paton, J. A. (1979) Plagiochila britannica, a new species in the British Isles. /. Bryol. 10:
245-6.
Shaw, G. A. (1979) The distribution of Orthothecium rufescens (Brid) B.S & G in the North
of England. Naturalist 104: 110-11.
THE BRYOLOGY OF DENTDALE
T. L. BLOCKEEL
During 1979 Yorkshire bryologists were able to make two visits to Demdale, one in May
during the General Meeting of the Y.N.U., and the other during a sectional meeting from 30
August to 2 September. It has therefore been possible to form a good impression of the
bryophyte flora of the area, which has received little attention in recent years.
The valley is particularly important for its extensive outcrops of Silurian strata, though the
Yoredale limestone is present east of the Dent fault. Many of the early records were made by
George Stabler, the Westmorland bryologist. In 1872 he recorded, among others,
Plagiochila spinulosa, Saccogyna viticulosa, Bazzania trilobata, Cololeueunea minutissima
and Frullania fragilifolia', in 1877 he found Drepanolejeunea hamatifolia in Brackensgill,
here at the eastern limits of its British distribution. On a subsequent visit to collect more of
the Drepanolejeunea, Stabler planted (presumably in Brackensgill) some Irish material of
Dumortiera hirsuta, but the experiment was evidently unsuccessful as the plant has not been
seen since. Another of Stabler’s famous discoveries, which has never been refound, was
Habrodon perpusillus , originally recorded in 1872 on an ash tree by the river and subse-
quently on sycamore nearby.
Y.N.U. Excursion, May 1979
A full report of localities visited will be published in the appropriate place, but there are a
few late records which deserve mention. Miss Robertson collected Bryum elegans on Combe
Scar, new to V.C. 65, and the Andreaea spp collected there have been named as A. rupestris,
A. crassinervia and A. rothii. A Plagiomnium from a grassy wall top by the roadside east of
Dent has proved to be P. affine, a much misrecorded species of which many old records refer
to P. elatum or other species. This is the first confirmed record for the vice-county.
Bryological Section Meeting, 30 August — 2 September, 1979
On the morning of Friday 30 August, the party followed a track along South Lord’s Land on
the valley side west of the village. Bare soil on the track sides produced a number of small
64 The Bryology of Dentdale
mosses including Bryum klinggraeffii. Flushed banks by streams had Pellia neesiana and
Plagiomnium elatum and from similar ground Mr. Grant collected Leiocolea bantriensis and
Breutelia chrysocoma. Thus the influence of the underlying limestone was evident, although
the rough pastures naturally had accumulations of peaty soil with Sphagnum patches, in one
of which was Polytrichum alpestre. The limestone itself outcropped in the upper part of a
gully and produced Metzgeria pubescens, Ditrichum flexicaule, Seligeria pusilla and
Rhytiadelphus triquetrus. On a peaty bank in the same gully were Ditrichum heteromallum
and Lophozia incisa.
The afternoon of the same day was spent in Flintergill, the substratum again being
Yoredale limestone and shales. Orthothecium intricatum and Cololejeunea calcarea were on
a shaded limestone outcrop and Plagiochila asplenioides was found with perianths. Though
Lejeunea ulicina was on many trees, the epiphytic flora in general was not so rich as hoped;
however Frullania dilatata, Bryum flaccidum, Ulota crispa var. norvegica and Orthotrichum
stramineum were found on single trees, the last unrecorded in V.C. 65 since 1896.
The principal objective of the meeting was the exploration of the Brackensgill woods in the
hope of rediscovering Stabler’s Drepanolejeunea, and Saturday 1 September was devoted to
this end. Brackensgill consists of a remarkable staircase of waterfalls on the Silurian
escarpment west of Combe Scar. The adjacent woods are partly coniferized but the falls
remain dark and humid, overhung with mountain ash and rhododendron. Here, by virtue of
topography and the oceanic climate, bryophytes luxuriate in the variety and abundance
associated with the Atlantic regions of Britain. Certain common species were particularly
fine, including Plagiochila asplenioides var. major, Dicranum majus, Hookeria lucens and
Plagiothecium undulatum (the last three all with fruit); but there were other, less widespread
species — Hylocomium brevirostre on a bank, SindBartramia pomiformis and the handsome
B. hallerana in rock clefts. However it is the rock faces, moist but not dripping in the humid
atmosphere, that are the habitat of the delicate Drepanolejeunea ; this was not in fact
refound, but in its place was the related and equally minut e Aphanolejeunea microscopica , a
plant of similar ecology and distribution. It is the second Yorkshire record and the first for
V.C. 65. It was seen twice, in one place associated with Cololejeunea calcarea (just as Stabler
reported for his Drepanoleunea). Plagiochila tridenticulata, another oceanic hepatic new to
V.C. 65, was found in a similar situation. Other records wer e Saccogyna viticulosa, Scapania
gracilis , Lejeunea lamacerina , Fissidens osmundoides and, on logs, Nowellia curvifolia.
After the arduous climb up the ladder of waterfalls and a skirmish with a rhododendron
thicket, the writer emerged onto a more open area above the woods. Here in several places
was Rhabdoweisia crispata in rock crevices, and Dicranum fuscescens. An isolated waterfall
had some wet rock faces clothed with beech fern; the bryophytes included Plagiochila
spinulosa c. per., robust Breutelia chrysocoma, and a form of Tortella tortuosa with elongate
cells overlying the nerve. On a heathery tussock in boggy ground nearby was made another
notable find, the hepati c Anastrepta orcadensis. Rocks above this boggy area had Andreaea
rupestris and A. crassinervia, but these seemed very localized in distribution and were not
seen on many similar outcrops. Runnels on an irrigated slope in the same area had
Scorpidium scorpioides and Calliergon giganteum.
A short visit to the Dee banks near Gawthrop produced Tortula latifolia and Ortho-
trichum sprucei on tree bases. A further stretch of this part of the river was examined on
Sunday 2 September. Schistidium alpicola was on stones by the water and Orthotrichum
affine, Zygodon viridissimus var. viridissimus and Anomodon viticulosus were found as
epiphytes. At Helmside, the elm on which Orthotrichum lyellii had been seen in May was
relocated, but more abundant and robust material was found by Mr. Branson on a nearby
sycamore.
The Bryology of Dentdale
Dentdale is notable in the Yorkshire context for the occurrence of Oceanic bryophytes. This
is to be attributed both to its westerly position and to the outcrops of Silurian slate (it is well-
known that limestone is not a substratum suited to the majority of Atlantic bryophytes). The
65
George Allan Shaw 1916-80
valley has affinities with the Lake District and indeed its flora is an outlier of the flora of that
district. While there are many Lakes species which do not extent so far east as Yorkshire, the
Oceanic species in Dentdale (notably Anastrepta orcadensis, Bazzania tricrenata, Plagio-
chila tridenticulata and Aphanolejeunea microscopica ) form a significant element of the
flora.
The epiphytic flora is also richer than in many parts of the county. There has certainly
been some deterioration brought about by atmospheric pollution carried from the industrial
south. Ulota is now very rare, and Cololejeunea minutissima and Habrodon perpusillus have
not been seen since Stabler’s day; however Lejeunea ulicina is still abundant in suitable gills,
and Orthotrichum is well represented, three of the species being ones formerly common in
the county but now very rarely seen (O. lyellii , O. striatum and O. stramineum).
Two-hundred-and-twenty-two bryophytes were seen during the two meetings.
Acknowledgements
I wish to thank Mr. and Mrs. R. Frankland for permission to visit the Brackensgill woods,
Mr. G. A. Shaw for references to Stabler’s early records, and Miss J. Robertson and Messrs.
F. E. Branson, D. R. Grant and E. Thompson for their help at the meetings.
GEORGE ALLAN SHAW
1916-80
George Allan Shaw was born in Shipley on 12 April 1916. He was educated at the Salt
Grammar School, Shipley and after leaving school he first learnt and then taught shorthand
and typing at Fox’s School of Commerce in Bradford. His interest in botany developed at an
early age and when eighteen years old he joined the Bradford Naturalists’ Society. He
remained an active member of the Society for the rest of his life, serving it as recorder for
botany and bryology and in other capacities before becoming its President.
66 George Allan Shaw 1 91 6—80
Two men influenced Shaw’s development as a naturalist more than any others. During the
early years of membership of his local Society, Malins Smith, who was Head of the Biology
Department at the Bradford Technical College, a pillar of the Bradford Naturalists’ Society
and one of the most prominent members of the Botanical Section of the Yorkshire
Naturalists’ Union, was largely instrumental in encouraging Shaw’s growing interests and
then in drawing him into Y.N.U. activities. His debt to Malins Smith’s helpfulness is well
expressed in the obituary notice which he wrote of him. He had not long been an active
participant in Y.N.U. field meetings before he fell under the spell of Chris Cheetham’s
inimitable personality. It was doubtless Cheetham, for whom he had a great admiration, who
fired his enthusiasm for bryology.
Shaw had joined the Y.N.U. in 1938 and the following year his first publication in The
Naturalist appeared. This was a field note {Nat. 1939: 213) in which he recorded his
rediscovery of Carex capillaris in Gordale, in William West’s original station. By 1948, after
the break for war service overseas, he had become an active member of the Bryological
Section and his devotion to the interests and activities of this section which he had repre-
sented on the Executive of the Union since 1956 and of which he was Vice-Chairman since
1968, endured for the rest of his life. For thirty years he was a frequent contributor to The
Naturalist of short articles, records and excursion reports for both flowering plants and bryo-
phytes, and for nine years was responsible for the annual bryological report. Probably his
most enduring contribution to Yorkshire bryology was the preparation and publication of a
comprehensive and invaluable index to bryological records and bryologists, extracted from
The Naturalist and covering a century of observations and reports from 1875 to 1975.
Shaw’s appointment as President of the Union in 1972 was a well-deserved recognition
both of his standing as a bryologist and of his many services to the Union. For seventeen
years he had acted as Assistant Honorary Treasurer and Membership Secretary, one of the
most exacting but least glamorous of all administrative appointments. Blending patience
and persistence with persuasiveness and tact he diligently pursued all defaulting members
and few escaped his net. He also undertook for over twenty years the dull task of compiling
the annual index to The Naturalist. His services in these and other capacities sprang from a
deep loyalty to the Union. Its well-being and prestige were matters of real concern to him.
Few members were better informed about the past history of the Union. He had acquired
that rare possession — a complete run of The Naturalist — and he also had what is probably
the most complete set in existence of Y.N.U. excursion circulars. The contents of both were
well studied. His excavations into the past found expression in the publication from time to
time of notes or articles relating to past events or former members. A good example is his
amusing contribution to our centenary issue {Nat. 1975: 115—16) on ‘The Good Old Days’,
wherein are recorded some of the more unusual or bizarre happenings at past Y.N.U.
gatherings as recorded in old volumes of our journal. At meetings following field excursions
he would occasionally produce a circular relating to a field meeting held long ago at the same
place. The arrangements made for our Victorian or Edwardian forbears make interesting
comparisons with present-day procedures; they also often raise unintended smiles. Such
items are fragments of our social history, preserved like fossils in the archives of the Union.
During the war Shaw served in the Royal Corps of Signals and was successively stationed
in Malta, Egypt and Turkey. He was in Malta at the time of the fierce assault on that island
by the German Luftwaffe. I recall Malins Smith telling me at that time that he periodically
heard from Shaw and that his letters were full of the plants he had been finding in Malta.
The bombs were not mentioned. He doubtless regarded these as other botanists might regard
mosquitoes, as an unavoidable irritant to be put up with during the pursuit of one’s interests.
After demobilization, being wishful of combining his botanical interests with his career,
Shaw became a member of the technical staff of the Botany Department at Bangor Univer-
sity. A few years later he transferred to Leeds University and for the rest of his life he served
the Botany Department at Leeds with the same conscientiousness which he brought to all he
did. His knowledge of systematics was invaluable, for he usually knew where to lay his hands
on whatever living material might be required for class work. In recent years much of his
time was given to curating the Department’s considerable collections. For this work and all
Thuidium recognitum (Hedw.) Lindb. in Yorkshire 67
the other unobtrusive ways in which he contributed to the smooth running of the Department
as well as for his personal qualities he will be much missed by his colleagues on both the
technical and academic staffs.
George Shaw had a retiring disposition and was one of the most undemonstrative of men.
He shunned publicity and preferred to take a back seat at meetings and leave others to do the
talking. He seldom expressed his opinions unless they were sought. His greatest pleasures lay
in the countryside (he was a Life Member of the Youth Hostels Association) and the
Yorkshire countryside was foremost in his affection for he was steeped in the history of its
botanical investigation. He did not allow the lameness which afflicted him for so many years
to prevent him from taking part in excursions and he never complained about his disability.
Though his shyness and reserve might at first make him appear to some to be uncommunica-
tive or unresponsive, all who came to know him came to respect him. The large number of
friends and colleagues who assembled at his funeral service was an indication of the high
regard in which he was held. George Shaw will be missed by many friends but his memory
will endure with them. Our sympathy goes to his wife who shared many of his outdoor
interests, and to his son.
WAS
THUIDIUM RECOGNITUM (HEDW.) LINDB. IN YORKSHIRE
G. A. SHAW
Thuidium recognitum has been much misunderstood in the past and has often been
confused with both T. delicatulum and T. philiberti. In the early days the importance of the
disposition of the papillae on the paraphyllia was not known. These are well illustrated in
Dr. A. J. E. Smith’s new Moss Flora.
I have recently examined all available Yorkshire material, and practically ail have been
confirmed by the B.B.S. referee, Mr. E. C. Wallace, to whom my best thanks are due.
T. recognitum has been noted from:
1. Colt Park, Ribblehead V.C. 64, Cheetham, Sept. 1946 (Herb. Leeds University)
2. Oxenber, Austwick V.C. 64, Cheetham, Feb. 1915 and Feb. 1948 (Herb. Leeds
University)
3. Trow Gill, Clapham V.C. 64, Cheetham, April 1915; Shaw, April 1947 (both in Herb.
Leeds University)
4. Ingleton Ghylls V.C. 64, Nowell, June 1861 (Bradford Museums);
do., Wm. Sutcliffe, 1 June 1861 (Halifax Museums);
do., Cheetham, Sept. 1946 (Herb. Leeds University)
5. Austwick V.C. 64, Cheetham 1915 (Herb. Leeds University)
6. Hartlington Gill, Appletreewick V.C. 64, Cheetham 1915 (Herb. Leeds University)
7. Mackershaw, nr. Ripon V.C. 64, Wallace 1943 (Herb. Wallace)
It will thus be seen that all the localities are in V.C. 64, and all are on the mountain
limestone with the exception of Mackershaw, which is on the Permian.
The first bryologist to collect this species at Ingleton was probably William Wilson.
Through the kindness of Mr. Tom Blocked I have also examined a specimen from Helk’s
Wood, Ingleton, from the collection of William Sutcliffe of Heptonstall, dated 1 June 1861;
and by the kindness of Miss M. M. Hartley, of the Bradford Museums, a specimen of John
Nowell’s, also from Helk’s Wood, Ingleton, dated June 1861. Sutcliffe lived at Heptonstall
and Nowell at Todmorden, and it seems possible that in view of the two dates they were
botanizing at Ingleton together. On the other hand, Mr. Blocked rather inclines to the view
that Nowell simply gave a specimen to Sutcliffe.
68
Book Reviews
The following, previously referred to T. recognitum , are now corrected:
Ingleton, V.C. 64, Webster 1895, is T. delicatulum (Herb. Leeds University)
Simon Fell, V.C. 64, Haxby 1911, is T. philiberti (Herb. Leeds University)
Grass Wood, V.C. 64, Cheetham 1946, is T. delicatulum (Herb. Leeds University)
Feizor Nick, V.C. 64, Cheetham 1946, is T. delicatulum (Herb. Leeds University)
Hornsea Mere, V.C. 61, Cheetham 1935, is T. delicatulum (Herb. Leeds University)
It may be noted that the last-named specimen, from Hornsea Mere, is the first record of
T. delicatulum for V.C. 61, and a voucher has been sent to the B.B.S. Recorder.
The above represents the distribution of T. recognitum as known to me, but information
on any further localities would be most welcome.
BOOK REVIEWS
Mammal Photography and Observation. A Practical Field Guide by L. J. Warner. Pp. 244,
with 176 black and white illustrations. Academic Press. 1979. £4.95
The book is divided into two main sections. The first deals with techniques with the reader
introduced to all the relevant topics pertaining to the photographing of mammals in the wild.
These include choice of camera, lenses, flash photography, nocturnal aids, clothing, hides,
stalking, traps, and so forth. The second section considers the techniques appropriate for
particular species of British mammal. This is a very full account with a chapter devoted to
pretty well every species of wild mammal including the much less common species as pine
marten, wildcat, reindeer, and even wallaby. The account is illustrated with many of the
author’s excellent photographs.
The great virtue of this account is that the author is writing against the background of
considerable knowledge and experience. His helpful tips and guidance will be appreciated by
all photographers of wildlife from the novice to the expert, while his simple and lucid
presentation may well stimulate those who have not yet embarked on this fascinating hobby.
This is a commendable account at a modest price.
MJD
Arctic Summer. Birds in North Norway by Richard Vaughan. Pp. 152. Anthony Nelson.
1979. £6.25
Following the publication of his Birds of the Yorkshire Coast, Richard Vaughan takes us, in
his latest book, on a journey of ornithological exploration of one of Norway’s most northerly
peninsulas — Varanger Peninsula. The author wisely confines the details of the journey, and
a comprehensive account of the area to the opening chapters. The remaining chapters
describe his encounters with the main groups of birds to be found. Each chapter closes with
an illustrative selection of photographs. The colour photographs are of high quality, but
unfortunately few in number. The majority of the black and white illustrations — perhaps
due to the quality of the paper on which they are printed — frequently lack clarity and
definition, although evocative of the harshness of the arctic world. The book contains two
simple sketch maps, a useful bibliography and a systematic list which gives not only the
Norwegian name, in addition to the Latin and English names, but also an appraisal of the
present status.
Those wishing to follow in Dr Vaughan’s footsteps will find the book full of interest and
useful information.
HTJ
THE USE OF MAN-MADE POOLS BY DIVING DUCKS
AND TERNS OFF MORECAMBE, LANCASHIRE
69
LAURENCE N. ROSE
58 St Mary s Road, Swan ley, Kent
The littoral zone off the West End of Morecambe is fairly typical of the southern end of
Morecambe Bay in that it consists of mud interspersed with ‘skears’ of pebbles on which
extensive mussel beds Mytilus edulis have formed. Additionally there are two man-made
structures of importance, namely a paddling and boating pool and a fenced-off area which
was constructed to create small pools which slowly empty into fish traps as each tide recedes.
The paddling pool is built onto the beach against the sea wall and ranges in depth between
zero at the landward edge to about 2.5 m at the seaward edge. It is filled by the first high tide
after drainage. The fish trap is about 100 m offshore and encloses an area of mussel bed
about 50 m square. At both sites the most common fish species is the sprat Clupea sprattus.
On 12 February 1978 I noticed a female Goldeneye Bucephala clangula on the paddling
pool. This bird was to remain there, apparently continuously, for ten days. On 16 February
eight dives were timed to give an average submergence time of 22.1 sec. The following year
on 16 March a female Goldeneye appeared on the pool and was seen to dive seven times in
210 sec with an average submergence time (four dives) of 20.1 sec.
During 1978 and the first half of 1979 I saw fourteen Red-breasted Mergansers Mergus
senator on the paddling pool: one female and three males on 11 January 1978, one female on
on 22 January 1978, two females on 12 February 1978, one female on 23-24 February 1978,
two females and two males on 20 December 1978 and two males and one female on 16
September 1979. On 20 December 1978, the four birds arrived in two pairs at least twenty
minutes apart. For most of the time the pairs remained separate, but each bird remained
close to its partner. One pair was observed closely and were found to synchronize their dives
to within 1 sec, except on one occasion (out of twelve) when the male dived for 5 sec and the
female remained on the surface. Table 1 shows the timing of twelve pairs of dives. The diving
rate was five dives per minute (timed over fifteen minutes) for both sexes. The difference
between means is not significant. The average difference between submergence times was
3.8 sec indicating that resurfacing is not synchronized.
TABLE 1
Submergence times (in seconds) of a pair of
Red-breasted Mergansers during simultaneous diving
Dive
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
av.
Male
5
15
7
15
8
7
8
3
5
14
3
12
8.5
Female
10
14
10
6
3
8
7
6
—
10
8
7
8.1
Diving ducks occur frequently on the fish-trap pools in winter; the large rafts of Goldeneye
which can be seen inshore at high tide disperse along the coast between Morecambe and
Heysham and small numbers forage in the trap pools. Very small numbers of Red-breasted
Merganser summered there in 1978, one pair staying from 25 May to at least 18 June when I
temporarily left the area. The most interesting use to which the pools were put took place on
24 February 1979. This was one of the first fine days after an exceptionally harsh spell and at
low tide about fifty Goldeneye were spaced out over the pools. Sometimes small aggregates of
birds formed and when the ratio of males to females was high vigorous sexual display took
place. Immature males were also displaying although this had no discemable effect on the
females. The following day at high tide the birds were in a raft near the pools and no sexual
display took place although the weather was fine. Goldeneyes, when feeding at the trap
Naturalist 105(1980)
70
The Use of Man-Made Pools by Diving Ducks and Terns off Morecambe
pools, always dived over mussels when these were covered, but dived regularly over mud
when the mussel beds were dry. The only other ducks noted at the fish trap were an
immature male Eider Somateria mollissima and two male and three female Long-tailed
Duck Clangula hyemalis on 25 May 1978 and 25 February 1979 respectively. The Eider was
not seen to feed but the Long-tailed Ducks dived frequently over mud.
During the summer the paddling pool is occasionally visited by Common Terns Sterna
hirundo, but only in any numbers around dusk, owing to the considerable human
disturbance there during the day. The most notable gathering during 1978 or 1979 was one
of forty birds on 5 June 1979 at sunset. Two Sandwich Terns S. sandvicensis were also
present. These are comparatively uncommon along this part of the coast, especially outside
the migration periods. At all times of the day Common Terns could be seen at the fish trap.
Numbers varied principally with the state of the tide, no terns being seen when the traps were
covered by the sea, and maximum numbers (usually around 200) occurring immediately
after the tide had receded past the trap. Observations were carried out at very close range
and it was possible to identify the prey taken and to assess the bird’s diving success rate. In
all cases observed (about 1000) sprats were taken, usually ranging in length between about
8cm and 15cm; one specimen about 25cm long was caught, but after a struggle it was
dropped and not retrieved. Nine fish were dropped close to me and of these seven were
eventually capable of swimming away. Diving success was highest around midday,
decreasing towards 1800 h and increasing towards sunset. These observations (made between
28 May and 3 June 1978 at the same state of tide relative to the traps) suggest that diving
success was related to a function of solar elevation and, perhaps, ambient light intensity.
Where possible wind and sea conditions were the same at each observation. Dunn (1973)
showed that success depended on wind and sea conditions but not cloud cover (which was not
constant during this study). Solar elevation was apparently not taken into account. Fig 1
100 r
90
80*
70'
60-
20.
10«
oi T „ w .
1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200
Time
FIGURE 1
Diurnal variation in diving success of Common Terns at Morecambe fish-traps.
The Mining Social Bee, in Dallowgill, Yorkshire 71
gives the results obtained from these observations. The only other tern species seen at the
traps were one each of Little S. albifrons and Black Chlidonias niger on 25 May and 31 May
1978 respectively.
Generally, ducks made use of the man-made pools during periods of high pressure or
strong off-shore winds, conditions under which the pools were exceptionally calm compared
with the open sea. The density of fish in the pools was appreciably higher than outside. For
the terns, the ease with which fish could be caught at the trap clearly made the 8 km round
trip to and from the colony worthwhile, for as well as feeding themselves, they could be seen
taking fish overland to the marsh on which they breed. It is therefore possible that the fish
trap pools are an important factor in the success of the colony.
Reference
Dunn, E. K. (1973) Changes in fishing ability of terns associated with windspeed and sea
surface conditions. Nature, 244: 520—1.
THE MINING SOCIAL BEE, LASIOGLOSSUM CALCEATUM
(SCOPOLI) (HYMENOPTERA: HALICTIDAE)
IN DALLOWGILL, YORKSHIRE
M. E. ARCHER
17 Elm field Terrace, Monk Stray, York Y03 OEH
On the morning of 7 July 1979 at the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union’s field meeting in
Dallowgill (SE/1971), I was fortunate to find and excavate two nests of the mining bee
Lasioglossum calceatum. The nests were in a path just outside the woodland so that the soil
around the nests would be warmed by the sun for a part of each day. The nest entrances were
open but each was surrounded by a mound of excavated soil.
This bee, unlike most mining bees which are solitary, has developed social habits very
similar to those of the bumblebee (Michener, 1974). The overwintered queen emerges in the
spring and excavates a burrow, builds about five cells, provisions each with a poilen ball, lays
an egg and closes each cell. The adults of this first brood emerge from the end of June
through July and are all females, slightly smaller than their mother. These smaller females
behave like workers and raise a second brood from eggs supplied by their mother or the
queen. The second brood starts to emerge from early August and consists of males and
females; these females are the same size as the mother queen and are the future queens. The
new queens mate and enter hibernation to emerge the following spring. The mother queen,
workers and males die by the autumn.
The burrow of the first nest I looked at descended along the side of a stone for 40 mm , then
turned through a right- angle, opening into a horizontal cavity (length 40mm, width 13mm,
depth 19 mm). The cavity contained a number of contiguous cells which were so fragile that
they collapsed into several pieces when being removed. From the fragments it was possible to
discern the cylindrical shaped cells which were slightly wider at one end (dimensions —
length 11mm, diameter 7mm). The interior walls of the cells were polished except at the
narrow end, where there was either an entrance or a plug of soil. One pupa, three mature
larvae without black gut contents, six mature larvae with black gut contents and with no or a
very small pollen ball, one young larva with a small pollen ball and three complete pollen
balls were found, indicating that at least fourteen cells were present. In the cells containing
the pupa or mature larvae without gut contents, the gut contents (meconia) were found
flattened against the wall of the broader end of the cell. The pollen ball, when present, was
also located at the broader end of the cell. Two adults were found. One was slightly larger
and had a more worn appearance, ie fewer hairs were present on the top of the thorax
(mesoscutum) and the wing margins were more tattered.
The second burrow descended along the side of a stone for 83 mm, traversed around the
stone before opening into a cavity (length 50mm, width and depth 13mm). Two mature
Naturalist 105 (1980)
72
The Mining Social Bee, in Dallowgill, Yorkshire
larvae without gut contents, two mature larvae with gut contents, six young larvae and two
complete pollen balls were found, indicating that at least twelve cells were present. Again,
two adults, one slightly larger and more worn than the other, were present.
Michener (1974) raised two problems concerning the details of the life-history of L.
calceatum :
1. Are the cells first excavated and then a cavity formed around them or is a cavity first
excavated and the cells constructed in the cavity? A stone (average diameter 7 mm) was
found lodged between two cells while cell walls varied greatly in thickness (0.6-2. 4 mm).
Sometimes the cell wall separating two cells was as little as 1 mm thick. These observations
would tend to support the hypothesis that excavation of the cells occurs first, followed by
cavity formation.
2. Are the development of the first and second broods discontinuous or continuous with
each other? The larger worn female in each nest would be the older individual and hence the
queen, and the second individual a worker of the first brood. The large number of cells
present in each nest compared with the known average number indicates that the rearing of
the second brood has started. The presence of all pre-adult stages also indicates that the
development of the first and second broods is continuous.
Other aculeate bees and wasps collected in Dallowgill were:
A worker Bombus pratorum (L.) taken on foxglove, a queen B. lucorum magnus Vogt,
which some authorities regard as a separate species from B. lucorum (L.), workers of the
social wasps Vespula rufa (L.) and Dolichovespula norwegica (Fab.) and the solitary wasp
Chrysis ruddii Shuckard.
In the afternoon the YNU party moved to Skell Gill (SE/2069) where I found workers of
Bombus monticola Smith (= B. lapponicus misident.), B. lucorum (L.) on ground elder, and
Dolichovespula sylvestris (Scopoli) collecting prey associated with ground elder; the females
of solitary bees Andrena nigroaenea (Kirby), A. haemorrhoea (Fab.) on ground elder, A.
jacobi Perkins, A. cineraria (L.), Nomada fabriciana (L.), N. goodeniana (Kirby) and
Sphecodes crassus Thomson (although a male of the latter species needs to be taken to be
sure of identification).
Reference
Michener, C. D. (1974) The Social Behaviour of the Bees. Belknap Press of Harvard
University Press, Cambridge, Mass.
ASKHAM BOG*
W. A. SLEDGE
Askham Bog is the jewel in the crown of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust. Botanically and
entomologically it ranks amongst the foremost reserves of its kind in the country. Its
preservation therefore is a matter of increasing scientific importance as drainage and
destruction of wetland habitats throughout Britain progressively impoverish or eliminate the
distinctive flora and fauna of this type of environment.
For well over a century naturalists from Yorkshire and further afield have gone to Askham
Bog to pursue their hobby and to delight in its richness, in much the same spirit as others,
attracted by a different facet of our national heritage, have gone to York Minster. A century
ago a series of articles on the Bog appeared in the Quaker school Natural History Journal and
it is to commemorate the centenary of this that the present book has been produced. The
surprising fact perhaps is that a locality which has been so justly famous for so long should
have had to wait until now for an adequate description of its history, present ecology and
features of special interest in the chief plant and animal groups.
*A WOOD IN ASCAM: a study in wetland conservation. Edited by ALASTAIR FITTER and CLIFFORD
SMITH- Pp. viii + 164, with 4 monochrome plates and 23 figures. Sessions, York. £4.95
Askham Bog 73
The history of the Bog as reconstructed from its stratigraphy shows the usual sequence of
successions from open water to raised bog. Its subsequent history was changed by peat
cutting which led after its abandonment to reversion to fen . The cutting of peat was practised
probably for not less than 150 years and terminated about the middle of the eighteenth
century or soon thereafter. The more recent history is covered in progressively increasing
detail by maps and by written records or preserved specimens made by visiting naturalists.
Within the Bog there are marked differences in the vegetation of different parts and the
factors which determine these differences are examined and the mosaic of plant communities
throughout the reserve are described in detail. These range from acid and species-poor parts
to the base-rich and floristically diversified fen vegetation of the Far Wood.
This is the most analytical account of the plant ecology of Askham Bog which has so far
been published. Understanding the past history and present ecological balance also provide
the basis for foreseeing future trends and hence of taking such steps as are necessary to arrest
changes in undesired directions. Here the management committee is faced with difficulties
since its requirements are sometimes in conflict with those who control the surrounding land,
as in the preservation of a high water table within the Bog in the face of pressures to improve
drainage in the adjoining fields. The problems of management are dealt with in a concluding
chapter and one can only hope that the struggle for the preservation of the Bog will find
increasingly strong and effective support at national as well as local conservation levels.
The majority of visitors to the Bog are probably amateur naturalists whose interests lie
primarily in systematics. There are chapters dealing with the flora, entomology, conchology
and vertebrate zoology in which the salient features of interest for each group are described
with comments on changes which have occurred over the years. These accounts are supple-
mented by a series of appendices wherein complete lists are given of all recorded species in
fourteen different groups and these species lists have been compiled from the most authori-
tative sources available. There are at least some notable species at the Bog in all the
invertebrate groups whilst in some, and especially the water beetles, the reserve has long
been famous for the rarities and otherwise notable species which it harboured. But it makes
sad reading to find how many former inhabitants are now no longer to be found. Six
butterflies have gone; eight caddisflies, which represent 35 per cent of the total number
recorded; and of nineteen species of freshwater molluscs recorded in 1879 only four can now
be found. Part of this impoverishment is due to the disappearance of Chandler’s Whin ponds
and partly to pollution of the dykes on the northern and eastern sides of the reserve.
Botanists who knew the Bog in pre-war days will be all too well aware of the virtual
destruction of the rich flora which formerly characterized the marshy, base-rich meadows
and dyke margins fringing the south sides of Middle Wood and Far Wood. A high
proportion of the species which are no longer to be found grew here. My own recollections go
back to the early 1920s when this area was so productive that its investigation was apt to
delay the visitor overlong from sampling the Bog proper. It seems only a matter of time
before the golfers give the coup de grace to the surviving fragments of this once splendid
flora. Inside the Bog most of the notable species recorded during the last century still persist.
The autecology of two species, Hottonia palustris and Car ex elongata have been studied in
some detail and the findings are recorded. The facts about the history of Carex elongata at
Askham however have been overlooked. It was first found there by B. B. Le Tall the
Bootham schoolmaster in 1892 and his record was published in the Natural History Journal
for that year. Shortly afterwards Le Tall left England for a post in Tasmania and where he
had found the Carex was unknown to contemporary botanists. It was to Le Tail’s record that
Wilkinson was referring in the YNU circular to which reference is made in this account. The
plant was not refound at Askham until 1936 and the facts are recorded in The Naturalist
1936, pp 231-2, and in the Supplement to the Yorkshire Floras. The latter work does not
appear to have been referred to and other plant records could have been included had it been
consulted.
Naturalists in general, and Yorkshire naturalists in particular, will welcome this book for
it brings together a mass of information about a reserve of great natural history interest and
of considerable scientific importance. Those with long memories will have their pleasure in
74 Book Reviews
its contents somewhat modified by nostalgic regrets that surrounding areas which were once
so productive have now disappeared. But it is heartening to know that the future of the Bog is
assured and that the constructive plans of the management committee include measures
designed to encourage the return of insects and other species by providing habitats within the
reserve similar to those that were lost when Chandler’s Whin ponds and the Flat Swamp were
destroyed. The authors deserve thanks for the thoroughly competent manner in which they
have dealt with their task both in the planning and execution of the work and not least in the
careful proofreading. English and scientific names are given for all the listed species in the
appendices and with over 2000 Latin names to check the number of printer’s errors which
have escaped detection is very small. The book is well produced and the photographs, charts,
tables, and text figures give added interest to the text. It is appropriate that the centenary
which the book was planned to commemorate should also coincide with the year when its
senior author is President-elect of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union.
BOOK REVIEWS
A Life of Invertebrates by W. D. Russell-Hunter. Pp. xviii + 650, with many line drawings
and plates. Collier Macmillan. 1979. £12.75
This survey of invertebrates is made from morphological, physiological, ecological, and
evolutionary standpoints. It is essentially a textbook and will be of particular value to under-
graduate students, but naturalists will find much to interest them, particularly aspects of
physiological-ecology and adaptive behaviour.
Invertebrate Animals: Collection and Preservation compiled by Roger I. Lincoln and J.
Gordon Sheals. Pp. viii + 150, with numerous illustrations. British Museum (Natural
History)/Cambridge University Press. 1979. £9 hardback, £2.95 paperback
Detailed information on the collection and preservation of each invertebrate group (with the
exception of insects) is provided together with basic notes on their morphology and classifica-
tion. Other sections deal with collecting equipment and field techniques, recipes for killing,
fixing and preserving, and the general treatment of collections.
Carnivores of Europe by Robert Burton. Pp. 173 with 12 colour plates, 12 black and white
plates and 24 line drawings. Batsford. 1979. £8.50
This book is one of few general accounts of the biology, ecology and distribution of the
carnivores of Europe and on this score alone is to be welcomed. This Order of mammals has
been particularly subject to man’s adverse influence so that an appraisal of its status at the
present time is most appropriate.
The author introduces the reader to the general characters of the carnivores and then goes
on to provide a brief description of the families occurring in Europe and a more detailed
account of each species. These are frequently accompanied by distribution maps.
Although the author has obtained his information from a wide range of sources, it is quite
evident that for some species, e.g. raccoon dog, beech marten, wolverine, the available
scientific data are very scant. For some species, e.g. badger, weasel, there is considerable
dependence on the British literature and one wonders whether this accurately reflects the
balance of work undertaken on these animals. While there is much information on the
ecology of badger, the reader is given little advice on its status in continental Europe.
The photographs, particularly those in colour, are of a high standard and the line
drawings are clear and of reasonable size. The text on each species could have been helped by
the introduction of sub-headings as this would have organized the information more
systematically. This is a useful book and one to be recommended to anyone wishing to widen
their knowledge of these interesting mammals.
MJD
Book Reviews 75
Lambert's Birds of Shore and Estuary by Alan Mitchell, with paintings by Terence Lambert.
Pp. 128, almost half of which are colour plates. Collins. 1979. £6.95
This is the second book produced by the collaboration of these two ornithologists. Despite
the occasional over-exaggerated posture the paintings of birds by Terence Lambert are
immaculate; too perfect, perhaps, for many. Wide use has been made of plants, rocks and
other habitat elements to produce a series of harmonious if rather stylized ornithological
ensembles, reminiscent of the approach of John Gould in the last century.
The text is clearly aimed at the uninitiated, but does contain much up-to-date information
on the habits, habitat and distribution of the birds illustrated.
A nice gift for the not too interested birdwatcher.
Problems of Genetics by William Bateson, with an Historical Introduction by G. Evelyn
Hutchinson and Stan Rachootin. Pp. xxii + 258, with 14 figures (line drawings, photographs,
and 1 colour plate). Yale University Press. 1979. £12.30 hardback, £3.15 paperback
William Bateson’s Problems of Genetics was first published in 1913 when the concord
between Darwinian theory and factorial inheritance had but recently been established. It was
written at a time when the inheritance of acquired characteristics seemed probable to many,
when the gene and its action were inscrutable, and before the role of chromosomes in
inheritance was recognized by all biologists.
This is a book for biologists. It is unlikely to be appreciated fully by students or even by
young researchers faced, as they are, by a torrent of more recent work. However, the signi-
fance of the courteous exchange of letters between Bateson and Kammerer would be clear to
anyone who saw the BBC Television play entitled The Case of the Midwife Toad : Kammerer
failed to produce specimens of the toad with nuptual pads to support his contention that
such characters could be acquired and inherited. Topics discussed in the book include the
species problem, mutation, local variation and differentiation, hybrid sterility, meristic
phenomena, and segmentation. Attempts to reconcile the problems posed by Bateson with a
current appreciation of genetics proved to be an exhausting process for the reviewer. The
Historical Introduction is interesting, but was of little help in this personal appraisal.
The book is to be recommended to those with an interest in biological perspectives and a
sound knowledge of modern genetics.
Zoological Illustration: An Essay Towards a History of Printed Zoological Pictures by David
Knight. Pp. 204, with black and white illustrations. Archon Books, Connecticut. 1977. £10
This excellent book is a scholarly account of the part that illustrations have played in the
development of zoology and especially their reflection of the history of that discipline. The
book is divided into three major categories, the purpose and techniques of zoological
illustration, and an historical account of these illustrations from the mid-sixteenth century
through to modern times. In addition, the author explains the various methods used to
illustrate books, the way that developments in printing have affected the techniques used by
artists and engravers, and the changes in engraving and artistic methods which have
developed independently of the printer.
Dr Knight points out that illustrations viewed within the context of a book show that the
artist was ‘working for a certain author and sort of book, for a certain publisher and public,
at a certain price, and at a certain time’, something that needed saying as too often books of
an earlier period are judged against the standards of the twentieth century. With this in mind
it is not appropriate to comment on the absence in this book of coloured plates: one must
accept that their inclusion even in small numbers could have doubled the price. However, the
printing of this book on paper so thin that the type shows through every page cannot be a
justifiable economy.
It is sad to find fault with such an otherwise excellent book but I find the index unsatis-
factory and the inclusion of so-called bibliographies at the end of each chapter rather than as
a whole render it difficult to use as a reference work, which is what the text richly merits.
AW
76
Book Reviews
The Alpine Flowers of Britain and Europe, text and black and white illustrations by
Christopher Grey- Wilson, colour illustrations by Marjorie Blarney. Pp. 384, including
illustrations, maps and line drawings. Collins. 1979. £5.95 hardback, £4.50 paperback
Covering the Alps, Pyrenees and Apennines and the mountains of central France, Germany,
Britain, and Scandinavia, this attractive handbook should prove a most useful guide to those
botanizing in these areas: fortunately, its compact format will enable it to be tucked into
holiday luggage without difficulty. Alpine flowers are here defined as all those growing above
1000 metres, many of which, of course, will also be found growing at lower levels. The
majority of the excellent illustrations are in colour; many are life-size, the remainder showing
a single life-size flower of the plant in question. Variants from the norm are described in the
text, which concentrates on those features most useful for rapid identification and those not
easily ascertainable from the illustrations alone. Pictorial keys, based on flower shape and
colour, are specifically designed for those without specialist knowledge. Designed to be easily
carried, users are very rightly urged to take the book to the plant and refrain from picking
specimens to identify.
Understandably, grasses and sedges are excluded; less understandably, so are bushes,
although trees are included: in an Alpine habitat, where does one draw the line between trees
and bushes? However, the text does include such species as the bramble, rose, cotoneaster,
broom, gorse, daphne, dogwood, and lavender, and there is a leaf-shape key (Appendix 3)
which includes large shrubs as well as trees. A series of useful appendices provide further
guidance to the more confusing groups of plants, with line drawings of leaves, fruits, etc.
Also included at the end is a glossary, a short account of mountain flowers in Britain, notes
on conservation, societies to join, suggestions for further reading, and English and scientific
indexes.
The one rather dubious feature of the book is the coining of English names from the Latin,
where no true common name exists. Apart from this quibble, the book is warmly recom-
mended to everyone interested in Alpines, whether as botanist or gardener.
VAH
Lichens of the Alaskan Arctic Slope by John W. Thomson. Pp. xv + 314 (including 1 map
and 4 pages of monochrome plates). University of Toronto Press. 1979. $35
An authoritative account of an area of the world where lichens play an important, and often
dominant, role in the ecosystem. The work is essentially taxonomic, with detailed keys and
descriptions to 504 species, many new to Alaska, some new to North America and five new to
science: Cetrelia alaskana, Lecidea shushanii , L. carbonoidea, Lecanora concinnum, and
Rhizocarpon cumulatum. Sadly, the introduction is short and provides only a limited
ecological background to a fascinating region which is only now becoming better known to
the botanist and ecologist — more ecological information would have been welcome. The
standard of production is excellent, although from the lichenologist’s standpoint, the photo-
graphs convey little to supplement the meagre ecological information supplied.
MRDS
An Illustrated Guide to River Phytoplankton by Hilary Belcher and Erica Swale. Pp. 64.
HMSO. 1979. £1.50 paperback
This attractively illustrated booklet is a worthy companion to A Beginner’s Guide to Fresh-
water Algae by the same authors. Keys and brief descriptions are given to generic level for
planktonic algae that commonly occur in British rivers, canals, broads, and lowland pools;
the drawings are of named species. There is a brief introduction to the composition and
growth of phytoplankton, and notes on collection, examination, counting, and recording.
The guide is well printed on good paper and is fairly priced. It is strongly recommended to
teachers, students and anyone with an interest in the smaller organisms of easily accessible
freshwater habitats.
GFL
Book Reviews 77
The Natural History of Britain and Northern Europe: Rivers, Lakes and Marshes by Brian
Whitton. Pp. 224. Hodder and Stoughton. 1979. £5.50
The idea of producing a field guide to a habitat or geographical area is a recent innovation
and one to be enthusiastically endorsed. An over- all competence, embracing invertebrates,
non-vascular and vascular plants, birds, and mammals, facilitated by this approach, should
promote a more satisfying appreciation of natural history. Rivers, Lakes and Marshes is this
type of field guide.
An interesting feature is that the guide section is prefaced by an introductory, interpretive
essay which provides an ecological perspective to areas the reader might visit. Also, the
fragility of, and human pressures upon these habitats are discussed.
The guide section (128 pages) contains about 700 entries accompanied by a short
description (average 50 words) of each species and, with few exceptions, a colour illustration.
The latter gives a general impression rather than aiding identification.
The recent growth in the publication and by inference, sale, of natural history guides must
indicate a growing real interest for this subject. Sadly, many recently published books are
undistinguished while classic works remain out of print. Rivers, Lakes and Marshes however
provides a useful addition to the groaning natural history shelves.
PJS
The Flora of County Carlow by Evelyn M. Booth. Pp. viii + 172, including 5 maps. Royal
Dublin Society, Dublin. 1979. £6.50
This work is the culmination of devoted fieldwork undertaken for more than thirty years by
one of Ireland’s most loved and respected botanists. For Ireland it is the first flora of an
inland county, the first written by a woman, and also the first county flora to be published
since 1950.
Each of the listed entries of native plants and established aliens contains habitat notes and
distributional data for five botanic districts based on the physiographic regions outlined in
the Soils of County Carlow. The author also provides sections on the history of botany in
Carlow, sites of botanical interest, trees and woodland, common names, a bibliography, a
topographical index, and an index to flowering plant genera. Short accounts are given by
invited authors on climate (D. Fitzgerald), geology and soils (M. F. O’Meara), bryophytes
(D. Synott), lichens (M. R. D. Seaward), fungi and algae (M. J. P. Scanned), and a foreword
is contributed by P. J. O’Hare.
Although Carlow cannot boast such an impressive range of plants species as many other
Irish counties, nevertheless this small county has a quiet charm, varied topography and an
interesting flora, all of which is self-evident from this welcome contribution to Irish botanical
studies.
YAH
Botanical Atlas of the Harrogate District compiled by W. H. Jowsey. Pp. xii + 200. 1978.
Obtainable from: Harrogate and District Naturalists’ Society, 2 Olive Walk, Harrogate
HG1 4RJ. £4.25 (including postage and packing)
Distribution maps, based on 1 km x 1 km grid-square mapping units, of an area bounded to
W by Great Whernside, to E by the confluence of the Rivers Nidd and Ouse, to N by the River
Ure at West Tanfield, and to S by the northern outskirts of Wetherby. The distributions of
thirty-two pteridophytes and 758 spermatophytes during the years 1966 to 1977 are given,
together with six maps showing contours, rivers and large streams, limestone areas, woods,
railways, major roads, towns, and OS co-ordinates. Provision has been made for the up-
dating of the Atlas during the periods 1978-82 and 1983-87, full details of which may be
obtained from the address given above.
78 Book Reviews
Environmental Chemistry of the Elements by H. J. M. Bowen. Pp. xvi + 333, including line
drawings and tables. Academic Press, London. 1979. £17
This is a complete revision of the author’s Trace Elements in Biochemistry published in
1966, which reviews in detail the distribution of chemical elements in the environment and
living organisms. The scope may be gauged from some of the chapter titles: atmosphere;
hydrosphere; elemental geochemistry of rocks; soils; biosphere and elemental cycles;
elemental composition of living matter; uptake and excretion by organisms; essentiality,
deficiencies and toxicities; chemical forms and functions; radioactive nuclides in the environ-
ment; environmental effects of human activities. The text concludes with a most informative
37-page summary of the elements in the geosphere and biosphere; this is followed by a 43-
page bibliography. The book also contains the periodic table, symbols and units and a useful
index. There is a wealth of reference information and source material to be derived from this
excellent review; the book can be recommended not only to the biochemist but also to the
environmentalist, ecologist and biogeographer.
MRDS
Henderson’s Dictionary of Biological Terms by Sandra Holmes. Pp. xii + 510. Longman.
9th edition. 1979. £9.95
Since the publication of the 8th edition sixteen years ago there has been a rapid growth in
biological knowledge. An extensive revision of this successful dictionary was therefore
necessary: the number of entries has been increased from 16,500 to approx 22,500, and two
important new features are the tables of classification of the plant and animal kingdoms
which appear at the end of the book. An invaluable reference book for students, teachers and
established researchers in biology and related subjects.
Policies for Landscapes under Pressure edited by Andrew W. Gilg. Pp. vii + 123. Northgate
Publishing Company, London. 1979. £11
An important collection of papers resulting from the 10th symposium of The Landscape
Research Group held at the University of Exeter, 22-24 September 1978. Topics covered
include: field mapping, aerial photography and landscape policies (particularly for Exmoor,
the Lake District and the Peak District), as well as an account of the symposium’s field
excursion to Dartmoor. Alas, at this price, only the delegates to the symposium and a few
libraries will provide the sources for dissemination to planners, conservationists and
landscape architects.
A Guide to the Pennine Way by Christopher John Wright. 3rd edition. Pp. 240, including
numerous monochrome photographs and maps. Constable. 1979. £3.95
A welcome new edition of this excellent guide, invaluable to all walkers along the Pennine
Way, whether novices or old hands. There is helpful practical information on accommoda-
tion, route finding, safety precautions, equipment, availability of supplies, weather
conditions, etc. The route directions are admirably clear, noting every feature to watch out
for along the Way: the walker with this guide in his rucksack is very unlikely to get lost. The
text is lavishly illustrated with maps and photographs, many of these with superimposed text
identifying natural features, which should prove helpful when trying to pinpoint one’s
position.
VAH
The Lakeland Peaks by W. A. Poucher. 7th edition. Pp. 441, including numerous
monochrome photographs and maps. Constable. 1979. £4.95. The Welsh Peaks by W. A.
Poucher. 7th edition. Pp. 426, including numerous monochrome photographs and maps.
Constable. 1979. £4.50
These two new editions of Constable’s pictorial guides for walkers and climbers are presented
in the same format as A Guide to the Pennine Way (reviewed above) and retain the same
high standards of authorship and publication.
Book Reviews 79
Yorkshire: the Dales by Maurice Colbeck. Pp. 160 (including map) + 27 black and white
photographic plates. Batsford. 1979. £6.95
Text and illustrations which capture the charm and interest of an area, defined for this
topographical work as from the R. Aire to the R. Tees, and from Sedbergh in the west to the
A1 road in the east, but mainly concentrating on the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Landscape, buildings and people all receive delightful treatment by the editor of Yorkshire
Life.
British Tits by C. M. Perrins. Pp. 304, well illustrated. New Naturalist series. Collins. 1979.
£6.50
The New Naturalist series sets the standard by which other natural history books are judged.
Readers interested in population ecology will find the latest issue to be one of the best and
most informative yet. It covers in full the feeding, breeding and behaviour of the six British
species of Parus (coal, great, blue, crested, marsh, and willow tits) and the long-tailed tit.
Each of these is given a separate chapter.
The remaining ten chapters contain some of the most comprehensive ecological data
available for any group of animals in the world. We read how competition between the
species is reduced by habitat selection and by the exploitation of different foods. The
territorial behaviour of tits has been extensively studied in Britain and Europe and is
described here in detail. The possible role of territoriality in population regulation is
critically assessed.
Later chapters deal with reproduction, mortality and population dynamics, linking
carefully analysed field work with up-to-date ecological theory in a lucid and informative
text. There is a full bibliography which will allow points of interest to be followed up in the
technical literature.
This is one of the best natural history books to appear in years. I recommend it to
ornithologists and ecologists and to anyone who would like to become a more scientific,
ecologically aware bird watcher.
MJC
Historical Ecology: The Documentary Evidence by John Sheail. Pp. 21, including 8 plates
and 11 figures. 1980. £2. Atlas of the Bumblebees of the British Isles compiled by
International Bee Research Association and the Biological Records Centre. Pp. 32, including
27 maps. 1980. £2
Latest publications from the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (Natural Environment Research
Council), Cambridge: the former work will be of value to ecologists, historical geographers,
naturalists, and environmentalists, and the latter work contains distribution maps of twenty-
six species of Bombus and Psithyrus (Hymenoptera: Apidae).
The Twelve Months of the Year edited by Euan K. Dunn and David Black. Pp. 120,
including many monochrome and coloured illustrations. David and Charles, Newton Abbot.
1980. £5.95 hardback, £3.95 paperback
An attractive combination of text and plates showing the changing seasons and their effects
on natural history: each month is prefaced by a coloured illustration spread over a double
page depicting many characteristic features of the landscape and its plants and animals.
Erratum
It is with regret that I both misquoted the title and misspelt the name of its author in my
recent review in The Naturalist (105: 39). The title of the book should be Discover Birds (not
Discovering Birds), and the author is the well-known Scottish ornithologist Ian Wallace.
MD
\
Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series)
edited by Doris M. Kermack and R.S.K. Barnes
No. 17
British Brachiopods
C. Howard, C. Brunton and Gordon B. Curry
January 1980 , vi + 64pp., £4.80 (UK only) /$ 1 1.50, 0. 12.357550.8
No. 16
British Nearshore Foraminiferids
John W. Murray
June 1979 , vi + 68pp., £2.80 (UK only) /$6.50, 0. 12.51 1850.3
No. 15
British Coastal Shrimps and Prawns
G. Smaldon
August 1979, vi + 126pp., £4.50 (UK only) / $10.50, 0. 12.649250.6
No. 14
British Ascophoran Bryozoans
P.J. Hayward and J.S. Ryland
June 1979, vi + 312pp., £6.80 (UK only) / $16.00, 0. 12.335050.6
No. 13
British and Other Phoronids
C.C. Emig
March 1979, vi + 58pp., £2.80 (UK only) / $6.50 , 0. 12.238750.3
Academic Press
A Subsidiary of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers
London New York Toronto Sydney San Francisco
24-28 Oval Road, London NW1 7DX, England
111 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003, USA
Orchids of Britain
A Field Guide
David Lang
Oxford
University Press
From the pine forests of the Spey Valley to the hazel coppices of
Dorset, from the North Downs of Kent to the Pennines of
Lancashire: in all these areas are found
the flowering spikes of one or more of the
forty-nine species of wild British orchid.
Of all our wild flowers, these are the
most highly valued for their beauty
and rarity and they have long been of
special interest to naturalists. Orchids
of Britain, based on twenty-eight years
of field-work, is a study of these
complex species which outlines
their structure, life cycle, and
reproduction, with details of
classification and
hybridization. There is a full
description of each species,
supplemented by detailed line
drawings and the author’s colour
photographs, some showing
orchid species which
are seldom recorded.
A distribution map for
each species is given,
based on the most
recent information from
the Institute of
Terrestrial Ecology.
117 colour photographs,
10 line drawings, 51 maps £7.95
Printed by the University Printing Service at the University of Leeds
ISSN 0028-0771
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|jLY— SEPTEMBER 1980 (No 954) VOLUME 105
THE
MTMRflLIST
Quarterly Journal of Natural History for the North of England
Edited by M. R. D. SEAWARD, MSc, PhD, FLS, The University, Bradford
PAGE
81
101
106
107
115
87, 88, 123, 124
CONTENTS
Mammal Studies in Yorkshire — A Review — T. M. C/egg
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve 1.
Inter-relations of Vegetation and Environment — A. H. Fitter,
J. Browne, T. Dixon, and J. J. Tucker
The Botanical Records of William Pilkington of Hatfield
(1758-1848) - P. Skidmore
Notes on Yorkshire Mollusca — 1 Boettgerilla pa/ens Sim roth
in Yorkshire — A. Norris
The 1978-79 Survey of Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
Colonies on the Yorkshire and Cleveland Coast -
M. C. Mericas Leach, S. V. Kearsey and C. Weiis
Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Excursions in 1979 — A. Norris
Book Reviews
PUBLISHED BY
THE YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS’ UNION
THE LEPIDOPTERA OF YORKSHIRE
Separates of the collected instalments which appeared serially in The Naturalist (1967-1970)
are available from Dr W. A. Sledge, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Leeds,
Leeds 2. Price 50p plus 15p postage.
Y.N.U. NEWSLETTER
The Y.N.U. Newsletter, sent to all Full members and Affiliated Societies, is published twice
a year: April and September; final copy dates are 31 January and 30 June. Its aim is to
provide a means of intercommunication between all members by giving, for example, reports
on Y.N.U. and Society meetings and activities, items of broad Natural History interest,
details of types of surveys and enquiries. All items should be sent to the Newsletter Editor:
Mr H. T. James, 238 Sigston Road, Beverley, Yorkshire.
LECTURING SERVICE
The Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union maintains a list of speakers willing to lecture on a variety
of natural history subjects. Secretaries of Affiliated Societies and similar bodies should apply
to the Administrative Office, Mr D. Bramley, c/o Doncaster Museum, Chequer Road,
Doncaster DN1 2AE for further details of this service.
A REQUEST
It is proposed to start an album of photographs of interest to the Y.N.U. We would be very
glad to receive prints of people or events either as a gift or on loan for copying, with dates and
as much information as possible. We hope the collection will stretch from the early years of
the Union to the present day and become part of the Y.N.U. Archives.
Please send to Mrs J. E. Duncan, 23 Rupert Road, Ilkley LS29 OAQ.
BINDING
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All subscriptions should be forwarded to:
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MAMMAL STUDIES IN YORKSHIRE — A REVIEW
T. M. CLEGG
Presidential Address to the Yorkshire Naturalists ’ Union, Leeds, 1 December 1979
The choice of a subject for this Presidential Address gave my mind considerable food for
thought during the early part of this year. It had, I felt, to be a mammal subject and
preferably related to the forthcoming centenary, in just over a year’s time, of the publication
of William Eagle Clarke and William Denison Roebuck’s Handbook of the Vertebrate Fauna
of Yorkshire. It took a visit from Dr E. W. Taylor, a past president and the Union’s oldest
continuously serving member, who joined in 1911, to crystallize my ideas. Dr Taylor came to
the Yorkshire Museum to look over the mammal collection of Adam Gordon of Duncombe
Park, which the latter gave to the Museum in 1977. Dr Taylor and Adam Gordon shared
many mammal experiences in the earlier decades of this century and the latter, a field
naturalist and taxidermist of legendary skills, is now not much younger than Clarke and
Roebuck’s Handbook .
The Handbook covered all the vertebrates of the county and, appropriately enough, the
mammals were the province of Roebuck. His brief accounts of distribution and status have
been used as a baseline by generations of Yorkshire mammalogists. In his presidential
address to the Union in 1955 Dr Taylor (1956) took as his subject ‘A survey of our knowledge
of Yorkshire mammals, 1881-1955’. By extracting all the records contained in The
Naturalist and adding other observations made during the seventy-four-year period he
provided a new benchmark in mammal study in the county and his important paper provided
a foundation for much of the work of the last twenty-five years. My own interest in mammals
was quickened by this paper and a lecture by F. J. Pickvance, then secretary of the young
Mammal Society of the British Isles (later The Mammal Society).
The non-avian vertebrate section of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, has always suffered
from its nomenclature. At one stage it was known as the Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians
and Fishes (MRAF) Section, then the names were reversed to give FARM — an odd
acronym. I shall refer to it hereafter as the Mammal Section, not because of prejudice but
merely in the interests of brevity and the matter in hand. The section has always had a
Cinderella reputation, small in numbers and resources for tackling large-scale projects.
However, there has never been any lack of enthusiasm among the members and the annual
reports of the 1950s and 1960s reflect endeavours out of all proportion to the size of the
membership. Much of the credit for this must go to Ellen Hazelwood and John Govett who
flew the section’s flag for much of this period.
To return to my theme; it is my intention to review mammal study in the county over the
the last couple of decades, not by trying to add to Dr Taylor’s survey but by looking at
developments and directions of research plus of course a number of exciting events of recent
years. In some ways I feel, from my middle-aged standpoint, that the two decades or so
which cover the period of my interest in mammals mark a transition from an older,
collection-based, approach to new sophisticated ways of dealing with distributional data and
tackling ecological problems. My original projects involved collecting as a major activity, as
befits a museum upbringing, and subsequent work was likely to be on the results of
collecting. The species which attracted me most was the house mouse, Mus musculus, and
this I pursued assiduously from the sand dunes of Spurn (1963) to the lower reaches of coal
mines.
When I first began to look at mammals on the Spurn Peninsula I approached Ralph
Chislett, as Chairman of the Spurn Committee, for permission to trap a reasonable series of
the small mammals in the area. His immediate answer was, ‘what do you call reasonable?’.
We agreed a number of specimens to be taken, which I rationalized as being just about the
Naturalist 105 (1980)
82 Mammal Studies in Yorkshire — A Review
same in its effects as having a short-eared owl present on the reserve for a week at a time.
Later on, after experience of my taxidermic operations and post-mortem ploys, the general
view among the ornithologists was that they would have preferred the short-eared owl.
Mapping Schemes and Distribution Studies
A provisional atlas of British mammals is now available and the national mapping scheme
is, after more than a decade of effort, in its final stages. The ten-kilometre square as the
plotting unit has been superseded by the tetrad and one-kilometre square at local level. In
Yorkshire a pioneer effort has been that of Derek and Shan Whiteley (1976), whose
distribution maps, covering twelve ten-kilometre squares of the Sheffield area, plotted at the
one-kilometre level make their paper a model of its kind. Their data, built up from the
results of public appeals for information, the fieldwork of Sorby Society members, prey
remains analysis, and such sources of information as scouring roadside lay-bys for bottles
containing mammal remains, exploits every opportunity available to the mammalogist.
Derek Whiteley’s talk to the Mammal Section on bottled mammals will long be remembered
with a mixture of nausea and admiration.
A fundamental source of local information which has come into being in recent years is the
biological data bank. These banks are now established in all parts of the county, most of
them operated by museum services on behalf of their local authorities. These units are now,
in some instances, thoroughly integrated into the planning and development structures of the
local authorities, whose recent responsibilities include the local application of protective
legislation covering badgers, otters and certain bats.
To allow data banks to collect information quickly, short-term employment schemes, such
as the job creation programme, have allowed the temporary employment of people qualified
for this work. Thus the ill wind of unemployment has blown somebody a bit of good, if only
temporarily.
In connection with distribution studies it is worth emphasizing that even casual records are
still of significance when added to data bank compilations and naturalists of all persuasions
can make useful contributions in this department. This information can have a bearing on
conservation and the recent extension of legal protection to badgers in West Yorkshire was
influenced by the accurate assessments of the animal’s status which were available for
consideration.
The Yorkshire Mammal Group, a society based at York, was formed by four enthusiasts
of whom Dr Michael Thompson is the only founder member active at the present time. The
Group, now enlarged, carries on scientific survey work, particularly on Trust reserves, and
has produced a great deal of distributional data in recent years (Cowx, 1971); (Aspinall and
Thompson, 1973). A live trapping weekend, dedicated as a memorial to D. L. Aspinall, a
founder member of the group, is used to cover little known parts of the county. The 1979
exercise yielded twelve new records for the grid square in which it took place. The Mammal
Group has been extremely active in otter surveying and in providing mammal data for
conservation purposes in the Derwent Valley.
Detailed Studies
1 . Insectivores and bats
Long-term studies of hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus road mortality in the Scarborough
district by C. I. Massey (1972) demonstrated what results could be achieved by collecting
records from willing helpers as well as using travelling time on a regular route productively.
There have been relatively few analyses of this type carried out but it is not too late to start
such operations, which may yield comparative data on hedgehog abundance, seasons of
activity, etc. The suspicion that hedgehogs in some areas have learned to cope with the
menace of the motor vehicle may be true, as may be the alternative view that the hedgehog
population has declined due to road mortality, agricultural chemicals and so on.
Other than the pioneering efforts of Armitage and Whitaker in the first decade of this
century and more recently the work of Colin Howes and Michael Thompson, bat studies in
Mammal Studies in Yorkshire — A Review
83
Yorkshire were largely the province of one man, Adam Gordon of Helmsely, who added an
apparently lost species and a new species to the county list. These were the lesser horseshoe
bat Rhinolophus hipposideros and the barbastelle bat Barbastella barbastellus. The latter
was recorded for the first time in 1930. Two more bat species have been added since 1972 —
Brandt’s bat Myotis brandti which was found near Pateley Bridge in 1972 (Thompson 1979),
and the serotine bat Eptesicus serotinus , found dead at Greaseborough, Rotherham, in 1977
(Ely, 1979).
Brandt’s bat, which was first described from Eastern Europe in 1970, was found alive by
R. Stebbings of the Nature Conservancy Council and earlier records of this species in
Yorkshire have been located by Thompson (1979) after critical examination of whiskered
bats Myotis mystacinus in museum collections. The two species are closely related. It is on
single species or single colonies of some species that most of the recent work has been carried
out. Michael Thompson has studied the pipistrelle bat at colonies in York suburbs and
dormitory villages (1977) and whiskered bats (op cit) and Colin Howes has looked into the
food of noctules (1974) and their distribution, etc (1979), as well as the lives of pipistrelles
near Doncaster (1973).
2. Mountain hare
The mountain hare Lepus timidus was not considered as a Yorkshire mammal by Clarke and
Roebuck (1881) though the first introductions were made to the Pennines, between Sheffield
and Oldham, around 1870. In contrast to other introductions the hares prospered and a
recent detailed study by Yalden (1971) suggests they may be increasing their range in the
Peak District. The Sorby Society have maintained a regular programme of blue hare
watching, led by Mrs V. Clinging, in their area over recent years.
During the early ’sixties a hare shoot on Boxing Day at Langsett culled the blue hare
population and those shot on that day were the perks of the keepers concerned. This practice
may well have assisted the hare population in general through the winters by ensuring an
abundance of food for the survivors. I recall one ‘sportsman’ whose day’s tally was given as
— forty-seven cartridges, forty-seven hares. In the hard winter of 1962-63 many hares died
on Langsett moors and the deep piled droppings under walls and banks showed how they had
‘yarded up’ in extremely severe conditions.
3. Rodents
One of the longest running mammal surveys in the county is that of red Sciurus vulgaris and
grey S. carolinensis squirrels in the Sheffield area. Their respective distributions have been
studied since the middle ’fifties and the latest report is that of Herringshaw and Gosney
(1974). My own interest in red squirrels in south Yorkshire and north Derbyshire centred
around the introduced forms of the area (Clegg, 1970) and this is a field in which research
like that carried out by Colin Howes (1973) in archives and estate papers might produce
further results in ascertaining the possible origins of some of our red squirrels.
Archaeological excavations in York recently added an interesting historical footnote to the
status of the black rat Rattus rattus in the county when a skull was discovered in Roman
levels. This species appears to lack enthusiasts at present though in the early ’sixties I had no
difficulty in obtaining specimens through the good offices of the Port Health authorities of
Hull and Goole.
The most exciting event recently among small mammal enthusiasts was the rediscovery of
the harvest mouse, Micromys minutus in 1972. This species was re-established when Howes
(1973 YNU Ann Rep) found skeletal remains in Barn Owl pellets from Thorne Moors. An
explosion of records followed from a wide area of lowland Yorkshire. Many of these were the
results of newly acquired skill in harvest mouse finding passed on by Dr Stephen Harris,
organizer of the national survey of the species. Dickens (1975) and French (1975) have
subsequently summarized the discoveries made in the Castleford and Selby areas. In 1916
Riley Fortune held the opinion that the species had not inhabited Yorkshire at all in recent
times — a view I had no difficulty in accepting as gospel some fifteen years ago. Its re-
emergence after ninety-one years of concealment is a minor miracle.
84 Mammal Studies in Yorkshire — A Review
The dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius for which only one record exists, since 1911, is
the subject of another national enquiry but recent efforts have failed to disclose any. Taylor
(1956) recorded the last known occurrence, at Goathland, since which a single animal at
Millhouses, Sheffield, is the only known report. Clarke and Roebuck (1881) regarded it as
thinly but generally distributed over the county.
The water vole, Arvicola terrestris a species which has aroused concern for its continued
survival on our rivers at times, might be taken as typical of the smaller rodents which are
widely distributed but failed to attract detailed researches. Howes (1979) work on the food
and mortality of the species in Yorkshire is a compendium of regional information which
summarizes all that is known of the species feeding ecology and place in the prey cycle of a
wide range of predators. This type of information collected casually over a long period
becomes interesting when analysed in this way.
An exotic rodent which had a brief period of feral existence in Yorkshire during the last
twenty years is the coypu Myocastor coypus. In 1960 a terrier breeder whose stock was
entered to coypu, to use the terminology of the dog fanciers, decided to save himself the
expense of training excursions to East Anglia and introduced coypus to the flashes of the
Rother Valley. The first notification of this took place when a gentleman brought a dead
coypu kitten to Sheffield City Museum. It had been killed by his dog and he was curious as to
the identity of the strange beast. A flurry of activity by the West Riding pest control brought
the introduction to an end when the last coypu was killed at Ulley Reservoir. Since then the
folklore of South Yorkshire, and the Broomfleet area of the Humber, has been enriched by
the inclusion of giant rodents, of legendary ferocity and exotic origins. The facts are more
mundane.
4. Cetaceans
The largest of Yorshire’s mammals, the whales, were summarized by Spalding (1966) during
the period when he was based at Hull Museum, where the collections include interesting
material, as befit those of a former whaling port. In recent times the studies of Whitaker and
Massey, at Scarborough, have maintained interest in the group. The note by Massey (1973)
on a stranded white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus at Cayton Bay concerns what was
only the seventh Yorkshire record of this widespread northern species, though there have
been a number since.
It is perhaps symptomatic of our changed attitudes towards whales and dolphins that the
stranding of a white-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris at Spurn in March 1979
attracted international interest in its rescue and recovery but after a successful launch and
re-stranding it was finally transported to Woburn where it died.
5. Carnivores
The fox Vulpes vulpes is our most widespread carnivore in habitat terms, and recent
‘scatological’ studies produce evidence of its versatility in feeding terms. The wide publicity
of suburban fox life styles in London and other cities appear to have encouraged similar
interest in Yorkshire foxes; those workers who have tackled the analysis of fox droppings have
shown that diet lists correspond closely with the stocks of local supermarkets, but exact
identification is often impossible due to the illegibility of packaging after it has been
subjected to the alimentary processes of the fox.
Among the mustelids, the pine marten Martes martes retains a foothold in the county and
much of its glamour. Clarke and Roebuck (1881) could only give a couple of localities and,
with stations in the south-west and north-east of Yorkshire, it is at least as well off today.
Colin Sims (pers comm) monitors a population in the north-eastern woodlands and reports,
even in the popular press, suggest that the species is still present in the Wakefield —
Barnsley — Huddersfield triangle. The polecat Mustela putorius just persisted into the early
years of this century but as escaped ferrets increased the issue was clouded as to the date of
its demise. Again a feral ferret population appears to be established in one area (C. Simms,
pers comm) and there may well be others in the future.
A prime cause for concern at the present time is the status and conservation of the otter
85
Mammal Studies in Yorkshire — A Review
Lutra lutra. Dr Taylor afforded it the same status as that given by the 1881 Handbook and
even at the present time it is recorded regularly on a number of Dales rivers and eastwards to
the Derwent. The latest record of the York population on the River Ouse, inside the city
boundaries, which I have heard, concerned an adult and two young by Ouse Bridge in 1961.
My informant was a policeman who encountered them there in the early hours of the
morning. The plans for aquatic recreation on some lowland rivers, which local authorities
are now formulating, may reduce the otter in these areas and leave only the relatively
undisturbed headwaters of the rivers available for them.
The work of Simms (1971) in the northern vale of York suggests how status on particular
streams can change and Howes (1976) has chronicled the decline in South Yorkshire.
Thompson (1979) reviewed the otter situation in North Yorkshire and indicates that, at
present, the position of the species is relatively healthy. Now that the otter is given full legal
protection, we must watch its fortunes closely since it is a species which could be lost by
default as our rivers are subject to multi-usage schemes.
The introduced American mink Mustela vison is a species which was not reviewed by Dr
Taylor but it is now an established, if unwelcome, addition to the mammal fauna. Mr P.
Clarke of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries has been concerned professionally
with the species since it began its colonization of the county. The first records were those of
escapes in the vicinity of mink farms and there was an early spread into the south-west of
the county from Cheshire. At the present time the rate of spread appears to have increased
again and East Yorkshire records suggest a dynamic situation. Anti-mink campaigns
appears to wax and wane in their intensity but at the moment concern is being expressed in
fisheries circles about the possible effects of mink on fish stocks. The species has taken little
more than fifteen years to achieve its present distribution.
A complete contrast is offered by the badger Meles meles it appears to have increased at a
relatively leisurely pace since the Handbook’s summary ‘very local, and extremely limited in
numbers’. Dr Taylor noted its increase in 1955 and since then the monograph of Badgers in
Yorkshire and Humberside by Paget and Middleton (1974) has produced definitive
information on its current status. Their reports on the progress of the national badger survey
in Yorkshire ( Naturalist 1968, 69, 72) chart their path towards their monograph which is a
triumph of recording and fieldwork. Among the good effects of this study has been the recent
extra protective legislation given to the badger in West Yorkshire. On a personal level I was
delighted to watch the progress of these protective measures towards legislative completion
during my presidential year.
The wild cat Felis sylvestris is long gone from Yorkshire — the last in South Yorkshire in
1621 (Howes, 1973) and in West Yorkshire in 1680 (Taylor, 1955), but Colin Howes has
recently initiated a survey of the domestic cat as a predator, and at times prey species, and
judging by the media coverage there can be few people unaware that cat-watching is the
latest public participation sport. We must look forward to his analysis of the family feline as
a faunal factor.
6. Seals
There is little one can say about seals except that at least one female grey seal Halichoerus
gryphus has deposited a pup on a Yorkshire beach to establish a temporary bridgehead as a
breeding species. The common seal, Phoca vitulina, driven out from Teesmouth at the
beginning of the century by a combination of industrial development and hostile behaviour,
has failed to colonize Spurn from its Lincolnshire strongholds. A breeding record from the
river Wharfe at Boston Spa remains the oddest dot on the atlas map.
7. Deer
The formation of the British Deer Society has led to an increase in interest and knowledge of
this group in the county. The Roe deer has spread dramatically in recent years since Roebuck
summarized it as ‘domesticated, in a few parks only’ and Dr Taylor had only one
unconfirmed record from the Ampleforth area as late as 1955. C. I. Massey has chronicled
the increase of the species in the north-east of the county and in the last ten years or so it has
spread into Humberside, South and West Yorkshire.
86
Mammal Studies in Yorkshire — A Review
The fortunes of the introduced sika deer Cervus nippon in the Bowland area have been
watched by Mitchell and Robinson (1972) and again Deer Society interest has been
considerable in this species. The muntjak Muntiacus muntjak may yet arrive from the south
and in the last two years four have taken the road to freedom by escaping from confinement
at Studley Royal. A future reviewer may be able to report on their progress.
Mammal Study and the Union
The Naturalists’ Yorkshire (1971) was a popular publication produced by the Dalesman
Publishing Company in conjunction with the Union. Ellen Hazelwood wrote the mammal
account for this to give a picture of the fauna which was likely to be of interest to a wide
readership.
This type of publication has much to commend it in which the results of fieldwork are
summarized and presented to the wide public on whom we, as naturalists, depend for
support and interest. There is now a greater interest in natural history than ever before and
we should be conscious of this.
Now that the Union’s annual reports are restricted in size by economic considerations the
reports issued by local societies have become important sources of information. Bradford,
Scarborough, Castleford, and Sheffield are well served in this way. In recent years annual
reports covering Fairburn Ings and Potteric Carr nature reserves have carried mammal
information also.
The Halifax Scientific Society published their Vertebrate Fauna of the Halifax Parish in
1965 and this was another work in the best tradition of local faunal coverage. The mammal
section was the work of Maurice Johnson who did a great deal to encourage mammal studies
in the area.
The Union has been well served by its mammalogists for a hundred years and more. Dr
Taylor looked forward from 1955 to 2033 and speculated on whether an account of the
spread of myxomatosis through the county’s rabbit population would be available to future
workers. I would like to look forward to 2081 and think that in spite of present difficulties the
Union, and particularly its non-avian vertebrate enthusiasts, might be thinking of updating
its county handbook yet again.
I would like to close by thanking my fellow section members for their efforts, many of
which I have failed to acknowledge in this review, and to pay special tribute to Dr Taylor,
with whom I enjoy frequent meetings, and Adam Gordon for many past kindnesses when I
began my mammal interests and whose superb collection of mammals now reposes in the
Yorkshire Museum. They have been, and continue to be, an example to us all.
References
Aspinall, D. L. and Thompson, M. J. A. (1973). Small Mammals of Howsham Wood.
Naturalist : 83—6.
Burden, K. (1976). Harvest mice in the Castleford-Knottingley area in 1975. Naturalist :
109-10.
Clarke, W. E. and Roebuck, W. D. (1881). A Handbook of the Vertebrate Fauna of York-
shire. Lovell Reeve, London.
Clegg, T. M. (1963). Observations on an East Yorkshire Population of the house mouse.
Naturalist : 39-40.
Clegg, T. M. (1963b). The mammals of the Sheffield Area. Naturalist : 103-5.
Clegg, T. M. (1965). Mammals on the Spurn Peninsula. Naturalist : 87-90.
Clegg, T. M. (1970). Introduced forms of the red squirrel in South Yorkshire and North
Derbyshire. Naturalist: 1—4.
Cowx, N. C. (1971). The mammals of Moorlands Nature Reserve, York. Naturalist : 63-4.
Dickens, R. F. (1975). The harvest mouse in Yorkshire. Naturalist: 13-15.
Ely, W. A. (1979). A new bat for Yorkshire. Naturalist 104: 111.
French, T. (1975). Recent investigations into the distribution of the harvest mouse in York-
shire. Nat uralist: 53-5.
Hazelwood, E. (1971). In Sledge, W. A. (Ed). The Naturalists’ Yorkshire. Dalesman,
Clapham.
Mammal Studies in Yorkshire — A Review 87
Herringshaw, D. and Gosney, D. (1974). Red and grey squirrels in the Sheffield area.
Naturalist : 127—30.
Howes, C. A. (1973a). Notes on a colony of pipistrelle bats at Branton near Doncaster.
Naturalist : 25—7.
Howes, C. A. (1973b). Historical records of mammals in south-east Yorkshire and the
Doncaster district. Naturalist: 41-50.
Howes, C. A. (1974a). Notes on the prey and feeding behaviour of the noctule bat.
Naturalist : 107-10.
Howes, C. A. (1974b). Notes on the food of foxes on the Spurn Peninsula. Naturalist:
131-3.
Howes, C. A. (1976). The decline of the otter in South Yorkshire and adjacent areas.
Naturalist 101: 3-12.
Howes, C. A. (1979a). The noctule bat in Yorkshire. Naturalist 104: 31-8.
Howes, C. A. (1979b). A review of the food and mortality of water voles in Yorkshire.
Naturalist 104: 71-4.
Johnson, M. (1965). In Morley, H. I. (Ed). Vertebrate Fauna of the Halifax Parish. Halifax
Scientific Society, Halifax.
Massey, C. I. (1972). A study of hedgehog road mortality in the Scarborough district, 1966-
71. Naturalist: 103—5.
Massey, C. I. (1973). White-sided dolphin stranded in Cayton Bay. Naturalist: 90.
Paget, R. J. and Middleton, A. V. (1974). Badgers of Yorkshire and Humberside. Ebor
Press, York.
Mitchell, W, R. and Robinson, J. (1972). Bowland Sika Deer: observations on a feral popu-
lation. Naturalist: 49-51.
Simms, C. (1971). Aspects of otter distribution in the Northern Vale of York. Naturalist:
123-6.
Spalding, D. A. E. (1966a). Whales in Yorkshire and lincolnshire. Naturalist: 87-95.
Spalding, D. A. E. (1966b). Red and grey squirrels in the Sheffield area. Naturalist: 119 —
21.
Taylor, E. W. (1956). A Summary of our Yorkshire mammals, 1881-1955. Naturalist:
37-44.
Thompson, M. J. A. (1977). The pipistrelle bat in and around York. Naturalist 102: 109-
lb.
Thompson, M. J. A. (1979a). The otter in North Yorkshire. YNT Newsletter 5: 5-6.
Thompson, M. J. A. (1979b). The whiskered bat and Brandt’s bat in Yorkshire — an
historical perspective. Naturalist 104: 147-54.
Whiteley, D. and Whiteley, S. S. (1976). Mammal fauna of Sheffield, part 1: distribution
and status. Sorby Record No. 14: 4-31.
Whiteley, D. and Yalden, D. W. (1976). Small mammals in the Peak District, Naturalist
101:89-101.
Whittaker, D. E. (1969). Cetaceans at Scarborough. Naturalist: 1-2.
Yalden, D. W. (1971). The mountain hare in the Peak District. Naturalist: 81-2.
BOOK REVIEWS
The Observer’s Book of Sea Fishing by Peter Wheat and Ray Forsberg. Pp 190, with
numerous illustrations. Warne. £1.50
Frederick Warne’s Observer’s Books have been with us a long time and there can be few
naturalists who have not in their youth relied on one or more for their introduction to a
subject. Their coverage is, of course, much wider than just natural history as this title shows.
Sea Fishing is written by two experienced anglers and fully maintains the standard of the
series. The text is clearly written and intructions on the techniques of sea angling are simply
presented. There are useful sections on the identification of fish, and on the biology of the
fish related to the means of capture. In short, the authors have produced an excellent but
simple introduction to sea fishing which is fully within the tradition of the Observer's series.
AW
88
Book Reviews
Living Seashells: Molluscs of the English Channel and Atlantic Coasts by P. Bouchet,
F. Dan rig ai and C. Huyghens; translated and edited by B. E. Picton. Blandford Press, Poole.
1979. £4.95
The publicity blurb on the cover of this superbly illustrated little book says ‘Living seashells
is an invaluable guide and should prove to be a standard identification work for marine
biologists, beachcomber, diver or tourist’. I personally would stress, however, that this book
should not be used by the inexperienced amateur to identify any species of marine mollusc
without checking the identification afterwards with descriptions taken from standard
reference works. Many of the colour photographs, although excellent in themselves, are too
small for identification purposes, or they do not show any diagnostic detail. It should prove
to be a good companion to such basic identification guides as British Bivalve Seashells by
Norman Tebble. ^ ^
The photographs of the living animals in their natural habitat are, however, a very useful
addition to the published material available, and as such will be useful to biologists and
naturalists generally. The book will be perhaps of most interest to those more privileged sub-
aqua divers who are familiar with marine animals in their natural habitat.
AN
A Field Guide to the Land Snails of Britain and North-west Europe by M. P. Kerney and
R. A. D. Cameron. Pp 288 with 24 colour plates, numerous text figures and 276
distribution maps. Collins. 1979. £5.50
The latest Collins Field Guide covers all the terrestrial slugs and snails found north of a line
from the Pyrenees to the Alps. The format follows the familiar, successful models of
Mitchell’s Trees, Chinerey’s Insects and Arnold et alias Reptiles and Amphibia. Each
species is dealt with in detail in the text under the headings Distribution, Habitat, Range, and
Taxonomic Description. Many of the species are illustrated by text figures and synonomy
and authority are given for all the latin names. Gordon Riley’s excellent colour plates show
the shells from various angles and in the range of colour forms encountered in the field.
Opposite the plate is a list of the species’ names and hints on key points for identification.
There are European distribution maps for nearly all the species (276) and detailed British
maps for all 116 native forms. There are no keys, but the combination of superb colour
plates, line drawings and text descriptions should allow most terrestrial molluscs to be
identified correctly by anyone willing to work patiently through the book.
This is another outstanding field guide, highly recommended to all naturalists. It is sure to
give fresh momentum to the field study of European slugs and snails.
MJC
Vocal Communication in Birds by Clive K. Catchpole. Pp 68. Studies in Biology No 15.
Arnold. 1979. £2.50
A concise and useful account of sound production and reception in birds. Chapter 1 covers
production of sounds and hearing, Chapter 2 methods and techniques of study; the
remaining chapters deal with functions of different kinds of calls, including songs,
development of songs and dialects, and evolutionary aspects of song. Readable, understand-
able, comprehensive; strongly recommended as an introduction for biology students, and
good value at the price.
BS
89
ECOLOGICAL STUDIES AT ASKHAM BOG NATURE RESERVE
1. INTER-RELATIONS OF VEGETATION AND ENVIRONMENT
A. H. FITTER, J. BROWNE, T. DIXON, and J. J. TUCKER
Department of Biology, University of York, York YOl 5DD
Introduction
Askham Bog is a small valley mire about 5 km SW of York. It lies at about 12 m AOD and is
surrounded by the raised ground of the York moraines (Fig 1). The Bog is about 1.7 km long
and 250-400 m wide, and covers an area of 43 ha. It is fed by a small stream rising about
0.5 km to the W and now diverted past the N side of the Bog, and by inflow from the moraine
to the S, and is drained by the same stream. The initial fall on the outlet stream is, however,
only about 0.1m over a distance of 3km, and consequently, despite the installation of a
pump by the Marston Moor Internal Drainage Board, is unable to cope with the winter
flows, allowing flooding of the Bog in wet winters. Askham Bog is floristically very rich; 312
species of higher plants have been recorded recently, and full details of these and of the other
major plant and animal groups are given by Fitter and Smith (1979). Most of the Bog is birch
(Betula pubescens) woodland, although alder (Alnus glutinosa) and oak (Quercus robur) are
locally dominant, and extensive willow carr occurs, primarily composed of Salix cinerea s.l.
Apart from small areas of sand along the northern side, the substratum is peat, ranging up
to at least 2 m in depth. Details of the postglacial history of the site are given by Hall et al in
Fitter and Smith (1979), who describe several curious features. The general stratigraphy
reflects a typical hydrosere, with lake muds overlain by fen peat, and this by Sphagnum -
Eriophorum peat. This is, however, succeeded by more fen peat, on which Sphagnum is now
growing in some places.
In addition there are dykes surrounding and crossing the Bog, of which the northern
marginal dyke is free-flowing, regularly dredged, and of little interest. The others are in
various stages of infilling and are dammed as a water conservation measure; they have a rich
flora and fauna. Outside the Bog proper are a number of areas of grassland, some very
species-rich and containing species very scarce locally, such as Cirsium dissectum, here
almost at its northern limit in Britain.
The Bog is managed and partly-owned by the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust Ltd and is
currently listed by the Nature Conservancy Council as a Grade 2 site, according to the
grading in Ratcliffe (1977). A number of studies have been published on the site in the last
hundred years, beginning with a series of articles in the Natural History Journal for 1879,
followed by two MSc theses (Day, 1933 and Handley, 1968), and a recent survey by Fitter
and Smith (1979). This paper discusses the diversity of vegetation types present at Askham
Bog and an explanation for their distribution based on environmental features.
Methods
The whole Bog was covered by a 50 x 50 m grid, with marker posts at the intersections. All
survey work was based on this and was carried out in Far Wood unless otherwise stated.
Vegetation Survey
Two 1 m2 quadrats were examined at 25 m intervals on all the grid transects at right angles to
the long axis of the Bog. Frequency of all species of the ground vegetation (including mosses
and small shrubs) was recorded as incidence in each of twenty-five compartments of the
quadrat. Numbers of stems and basal areas of all trees within 3 m of the sampling point were
measured. A total of eighty -four samples were obtained.
Separate analyses were performed on the data for ground vegetation (frequency), trees
(basal area), and all species (incidence). Initial assortment was by Ward’s method in the
CLUSTAN IC package, and re-arrangement was carried out on standard phytosociological
criteria.
Naturalist 105 (1980)
90
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
Topography
In February 1977, after a period of exceptionally heavy rainfall, the entire site was flooded to
a minimum depth of 10cm, and a contour map was constructed by plumbing.
Measurements were made at 25 m intervals in Far Wood and converted to m AOD by
comparison with a single E-W transect surveyed trigonometrically. Middle Wood was
surveyed at 50 m intersections.
Hydrology
Water-table records were made by Miss N. Day from 1968 to 1974 in three pipes in positions
Pl-3 on Fig 1. From 1974 to 1978 records have been taken from a transect of seventeen 1 m
lengths of perforated plastic pipe in Far Wood (T-T in Fig 1). Both sets of pipes were
recorded in 1974 to permit comparisons. Water pH in pipes, excavated pits, or of peat
samples was measured in the field using a portable pH meter.
FIGURE 1
Map of Askham Bog and surrounding land. The Bog is divided into four sections by ditches
and is surrounded by ditches. T-T represents the transect of water table pipes; Plt P2 and P3
are the sites of the earlier pipes (see text).
Vegetation
The most consistent groupings were obtained using the analysis of frequency of the ground
vegetation, and this is the basis of the following discussion. A summary is shown in Table 1,
along with percentage constancy of trees and shrubs. Two basic types can be recognized with
six variations of each. Groups A— F represent species-rich fen vegetation, with total species
lists of between twenty-three and thirty-nine species, and mean numbers of species per 2 m2
sample ranging from 9.0 to 13.7. Groups G-L comprise floristically poorer, acid woodland
vegetation, with between thirteen and twenty-four species in total, and mean densities from
6.9 to 11.3. Certain species, such as Filipendula ulmaria, Urtica dioica, Galium palustre,
Rubus caesius, and Thelypteris palustris are almost wholly confined to the fen group,
whereas Dryopteris austriaca, Lonicera periclymenum , Molinia caerulea, and Sphagnum
palustre are characteristic of the acid woodland.
Of the fen groups, B, C and D show strong similarities, sharing an abundance of such
species as Poa trivialis, Urtica and Filipendula, while E and F are distinguished by
constancy of Scutellaria galericulata. Group A is a very distinctive community characterized
by the rather scarce grass Calamagrostis canescens. The only other grouping to have this
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve 91
species at all frequently is G, one of the acid groups, and these two groups represent a link
between the two types. The remaining acid groups are characterized by various combinations
of Lonicera, Molinia, Rubus fruticosus, and the three Sphagnum species, culminating in the
extreme group K which is almost mono-specific for Molinia in the field layer.
Trees and shrubs make up only 26—39 per cent of the total species lists for the fen woods,
but 38-50 per cent of those for the acid woods. Individually, Alnus glutinosa is strongly
associated with groups C and D, both characterized by Poa trivialis. Betula pubescens is
rather uniformly distributed, though less so where Alnus is abundant, while Quercus robur
clearly predominates in the acid groups. Salix cinerea is most common in groups A, B and
F, all groups with little Alnus.
The fen woods have clear affinities with both the Osmundo-Alnetum (Klotzli, 1970) and
the Carici elongatae-Alnetum glutinosae (Bodeux, 1955). The former is in many ways an
oceanic variant of the latter, and is preferred for British alderwoods by Klotzli, partly
because of the scarcity of C. elongata here. Askham Bog in fact harbours the largest colony
of this rare sedge in England (David, 1978), growing almost exclusively in vegetation type C.
Osmunda regalis also occurs in the same habitat and in group A. However, several of the
characteristic species of the Osmundo-Alnetum sub-association Lycopetosum (Wheeler,
1978), the most appropriate for these samples, are not found in Far Wood, including Carex
acutiformis, C. paniculata, C. remota, Eupatorium cannabinum, and Peucedanum
palustre, largely because the type localities are in East Anglia. Wheeler (1975) refers two
samples from Askham Bog to the Carex elata variety of this sub-association. C. elata, though
abundant here, is however rather localized — it occurs mainly in the dykes and in group A,
which Wheeler appears to have sampled — and does not seem to provide a sound basis for
classification.
Groups A-F, the fen woodlands, can therefore be assigned to one of these two
associations, but G— L, the acid woods, are more problematical. Tiixen (pers comm) regards
them as forming the sub -association Molinietosum of the Carici elongatae-Alnetum. They
bear a close relationship also to the Betulo-Dryopteridetum cristatae (Wheeler, 1978),
though lacking D. cristata, which became extinct through collecting at Askham Bog in about
1890, and to an unascribed community from Norfolk described by Wheeler (1978), and
termed a Betula-Myrica community.
The distribution and composition of these vegetation groups (Fig 2) closely resembles
those described by Tiixen and Dierschke (1974) for the Lahrer Moor, a mire system in NW
Germany, where the main communities are referred to the Carici elongatae-Alnetum
glutinosae. It may be that the alderwoods of eastern England are as well referable to this
association as to the Osmundo-Alnetum.
Topography
Both Far Wood and Middle Wood are clearly domed (Fig 3), the dome being about 35cm
high in Far Wood and 30 cm in Middle Wood. The pronounced ‘cliff’ in the NE corner of
Middle Wood represents an outcrop of sand. The domes strongly suggest peat growth due to
Sphagnum , and in Far Wood match closely the distribution of both the Sphagnum- rich
vegetation groups (Fig 2) and the Sphagnum species themselves (Fig 4). The domes do not
follow the long axis of the Bog, but each is discrete within the sections bounded by cross-
dykes, suggesting that the dykes are old structures. The dykes appear on the earliest map
(1785), along with a now almost totally infilled dyke in Middle Wood, lying roughly between
the two domes there. They were probably dug to aid the removal of cut peat, as at
Woodwalton Fen (Poore, 1956); peat extraction at Askham Bog was intensive until perhaps
about 1750 (Fitter and Smith, 1979).
The various vegetation types can be assigned approximate topographic levels on this basis
(Table 1). The six fen groups range from mean heights of 0-14 cm above the mean for the
lowest group (C); the acid groups, by contrast, lie between mean heights of 21 and 32 cm
above this datum.
92
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
Vegetation groups in Far Wood. The area occupied by types A-F, the ‘fen’ vegetation is
hatched. The anomalous group I is stippled.
FIGURE 3
Contour map of Middle and Far Woods. Figures are cm AOD.
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
Sphagnum palustre
93
• • • • •
• © ##
S squarrosum
• •
$ •
abundant •
large tussocks ^
FIGURE 4
Distribution of three Sphagnum species in Far Wood.
94
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No spp. /sample 13.7 9.0 12.3 11.8 11.4 13.5 10.8 9.3 8.4 11.3
cm above mean ordnance datum
for group C 14 7 0 5 10 12 21 26 24 29
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve 95
TABLE 2
Mean monthly changes in water table depth per unit net precipitation1
or evaporation2
Water table depth
Change in water table (mm) per mm
water surplus or deficit*
(cm below bog surface)
Surplus
Deficit
<-40
+0.51 ± 0.23 (4)
-0.22 ±0.12 (3)
-39 — -30
+0.41 ± 0.13 (2)
[-0.31] (1)
-29 - -20
+0.17 ±0.02 (2)
-0.09 ± 0.04 (5)
-19 — -10
+0.15 ±0.04 (3)
-0.21 ±0.03 (2)
-9-0
+0.15 ±0.05 (5)
-0.13 ±0.04 (6)
+1 — +10
-0.00 ±0.07 (6)
-0.48 ±0.30 (7)
or -0.18 ±0.05 (6)f
+11 — +20
+0.21 ±0.05 (2)
- (0)
>+20
[-2.07] (1)
- (0)
figures kindly supplied by Askham Bryan College of Horticulture.
2Figures kindly supplied by Meteorological Office, Finningley.
•fomitting one aberrant value (-2.27; March 1977).
* water surplus = precipitation > PET; water deficit is the converse.
TABLE 3
Numbers of days per year for which each of eight vegetation groups experienced water tables
less than 10cm from the surface. Years run from May to April.
1974-75 1975-76 1976-77 1977-78
Pipe
numbers
Vegetation
groups
601
587
+14
1-2
A
219
3-4
G
192
5-6
J
169
7-8
K
152
9-10
J
149
11
I
129
12-13
L
27
14-15
C
112
16-17
B
106
417
789
561
: rainfall
646
605
547
: PET
-229
+184
+ 14
: Difference
126*
232*
150*
46
228
129
24
156
85*
0
124
-f
15
135
82
7
115
13
0
149
20
1
212
31
8
208
36
-{"no pipes measured *only one pipe measured
96
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
TABLE 4
Standardized partial regression coefficients of mean monthly changes in water table on
nett precipitation (P-E) and water table depth at the beginning of the month (WT).
Pipe
numbers
Vegetation
group
r
b (P-E)
b (WT)
b(P-E)/b(WT)
1-2
A
.873
.846
-.275
3.1
3-4
G
.936
.895
-.255
3.5
5-6
J
.916
.885
-.221
4.0
7-8
K
.918
.886
-.283
3.1
9-10
J
.929
.895
-.243
3.7
11
I
.912
.882
-.219
4.0
12-13
L
.910
.873
-.251
3.5
14-15
C
.881
.844
-.323
2.6
16-17
B
.823
.832
-.336
2.5
FIGURE 5
Histogram of mean daily change in water table (calculated as net change during month
divided by number of days in month). Columns represent data for 1974 through to 1978,
records running from May 1974 to May 1978. Asterisks are mean values for each month.
Note two maxima of water discharge (March due to flood drainage, and June to
transpiration) and of recharge (February due to flooding, and October, due to recharging
after summer drought).
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
97
Hydrology
The water-table exhibits marked annual cyclic fluctuation, and the rate of change of the
water table, averaged over all four years of recording (May 1974-May 1978) and over all
seventeen pipes, displays four distinct peaks (Fig 5). The raising of the water table in
October is due to increased rainfall when the actual water table is low, that in February is
due to winter flooding of the basin in which the Bog lies. The peak of water loss in June can
be explained by transpiration, while that in March represents drainage of the flood water
accumulated in February. The overall pattern accords with findings of Godwin (1931) at
Wicken Fen and Kassas (1951) at Chippenham Fen.
Effects of precipitation (P) and evaporation (E) (= evapotranspiration) can be examined in
Table 2, which shows mean monthly change in water table depth per unit net precipitation or
evaporation, when water-table was at various depths. When precipitation is less than
evaporation (water deficit), there is no consistent pattern: water table tends to decline by
0.1 to 0.2 mm per mm of net evaporation, irrespective of water table depth. With
precipitation in excess (water surplus) however, the rise in water table is much greater when
the table is low than when it is near or at the surface, as a result of surface drainage at high
water-tables. At very high water tables (>20cm above the surface), the single large negative
value represents rapid flood drainage.
The behaviour of the water-table in individual vegetation zones is more complex. In the
wettest of the four years, all zones studied were wet (with water within 10 cm of the surface)
for at least a quarter of the year (Table 3), but in the very dry year 1975-76 only group A is
appreciably wet. In the intermediate years groups K, I and L are noticeably dry. Group A is
wettest probably because it is adjacent to a dammed dyke, which remains wet for much of the
summer; in contrast, the dyke on the north side, adjacent to group B, is free-flowing and
allows drainage, giving a similar mean water table depth but with much more variation. In
Table 4 mean monthly changes in water table values have been regressed on the net
precipitation (P-E) and the initial level of the water table for each month, in each vegetation
group. Values are for the standardized partial regression coefficients, and their ratio
indicates the relative importance of P-E and water table depth (WT) in controlling water
table. WT is less important in the centre than on the margins, where drainage is possible,
particularly on the north margin (pipes 14-17). It is also important in group K (pipes 7-8),
which occupies the peak of the dome, and this strongly suggests that water tends to move
sideways out of this dome, despite the very low horizontal hydraulic conductivity of peat
(Rycroft, Williams and Ingram, 1975).
7-0
FIGURE 6
Contours of pH in Far Wood, October 1978.
98
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
TABLE 5
Seasonal variation in pH in a transect of water table pipes. Minimum, mean and maximum
pH values are given, with the range recorded. Roman numerals indicate the month in which
minima or maxima were recorded.
Pipe
numbers
Vegetation
group
Min
Mean
Max
Range
S. Dyke
5.2 iii
6.5
7.5 v
2.3
1-2
A
4.3 iii
6.1
7.2 xi
2.9
3-4
G
3.0 iii
5.1
6.6 x
3.0
5-6
J
2.6 iii
4.2
6.1 x
3.5
7-8
K
3.0 ii/iii
4.1
5.4 vi
2.4
9-10
J
2.5 iii
4.0
6.3 vi
3.8
11
I
3.5 iii
4.9
6.0 v
2.5
12-13
L
3.6 iii
5.5
6.8 x
3.2
14-15
C
4.5 iii
5.9
6.9 x
2.4
16-17
B
4.8 iii
6.1
7.2 v
2.4
N Dyke
6.2 iii
7.0
7.7 ii
1.5
Chemistry
Great variation in water-table pH occurs, both in time and in space. There is a generally
concentric pattern of pH, with low values in the central, higher areas, approaching neutrality
towards the margins (Fig 6). The values given are for October 1978 and do not indicate year-
round fluctuations, which may be of the order of 2-3 pH units at a single point, the lowest
values typically being recorded in early spring, the highest in late autumn (Table 5).
Nevertheless the spatial gradients persist throughout the year, and changes of 2-3 pH units
over distances of 20-30 m are usual.
The distribution of calcium and sodium appears to follow a similar pattern to pH, but
those of phosphorus and potassium are markedly different. These data and a discussion of
their possible significance will be presented in a later paper.
Discussion
The major discontinuity between the two vegetation types — fen and acid woodlands — can
be explained by their topographical positions, which is clearly further reflected in pH (Fig 6).
Both the raising of the peat dome and the changes in pH are almost certainly the result of
Sphagnum growth, as the distribution of all three species is well correlated with these two
factors. It is tempting, therefore, to explain the variation in successional terms. A simple
explanation would regard the successional sequence as following the vegetation types in
order of topographic height. However, this produces anomalies, such as the appearance of
Sphagnum in groups A, G and L but its absence from Group I which is higher. Group H
shows signs of being intermediate between the fen groups A-F and the extremely acid J and
K, but groups I and L have abundant Rubus fruticosus and little or no Sphagnum. In
addition they have more Quercus than adjacent types and examination of the soil reveals a
highly humified leaf litter, resembling mull humus rather than peat. Groups L and I then
do not appear to lie on the main successional sequence (Fig 7) which involves colonization by
Sphagnum spp., the raising of the ground surface by 20-30 cm, and the evolution of a
species-poor community, ultimately almost monospecific in each layer: Betula pubescens,
Molinia caerulea, and Sphagnum palustre (group K). This appears to be a stage of raised
bog (ombrotrophic mire) development, suggested by Walker (1970) to be the normal
hydrosere in Britain, and accords with the existence of raised bog here in early historic times,
since destroyed by peat-cutting (Haller al, in Fitter and Smith, 1979).
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve 99
r— » other species:
* — * groups I and IV
FIGURE 7
Schematic representation of suggested successional pathways in Far Wood. Groups are
arranged according to topography; arrows represent possible routes of change. Sectors of
circles refer to the mean percentage frequency of plants from the groups of species used in
Table 1 to delineate the vegetation groups.
100 Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
The growth of the peat-dome is of particular interest, in the light of the current rainfall of
the area (around 600mmyr_1). Although ombrogeneous mire formation has occurred
historically in eastern England (Holme and Woodwalton Fens, for example, as well as
Askham Bog), Rose (1952) suggested that 1000 mmyr-1 was necessary. It remains to be seen
whether further development can occur at current rainfall levels and whether typical
ombrogenous mire species of Sphagnum will invade.
The Rubus-Quercus group (L and I) seem not to fit with this scheme, for they have been
little colonized by Sphagnum, though partially raised. Hydrologically they resemble the
semi-ombrotrophic group K, but there is little or no Sphagnum and a much more vigorous
oak canopy has developed, with a well-developed shrub layer (I has much Corylus and
Crataegus monogyna). Molinia is markedly less abundant on the ground and some species of
the fen communities persist in small quantity: Calamagrostis , both Lysimachias, Poa
trivialis, and Solanum dulcamara, for example. The major distinguishing feature, however,
is the dominance and constancy of Rubus fruticosus in the ground layer.
This resembles the hydrosere described by Tansley (1939) for eastern England, culminating
in oak forest, suggesting that some factor must have acted to prohibit the establishment of
Sphagnum and the initiation of the alternative and co-existing sere. Since the whole area has
been cut for peat in the past (Fitter and Smith, 1979), some historical factor could be
involved, as at Woodwalton Fen (Poore, 1956). Alternatively tree-felling may have affected
the vegetation. Far Wood was clear-felled in the 1890s, and in 1927 the birches were removed
from the area now approximately occupied by vegetation group K (see Fig 2; Day, 1933).
That part was then, however, already the area with most Sphagnum , though it is clear from
Day’s description that it maintained a much richer ground flora. The dominance of Molinia
is a recent phenomenon, perhaps associated with increased aeration following a general
lowering of the local water table: certainly the current water regime (Fig 5, Table 3) is
apparently suitable for Molinia (Webster, 1962; Sheikh, 1970).
It appears then that in the regeneration of the cut peat surface in 250 or so years since
peat-cutting ceased at Askham Bog, two quite distinct successional sequences may have been
initiated — one possibly ultimately leading to an ombrotrophic mire and one to oak
woodland (Fig 7). The cause of this divergence is not established, and it is rarely possible to
be certain of the effects of historical factors; there is some evidence that the distribution of
phosphate and potassium in the ground water may be linked with this problem of an
apparently divergent climax. This will be explored in a later paper.
Summary
(1) Floristic analysis of the vegetation of Askham Bog, a small valley mire near York,
reveals that two basic types of woodland occur — base-rich and base-poor. Each type is
further subdivided into six groups.
(2) The relationships of these groups to standard phytosociological associations,
particularly the Osmundo-Alnetum and the Carici elongatae-Alnetum , are discussed.
(3) It is shown that the acid woodlands occupy the peak of a dome with associated
differences in water pH and hydrology.
(4) The successional trends are discussed. It is suggested that the main process is leading to
the development of a Sphagnum -dominated community, but the possible existence of a
second pathway, leading to dry oakwood, is examined.
References
Bodeux, A. (1955). Alnetum glutinosae. Mitt flor-soz Arbeitsgem , NF 5: 114- 37.
David, R. W. (1978). The distribution of Carex elongata in Britain. Watsonia 12: 158-60.
Day, N. (1933). An Ecological Survey of Askham Bog, York. MSc Thesis, University of
Sheffield.
Fitter, A. H. and Smith, C. J. (1979). A Wood in Ascam. Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust/The
Ebor Press.
Godwin, H. (1931). Studies in the ecology of Wicken Fen I. The fen water table. J Ecol 19:
449-73.
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve 101
Handley, J. F. (1968). The Ecology of Askham Bogs nature reserve, York. MSc Thesis,
University of London.
Kassas, M. (1951). Studies in the ecology of Chippenham Fen 1. The fen water table. J Ecol
39: 1-18.
Klotzli, F. (1970). Eichen-, Edellaub-, und Bruchwalder der Britischen Inseln. Schweiz Z
Forstwesen 121: 329—66.
Poore, M. E. D. (1956). The ecology of Woodwalton Yen. J Ecol 56: 455-92.
Ratcliffe, D. A. (1977). A Nature Conservation Review. Cambridge University Press.
Rose, F. (1952). A survey of the ecology of the British lowland bogs. Proc Linn Soc, Lond
164: 186-211.
Rycroft, D. W., Williams, D. J. A. and Ingram, H. A. P. (1975). The transmission of water
through peat. II. Field experiments. J Ecol 63: 557-68.
Sheikh, K. H. (1970). The responses of Molinia caerulea and Erica tetralix to soil aeration
and related factors III. Effects of different gas concentrations on growth in solution
culture; and general conclusions. J Ecol 57: 713-26.
Tansley, A. G. (1939). The British Islands and their Vegetation. Cambridge University
Press.
Tiixen, R. and Dierschke, H. (1974). Das Lahrer Moor. Mitt flor-soz Arbeitsgem , NF 17:
39-68.
Walker, D. (1970). Direction and rate in British postglacial hydroseres. In Walker, D. and
West, R. G. (eds) Studies in the Vegetational History of the British Isles. 117—39.
Webster, J. R. (1962). The composition of wet-heath vegetation in relation to aeration of the
ground-water and soil I. Field studies of ground-water and soil aeration in several
communities. J Ecol 50: 619-37.
Wheeler, B. D. (1975). Phytosociological Studies on Rich Fen Systems in England and
and Wales. PhD Thesis, University of Durham.
Wheeler, B. D. (1978). The wetland plant communities of the River Ant Valley, Norfolk.
Trans Norfolk Norwich Nat Soc 24: 153-87.
THE BOTANICAL RECORDS OF
WILLIAM PILKINGTON OF HATFIELD (1758-1848)
P. SKIDMORE
Among the many by-products of concerted research into past naturalists of the Doncaster
district being undertaken by the Doncaster Naturalists’ Society and the Natural History staff
of Doncaster Museum, one of the more interesting has been the unearthing of sources of
records lying in archives and obscure journals. Of these the material relating to William
Pilkington is of particular local significance since his records contribute considerably to our
knowledge of the flora of the Hatfield area in the late eighteenth century. Indeed, the present
list, which includes all of Pilkington’s known Yorkshire records, in conjunction with the
more extensive one from Thomas Tofield of Wilsic (1730-79) (Skidmore et al, 1980),
provides a valuable picture of the flora of the Doncaster district at the time of the land
enclosures. During that time, when areas of natural vegetation were being destroyed without
a thought for conservation, it is most fortunate that there were those like Pilkington and
Tofield carefully recording their discoveries. These records focus attention upon those
elements of the local floral communities which remain as relics from those times and hence
are invaluable in formulating conservation priorities today. Pilkington’s records show that
the present plant communities found in such restricted areas as Hatfield Lings and the
Station Wood at Barnby Dun include species which once covered a much wider area around
Hatfield. They suggest that a sandy heathland reserve centred on one or other of these sites
would be highly desirable from a conservation viewpoint.
Just as the lists of Pilkington and Tofield amount to a very impressive early Flora of the
Doncaster area, so too do the extant lists of three later botanists for the Rotherham district.
Naturalist 105(1980)
102 The Botanical Records of William Pilkington
These three are George P. Nicholson (fl 1830s) a Wath solicitor and author of Indigenous
Botany (1831), Larrett Langley (1801-54) lecturer at the Brampton Academy and author of
Flora of Rotherham (1828), and Benjamin Bowers Le Tall, formerly of Woodhouse,
Sheffield and later of Hobart, Tasmania (fl 1860-1902). Le Tail’s manuscript (1871-74) in
the Newbould Collection at the British Museum (Nat Hist ) is a particularly long and
exhaustive list covering the Rother Valley and the adjacent Coal Measures and Magnesian
Limestone areas.
William Pilkington was bora at Hatfield on 7 September 1758, the elder son of William
Pilkington senior, and Elizabeth, daughter of William Baker of Tadcaster. He became a
pupil of the London architect Sir Robert Taylor and achieved considerable distinction in his
chosen career (Smith MSS, Doncaster Museum). One of his major early works was
occasioned by Taylor’s death in 1788 when, employed as surveyor and architect to the Earl of
Radnor at Salisbury, he built the Town Hall there from Taylor’s designs. This occupied
Pilkington for the next nine years and he seems to have spent much of his spare time
botanizing around Old Sarum and Salisbury. During the same period, and perhaps
throughout his working life, which was centred mainly on London, though with occasional
commitments elsewhere (e.g. Portsmouth in 1785; Folkestone in c. 1800; Great Yarmouth in
1809-11), it appears that he made frequent return visits to Yorkshire. In June 1785 he
married Sarah Andrews of Knaresborough, and most of his dated botanical notes relate to
the 1790s.
Pilkington’s professional achievements appear to have been quite extensive and are
reasonably well-documented (see references), but very little seems to be known of his
botanical interests. Dr William George Maton (1774-1835) apparently visited the Doncaster
area and it is known that he was a friend of Pilkington, perhaps as a result of their mutual
association with Salisbury, their similar natural history interests and their membership of the
Linnean Society. Maton joined this society in 1794, Pilkington in 1795. Maton was born in
Salisbury, son of George Maton, wine merchant, and was educated at Salisbury Grammar
School, entering Queen’s College, Oxford in July 1790. It was through Dr John Sibthorp that
he joined the Linnean Society, but he had already become a well-known figure in intellectual
circles in Salisbury and would no doubt have met or heard of William Pilkington, then busy
building Salisbury Town Hall. In any case Pilkington evidently co-operated in the botanical
survey work which occupied the botanical fraternity of the Linnean at this time and which led
to the publication of Turner and Dillwyn’s Botanists ’ Guide (1805).
Rev William Wood (1745-1808) of Leeds, another prominent botanist of the Linnean
Society, joining in 1791, refers to, but omits to identify, the ‘best botanist in that [Doncaster]
neighbourhood’, in his comment on Peucedanum palustre (Lees, 1888). He was questioning
Tofield’s record of this plant by claiming that this unnamed botanist hpd never seen it in that
area and believed that Tofield’s specimen had ‘come from a distance’. It is almost certain
that this person was William Pilkington for his notebook shows that he had no record of the
plant. However, the veracity of Tofield’s record is beyond question. Indeed his was the first
British record of the species and it was confirmed by William Hudson. Moreover it was seen
and collected in the area around Doncaster by numerous botanists right up to the 1940s.
Although Pilkington’s records are very valuable and his identifications need not be
questioned, he was clearly not such a systematic and critical observer as Tofield, and he
showed no particular flair for Umbellifers as Tofield certainly did. In short he would
probably not have recognized Peucedanum palustre if he had fallen over it! He had evidently
never picked a specimen and identified it: certainly it was not represented in his herbarium.
Britten and Boulger (1931) note that Pilkington had a herbarium and that he contri-
buted to Smith and Sowerby’s English Botany (1790 onwards). The records given here are
from a manuscript in the Newbould Collection in the Department of Botany, British
Museum (Nat. Hist.). Comprising 285 pages, this manuscript, which has Pilkington’s
bookplate on the inside front cover, is a list of British plants together with descriptions and
records from his herbarium specimens in the margins. It is written in a very clear, neat hand
and probably passed into Newbould’s possession from Richard Irwin Lynch, Curator of the
Cambridge Botanic Garden, for there is also a very rough transcription running to some forty
The Botanical Records of William Pilkington 103
pages merely giving Pilkington’s records. This is the work of Newbould himself for he gives
the following heading ‘William Pilkington’s Stations for British Plants extracted from a MS.
British Flora without title now (February 1881) belonging to Mr. Lynch, Curator of Botanic
Gardens, Cambridge and written with his permission.’ The present location of Pilkington’s
herbarium has not been traced, but his specimens are probably extant amongst material of
some of his contemporaries.
William Pilkington had two sons, Henry, of Park Lane House, near Doncaster, an
assistant poor law and tithe commissioner, and Redmond William, who followed in his
father’s profession, succeeding him in many of his commitments (such as his work for the
Earl of Radnor). There is no indication that either of his sons inherited his love of botany.
Pilkington’s list of plant records includes many from areas outside Yorkshire (especially
from Wiltshire). In the following transcription, however, only those from Yorkshire and
adjoining counties are included. Unfortunately very few dates are given in Newbould’s copy
but it appears that all refer to the period 1790-1816. Pilkington’s notebook was written in a
mature but not obviously aged hand.
The List
Epimedium alpinum L. Hutton’s Garden at Keswick
Papaver rhoeas L. Sandy cornfields at Hatfield
P. argemone L. Sandy cornfields at Hatfield (n.b. According to Lees (1888) this was later
found at Hatfield by George Roberts of Lofthouse)
P. somniferum L. Cornfields by Thoresby Park, Notts.
Chelidonium majus L. Hedgesides leading into Hatfield from Doncaster
Meconopsis cambrica (L.) Vig. In the copse near Ferry House, Windermere
Reseda luteola L. Fields and lanes about Hatfield
Silene nutans L. On the rocks at Knaresborough (n.b. Archdeacon Pierson records it from
here in Turner & Dillwyn, 1805)
Agrostemma githago L. Cornfields at Hatfield Woodhouse
‘ Dianthus glaucus’ On the walls of Tickhill Castle (nb. This is presumably D. plumarius L.,
which Tofield found at this site)
Cerastium arvense L. By springs on the rocks near Burlington Quarry, Yorks
Stellaria graminea L. West Moors at Hatfield
S. alsine Grimm. Harrowgate Common
Moehringia trinervia (L.) Clairv. Castleton in Derbyshire
Arenaria serpyllifolia L. Walls of Tickhill Castle
‘A. laricifolia’ Rocks at Castleton, Derbyshire, (nb. Presumably this is A. verna Bartl., see
Lees, 1888)
Spergularia rubra (L.) J. & C. Presl. On the Lings, Hatfield Park
Spergula arvensis L. Sandy cornfields at Hatfield
Montia fontana L. Harrowgate Common and Mount Skiddaw
Euonymus europaeus L. Hedges in Park Lane, Hatfield, 1816
Frangula alnus Mill. Grove at Hatfield
Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim. In a grove at Parkhill (i.e. near Hatfield)
Rubus idaeus L. Hedges in the Cocktree Closes at Hatfield
Potentilla palustris (L.) Scop. Hatfield Moors
P. erecta (L.) Rausch. Turf moor at Hatfield
Agrimonia eupatoria L. Ash Tree Lane, Hatfield
Alchemilla vulgaris L. agg. About Castleton and Eyam in Derbyshire
Aphanes arvensis agg. (incl. microcarpa) Hatfield Lings
Sanguisorba officinalis L. My father’s close at Hatfield
Rosa canina L. Near the Stone Inn at Richmond and Woods at Ingleton
R. villosa L. In a wood upon the rocks near Ingleton, Yorkshire
Crataegus monogyna Jacq. Hedges everywhere
Sorbus aucuparia L. Hackfall Woods in Yorkshire; Hatfield in the hedges
104 Botanical Records of William Pilkington
Sedum album L. Lancashire side of Windermere
Sempervivum tectorum L. On a wall in the village near Parkhill
Saxifraga stellaris L. On Mount Skiddaw
S. granulata L. Mam Tor in Derbyshire
S. hypnoides L. Rocky hills at Castle ton, Derbyshire, Rocky hills at Ingleton
‘S. autumnalis ’ At the foot of the mountain Helvellyn between Arnside and Keswick
Parnassia palustris L. Moist meadows near Dunscroft at Hatfield
Peplis portula L. Moist places on Thorne Common
Epilobium adnatum Griseb. (sub nom. tetrapterum) Sides of ditches near Hatfield (nb.
Earliest West Yorkshire record in Lees (1888) is from George Harrison, 1862)
E. palustre L. Ditches about Hatfield (nb. Earliest West Yorkshire record in Lees (1888)
is Baines, 1840)
Circaea lutetiana L. Woods at Sandbeck in Yorkshire, 4 July 1794
C. alpina L. Rocky woods on the Lancashire side of Windermere, 21 July 1799
Heracleum sphondylium L. My Father’s Dunscroft below Hatfield
Daucus carota L. Hedges about the fields at Hatfield
Conium maculatum L. Hedges in the fields about Hatfield
Conopodium majus (Gouan) Loret Roche Abbey Woods
Sium latifolium L. Marshy ground on Hatfield Common near Garden Stead Closes
Chaerophyllum temulenium L. Hedges in the fields about Hatfield
Polygonum bistorta L. Fountains Abbey
P. amphibium L. Ditches near my close at Hatfield
P. hydropiper L. Corn closes at Hatfield
P. persicaria L. Corn closes at Hatfield
‘P. pennsylvanicum ’ Cornfields at Hatfield
P. aviculara L. Cornfields at Hatfield
P. convolvulus L. Cornfields at Hatfield
Rumex conglomeratus Murr. Ditches near Dunscroft at Hatfield (nb. Earliest West
Yorkshire record)
R. acetosella L. Sandy cornfields at Hatfield Woodhouse
Daphne laureola L. Roche Abbey Woods
Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull Lings, Hatfield
Erica tetralix L. West Moors at Hatfield
E. cinerea L. West Moors at Hatfield
Vaccinium myrtillus L. Blackstone Edge 19 July 1799
V. vitis-idaea L. Bogs on Ingleborough
V. oxycoccus L. Turf bogs near Hatfield, bogs on Ingleborough
Andromeda polifolia L. Turf bogs at Hatfield
Pyrola rotundifolia L. Hackfall Woods, Yorkshire
Monotropa hypopitys L. agg. In the wood opposite the Inn at Matlock
Primula farinosa L. Moist woods and rocks about Ingleton
Hottonia palustris L. Ditches on the West Moor, Hatfield
Lysimachia nemorum L. Grove at Parkhill, rocky soil
L. nummularia L. Moist meadows at Hatfield
Anagallis tenella (L.) L. On the West Moor, Hatfield
Vinca minor L. Woods at Roche Abbey
Gentiana pneumonanthe L. In the Whin brushes between the West Moors and the Lings
Hatfield (nb. Dr. Maton’s record in Turner and Dillwyn (1805) probably refers to same
locality)
Blackstonia perfoliata (L.) Huds. Near the Doncaster Brick Kiln
Cynoglossum officinalis L. Lanes at Hatfield
Anchusa arvensis (L.) Bieb. Sandy cornfields at Hatfield
Lithospermum officinale L. Grass at Parkhill on a rocky soil
Echium vulgare L. Cornfields at Hatfield, on Tickhill Castle walls (nb. According to Lees
(1888) this was later taken at Hatfield by George Roberts)
105
Botanical Records of William Pilkington
Hyoscyamus niger L. Roadsides at Hatfield
Verbascum blattaria L. On the walls of Tickhill Castle (nb Dr Maton records it from this
site in Turner and Dillwyn, 1805)
Pinguicula vulgaris L. Lane between Boothferry and Weighton in Yorkshire; in a moist ditch
West Moor, Hatfield
Salvia verbenacea L. Hills near the Abbey at Knaresborough June 1796
Plantago media L. Lane near Dunscroft at Hatfield
Campanula rotundifolia L. Parkhill, Yorkshire
Galium palustre L. Moist meadows at Sheffield
G. uliginosum L. Furze brushes on the Lings, Hatfield
G. boreale L. Left of the bridge on the stones in the bed of the river leading into Kirby
Lonsdale
G. odoratum (L.) Scop. Woods at Parkhill
Viburnum opulus L. In a copse by Gibbes Dike Lane between Cave and Howden
Lonicera periclymenum L. Thickets at the side of West Moors at Hatfield
Valerianella locusta (L.) Betcke. Meadows about Hatfield 22 June 1795
Knautia arvensis (L.) Coult. Moist meadows at Hatfield
Succisa pratensis Moench. Moist meadows at Hatfield
Alisma plantago- aquatica L. Parkhill
Potamogeton natans L. In a pond near Sandbeck
P. gramineus L. River at Parkhill, Yorkshire
Narthecium ossifragum (L.) Huds. Sides of West Moor next to the Lings at Hatfield
Convallaria majalis L. Wood at Matlock. Woods at Hackfall near Ripon
Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All. Woods at Fountains Abbey
Juncus squarrosus L. West Moor at Hatfield
Eriophorum angustifolium Honck. Barmby Moor, 20 June 1795
E. vaginatum L. Turf bogs at Hatfield, June 1796
Rhynchospora alba (L.) Vahl. Turf bogs near Hatfield 9 August 1790 (nb. According to Lees
(1888) this was rediscovered on Hatfield Moor by Dr H. F. Parsons in 1878)
Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. and Schult. In the water at Parkhill, Yorkshire, July 1794
Bromus sterilis L. Fields at Hatfield
Lolium perenne L. Mr Gossip’s fields at Hatfield
Dactylis glomerata L. Fields at Hatfield
Cynosurus cristatus L. at Hatfield
Apera spica-venti (L.) Beauv. Sandy cornfields at Hatfield (nb. Earliest West Yorkshire
record known to Lees was that of Rev H. Davies for ‘near Doncaster’ in Turner and
Dillwyn, 1805)
Agrostis stolonifera L. Fields at Hatfield
A. capillaris ’ Fields at Hatfield
Phragmites communis Trin. Sandbeck Woods, Yorkshire
Phleum pratense L. Meadows about Hatfield
Acknowledgements
Special thanks are offered to Mr Leslie Smith of Doncaster who has done so much of the
basic collecting of data from archival and other sources upon which a work of this type so
completely depends. Thanks are also given to the Chairman and Committee of the Doncaster
Museum and Art Gallery and to their Director Mr J. Barwick for enabling me to visit the
British Museum for the purpose of extracting the data from Newbould’s papers. Finally to
the Librarian and staff of the Botanical Library of the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) for the
use of their facilities and for their help.
Notes on Yorkshire Mollusca — 1
106
References
Britten, J. and Boulger, G. S. (1931) A Biographical Index of Deceased British and Irish
Botanists , 3rd edn. Taylor and Francis, London.
Langley, L. (1828) Flora of Rotherham, Loudon ’s Mag. Nat. Hist., 269.
Lees, F. A. (1888) The Flora of West Yorkshire. Reeve, London.
Le Tall, B. B, (1871-74) Manuscript flora of Woodhouse. Sheffield. (In the Newbould
papers in the Botanical Library of the British Museum (Nat. Hist).) (nb. Lees did not
include any of the records in this work in his Flora of West Yorkshire (1888) although he
presumably knew of them through Newbould.)
Nicholson, G. P. (1831) Indigenous botany, The Village Magazine or Wath Repository , 1:
170 and 241-2 (nb. Overlooked by Lees (1888).)
Skidmore, P., Dolby, M. J. and Hooper, M. (1980) Thomas Tofield (1730-1779), his life
and work, Doncaster Museum Publication (in prep).
Smith, J. E. and Sowerby, J. (1790 onwards) Englis h Botany. J. Sowerby, London.
Smith, L. (undated) (Manuscripts in Department of Natural Sciences, Doncaster Museum.)
Turner, D. and Dillwyn, L, W. (1805) The Botanist’s Guide through England and Wales.
Phillips and Fardon, London.
NOTES ON YORKSHIRE MOLLUSCA — 1
BOETTGERILLA FALLENS SIMROTH IN YORKSHIRE
A. NORRIS
Leeds City Museum
In 1973 Dr B. Colville, Dr L. Lloyd-Evans and myself described the occurrence of
Boettgerilla pallens Simroth in the English Lake District, this being the first record of this
species for Britain.
Since that date it has been recorded from fourteen localities in eleven counties, as
follows: Cornwall, Hampshire, Surrey, Herefordshire, Glamorgan, Leicestershire, Cheshire,
Westmorland, Jersey in The Channel Islands, and two Irish counties, Co Down and Co
Antrim.
This species, like many of the previous species introduced by man into Britain, is,
therefore, spreading fairly rapidly. It is important to note the occurrence of this slug in areas
in which it has not been previously recorded, so that we can follow its spread throughout
Britain.
On several dates in 1979 Dr Colville, who lives in the West Park area of Leeds, reported
that he had found specimens of Boettgerilla in his own garden. It must be presumed that he
accidentally introduced the slugs or their eggs into his garden with soil and litter collected
from the original site at The Abbey, Windermere. There is little doubt, however, that the
slug has become established in his garden and is spreading to others in the area. For this
reason it is particularly important to record its occurrence in gardens in the West Park area
of Leeds.
This species, therefore, must be considered as a resident, and as such should be placed on
the Yorkshire list.
References
Colville, B., Lloyd-Evans, L. and Norris, A. (1973). The occurrence of Boettgerilla pallens
Simroth, a slug new to Britain, in the English Lake District. Naturalist, 70.
Norris, A. (1979). Notes on British slugs. The Conchologists Newsletter No. 69, June 1979,
140-5.
107
THE 1978-79 SURVEY OF HERRING GULL (LARUS ARGENT ATUS)
COLONIES ON THE YORKSHIRE AND CLEVELAND COAST
M. C. MERICAS LEACH,* S. V. KEARSEY* and C. WELLSf
Department of Zoology, University of Durham*
c/oRSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire f
Introduction
Herring Gulls nest along almost all of the east coast of England and the only large gap in
their distribution is the coastline between Bridlington, Yorkshire and Orfordness, Suffolk.
However, the major concentrations occur on the coast of Yorkshire and the southern part of
Cleveland, where the gulls nest both on seacliffs and on buildings in coastal towns. North of
Saltburn (Cleveland) Herring Gulls do not nest for 43 km (that is, Sunderland), and from the
River Tees to the Scottish border there are only about 600 pairs of breeding Herring Gulls
(J. C. Coulson, pers comm).
History
The first detailed record of Herring Gull colonies on the Yorkshire and Cleveland coasts was
in 1907 when Nelson reported Herring Gulls nesting on cliffs between Saltburn and Robin
Hood’s Bay; between Gristhorpe Cliffs and Filey; with colonies at Boulby, Staithes,
Kettleness, and Whitby Highheights. There were also a few nests at Old Peak and
Ravenscar, Burniston Bay, Speeton, and Dane’s Dyke. Attempts to nest at Bempton, at that
time, were prevented by egg collectors protecting the auk colonies.
Herring Gulls were first recorded nesting on rooftops in Whitby in 1942; Scarborough in
1967; Runswick in 1969 (B. T. Fewster, A. Wallis and W. Norman, respectively in Cramp,
1971); in Staithes, Cowbar and Robin Hood’s Bay in 1947 (Chislett, 1953); and in Fyling-
thorpe and Filey in 1976 (Monaghan and Coulson, 1977).
These town and cliff populations were covered in a national census of seabirds,
‘Operation Seafarer’, in 1969-70, with the exception of the Runswick to Sandsend cliffs.
The town populations were surveyed again in 1976, in a national census of gulls nesting on
buildings in Britain and Ireland (Monaghan and Coulson, 1977). The data from these two
surveys have been included in this paper for comparison with the 1978-79 counts.
Methods
The cliffs from Saltburn to Filey, and Gull Nook to Bridlington were surveyed by MCML, the
towns were surveyed by SVK, and the cliffs from Speeton to Gull Nook by CW.
Due to the distances involved, and the difficulty of access to the shore under some of the
cliffs, this survey was carried out over two breeding seasons, 1978 and 1979. The towns were
censused from the ground, and from overlooking buildings and high ground. Cliff breeding
Herring Gulls were counted from beneath the cliffs where possible, and from the clifftops
otherwise, as detailed in Table 1.
TABLE 1
The position from which cliffs were viewed
Below cliffs
Above cliffs
Saltburn to Port Mulgrave
Lingrow Knock to Loop Wyke
Whitby to lighthouse near Black Nab
Maw Wyke Hole to south end of Ravenscar
Cromer Point to Cayton Bay
Port Mulgrave to Lingrow Knock
Loop Wyke to Whitby
Lighthouse to Maw Wyke Hole
Ravenscar to Cromer Point
Cayton Bay to Bridlington
Naturalist 105(1980)
108
1978-79 Survey of Herring Gull Colonies
Saitburn
Skinningrove
Boulby
1978-79 Survey of Herring Gull Colonies
109
110 1978-79 Survey of Herring Gull Colonies
Accuracy of Counts
Most cliff colonies were censused only once, but certain easily accessible areas censused in
1978 were counted again in 1979 to check the extent of yearly fluctuations of the nesting
population. On the cliffs, nests were found mainly on rock ledges, with some on grassy slopes
well out of human reach. Cliff faces were clearly visible from their bases, with only a few
potential nesting sites obscured by tall grass or rocks. Less complete cover of the cliff faces
was obtained from the clifftops.
The large town colonies of Staithes, Whitby and Scarborough were subjects of detailed
surveys, with observations extending from early May to late June. The smaller town colonies
were visited on more than one occasion. The most common types of town nesting sites were
the centre of a double row of chimney pots, dormer windows, and other flat areas, often next
to something vertical.
The number of breeding pairs were minimal counts, and included visible nests; groups of
chicks; and in towns, sites where either a bird was protecting a territory area over a
prolonged period, or nesting material was taken.
TABLE 2
Number of pairs of Herring Gulls nesting on cliffs
from surveys in 1969-70, and 1978-79
1969- 70 to 1978-79
Location
1969
1970
1978
1979
change per annum
Saltburn to Skinningrove
Skinningrove to
259
405
325
+2%
Staithes and Cowbar
757
989
+3%
Staithes to Port Mulgrave
Port Mulgrave to
15
29
+8%
Runswick
135
45
-13%
Runswick to Sandsend
(340)+
447
(+3%)
Whitby to
Robin Hood’s Bay
Robin Hood’s Bay to
200 ± 10
587
+14%
Old Peak
*
12
*
Ravenscar
Petard Point to
200 ± 10
195
-0.3%
Clough ton Wyke
*
13
*
Cloughton Wyke
Hunsdale Point to
68 ± 10
107
+5%
Scarborough
50 ± 2
117
+9%
Castle Cliff, Scarborough
Lebberston Cliffs to
60 ± 10
66
+ 1%
Filey Brigg
281
611
+8%
Red Cliff to Flamborough
1275
1345
+0.5%
Mean
+3.3%
fNot surveyed in 1969—70, but as a value was required for Table 4 this was calculated using the mean
annual growth rate.
*Not surveyed in 1969-70.
TABLE 3
Number of pairs of Herring Gulls nesting on buildings, from the 1969-70, 1976, and 1978-79 surveys
1978-79 Survey of Herring Gull Colonies
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112
1978-79 Survey of Herring Gull Colonies
TABLE 5
Numbers of Herring Gull pairs nesting on particular cliff areas
censused in both 1978 and 1979, and compared with counts from 1969
Location
1969
1978
1979
Percentage change per annum
1969 to 1978 to 1969-70 to
1978
1979
1978-79
Saltburn to Skinningrove
259
405
325
+5%
-20%
+2%
Bias Scar to Cowbar
41
63
+54%
Cowbar Cliffs
74
101
+36%
Cloughton Wyke
68 ± 10
78
107
+2%
+37%
+5%
Castle Cliff
60 ± 10
41
66
-4%
+61%
+1%
Total
387*
639
662
+7%*
+4%
+6%*
*This value does not include areas 2 and 3, as these areas were not detailed in the 1969-70 survey.
Results
The distribution of nesting Herring Gulls in the 1978-79 census along the Yorkshire and
Cleveland coast, between Saltburn and Bridlington, is shown in Fig 1. These data are
presented along with observation dates in Appendix 1. Major concentrations of breeding
pairs were found at Huntcliff, near Saltburn; between Skinningrove and Staithes; at Kettle-
ness; between Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay; at Ravenscar; Cloughton Wyke and Hunsdale
Point; Scarborough; Lebberston Cliffs; between Gristhorpe Cliffs and Filey Brigg; and
between Speeton and Flamborough Head.
Comparison of the cliff populations with the data from the 1969-70, and 1977 surveys
showed that these populations had been growing at a mean rate of 3 per cent per annum
since 1969 (Table 2).
The number nesting on buildings, compared with those of the previous surveys, showed a
mean annual growth rate of 22 per cent over the last ten years, with the exceptions of
Runswick and Filey where the nesting populations were not yet established (Table 3).
The mean annual rate of increase for the whole coast was 4 per cent over the last ten
years.
Since the 1969—70 survey, the proportion of Herring Gulls nesting on buildings rose from
3 per cent of the total population, censused along the Yorkshire and Cleveland coast, to 12
per cent in 1978-79 (Table 4).
The number of nesting pairs of Herring Gulls along five areas of the cliffs, censused both
in 1978 and 1979, and compared with the two previous surveys, showed a mean increase of 44
per cent from 1978 to 1979, with the exception of the Saltburn to Skinningrove cliffs, which
decreased by 20 per cent (Table 5). Although all the areas showed such great annual varia-
tion in numbers, each showed a small mean annual rate of increase over the last ten years.
The combined percentage change for the five areas between 1978 and 1979 of +4 per cent
differed little from the mean annual rate for the ten years of +6 per cent, suggesting that the
large annual variation in each area may have been due to movement of pairs between years.
Discussion
The 1978—79 census of Herring Gulls found 5634 pairs nesting on the seacliffs and in coastal
towns in Yorkshire and Cleveland, as compared to 3749 in 1969-70, a mean rate of increase
of 4 per cent per annum.
Of the 5634 pairs, 12 per cent were nesting on buildings, whereas in 1969-70 only 3 per
cent of the total number of pairs did so. This increase is explained by the fact that over the
last ten years the mean annual rate of increase has been only 3 per cent on the cliffs, as
compared to 22 per cent in the towns. The difference in these rates of increase may have been
due to the saturation of suitable nesting sites on the cliffs, and the abundance of unoccupied
sites on buildings in the towns.
1978-79 Survey of Herring Gull Colonies 1 13
Cliff populations censused both in 1978 and 1979 showed wide yearly fluctuations of at
least 20 per cent, although over ten years they increased by less than 6 per cent per annum.
The yearly fluctuations may have resulted from either, variations in the number of breeding
adults each year, or pairs moving their site of nesting between years, although more data
would be required to test either hypothesis.
Summary
A census of nesting Herring Gulls along the coast of Yorkshire and Cleveland was conducted
in 1978 and 1979.
Between Saltburn and Bridlington there were 5634 breeding pairs, 12 per cent of which
were nesting on buildings.
Comparisons of this survey with the national surveys of 1969-70, and 1977, show that the
town nesting populations were growing at a mean annual rate of 22 per cent over the last ten
years, but only 3 per cent on the cliffs. The over-all annual rate of growth of the Yorkshire-
Cleveland coastal colonies was 4 per cent.
The proportions of Herring Gulls nesting on buildings has increased from 3 per cent of the
total in 1969-70, to 12 per cent in 1978-79.
Comparisons of surveys of five cliff areas taken in 1978 and 1979, and covered in the
1969-70 survey show that there are yearly fluctuations in numbers of pairs of at least 20 per
cent, although over the ten years they increased by an average of less than 5 per cent per
annum.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Dr J. C. Coulson for his advice and assistance with the writing of this
paper. We would also like to thank the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for allowing
us to use their survey from Speeton to Gull Nook in 1978 in this paper, and the Environ-
mental Health Department of Scarborough Borough Council for their co-operation.
During this work, S. V. Kearsey was supported by an SRC CASE Studentship.
References
Chislett, R. (1953) Yorkshire Birds. London
Cramp, S. (1971) Gulls nesting on buildings in Britain and Ireland, British Birds 64: 476-
87.
Cramp, S., Boruen, W. R. P. and Saunders, D. (1974) The Seabirds of Britain and Ireland.
Collins, London.
Monaghan, P. and Coulson, J. (1977) Status of large gulls nesting on buildings, Bird
Study 24: 89-104.
Nelson, T. H. (1907 ) Birds of Yorkshire. Brown, Hull.
Operation Seafarer (1969-1970). MSS. deposited in the Library of the Edward Grey
Institute, Oxford.
APPENDIX 1
Distribution of nesting Herring Gulls between Saltburn and Bridlington,
on the Yorkshire and Cleveland coast, 1978-79
Observation Number
Location
OS map ref
date
of pa
Teesmouth to Saltburn
0
Saltburn to Huntcliff
NZ670217-NZ690218
23/6/78
182
Huntcliff to Seal Goit
NZ690218-NZ700217
22, 23/6/78
198
Seal Goit to Skinningrove
NZ700217-NZ7 11204
22/6/78
25
Skinningrove to White Stones
NZ711204-NZ748201
9/6/78
357
White Stones to Boulby
NZ748201— NZ764192
7/6/78
398
Boulby to Cowbar
NZ764192-NZ783191
21/6/78
160
Cowbar Cliffs
NZ783191-NZ781189
26/5/78
74
1 14 1978-79 Survey of Herring Gull Colonies
APPENDIX 1 (continued)
Location
OS map ref
Observation
date
Number
of pairs
Cowbar Buildings
NZ782189
21/6/78
15
Staithes Buildings
NZ782187
May-June/78
121
Staithes to Port Mulgrave
NZ785188-NZ799177
6/6/78
29
Port Mulgrave to Lingrow Knock
NZ799177-NZ809169
3/5/78
17
Lingrow Knock to Runswick
NZ809169-NZ810160
27/7/78
28
Runswick Buildings
NZ810160
3/5 & 4/7/78
15
Runswick to Kettleness
NZ810160-NZ832163
3/5 & 4/7/78
51
Kettleness to Loop Wyke
NZ832163-NZ848147
4/7/78
365
Loop Wyke to Sandsend
NZ848 1 47- NZ860 1 30
19/4/78
31
Sandsend to Whitby
NZ860 1 30- NZ899 116
5/7/78
0
Whitby Buildings
NZ900110
May— June/78
299
Whitby to Saltwick
NZ902115-NZ916114
5/7/78
89
Saltwick to lighthouse near Black Nab
NZ916114-NZ928103
7/7/78
219
Lighthouse to Maw Wyke Hole
NZ928103-NZ942084
19/7/78
100
Maw Wyke Hole to Homerell Hole
NZ942084-NZ957070
21/7/78
77
Homerell Hole to Robin Hood’s Bay
NZ957070-NZ954048
20/7/78
102
Robin Hood’s Bay Buildings
NZ951054
5/6/78
43
Robin Hood’s Bay to Old Peak
NZ954048-NZ980024
12, 17/5/79
12
Ravenscar
NZ980024-NZ987017
13, 17/5/79
165
Ravenscar to Blea Wyke
NZ987017-NZ992015
14/5/79
30
Blea Wyke to Petard Point
NZ992015-TA006989
14/5/79
0
Petard Point to Cloughton Wyke
T A006989- T A02 1953
15/5/79
13
Cloughton Wyke
TA021953-TA026948
21/6/79
107
Hunsdale Point to Long Nab
TA026948-TA030940
21/6/79
117
Long Nab to Scarborough
T A03094Q-T A036906
16/5/79
0
Scarborough Buildings
TA042885
May-June/79
172
Castle Cliff, Scarborough
TA050895-TA053890
21/6/79
66
Castle Cliff to Osgodby Point
T A05 3890-T A065854
May/79
0
Osgodby Point to Yons Nab
T A065854- T A085843
24/5/79
93
Yons Nab to The Wyke
T A085843-T A 1 0083 1
29/5/79
67
The Wyke to Filey
TA100831-TA1 19800
29/5/79
451
Filey Buildings
TA119800
29/5/79
1
Filey to Speeton
T A 1 1 980Q-T A 1 50757
29/5/79
0
Speeton Gap to Dulcey Dock
TA150757-TA168748
25/6/79
200
Dulcey Dock to Buckton Cliffs
TA168748-TA182746
21/6/79
193
Buckton Cliffs to Bempton Cliffs
TA182746-TA193744
20/6/79
53
Bempton Cliffs to Gull Nook
TA193744-TA222727
12/6/79
566
Gull Nook to Lifeboat Station
TA222727-TA239720
12/7/79
39
Lifeboat Station to Stottle Bank Nook
TA239720-TA254713
12/7/79
258
Stottle Bank Nook to Head Farm
T A2547 1 3— T A252697
28/6/79
36
Head Farm to Bridlington
TA252697-TA 194678
28/6/79
0
115
YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS’ UNION EXCURSIONS IN 1979
COMPILED BY A. NORRIS
Tophill Low (VC 61) (23 June) (B. S. Pashby)
Tophill Low is the site of two reservoirs on the west bank of the River Hull and is part of the
huge expanse of carrs which once covered the whole of the River Hull valley. The Yorkshire
Water Authority has tried to preserve as much of the area as possible and during the twenty
years since the area was taken over, has created a variety of habitats for wildlife.
Thirty members attended the field meeting, twelve societies being represented. The
weather was dry and bright with a strong breeze. Members spent the morning, under the
guidance of Dr P. Izzard, in the areas surrounding the southernmost of the two reservoirs.
After lunch, the party went further afield, north of the large reservoir and along the west
bank of the River Hull.
After tea at Hutton Cranswick, the Rev B. Kitchen took the chair, when reports were
presented. It was agreed that a letter be sent to the Yorkshire Water Authority
acknowledging the efforts being made to preserve the wildlife of the area. Dr L. Lloyd-Evans
proposed votes of thanks to Dr Izzard for his help and advice and to the divisional secretary
for organizing the meeting.
Ornithology (B. S. Pashby)
Traditionally a very good marshy area, Tophill Low retains some of its wetland birds.
Mallard, Shoveler and Gadwall had all bred and were seen from the hide at the south marsh,
as well as Teal, Tufted Duck and Coot. A pair of Shelduck was also thought to be breeding,
but the nesting site was not known. The waterside vegetation of the River Hull held some
Sedge Warblers and a few pairs of Reed Warblers.
Of woodland birds, a male Blackcap was in fine song near the entrance to the site and at
least two others were heard. A Whitethroat was seen displaying on the edge of a young
conifer wood, where Redpolls and a Tree Pipit were indulging in their song flights. At the
northern end of the site, Sand Martins were beating along low over the River Hull. Back at
the pumping station we saw Pied Wagtail and Spotted Flycatcher. The Yellow Wagtail,
probably the most typical species of the River Hull valley, was seen and heard in all parts of
the area. The only bird of prey noted was the Kestrel. There was a complete absence of
Wrens, which had suffered greatly during the previous hard winter. In all, fifty-two species
were recorded.
Entomology (J. H. Flint)
As on so many occasions in 1979, insects were by no means plentiful on this excursion and
the entomologists present had to work hard for little reward. A marshy area near the river
held the most interesting community, mainly ground-beetles and rove-beetles, including
Bembidion biguttatum F., B. clarki Daws., Agonum moestum Duft., A. thoreyi Dej., and
the ladybird Subcoccinella 24-punctata L. Mr K. G. Payne worked the pond in the water
complex and found the water beetle population rather sparse, the total taken being Hygrotus
versicolor Schall., H. inaequalis F., Hydroporus palustris L., H. planus F., H. pubescens
Gyll., Laccophilus minutus L., and Haliplus lineatocollis Marsh. In the wide drain running
parallel to the river, at the northern end of the waterworks complex, beetles were even fewer
and only two additional species were found here, Potamonectes depressus s. elegans Pz.
and Gyrinus aeratus Steph. Records of the little whirligig-beetle G. aeratus are few and
scattered and its main population was considered by Balfour- Browne to be in south and east
England up to East Yorkshire so this was a notable find. The only other significant discovery
was that of the hopper Cercopis vulnerata Illig. which does not seem to have been seen here
before. This find extends its range a little further east from its original Yorkshire centre in
the south of the central Yorkshire lowlands.
Lepidoptera (J. and K. G. Payne)
Although quite a range of insect species was seen, they were low in numbers. Amongst the
butterflies observed were Pieris brassicae, P. napi and P. rapae, Euchloe cardamines (both
Naturalist 105(1980)
116
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1979
sexes), Polyommatus icarus, Coenonympha pamphilus , Ochlodes venata, and Thymelicus
sylvestris. The moths seen included Spilosoma luteum, Tyria jacobaecae, Odezia atrata,
Lomaspilis marginata , Xanthorhoe montanata, and Apatele psi. Small numbers of larvae of
Euproctis similis were present on the hawthorn hedge by the garden and a few Cerura vinula
larvae were found on low growing poplars.
Vascular Plants (D. R. Grant)
Despite the drainage ditches around the reservoirs and the marshy area between the River
Hull and the Beverley and Barmston Drain, quite a few common aquatic plants were absent.
However, large colonies of plants grew where there was running water. The southern area
had Ranunculus lingua and Rumex hydrolapathum , together with large beds of Care x
riparia and Glyceria maxima. In damp grassy areas, the orchids Dactylorchis fuchsii and D.
incarnata were found, together with some excellent examples of first cross-hybridization.
Nearby were Thalictrum flavum and Cardamine amara. The bottom of a small ditch
around the circular reservoir was completely filled by the pondweed Groenlandia densa. The
Beverley and Barmston Drain had some fine colonies of the pondweeds Potamogeton lucens,
P. crispus and P. pectinatus. In dried grassy places around the circular reservoir were large
colonies of Carex hirta , C. flacca, C. lepidocarpa, and Festuca arundinacea. Both water
plantains, Alisma plantago-aquatica and A. lanceolatum , were present in a small pond near
the pumping station. After lunch the area around the water intake screens was examined.
The drains yielded Hippuris vulgaris , Elodea canadensis , Ranunculus aquatilis, and Berula
erecta. Oenanthe fluviatilis , the rarest plant discovered, was found here by the River Hull,
and Scirpus lacustris and Stachys palustris were growing along the river bank. In a drier
grassy area near the large reservoir were the sedges Carex disticha, C. spicata and C. ovalis.
Bryophytes (T. L. Blocked)
A rich bryophyte flora was not to be expected in a locality dominated by tall grasses and
marsh vegetation. Two habitats were of interest, walls and patches of bare ground: the
concrete walls of the reservoir were most notable for three species of Orthotrichum, O.
anomalum , O. cupulatum , and extensive sheets of O. diaphanum. The two former are little
recorded in VC 61, presumably because of the lack of suitable rock outcrops or walls. At the
northern end of the site Gyroweisia tenuis was on a wall by the lock. Species of bare ground
included Aloin a aloides var. aloides in dry spots and Bryum pseudotriquetrum var. bimum.
Riccardia sinuata and Leiocolea turbinata in damp or wet places. Thirty-four species were
recorded in all.
Goathland (VC 62) (21-22 July) (I. C. Lawrence)
The first day of the weekend meeting was spent in the Darnholme — Beck Hole area near
Goathland. The country around here is well known for its beauty. The Eller Beck flows
through a deep valley from Darnholme towards Beck Hole and then on the the Murk Esk.
The second day was spent in the wooded area north of Goathland and included the
spectacular Mallyan Spout waterfall. Saturday was showery ending in a downpour, which
wet many of us caught in the open. Sunday was drier, but remained cloudy.
Entomology (J. H. Flint)
The weather was unkind and the frequent showers spoilt collecting on Saturday, when the
party visited Darnholme. Here Mr Ely found the large hoverfly Sericomyia lappona L., a
frequent insect on the upland moorlands, and Mr K. G. Payne took the bug Chartoscirta
cocksi Curt, on Sphagnum by Darnholme Beck. Mr Payne also found the weevils Apion
frumentarium Pk. and A. marchicum Hbst. on Rumex acetosella and had the bugs
Asciodema obsoletum Fieb. on gorse and an abundance of Heterocordylus tibialis Hahn
from a single broom bush.
It is greatly to be regretted that the dull, cool weather and wet vegetation on Sunday kept
insects inactive at Beck Hole, as those taken indicate that this place, with its flowery margins
to old woodland sheltered by steeply sloping valley sides, is likely to hold a rich variety. Those
taken included the longhorn beetles Strangalia maculata Poda, S. quadrifasciata L. and
Alosterna tabacicolor Deg., the hoverfly Pyrophaen a rosarum F. and the sawfly Tenthredo
ferruginea Schrk.
117
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1979
The only other insects of note were the shield bug Pentatoma rufipes L., which was beaten
in quantity from Rowan and Oak at Darnholme, and the black and red hopper Cercopis
vulnerata Illig. which is here at the northern limit of its known British range.
Lepidoptera (K. G. Payne)
Although it was dull most of the time and there was a very heavy shower on the Saturday
afternoon, it was surprising how few butterflies were seen in the bright periods. The only
ones recorded were a few Coenonympha pamphilus and Maniola jurtina and a single Pieris
rapae. Among the moths Odezia atrata was plentiful at Beck Hole, and Idaea aversata,
Campaea margaritata, Lyncometra ocellata, Ortholitha chenopodiata , Abraxas sylvata, and
a few larvae of Eupithecia pulchellata were also found. Tortix viridana was noted.
The Sunday morning visit to Fen Bog revealed good colonies of Nymphula nymphaeata
where there was open water with Potamogeton. Syngrapha interrogationis and
Coenonympha tullia were also seen there.
Vascular Plants (I. C. Lawrence)
The Darnholme valley proved to be interesting, as the slopes running down from the moor
tops were very marshy and in one place there was a calcareous flush in which masses of
Pinguicula vulgaris and Anagallis tenella occurred. Also found in this region was Carex
lepidocarpa. Other sedges in the more acid parts included Carex remota, C. pallescens,
C. laevigata, and C. sylvatica . Sieglingia decumbens was present and a plant of Hypericum
androsaemum. Other interesting finds in this area were large quantities of Drosera
rotundifolia, Lychnis flos-cuculi, Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Myosotis secunda, Ranunculus
hederaceus, Asplenium adiantum -nigrum , and in the woods near Beck Hole, one plant of
Epipactis helleborine. These woods were further investigated on the following day and a
quantity of Ophioglossum vulgatum was found along with a nice list of plants including
Melampyrum pratense and the sedges Carex ovalis and C. spicata. In all some 260 plants
were seen, eleven of which were new for the square NZ80, which has been well recorded in the
past.
Bryophytes (T. L. Blocked)
At Darnholme, boggy ground produced a number of species, but nothing surprising.
However, Plagiothecium ruthei was on a wet bank, Gyroweisia tenuis on a wall, and Nardia
compressa, Marsupella emarginata and Hygrohypnum ochraceum on stones in streams.
Mallyan Spout and its environs were more productive. Wet rocks at the Spout were rich in
hepatics, with Preissia quadrata, Solenostoma pumilum, S. triste, Plectocolea obovata, and
Mylia taylori. Mosses included Mnium stellare, Hookeria lucens and Eurhynchium
pumilum. Rocks on the river bank produced Solenostoma sphaerocarpum , Heterocladium
heteropterum and Tetrodontium brownianum, the latter also occurring, with fruit, on an
outcrop in an open part of the valley above the woods. It was pleasing to see some impressive
amounts of Nowellia curvifolia on rotten wood near the Spout.
Flushed slopes higher up the valley had mostly common species, including Sphagnum
squarrosum and Dicranella palustris.
In all some seventy-seven species were recorded.
Plant Galls (F. B. Stubbs)
The weekend produced the good total of forty-seven galls, twenty-one being attributable to
gall-mites (Eriophyidae) . The lateness of the 1979 season may have accounted for the
reduced numbers, or apparent absence of some familiar insect galls.
The mite gall of Eriophyes galii was seen on Galium aparine. This normally widespread
example had not been noted in Yorkshire during 1977 or 1978, possibly as a result of the
drought of 1976, when the host plant was one of the first to suffer. The only other report this
year has been from Mr W. A. Ely, of Rotherham.
Oak apples, of the gall-wasp Biorhiza pallida, were seen on only one tree. Two of these
were on bare lengths of stem, whereas their usual site is a leafy twig.
The most interesting find was of the ‘cotton-wool’ gall on oak, attributed to the gall-wasp
Andricus quercus-ramuli; this was the fifth Yorkshire record. Such a conspicuous growth
would attract attention, and it must be regarded as uncommon in view of the few reports.
118
Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Excursions in 1979
Anston and Lindrick (VC 63) (30 June) (W. A. Ely)
The area visited lies on the belt of Permian magnesian limestone in the extreme south of
Yorkshire. A variety of different habitats were explored during the day, including
woodlands, grassland, scrub, and disused canal and limestone quarries.
Anston Stones Wood (a SSSI) is the largest wood in the area and lies in the gorge cut by
the Anston Brook. At the bottom the flagstones of the Coal Measures are exposed, while the
cliffs and slopes are limestone. Lime and elm are the principal trees and the wood is in a
fairly natural state. The northern boundary of the wood contains herb -rich grassland with
limestone outcrops which support a winter annual community.
Other woodlands include Moses Seat, a damp, north-facing wood running along the cliffs
on the southern border of Lindrick Common and the (broad leaved) woods operated by the
Forestry Commission on the south of the Chesterfield Canal.
Lindrick Common, which is now a golf course, contains many areas of scrub and grassland
with interesting communities.
The Chesterfield Canal was built over two centuries ago but became disused when the
summit tunnel collapsed early this century. It has since reverted to a rich wildlife habitat,
as have the numerous quarries. Lindrick Dale, Brancliffe and the Lindrick Common
quarries all contain interesting plants and animals.
Entomology (J. H. Flint)
The day was blessed with some warm sunshine after a dull start and insects moved freely,
although they were not particularly numerous. The quarries in Lindrick Dale had good
populations of mainly common insects and here Mr W. A. Ely had several glowworms,
Lampyris noctiluca L., a very local beetle in Yorkshire, although the records are widely
scattered. The quarries also had considerable populations of the very local little bug
Hoplomachus thunbergi Fall, on Mouse-ear Hawkweed.
The most prolific area, and the most interesting, was the northern edge of the railway
cutting through Anston Stones Wood and the adjacent open grassland and woodland
margin. Nymphs of Me con em a thalassinum DeG. were found here on Oak and this bush
cricket is at about the northern limit if its general range here in South Yorkshire, although
isolated colonies have been found as far north as Hackfall Wood (in 1882). Other insects
taken here included the beetles Dascillus cervinus L., Isomera murina L., Chrysolina varians
Schall. (larvae commonly on Hypericum ), Miarus campanulae L. (on Campanula),
Gymnetron antirrhini Payk. (on Linaria ), and the sawflies Tenthredopsis coquebertii Klug
and Tenthredo moniliata Klug.
A visit to the canal proved almost entirely unrewarding in the brisk breeze, although
examples of the wasp-like sawfly Tenthredo scrophulariae L. were found here on
Scrophularia aquatica.
Lepidoptera (J. and K. G. Payne)
Eight species of butterflies were seen: Pieris brassicae, napi and rapae, Aglais urticae
(larvae, much parasitized), Maniola jurtina, Ochlodes venata, Polyommatus icarus, and
Coenonympha pamphilus. The last named was plentiful and two observers reported seeing a
white specimen. Among the moths Odezia atrata was plentiful in a meadow and larvae of
Zygaena trifolii and filipendulae were taken there. Epirrhoe alternata, Xanthorhoe
montanata , Camptogramma bilineata, Lomaspilis marginata, Opisthograptis luteolata,
Phlogophora meticulosa, Autographa pulchrina, Drepana falcataria, Lomographa
temerata, Cucullia verbasci (larvae on figwort and mullein), Euproctis simileis (pupae under
a shelter) were also recorded. Amongst the smaller moths Anihophila fabriciana was noted
on Dog Daisy flowers and Adela fibulella, Ebulea crocalis, Opsibotys fuscalis, and Udea
lutealis were also taken (latter species in larval state). The work of Yponomeuta cagnagella
was conspicuous on Spindle, on hedgerow bush being completely defoliated.
119
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1979
Arachnology (J. C. Smith)
A small area of Anston Stones Wood between SK536 828 and SK532 832 was investigated.
The following species were recorded: Clubiona terrestris, Theridion ovatum, Maso
sundevalli, Pardosa lugubris, Araneus opistographus , Lepthyphantes tenuis, L. hortensis,
Gongylidium rufipes, Monocephalus fuscipes.
Investigation at Lindrick Dale Quarry (SK540 822) was entirely limited to species found
under stones. Amaurobius fenestralis, Coelotes atropos, Phrurolithus festivus , Euophrys
frontalis, Cicurina cicur, Lepthyphantes tenuis.
The northern bank of the Chesterfield Canal (between towpath and canal) was
investigated between SK535 815 and SK538 815. The following species were recorded:
Clubiona stagnatilis, C. lutescens, Trochosa terricola, Pirata piraticus, Dismodicus bifrons,
Tetragnatha extensa, Lophomma punctatus, Nesticus cellulans, Lepthyphantes tenuis.
Limitations of time and the dry conditions prevented any comprehensive work,
particularly in the Linyphiidae. Three species call for comment:
1. Cicurina cicur. A single female was taken in the Quarry. Falconer did not record this
species in Yorkshire. One Yorkshire record exists, recorded by Dixon in The Naturalist but
with no data. More recently Adrian Norris has taken it in Brantinghamdale and Drewton
Dale, near Hull. This seems to be its third Yorkshire record, and possibly its first in VC 63.
2. Nesticus cellulans. Two females with egg capsules were taken by the canal side. No
published records seem to exist for its occurrence south-east of a line drawn from
Scarborough through Wakefield, but Falconer found it frequently in the western half of
VC 63.
3. Phrurolithus festivus. Recorded once by Falconer (1907 at Wilsden VC 63) and
subsequently on a handful of occasions. Two females were taken from under stones in the
Quarry.
Flowering Plants (D. R. Grant)
Anston Stones Wood is the ‘locus classicus’ for Tilia cordata and Hordelymus europaeus.
The grassy area above the wood had the following species: Gymnadenia conopsea, Ophrys
insectifera and Listera ovata. In the open woodland the shrubs Euonymus europaeus,
Rhamnus catharticus, Ligustrum vulgare, and Thelycrania sanguinea. Some interesting
grasses here were Melica nutans, Poa compressa and P. nemoralis. In the shady parts of the
wood were some fine specimens of Phyllitis scolopendrium and Polystichum aculeatum. At
the head of the valley there was a fine colony of Vida sylvatica in full flower.
The short turf on Lindrick Common is the home of Cirsium acaulon. This seems to be
increasing very slowly, as it is now to be found here in three separate 1 km grid squares. On
ground recently cleared, Hypericum montanum and Helianthemum chamaecistus were
recolonizing bare patches. Spiranthes spiralis is also known from this area. In Lindrick Dale
quarry there was a fine show of Dactylorchis fuchsii. In the short turf Ophrys apifera,
Blackstonia perfoliata, Gentianella amarella, and Clinopodium vulgare were growing. On
the dry quarry floor were the following grasses: Catapodium rigidum scadAira caryophyllea .
Here also was Plantago coronopus. Nearby in a railway cutting, there were a few plants of
Onobrychis viciifolia.
In the old quarries and marshy areas around Shireoaks the following plants were seen:
Atropa belladonna , Asplenium adiantum -nigrum , Hippuris vulgaris , Scipus lacustris, Carex
paniculata, and Equisetum telmateia.
Species not recorded on this excursion but which are known from the area are Dipscacus
pilosus, Sorbus torminalis and Pyrus communis .
Bryophytes (T. L. Blocked)
This area is one of the most important bryophyte localities in VC 63 and the opportunity is
taken here to mention, in addition to species seen during the meeting, some additional ones
recorded during 1978.
At Anston Stones Wood the bryoflora of a wooded magnesian limestone valley is seen to best
advantage. The availability of cliff and boulder habitats in a humid environment gives rise to
120 Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Excursions in 1979
a collection of species unrivalled elsewhere on the Yorkshire Permian. The list includes:
Metzgeria pubescens, Scapania aspera, Porella platyphylla, Cololejeunea rossettiana,
Marchesinia mackaii, Distichium capillaceum, Fissidens cristatus, Tortula marginata,
Gymnostomum calcareum, Eucladium verticillatum , Trichostomum brachydontium ,
Tortella tortuosa, Mnium stellare, Plagiomnium cuspidatum, Zygodon viridissimus var.
stirtonii, Neckera crispa, Anomodon viticulosus, Amblystegium compactum, Platydictya
jungermannioides , Cirriphyllum crassinervium , Eurhynchium pumilum, and
Rhynchostegiella tenella. An unshaded part of the railway cutting has Trichostomum
crispulum, Campylium calcareum and two tiny winter annuals, Pottia recta and Phascus
curvicolle.
The old quarry at Brancliffe, examined during the meeting, has some interesting xerophytic
species, including Pottia lanceolata , Alonia aloides var aloides, Barbula hornschuchiana ,
Weissia microstoma, and Encalypta vulgaris. These are all on rock ledges or spoil heaps.
Other parts of the quarry floor are wet and support Fissidens adianthoides , Bryum
pseudotriquetrum and Cratoneuron commutatum .
From wet ground near Shireoaks there was little to report except Gyroweisia tenuis on a
stone, the abundant rhizoidal gemmae distinguishing it from the otherwise similar
Gymnostomum calcareum which had already been seen at Anston Stones.
Threats and Pressures (W. A. Ely)
Many potential threats affect this area. Anston Brook, which traverses much of the area
visited, is polluted by three sewage works above Anston Stones Wood. The Chesterfield
Canal supplies water to industrial users in Worksop and the dredging activities which are used
are detrimental to wildlife. The national demand for limestone is a threat and a new quarry
was opened nearby a few years ago. The whole area we visited is included in a proposed linear
park, which would obviously be developed to benefit the majority of its intended users, rather
than to preserve its natural beauty. Fortunately the recently formed Anston Conservation
Society is working to safeguard this beauty and the rich diversity of the flora and fauna
present.
Kirkby Malzeard (VC 64) (7 July) (J. Roberts)
Over forty members were present on a day which started damp and overcast but turned out
fine and clear. The morning was spent exploring the steep valley of Dallowgill, west of the
village. Semi-natural oakwood, coniferous plantations of various ages, a clear stream and
open moorland provided a good variety of acidic habitats.
The party moved south to Skell Gill for a picnic lunch, and the afternoon walk proceeded
up the River Skell, through marshy fields, to the duck-ponds under the eaves of the oakwood
in upper Skell Gill. Some members penetrated the wood itself and the moorland opposite,
with its many acidic flushes and streams.
Mr G. A. Shaw chaired the meeting at Dallowgill; sixteen societies were represented at the
rollcall, and sectional reports on the day’s activities were presented. Mr J. R. Hickson gave
the vote of thanks to the various landowners who had given us access; to Mr and Mrs
Peacock for the catering and meeting-room; and to the divisional secretary.
Entomology (I. H, Flint)
The short stretch of Dallowgill that was visited in the morning by the entomologists (mainly
the open track through conifer plantations), held little of special note to interest them and
insects were rather sparse. Bombus monticola Smith ( lapponicus auctt. Brit.), the typical
bumble-bee of the uplands and always rather local there, was a welcome sight. The most
interesting feature was the population of mound-building wood ants, Formica rufa L. This is
the common wood ant of the south, generally replaced in the north and in Yorkshire by
Formica lugubris Zett. , which is particularly abundant in parts of the moorlands of north-
eastern Yorkshire. Colonies of wood ants are very restricted in the western half of the county.
In the Skell valley insects were more numerous although the wind adversely affected
collecting and, as in Dallowgill, most of the insects seen were common ones. The few of note
were the handsome weevil Attelabus nitens Scop, which was found, with many of its curious
Yorkshire Naturalists ’ Union Excursions in 1979 121
typical leaf-rolls on the oak, by Mrs H. E. Flint, and the muscid flied Coenosia intermedia
Fall, and Fannia vesparia Meade which were taken by Mr W. A. Ely who also had the sawfly
Pachynematus obductus Hart, here as well as in Dallowgill.
Lepidoptera (Mrs J. Payne)
At Dallowgill Pieris brassicae, P. napi, Euchloe cardamines , and Polyommatus icarus were
flying and a large colony of Aglais urticae larvae was found on nettles in a lane. A small
colony of Odezia atrata was present in a forest ride and Ematurga atomaria and Epirrhoe
tristata were also noted. Skell Gill was a little richer and five additional butterflies were
recorded: Pieris rapae, Maniola jurtina , Coenonympha pamphilus , Lycaena phlaeas, and
Ochlodes venata. Odezia was seen here too, and a Procus species was collected from flowers
of Goutweed.
Vascular Plants (F. J. Roberts)
The plantation and oakwoods provided few unusual plants; of more interest were the banks,
track- and stream-sides, and the many marshes and boggy, flushed spring-zones. The track
down from the meeting place into Dallowgill had an abundance of Mimulus moschatus in
full flower in the adjacent ditch, and nearby two ‘heterophyllous-leaved’ Water Crowfoots —
Ranunculus hederaceus and R, omiophyllus — grew together. A bush of Prunus padus was
growing by the stream, and other plants of damp spots nearby were Equisetum sylvaticum
and three characteristic sedges, Carex remota, C. laevigata and C. pallescens. Corydalis
claviculata grew in abundance in a recently replanted area. The several marshes on the valley
sides above Skell Gill proved to be very varied. Both Dactylorhiza maculata and D. fuchsii
were noted, and other typical plants included Achillea ptarmica, Viola palustris and
Hypericum tetrapterum. My own list includes seven species of rushes and twelve sedges. One
small spring, shaded by oak and ash, had a fine colony of Carex paniculata with the
previously noted Carex remota and C. laevigata. Crepis paludosa was also common here. On
dry, sandy soils above the valley were Carex pilulifera and the scarce Hypericum humifusum.
The newly-constructed duck-ponds had large sheets of Potamogeton natans and on the
muddy margin of one grew Peplis portula and Gnaphalium uliginosum. The oakwood itself,
at the head of Skell Gill, seemed quite unspoilt; much of the ground flora was dominated
by bryophytes and few vascular plants were noted. Across the stream were some interesting
springs with sheets of Montia fontana and Chrysosplenium oppositifolium , with Drosera
rotundifolia , Anagallis tenella, Myosotis brevifolia, and Carex pulicaris nearby. At the edge
of a large Sphagnum and Juncus effusus bog was a small patch of fruiting Trientalis
europaea.
Bryophytes (T. L. Blockeel)
The area of oak woodland examined in Dallowgill was unexceptional. Dicranum tauricum
was present, but this was no great surprise since the area seems to be the ‘headquarters’ in
Yorkshire of this local species. The stream was more interesting, especially for some fine
beds of Atrichum crispum, but also for Nardia compressa and Solenostoma sphaerocarpum
on stones in or by the water. Dicranella rufescens was on the stream bank and D.
schreberana on disturbed ground nearby.
Skell Gill Wood had many of the species of Dallowgill, including Dicranum tauricum and
Atrichum crispum, but the woodland flora was better developed. There were some very fine
mounds of Leucobryum glaucum, and boulders had Barbilophozia attenuata, Scapania
umbrosa, Dicranum fuscescens, and Dicranodontium denudatum. The flora in general was
limited by the absence of any irrigated rock outcrops in the area investigated.
In all sixty-eight species were recorded.
Dent (VC 65) (19-20 May) (F. B. Stubbs)
Some 25 members attended the Field Meeting, and eleven societies were represented. The
weather was fine but cool, and the long, severe winter had delayed the appearance of most
flowers and insects. The two mornings were spent west of the Dent Fault, at Helmside Gill
and Combe Scar respectively. Here, acid conditions predominated, although calcareous
flushes make Combe Scar a richly varied locality. The afternoon routes included the banks of
the River Dee near Whernside Manor, and Flinter Gill. The district has been virtually
122
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1979
untouched by any of the current recording schemes, and several useful lists were compiled.
The Saturday afternoon ended very pleasantly when Mr and Mrs C. H. Wilson invited the
members to join them at tea.
After an enjoyable meal at Dent, Dr L. Lloyd-Evans took the chair when reports were
presented. The meeting resolved that Combe Scar be referred to the Nature Conservancy
Council as a potential SSSI; at the time of writing, the response has been encouraging. Mr
T. Blocked expressed the thanks of the members to Mr and Mrs Wilson for their hospitality,
to Mr Wilson and Mr Stoddard for their advice, based on local knowledge, and to the
divisional secretary and Mrs Stubbs.
Entomology (J. and K. G. Payne)
The early date of the meeting, after such a long and hard winter, perhaps accounted for the
scarcity of Lepidoptera. The only butterflies seen were /Yens brassicae and napi, and Aglais
urticae, the latter flying around nettles by the wall beside the road where we left for Combe
Scar. Webs and empty chrysalids of Yponomeuta evonymella were seen on Bird Cherry. Mrs
Lloyd-Evans collected the ground beetles Nebria rufescens (by the River Dee at Whernside
Manor), and Loricera pilicornis , Pterostichus strenuus and madidus at Helmside Gill. In the
last named locality the uncommon hoverfly Cheilosia albipila was swept from Dogs Mercury
and Dianous coerulescens was taken from moss by the waterfall. At Combe Scar Coccinella
7-punctata was frequent, and a single Geotrupes stercorosus was seen by Mr J. H. Flint.
Pools at about 580 m on the ridge west of Barbondale were sampled for water beetles but only
Hydroporus pubescens and Agabus bipustulatus were found.
Vascular Plants (F. B. Stubbs)
In spite of the lateness of the season, the recording by Mrs J. E. Duncan on the Saturday,
and by Mr W. J. Stone on the Sunday, resulted in quite an extensive list of species. Lathraea
squamaria was prominent in several stations, with Adoxa moschatellina and Ranunculus
auricomus also in and near woodlands. The most areas yielded Pinguicula vulgaris , Primula
farinosa, Carex caryophyllea , and Viola palustris ; Saxifraga tridactylites and S. hypnoides
were seen on drier ground. The only orchids positively identified were Listera ovata and, in
Coombe Scar, L. cordata. Coombe Scar also contributed to the fine tally of ferns, with
Hymenophyllum wilsonii, Cryptogramma crispa, Asplenium viride, Thelypteris dryopteris,
and T. phegopteris.
Bryophytes (T. L. Blockeel)
The rich bryophyte flora of Dentdale is evidenced by the list of 161 species which were
identified from the excursions, and this is in no way an exhaustive list. Three areas were
examined, Helmside Gill and environs, the banks of the River Dee, and the impressive slate
crags of Coombe Scar.
(1) Helmside Gill:
The damp rock faces of this dramatic wooded gully produced a distinctly basicolous flora.
Among species noted were Amblystegium fluviatile, Cirriphyllum crassinervium , Mnium
stellare, Neckera crispa, Rhynchostegiella teesdalei, Seligeria recurvata, and Lejeunea
cavifolia. In the upper part of the gully, a tuft of Zygodon viridissimus was collected and later
found to have interwoven among it Cololejeunea calcarea and Lejeunea lamacerina, the
latter new to VC 65. Where the rock was covered with humus, away from the stream banks,
the vegetation was more calcifuge with quantities of Dicranum majus and Leucobryum
glaucum, with some Barbilophozia attenuata. One notable feature of the gill was the
abundance of Nowellia curvifolia on logs, very fine and fruiting. The epiphyte flora of
Dentdale has evidently survived better than in most of Yorkshire, as was only to be expected.
Lejeunea ulicina was on many trees in the gill, where Frullania dilatata and Hypnum
mammillatum were also seen. Additions from trees on more open ground below the gill were
Orthotrichum affine, O. diaphanum, O. lyellii, and O. striatum with a small amount of
immature Ulota crispa probably var. norvegica. The O. striatum is particularly interesting.
The most recent record which I can trace from any of the Yorkshire vice-counties is that of
Tadcaster (VC 64) in 1898.
123
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excrusions in 1979
(2) Banks of the Dee:
Limestone rocks by the riverside in the Whernside Manor area produced Distichium
capillaceum , Lejeunea cavifolia and Cololejeunea calcarea. Schistidium alpicola yax.rivulare
was on boulders in the river. On tree roots on the river banks below Gawthrop were Leskea
polycarpa, Anomodon viticulosus and a very small amount of Orthotrichum sprucei.
Mention may also be made here of Bryum ruderale on a path at Whernside Manor and
fruiting Barbula revoluta and Frullania tamarisci on walls nearby.
(3) Coombe Scar:
The slate crags, reminiscent of the better-known Cautley Spout area, proved a most
interesting hunting-ground. The presence of Andreaea species indicated that the rock was
acidic, but there were others such asPohlia cruda which suggested that it was at least locally
base-enriched. Coombe Scar is an old locality for a very scarce and handsome moss,
Bartramia hallerana, and this was duly refound on the high crags. Plagiobryum zieri was
found with capsules in a damp gully. Other species on an among the rocks were Amphidium
mougeotii, Bartramia pomiformis , Blindia acuta, Campylopus atrovirens, Gymnostomum
aeruginosum, Heterocladium heteropterum , Isopterygium pulchellum, Oxystergus
tenuirostris , Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Seligeria recurvata, Sphagnum quinquefarium,
Bazzania trilobata, Frullania tamarisci, Lophozia incisa, Mylia taylori, Preissia quadrata,
and Ptilidium ciliare. The best find here, however, and the best find of the meeting was
Bazzania tricenata, an oceanic hepatic here in its only known Yorkshire station, although
formerly it was also recorded in 1857 by Carington on Whernside and a few stems from
Ingleborough.
The flushed hillsides below the crags were also of interest. Records here included Breutelia
chrysocoma, Campylopus fragilis, Scorpidium scorpioides, Sphagnum warnstorfii,
Thuidium delicatulum , and in runnels Solenostoma cordifolium.
BOOK REVIEWS
Lichen Flora of Lincolnshire by M. R. D. Seaward. Lincolnshire Natural History Brochure
No 8. Pp 18. Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union. 1980. £1.65 (post free, from Mrs V. Pennell,
Waddington House, Malt Kiln Lane, Waddington, Lincoln)
Lincolnshire is the second largest British county, but its lichen flora is not extensive owing to
the very small area (less than 3 per cent) supporting woodland and the intensively farmed
state of most of the rest. Dr Seaward has studied the available records very thoroughly as well
as carrying out much field work over most of the county, and his annotated checklist includes
more than two hundred species. He also mentions another twenty or so species which were
either recorded erroneously or are now extinct. This is a useful little brochure, but
unfortunately in the interests of economy a truly Spartan method of printing has been used,
which makes a technical publication of this kind unnecessarily difficult to read and
introduces minor ambiguities in places. FHR
Animals and Their World by Mary Parker Buckles. Pp 240, including numerous text
illustrations. Blandford. 1979. £8.95
Following a short introduction on biology, classification and zoogeography, the author then
goes on to provide brief accounts of the biology of a selection of mammals from each of the
major vegetation types. The emphasis is thus on the biome and what lives in it. There are
numerous drawings and black and white and colour photographs many of very high quality.
The selections are good in that they include mammals from several different orders. As a
broad introduction the account is most useful. The texts on the species have no similarity of
pattern and really amount to a few casual jottings which in some instances are rather naive.
Under no circumstances could one consider the sahelian savanna a temperate grassland as
the author suggests.
MJD
124 Book Reviews
Animal Life of the Galapagos by Norman Hickin. Pp 236; illustrated in black and white.
Ferendune Books. 1979. £6.65
Nowadays the remotest places are within the reach of holidaymakers, and this book about
the animals of the Galapagos Islands includes a twenty-page section of advice to tourists!
The rest of the book gives short descriptions aimed at aiding identification of mammals,
birds, reptiles, inshore fishes and a selection of insects and other invertebrates. All of these,
except the land mammals which are of course introduced species, are illustrated by the
author in a very black and white and rather flat style, which no doubt is what is required as
an uncritical aid to recognition .
FHB
The Flora of Aldabra and Neighbouring Islands by F. R. Fosberg and S. A. Renvoize, with
illustrations by Mary Grierson and Ann Davies. Pp vi + 358, including 2 maps and 55
figures. Kew Bulletin.
Additional Series VII/HMSO. 1980. £15, limp covers. Authoritative account of the plants of
a group of small Indian Ocean islands.
Endogenous Plant Growth Substances by Thomas A. Hill. Pp iv + 68.
Studies in Biology No 40/Edward Arnold, 2nd edition. 1980. £2.40, paperback.
Memoir of the Life and Works of Edward Newman by His Son (Thomas Prichard Newman).
Pp 36, illustrated. Classica Entomologica No 6, E. W. Classey, Faringdon. 1980. £2,
paperback. Facsimile of the 1876 biography with a new introduction by E. W. Classey.
Konrad Lorenz by Alec Nisbett. Pp xiv + 240, plus 16 pages of b/w plates. Dent 1980.
£3.50. Paperback issue of the biography of the ‘father of modern ethology’ first published in
1976.
Garden in the Hills by Elizabeth West. Pp 205, plus 4 pages of b/w plates. Faber & Faber.
1980. £5.95. Creation of a garden on a windswept Welsh moorland — sequel to Hovel in the
Hills.
Planting Native Trees and Shrubs by Kenneth Beckett and Gillian Beckett. Pp 64, with full
colour illustrations. Jarrold Colour Publications, Norwich. 1979. £1.99, paperback. What,
where and how to plant, as well as morphological and ecological information, are provided
for native species.
The Flora of Wiltshire by D. Grose. Pp viii + 213 (large format, 4 pages photo-
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OCTOBER-DECEMBER 1980 (No 955)
VOLUME 105
THE
NATURALIST
A Quarterly Journal of Natural History for the North of England
Edited by M. R. D. SEAWARD, MSc, PhD, FLS, The University, Bradford
PAGE
125
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CONTENTS
A new species of Gymnophora Macquart (Diptera, Phoridae)
from Yorkshire and Durham — R. H. L. Disney
Notes on Yorkshire Mollusca - 2. Arion (Kobeltia) distinctus Mabille
1868 in Yorkshire — A. Norris
On the role of Trichocera larvae (Diptera, Trichoceridae) in the
Decomposition of Carrion in Winter -Y. Z. Erzinglioglu
Macrophytes of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal - a Preliminary
Survey -M. J. Morphy, J. Thomas and B. Higgins
On two British Athalia species (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae) -
A. D. Liston
Some Brackish-Water Diatoms from Saline Pools in the Mickletown
Area - J. H. Belcher and E. M. F. Swale
The Distribution of Desmids in Some Tarns in the English Lake District
- Edna M. Lind
The Identification of the Bisexual Form of the Bristly Millipede,
Po/yxenus lagurus (L. 1758) (Diplopoda, Polyxenida) at Three Coastal
Sites in England and Wales, using Sex Ratios - G. D. Fussey and
I. M. Varndeli
John Barton: a Biographical Supplement - D. E. Allen
The Moss Octodiceras in Leeds, new to Yorkshire -T.L. Blockeel
Society Reports and
Contributors
Index
Field Notes
Book Reviews
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125
A NEW SPECIES OF GYMNOPHORA MACQUART
(DIPTERA, PHORIDAE) FROM YORKSHIRE AND DURHAM
R. H. L. DISNEY
Malham Tarn Field Centre, Settle, North Yorkshire
Two species of the distinctive scuttle fly genus Gymnophora Macquart have been recognized
as occurring in Britain, namely G. arcuata (Meigen) and G. quartomollis Schmitz. The
author possessed specimens that keyed out to these two species when he was sent a series
collected in Scotland by Dr A. G. Irwin. These keyed out to G. quartomollis Schmitz in the
keys of Schmitz (1920), Lundbeck (1922) and Delage and Lauraire (1973). However, the
males had genitalia obviously different from specimens from Yorkshire that equally
convincingly keyed out to G. quartomollis. Two palaearctic species not covered by the above
keys are G. lapidicola (Bezzi, 1922) (Ghidini, 1934) and G. verrucata Schmitz (1927), but
neither can be confused with G. quartomollis. On examining the specimens standing
under G. quartomollis in the British Museum (Natural History) it quickly became apparent
that both species were present.
The published descriptions of G. quartomollis appear to embrace both the species that key
to this species. The question was ‘which of the two species was the true G. quartomollis?’
Schmitz (1920) did not designate a holotype and his description suggests his type series
embraced both species. He listed his specimens examined thus ‘Valkenburg 29.6.1919 19
(Coll de Meijere); Limbricht 4.6.1917 Id and 10.6.1919 Id; Watersleijde 13.6.1917 19. Nur
das Exemplar in Coll der Meijere hat normale Grosse, die iibrigen sind Klein’.
Through the kindness of Dr Theowald van Leeuwen (Zoologisch Museum, Amsterdam) I
have been able to examine the specimen from Valkenburg and have designated it the
lectotype of G. quartomollis Schmitz. This leads to the recognition of the specimens collected
by Dr Irwin as belonging to the same species, whereas the specimens from Yorkshire are
transferred to a new species, described below. Notes on G. quartomollis are also provided in
order to clarify the differences between the two species. A Key to the three British species of
Gymnophora is then provided.
Gymnophora healeyae n.sp. (Figs 1-6)
Type Locality
England: Bear Park, Durham.
Type Material
etymology: The species is named for the Malham Tarn Field Centre secretary, Muriel
Disney. Paratypes: 39, 3d, Rowantree Scar, Yorkshire (Grid ref 44/032932) 23 September
1976; and 19 Waskerley Beck (Grid ref 45/015477) 30 July 1976. Leg J. C. Coulson, in coll
Disney. 19 Salt Lake Quarry, Yorkshire (Grid ref 34/773784), 1 July 1977, R. H. L. Disney,
in coll Disney.
etymology: The species is named for the Malham Tarn Field Centre secretary, Muriel
Healey, to mark her retirement at the end of 1979.
Description
male head: Frons brown, darker dorsally. Four bristles on vertex and a pair of medio-
laterals in front of postero-laterals. These ML bristles measure 0.08 mm in length (range
0.06-0. 1mm) and the PLs 0.12mm (range 0.10-0. 14 mm). Antennae with dark brown,
subglobular, third segment. Arista yellow-brown and pubescent. Palps yellowish to brownish
distally and paler basally; they appear darker distally because of the dense hair. 3-4
conspicuous bristles near tip and several shorter bristles along most of length below. The
longest bristle (near tip) measures 0.07— 0.08 mm. Eyes microscopically hairy.
thorax: Brown with a central black band and a similar band either side that only extends
forwards as far as the posterior edge of the humeral callus. The oblique ridge of the
Naturalist 105 (1980)
126 A new species of Gymnophora (Diptera: Phoridae ) from Yorkshire and Durham
FIGURE 1
Gymnophora healeyae n.sp. part of thorax in side view to show humeral and notopleural
regions.
H = humeral callus, N = notopleural bristles,
S = prothoracic spiracle, M = mesopleuron,
W = base of wing (scale line = 0.1 mm).
FIGURE 2
Gymnophora healeyae n.sp. Hypopygium of male viewed from left side (scale line = 0.2 mm).
A new species o/Gymnophora (Diptera: Phoridae) from Yorkshire and Durham 127
FIGURE 5
>mnophora healeyae n.sp. tergite 8 of female abdomen (scale line = 0.1 mm).
128 A new species of Gymnophora (Diptera: Phoridae) from Yorkshire and Durham
Gymnophora healeyae n.sp. right wing of female (scale line = 0.5 mm).
notopleuron (situated between the humeral callus and the notopleural bristles, and bearing
along its posterior edge a dense row of fine pale hairs) is conspicuously blackened (Fig 1).
Scutellum with 4 bristles almost equally developed and measuring 0.10-0.11 mm in length.
Mesopleuron with a patch of short fine hairs in the posterior, upper corner (Fig 1)
numbering 11-22 (mean 15). Pleurae almost black adjacent to middle and hind coxae.
abdomen: With all six tergites well developed and brown in colour. The first tergite is a little
shorter than the second, 2-5 are subequal, 6 is almost 3 x length of 1. Hairs sparse and fine
and only readily discerned near posterior borders. Venter greyish with a few hairs on segment
6 only. Epandrium of hypopygium (Fig 2) with relatively long cerci and left side with a
rounded, posteriorly directed, process posteroventrally.' A patch of hairs extend from the
dorsal side of this process almost to ventral edge of anal tube complex. Right side with a
similar process, but bearing many more hairs. The ventral plate is short and with two simple
lobes (rounded on the right side but coming to a blunt point on the left) each bearing a
posteriorly directed hair situated distally towards the median line (Fig 3). The left side bears
a complex, curved lateral plate arising from the junction of the ventral plate and the lower
edge of the epandrium (Figs 2 and 3).
legs: Yellowish brown and with the slender middle and hind femora characteristic of the
genus.
wings: Length 1.96-2. 18 mm (mean 2.10mm). Costal Index 0.45-0.47 (mean 0.46). Mean
of costal ratios (+ ranges) 5.31 (4.94-6.14): 1.41 (1.22-1.50) : 1. Costa with slight swelling
just before tip of vein 1. Base of vein 3 without a hair. Only 1 hair on axillary ridge. Veins
brown, but middle of vein 1 somewhat pale. Vein Sc clearly developed. End of vein 4 curves
towards anterior wing margin, but fades to nothing some distance from the latter, whole
membrane somewhat brownish, particularly adjacent to veins. Haltere with pale yellow,
almost whitish, knob and yellowish stem.
female head and thorax: Similar to male.
abdomen: Tergites pale brown and present as follows: short but broad tergite (with darker
posterior border) or segment 1; segment 2 with a narrower but longer tergite that narrows
markedly to posterior border; segment 3 with a small tergite that does not reach posterior
border of segment; segments 4 and 5 without tergites; but with scattered hairs, some of
which arise from slightly chitinized patches. Segment 6 with a distinct, almost square, tergite
(Fig 4). Internally between segments 5 and 6 are situated two dark-walled sacs (Fig 4).
Segment 7 with a distinct brown tergite (Fig 4) and segment 8 also with an irregular,
brown tergite bearing some hairs on its posterior margin (Fig 5). Segments 7 and 8, however,
are frequently withdrawn. Venter brownish-grey, with a few short hairs on segment 6 and
conspicuous hairs on 7 and 8.
A new species o/Gymnophora (Diptera: Phoridae) from Yorkshire and Durham 129
legs: As male.
wings (Fig 6): Length 2.35-2.54 mm (mean 2.44mm). Costal Index 0.47-0.49 (mean 0.48).
Mean of costal ratios (+ ranges) 6.20 (4.41-7.43) : 1.34 (0.91-1.71) : 1. Otherwise details as
male, except one specimen has two hairs on axillary ridge. Halteres as male.
Gymnophora quartomollis Schmitz, 1920 (Figs 7 and 8)
This species principally differs from G. healeyae as follows:
male head: Medio-laterals not differentiated from hairs on frons in most specimens. In
about a third of those examined, however, they are variously developed, but in the most
strongly developed case they are still not quite half the length of the postero-laterals.
abdomen: The venter of segment 6 is much more densely haired (Fig 7) than in G. healeyae
(Fig 2). The hypopygium is distinctly different (Figs 7 and 2) in general shape. It lacks the
postero-ventral processes of the epandrium found in G. healeyae and the cerci are much
shorter. The ventral plate is short with two lobes with straight posterior edges, and the lateral
plate of the left side (Fig 7) is a simpler scoop-shape with a darkened posterior border. The
penis complex is apparently extruded all the time, and even when the rest of the hypopygium
is withdrawn into the end of the abdomen, it remains protruding. It can even be recognized
as such in pinned specimens.
Gymnophora quartomollis hypopygium of male viewed from left side (scale line = 0.2 mm).
FIGURE 8
Gymnophora quartomollis tergite 8 of female abdomen (scale line = 0.1 mm).
130 A new species o/Gymnophora (Diptera: Phoridae ) from Yorkshire and Durham
wings: Axillary ridge with 1-5 hairs, with 13 out of 23 specimens having 2. Halteres dusky
yellow to grey.
female abdomen: Only segment 4 totally lacking a tergite, but that on segment 5 is not very
clearly developed. The posterior part of tergite 7 is much longer and tergite 8 is an entirely
different shape (Fig 8) to that of G. healeyae (Fig 5). The internal dark-walled sacs between
segments 5 and 6 in G. healeyae are absent from G. quartomollis.
wings: Axillary ridge with 2-4 hairs (2, 3, 3, and 4 in the specimens examined). The costa
before the tip of vein 1 is scarcely to obviously swollen, but in the latter case it does not
narrow again so abruptly towards the tip of vein 1. Halteres dusky yellow to grey.
Material Examined
Lectotype (see above). The following in the author’s collection, dd Glasdrum NNR,
Argyll (Grid ref 27/0046) 15 June 1978, leg A. G. Irwin, d Taynish NNR, Argyll (Grid ref
16/7384) 16 June 1978, leg A. G. Irwin, d + 9 Glen Affric (Grid ref 28/2526) 23 June
1979, leg P. Skidmore, dd Finlarig Glen, Killin (Grid ref 27/574350) 3 July 1979, leg P.
Skidmore, dd Falls of Lochay (Grid ref 27/535355) 4 and 6 July 1979, leg P.
Skidmore, dd Camusurich (Grid ref 27/626346) 6 July 1979, leg P. Skidmore. 9 Pass of
Killiecrankie (Grid ref 22/9162) 4 August 1979, leg P. J. Chandler. 9 Wayland Wood,
Norfolk (Grid ref 52/9299) 10 June 1976, leg J. W. Ismay. In addition I have re-mounted on
slides the following specimens in the British Museum (Natural History), d Dean Forest,
Gloucestershire, 14 June 1959, C. N. Colyer. d Symondshyde, Herefordshire, 6 June 1949,
C. N. Colyer. 9 Newcastle, Co Durham, 13 July 1912, J. J. F. X. King.
Key to the British Species of Gymnophora
1. Oblique ridge of notopleuron (Fig 1) with posterior border pale (at least for lower two-
thirds) with fringe of pale hair. Swelling of costa before tip of vein 1 sub-triangular and
usually embracing a pale spot arcuata (Meigen)
— . Oblique ridge of notopleuron with posterior border black (as in Fig 1) in contrast to
fringe of pale hair. Costa may or may not be with swelling before tip of vein 1, but when
present it does not embrace a pale spot 2
2. Males 3
— . Females 4
3. Sixth abdominal segment with sides of venter bearing numerous hairs in more than one
row (Fig 7). Hypopygium with relatively short cerci and of form shown in Fig 7
quartomollis Schmitz
— . Sixth abdominal segment with sides of venter bearing a few hairs in a single row (Fig 2).
Hypopygium with relatively long cerci and of form shown in Fig 2
healeyae n.sp.
4. Internally between segments 5 and 6 there is a pair of dark-walled sacs (Fig 4). Frons
with medio-lateral bristles present, which are more than half the length of the postero-
laterals. Axillary ridge of wing bearing only 1 (rarely 2) hairs. Halteres with clear, pale
yellow knob healeyae n.sp.
— . No such dark-walled sacs present. Frons usually lacking distinct medio-lateral bristles,
but when present they are only half as long as postero-laterals or less. Axillary ridge of wing
with 2 or more hairs. Halteres with dusky yellow to grey knob
quartomollis Schmitz
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Dr Theowald van Leeuwen for arranging the loan of the lectotype of G.
quartomollis and to B. H. Cogan for allowing me to re-mount on slides some pinned
Notes on Yorkshire Mollusca 131
specimens from the British Museum. I am grateful to P. J. Chandler, Dr J. C. Coulson, Dr
A. G. Irwin, Dr J. W. Ismay, and P. Skidmore for invaluable collections of fluid-preserved
specimens. I am grateful to the Royal Society for grants to further my studies of Phoridae.
References
Bezzi, M. (1922). Un Dittero subaltero appartenente ad un nuovo genere di Foridi non
mirmecofili. Boll Soc Ent Ital 54: 113-17.
Delage, A. and Lauraire, M. C. (1973). Au sujet du genre Gymnophora Macquart (Dipt.
Phoridae) description de deux hypopyges. Nouv Rev Ent 3: 169-72.
Ghidini, G. M. (1934) Descrizione della femmina di Gymnophora ( Capraephora ) lapidicola
Bezzi. Boll Soc Ent Ital 66: 130-6.
Lundbeck, W. (1922 ). Diptera Danica. Part VI Pipunculidae Phoridae. Gad, Copenhagen.
Schmitz, H. (1920). Die Phoriden von Hollandisch Limburg. Jaarb Nat Gen Limburg 1919:
91-154.
Schmitz, H. (1927). Revision der Phoridengattungen, mit Beschriebung neuer Gattungen
und Arten. Nat Maandbl 16: 92-100.
NOTES ON YORKSHIRE MOLLUSCA — 2
ARION (KOBELTIA) DISTINCTUS MABILLE 1868 IN YORKSHIRE
A. NORRIS
Leeds City Museum
In recent years a great deal of work has been done by Mrs Stella Davies and others on the
Common Garden Slug, Arion (Kobeltia) hortensis Ferussac 1819 and its segregates. In 1977
Stella Davies published a paper describing the differences between three different forms of
hortensis which she labelled as forms A, B and R. It was evident from the work she had done,
and from subsequent work on the group, that these three forms were indeed three distinct
species.
Research into the synonomy of the Arion (Kobeltia) hortensis group established that one
of the old names, Arion distinctus Mabille 1868, was valid and should be used for the form
known as ‘A’. A paper has recently been published, therefore (Davies 1979) establishing
names for the three species.
Material collected and examined by myself from Yorkshire soon established that the
common type in the area was form ‘A’. It would seem, therefore, that the Common Garden
Slug in Yorkshire is not Arion (Kobeltia) hortensis , but Arion (Kobeltia) distinctus.
At the present time the true hortensis must be considered as a comparatively rare species
in Yorkshire and all old records of Arion hortensis should be considered as either invalid or
in need of confirmation.
The third species described by Davies is Arion (Kobeltia) owenii Davies 1979; at present
this species is unknown in Yorkshire.
Confirmed records of the Arion hortensis segregates are vary scarce at the moment for
Yorkshire, so I would be pleased to examine and identify any material sent to me at the City
Museum in Leeds. If every reader of The Naturalist could send me slugs from their own
garden, we would soon have a better idea of the distribution of these three species.
References
Davies, S. M. (1977). The Arion hortensis complex with notes on A. intermedius Normand.
J Conch, Lon d 29: 173-87.
Davies, S. M. (1979). Segregates of the Arion hortensis complex (Pulmonata Arionidae) with
the description of a new species, Arion owenii. J Conch, Lond 30: 123-8.
132
BOOK REVIEWS
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Forty-eight pages of introduction include physiographic, geological, hydrological, climato-
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The main body of the text contains descriptions and illustrations of, and keys to the
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Like Flora of Barr o Colorado Island published by the same press (see Naturalist 104: 129),
this work combines scholarship with aesthetic appeal: once again both author and publisher
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MRDS
Fungal Saprophytism by Harry J. Hudson. Pp iv + 76, including numerous text figures and
tables. Studies in Biology No 32, Institute of Biology/Edward Arnold. 2nd edn, 1980. £2.75
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Revision of a concise but informative study of saprophytic fungi first published in 1972. The
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The first issue of this journal contains nine papers presented at the inaugural conference of
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‘Documentary evidence for the landscape of the Manor of Wakefield during the Middle
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landscape’ by James Pickering, ‘Environmental issues in landscape studies’ by Richard
Smith, and ‘Documentary evidence for the historical ecologist’ by Oliver Rackham, will be of
great interest to the natural historian, ecologist and environmentalist. Forthcoming issues
are awaited with interest.
ON THE ROLE OF TRICHOCERA LARVAE
(DIPTERA, TRICHOCERIDAE)
IN THE DECOMPOSITION OF CARRION IN WINTER
133
Y. Z. ERZINCLIOGLU
Zoological Society of London, Ashley House, Boston Spa, West Yorkshire
Introduction
The role of dipterous larvae in the decomposition of carrion in natural conditions has been
the subject of much research by entomologists in recent years. However, these researches
were invariably carried out during the summer months when Diptera are most active. The
effect of the larvae of Diptera on carrion decomposition in winter has not been studied in any
systematic manner, and for this reason I decided to carry out some investigations in this field
in my garden in Harrogate during the winter of 1979-80.
Materials and Methods
The carrion bait used in this study was half a pound of ox heart meat. The bait was placed on
the edge of a lawn and covered by a simple trap. This trap was made from a plastic plant pot
(15 cm wide at the base x 30 cm high) with its base removed and a piece of fine muslin
attached in its place. Two 2 cm wide slits were cut on either side of the pot to allow insects to
enter. Such traps are widely used in work of this sort. With a few exceptions, the trap was
examined every evening by torchlight. Ammonia vapour was used to temporarily immobilize
the insects, which were then collected with forceps. The piece of carrion was then itself
removed, examined under a binocular microscope and replaced in the trap. The study was
begun on 8 December 1979 and was terminated on 1 March 1980.
Results
The first fly observed on the carrion was a female blowfly, Calliphora vicina , collected on 9
December, and later that day two winter gnats, Trichocera sp., were seen flying off the
carrion when I went to examine it. (Ammonia vapour is not very effective against winter
gnats and a large dose was found necessary to immobilize them). The following day two
specimens of Trichocera annulata were collected from the trap. T. annulata continued to be
attracted to the carrion until 5 January after which they were not seen in the trap again,
although they continued to be common in the garden. All the specimens collected were
females. The first eggs were observed on 15 December and the first larvae appeared on 20
January. About ten or twelve larvae were seen crawling on the carrion; they were mostly the
sluggish larvae of Trichocera, but a couple of very active Muscid larvae were also seen. The
number of Trichocera larvae continued to increase, reaching a maximum during the first
week in February when larvae of many sizes were very abundant indeed. When viewed under
the microscope, the larvae were seen either to be tunnelling sluggishly in and out of the
carrion with their mandibles continuously working, or resting embedded in it with only the
posterior spiracles to the exterior. Occasionally, some of the larvae would submerge
themselves completely for a few seconds while closing the posterior lobes over the spiracles.
No Muscid larvae were seen again. By the end of February most of the larvae had left the
carrion to pupate in the soil, by which time little of the carrion remained, except some of the
fatty parts which were not colonized by the larvae. Samples of larvae were collected at
intervals during the course of this study; some were preserved in 70 per cent alcohol and an
attempt was made to rear the rest. However, I succeeded in rearing only one specimen, which
proved to be a female T. annulata.
Other insects associated with the carrion were Collembola, which occurred on the carrion
when it started to turn rancid late in December. Truly vast numbers of Collembola occurred
on the carrion during the first week of February, which coincided with the maximum number
Naturalist 105 (1980)
134 Role o/Trichocera larvae in the Decomposition of Carrion in Winter
of Trichocera larvae. It was a very cold week, with heavy snow showers. The only other
insects collected during the course of this study were:
2 Calliphora vicina (Calliphoridae) 9 and 14 December
1 Telmatoscopus notabilis (Psychodidae) 11 December
1 Copromvza nitida (Sphearoceridae) 16 December
Discussion
The role of Diptera larvae in the decomposition of carrion has long been appreciated, but no
systematic study of the situation in winter exists in the literature. The above rather limited
observations serve to show that Trichocera can play a major role in carrion decomposition in
winter, but a great deal more work remains to be carried out on the subject. The species of
Trichocera are usually regarded as being breeders in decaying vegetable matter, such as
compost heaps or rotting potatoes, and nowhere in the literature could I find a reference to
any British species of Trichocera breeding in carrion or decaying animal matter. Both Keilin
and Tate (1940) and Freeman (1950) state that Trichocera breed in decaying matter of
vegetable origin and make no mention of carrion. Dear (1978) lists the families of European
Diptera that have been recorded as visiting carrion, but the family Trichoceridae does not
appear on the list. From the above results it is clear that Trichocerids can breed in carrion,
but how widespread this habit is remains to be seen.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Mr K. G. V. Smith of the British Museum (Natural History) for much
helpful advice during the course of my carrion work. I also thank Dr R. H. L. Disney of the
Malham Tarn Field Centre for identifying the specimen of Copromvza .
References
Dear, J. P. (1978). Carrion. In: Stubbs, A. and Chandler, P. (Eds) A Dipterist’s Handbook.
Amateur Entomologist’s Society.
Freeman, P. (1950) Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. Vol IX Pt 2
Trichoceridae, Ptychopteridae and Anisopodidae . Royal Entomological Society of London.
Keilin, D. and Tate, P. (1940). The early stages of the families Trichoceridae and
Anisopodidae. Trans R Ent Soc Lond 90: 39-62.
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135
MACROPHYTES OF THE HUDDERSFIELD NARROW CANAL —
A PRELIMINARY SURVEY
M. J. MORPHY,* J. THOMASf- AND B. HIGGINSf-
* The Polytechnic, Huddersfield
~tAll Saints ’ Comprehensive School, Huddersfield
Casual observations made over the past three years have suggested that the aquatic
vegetation of the Huddersfield Narrow is distributed zonally. Since vegetation provides
important structural and nutritional elements in the habitats of many freshwater animals,
some of which have already been shown to exhibit zonal patterns of distribution at this site
(Watkin and Morphy, 1976; Morphy et al, 1977), a survey of the canal vegetation repre-
sented a logical development of previous studies. The study was also prompted by an issue of
another kind: late in 1977 a report was published by Kirklees Metropolitan Council on the
development of the canal as a recreational resource. Work involving the upgrading of the tow
path began in the spring of 1978, but some channel clearance had already begun by the
autumn of that year. In view of these developments, the planned survey was brought forward
to enable an assessment of the composition and distribution of canal vegetation to be made
prior to any channel clearance. It was believed that such information, together with that
from earlier studies, would be useful both as a base-line against which future changes could
be measured and as a basis for negotiating some measure of protection for certain of the
more biologically valuable reaches of the canal.
This paper reports the results of a preliminary survey of the macrophytes of the canal
channel.
Methods
The survey was carried out over a period of one week in August 1978, and involved sampling
and recording at 200 metre intervals down the length of the canal. At each station a list was
made of all the species observed within the canal channel at that point and specimens of each
species of plant were collected for identification or confirmation of identification. The
decision to collect material proved an important one, since certain species could have been
misidentified in the field.
As conditions in the canal channel vary considerably because of variations in water level
and the degree of siltation, the survey included not only true aquatics, but also emergent
vegetation and some species characteristic of drier habitats.
Results
Table 1 shows the distribution of the species arranged in order of first appearance. The
stations correspond to those given in Morphy et al (1977) which should be used in
conjunction with the map given in Watkin and Morphy (1976).
The upper section of the canal comprising stations 1 to 4 is a reasonably homogeneous
reach, which is uninterrupted by locks and is thus one of the largest pounds on the Narrow
canal. Two of the eight species present were confined to this reach, viz Eleocharis acicularis
and Juncus bulbosus. In addition Sparganium emersum and to a lesser extent Alisma
plantago-aquatica appeared to be more characteristic of the upper reach than of other
reaches of the canal. Sparganium emersum extended down to station 5, whilst Alisma
plantago-aquatica occurred predominantly in the first ten stations and did not appear again
until stations 36 and 37.
Below station 4 the canal changes dramatically in character as it passes down through a
series of nine locks over a distance of about 1 kilometre. This produces a zone of a
considerable disturbance and heterogeneity. From stations 5 to 14 a further fifteen species
appeared. Of these Epilobium hirsutum and Elodea canadensis occurred throughout much
of the remainder of the canal, whereas Lemna gibba and Iris pseudacorus were restricted to
this reach. By contrast Lemna minor showed a markedly disjunct distribution, which
featured a zone of absence in the middle section of the canal (stations 12 to 32).
Naturalist 105(1980)
TABLE
TABLE 1 - The distribution of macrophytes along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal
136
Macrophytes of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal — A Preliminary Survey
J
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Macrophytes of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal — A Preliminary Survey 137
Over the next ten stations (15 to 24) the canal is characterized by long pounds and only two
further species appeared, Barbarea vulgaris and Carex remota. Below station 24 the canal
passes by way of a culvert through Slaithwaite.
From the figure it is evident that station 25 marked the beginning of a zone of significant
and rapid vegetational change, which is indicated by the addition of a further eleven species
over the next fourteen stations (25-38). Stations 26 and 27 featured Luronium natans and
Ranunculus omiophyllus respectively. At station 28 the occurrence for the first time of
Stachys palustris and Impatiens glandulifera caused a conspicuous scene-change, and these
two species together with Solanum dulcamara and Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum
characterized stations 28-39 . This reach also marked the lower limit of occurrence for a
number of species, notably Alisma plantago-aquatica , Glyceria fluitans, Angelica sylvestris,
Galium palustre and Ranunculus flammula. From station 39 there followed a zone of
relatively little vegetational change, typified by Acorus calamus.
Station 49 marked the beginning of another distinctive zone. This extended down to
station 58 but there was some interruption in sampling coverage between stations 56 and 57,
where the canal passes for some 600 metres through culverted and otherwise inaccessible
sections. This reach featured three alien species of which Lagarosiphon major was the most
widespread, occurring throughout. This species has a similar life-form to Elodea canadensis
and in the Huddersfield Narrow canal these two species appeared to be mutually exclusive in
their patterns of distribution. The other two species Egeria densa and Vallisneria spiralis
were restricted to stations 49 and 58 respectively. Egeria densa was observed in flower.
Station 57 marked the upper limit of the occurrence of Potamogeton berchtoldii which was
recorded at three out of the last four stations.
At station 59 the canal broadens to its junction with the Sir John Ramsden canal at
Huddersfield Wharf and here the flow is augmented by water from the Colne which enters
the canal by Aspley Goit (also known as Shaw Foot Mill tail-goit). Below this point, at station
60, three further species were recorded, Potamogeton crispus, P. natans and Glyceria
maxima.
Discussion
On the basis of information provided by local recorders and of the maps presented in Perring
and Walters (1962) the following appear to be new recordings for the 10 x 10 km grid-
squares, 44/01 and 44/11.
44/01 44/11
Epilobium adenocaulon
Potamogeton berchtoldii
Glyceria maxima
Egeria densa
Lagarosiphon major
Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum
Lycopus europaeus
Potamogeton natans
Iris pseudacorus
Lemna gibba
Sparganium emersum
Eleocharis acicularis
Of these, several deserve particular mention. Both Lemna gibba and Epilobium adenocaulon
occur predominantly in the south-east of Britain (Perring and Walters, 1962). In VC 63
Lemna gibba appears to be rare with only two previously recorded localities, at Luddenden
Foot and Shipley. Epilobium adenocaulon is an introduced species which was first recorded
in Britain in 1891, and has since spread rapidly, particularly in south-east England
(Clapham et al, 1962). According to the YNU Recorder for Aliens, Mrs F. Houseman,
E. adenocaulon has been recorded at only one other locality in VC 63, in the Ripponden area
in 1973.
Lagarosiphon major can be considered with Egeria densa and Villisneria spiralis since they
all occurred in the lower part of the canal and share the characteristics of being aliens whose
occurrence may be attributed to some extent to the activities of aquarists (Kent, 1955;
Edwards, 1961). L. major is a native of South Africa, E. densa of South and Central
America, and V. spiralis is widely distributed in warmer parts of the world from Central
France southwards (Clapham et al, 1962; Haslam et al, 1975). Both/,. major and E. densa
138 Macrophytes of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal — A Preliminary Survey
were first recorded in Britain in 1953 at Droylsden in South Lancashire in a section of the
Ashton Canal which was warmed by waste water from cotton mills (Kent, 1955; Edwards,
1961), V. spiralis also shares this association with heated water (Clapham et al, 1962). It is
therefore significant that station 49 lies immediately below a section of the canal which until
1973 was warmed by a substantial inflow of heated water from one of the canal-side mills.
Moreover, this is the only part of the Huddersfield Narrow to have been affected in this way
in recent years. As little is known of the extent to which these plants can withstand British
winter temperatures, it is not possible to predict what may happen at this site. Lagarosiphon
major does not seem to require unusually high temperatures for it has become established in
unheated waters in the warmer counties of England. For the other two species Sculthorpe
(1967) has suggested that temperature may be the prime factor controlling their distributions
in Britain. It is noteworthy then that Is. densa was observed in flower some five years after the
warming effect ceased, which is contrary to the finding of Edwards (1961).
The detailed distributions of these aliens in Britain are difficult to ascertain since, with the
exception of V. spiralis, they are not featured in Perring and Walters (1962). L. major has
been reported for South Lancashire, West Cornwall, Surrey, and Bedfordshire (Kent, 1955),
and more recently Haslam et al (1975) have described it as local or rare in Kent, Surrey,
Essex, Wiltshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, and Monmouth but indicated that it was
increasing its range. There are no previous recorded reports for this species in Yorkshire.
However, there is an unrecorded report for the Elland area. E. densa by contrast is restricted
to South Lancashire (Kent, 1955; Clapham et al, 1962), and West Yorkshire where it was
recorded in the canal near Elland in 1963 (Houseman, 1964). The present finds coincided
with the discovery of a further site for these two aliens in the Brighouse area and a paper
dealing with certain aspects of the biology and distribution of these two species is now in
preparation (Lucas, Morphy and Toms, in prep).
For Vallisneria spiralis, the third member of this trio of aliens, the map in Perring and
Walters (1962) shows records for only six 10 x 10 km grid-squares, centred upon West
Gloucester, South-West Yorkshire and South Lancashire. The Yorkshire records includeone
for the canal at Skipton on the boundary between VC 63 and VC 64, and another for the Sir
John Ramsden Canal. For the latter only the date, 1956, is given. Though unrecorded, the
present locality, in what was formerly a warmed length of the Narrow Canal, has been known
for many years. Moreover, it seems possible that this colony originated from material trans-
planted into the same canal pound, over twenty-five years ago at a point only about 100
metres downstream of its present position. The material was brought from a canal at Salter-
hebble, near Halifax, a former Vallisneria habitat which has since been drained. If this
interpretation is correct, the colony has maintained a foothold here for a considerable period
and, since 1954, without the aid of artificial warmth. A downstream movement of material
from this source may have given rise to the colony reported for the Sir John Ramsden Canal
(V. supra).
In addition to its aliens, the canal also provides habitats for some other native water plants
that are by no means common in Britain, notably Luronium natans and Eleocharis
acicularis. The former species was first recorded at this site by Fryer (1952) and it is
encouraging to find that it has maintained a presence there for nearly thirty years. Unfortu-
nately the rapid rate of siltation and the remedy of channel clearance both pose threats for
the future survival of L. natans at this site.
Whilst these studies prompt further enquiries of an ecological kind, they also draw
attention to the problem of qualification for protected status. In the absence of absolute
standards for site evaluation (Ratcliffe, 1977), or of detailed studies of other canals which
might provide a basis for comparative assessment, it is difficult to estimate the relative worth
of the Huddersfield Narrow as a wildlife habitat. Nevertheless, in terms of its limited size,
relative richness, its significant component of rare species, its rapid zonal change, and its
possible vulnerability, it might well be considered a possible candidate. Moreover, its former
strategic position as an artificial link between the great river-basins to the east and west of
the Pennines, together with its distinctive industrial microhabitats, which show marked
affinities with similar habitats in the Lancashire area (Fox, 1963; Shaw, 1963; Weiss and
Macrophytes of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal — A Preliminary Survey 139
Murray, 1909), may suggest the need for some protection for this and other similar relict
habitats of the industrial era.
Acknowledgements
This paper is based upon a survey performed by a team of sixth-formers from All Saints’
Comprehensive School, Huddersfield. We would therefore like to thank — Mollie Caton,
Rosalba Danyluk, Clare Gallagher, Anthony Callaghan, Andrew Callaghan (former
student), Michael Fahey, Gerard Godlington, Fineen Godlington, and Raymond Pukacz —
members of the team, for the enthusiastic and proficient way in which they carried out the
work. Our thanks are also due to Dr W. A. Sledge and Mrs J. Lucas for their generous help
with the identification of plant material; to Mrs F. Houseman, Mrs J. Lucas, Mr D. Grant,
Mr F. Murgatroyd, Dr G. Fryer, and Mr E. Aubrook for supplying additional information;
and to Shaw Brothers of Larchfield Mills, Huddersfield and J. Crowther & Son Ltd of Union
Mills, Milnsbridge for providing information on warm water discharges.
This study was undertaken with the support of a grant from the Scientific Research in
Schools Committee of the Royal Society.
References
Clapham, A. R., Tutin, T. G. and Warburg, E. F. (1962) Flora of the British Isles.
Cambridge.
Edwards, W. F. (1961) More interesting plants of our local canals. Athene 2: 44—7.
Fox, B. W. (1963) Plants of industrial tips and wasteland in Travis’s Flora of South
Lancashire (ed Savidge, J. P., Heywood, V. H. and Gordon, V.) Liverpool Botanical
Society.
Fryer, G. (1952) Further occurrence of Luronium (Alisma) natans (L.) Raf. at Slaithwaite.
Naturalist, 158.
Haslam, S., Sinker, C. and Wolseley, P. (1975) British Water Plants. Fid Studies 4: 243-
351.
Houseman, F. (1964) Aliens and casuals (in YNU Annual Report for 1963.) Naturalist,
29-30.
Kent, D. H. (1955) ‘Egeria densa Planch’ and ‘ Lagorosiphon major (Ridley)’ (in Plant
Notes). Proc. Bot. Soc. Brit. Isles 1: 322-3.
Morphy, M. J., Haigh, M., Thorburn, I., and Watkin, J. R. (1977) The Gastropod Fauna of
the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. Naturalist 102: 137-9.
Perring, F. H. and Walters, S. M. (1962) Atlas of the British Flora. Botanical Society of the
British Isles.
Ratcliffe, D. A., ed (1977) A Nature Conservation Review, Vol 1. Cambridge.
Sculthorpe, C. D. (1967) The Biology of Aquatic Vascular Plants. London.
Shaw, C. E. (1963) Canals in Travis’s Flora of South Lancashire (ed Savidge, J. P.,
Heywood, V. H. and Gordon, V.). Liverpool Botanical Society.
Watkin, J. R. and Morphy, M. J. (1976) The Sphaeriidae fauna of the Huddersfield Narrow
Canal. Naturalist 101: 19—25.
Weiss, F. E. and Murray, H. (1909). On the occurrence and distribution of some alien
aquatic plants in the Reddish Canal. Mem. Proc. Manchester Lit. Phil. Soc. 53: 1—8.
TRANSACTIONS OF THE KENT FIELD CLUB
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Available at £3.25 each, post free, from the Editor, 59 Rosendale Road, London SE 21.
140
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Sun, Sand and Snakes by Stephen Spawls. Pp 254, with 17 colour plates. Collins Harvill.
1979. £6.95
In Britain, with only three species of small snakes, we have a poor representation of these
animals. It is only after reading the account by Stephen Spawls of his snake catching
activities in Kenya that one comes to appreciate the range of snake form, colour, behaviour,
and activity. This is an account of a young man’s enthusiasm and dedication to snake
catching. (We are not told much of their ultimate fate except that they go to zoos.) His
informative account of their natural history is interspersed with humorous anecdotes.
When I first picked up this book I groaned inwardly at the prospect of yet another
somewhat superficial account of natural history in East Africa, but my pessimism proved
unjustified. Spawls writes well and some of his descriptions of the Kenyan landscape are
quite outstanding. It is probably this facility, together with the pleasantly presented and
balanced account, that made me feel most favourably disposed to this lighthearted account.
MJD
Evolution for Naturalists: The Simple Principles and Complex Reality by Philip J.
Darlington. Pp xvi + 262, with 9 figures (tone drawings and line illustrations). Wiley. 1980.
£12.75
A book on evolution by a seventy-five-year-old American Emeritus Professor seems an
unlikely candidate for the shelves of British naturalists. Indeed, British or not, the potential
purchaser may be put off by looking only at the jacket or the frontispiece. The jacket design
includes a ‘tree’ of branching lines originating in a mysterious protoplasmic blob, and termi-
nating in two stylized clothed human silhouettes, male and female, of the type that appear on
certain doors. The frontispiece is a drawing of Darwin in slacks, casual shirt, and platform
soled shoes, ‘as he might have looked as a modern graduate student’. This is trivialization of
the subject. If the potential reader does not put the book down, and samples the text, he is
likely to be more impressed. The book provides a history of evolutionary ideas and evidence
for evolution; methods for the study of evolution are described, and discussions of set
selection, group selection and kin selection are included. Opportunities for naturalists
themselves to make relevant observations are suggested; unfortunately for British readers
emphasis is on North American material. There is a factual and phylogenetic account of the
evolution of life on earth, and a most interesting chapter — the last — is devoted to
evolutionary philosophy and ethics. Darlington, a competent evolutionist, is ‘awed by recent
spectacular advances in the understanding of life’. Nevertheless he has evidently kept abreast
of modern evolutionary literature, and is not above a sideswipe at some of the more
mathematical material published in recent years.
The author is obviously greatly impressed by Darwin, particularly by Darwin as a young
man, and goes to considerable lengths to illustrate his massive contribution and to refute
some modern denigrators. Poor Alfred Russel Wallace who also propounded (by proxy) the
theory of evolution by natural selection to the Linnean Society at the same meeting as Darwin
in 1858 (not to the Royal Society as Darlington asserts) is largely ignored.
The nine figures are not all of much help towards an understanding of evolution: the three
inset line drawings of beetles on Fig 2, which show the occurrence of three species in the
southern Appalachians, provide the reader with a spot-the-difference problem; a drawing of
a carabid beetle, Fig 4, with ‘wing vestiges not shown’ fails thereby in its object to illustrate
the relevant features of the wingless morph in a dimorphic population.
Each of the chapters concludes with a classified reading and references list to assist
naturalists to find further material. An understanding of evolution, including a knowledge of
man’s own inherent limits, conflicts and needs, and of the misuse of evolutionary theory to
justify racial discrimination, is an essential part of the intellectual equipment of an educated
person. This book will help naturalists, and those professional biologists for whom evolution
is no longer of day-to-day concern, towards such an understanding. I would recommend it
for libraries, and, with a little less confidence, for purchase by naturalists requiring a handy
source of ideas and references.
DJH
141
ON TWO BRITISH A THALIA SPECIES
(HYMENOPTERA, TENTHREDINIDAE)
A. D. LISTON
99 Clermiston Road, Edinburgh
Abstract
Athalia liberta (Klug) is newly recorded in Scotland from three widely separated localities
south of the Forth-Clyde line. Distribution of this sawfly may be extending northwards.
Teucrium scorodonia L. is a new hostplant record for A. cor data Lepeletier.
Athalia liberta (Klug)
This species was first satisfactorily distinguished by Benson (1931a). Before the publication
of Benson’s work, several species were confused and it is therefore unwise to trust most
published records by earlier entomologists. Benson (1952, p 83) recorded liberta as
‘Widespread in England and also in Ireland but usually uncommon’. He gave a more
detailed account of its known distribution when he first published the species as British. In
view of the observations which are made below, it is worthwhile quoting from Benson’s
(1931a) notes on liberta: ‘The species has been found from May to August and is probably
double-brooded. It does not appear to be a really common species, though probably widely
distributed. I have taken specimens in marshy places, at the edges of woods and in gardens. I
have examined specimens from the following English counties: Cornwall, Devonshire,
Dorsetshire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northhamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk;
and from Cork in Ireland.’
On 24 June 1980 my colleague Mr A. D. Leslie collected 6 99 and 2 <3d from Alliaria
petiolata (Bieb.) Cav. & Grande growing beside the Union Canal in South Edinburgh,
Midlothian. This reminded me that I had found it earlier in the year in upland country at
Leadhills, Lanarkshire (1 (5, 18 May 1980), where it flew in a damp stream course with A.
lugens Klug. The male of liberta is not yet separated from that of cornubiae Benson. But
since the latter has a southern distribution, is normally very scarce and likes dry, warm
places with rocks or disturbed soil (Liston, 1980), it is most unlikely that this species occurs
in Lanarkshire. What plant liberta was using at Leadhills is uncertain. The hosts on which it
is definitely known to feed are Alliaria petiolata, Cardamine hirsuta L., Sisymbrium
officinale (L.) Scop, and Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. (all Cruciferae) and none of these
was present in the immediate area at Leadhills, but solitary vagrant specimens of lowland
Athalia spp. are sometimes found high above their breeding areas (Liston, l.c.).
While walking along the River Tweed near Kelso, Roxburghshire, on 28 June 1980 1 found
females only to be common on A. petiolata, especially where this plant grew next to field
hedges.
The discovery of this insect in Scotland raises some interesting questions. There are no
specimens of liberta in the Royal Scottish Museum from Scotland and this may indicate that
it did not occur here when the older collectors were active. The absence of specimens is
surprising considering the numbers in which Mr Leslie and I found it. Furthermore, I have
not seen it at the first two localities during fairly intensive collecting over the past few years. I
have reason to think that it was liberta which I saw beside the Tweed in June 1979. This
species may be extending its range, as A. bicolor Lepeletier did during the 1940s (Benson,
1962). It is very interesting that A. liberta shares its main foodplant (Alliaria petiolata) with
the Orange Tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines L.) which has extended its breeding range
in Scotland greatly during the past few years. Further evidence for an extension in the range
of this sawfly would be very interesting. It is remarkable, though perhaps not merely
coincidence, that the Orange Tip was found on the Union Canal in 1977 (Smith, 1977).
Before its range started to extend it was restricted to localities in Roxburghshire (Smith,
1976). There has been no completely satisfactory explanation for well documented
expansions in the breeding areas of several British butterflies that have taken place this
Naturalist 105 (1980)
142 On two British Athalia species ( Hymenoptera , Tenthredinidae)
century. If A. liberta is extending its range along with the butterfly, this would indicate that
the reason for this particular expansion was controlled by one or more climatic factors rather
than a biotic factor such as abundance of parasites, which would probably only affect one
species.
It is also worth noting that just as certain years bring many species of migrant Lepidoptera
to Britain that do not actually fly here together, so certain species of Athalia, though less well
recorded, seem to become more common during the same periods of years even though they
have different foodplants and are not sympatric. Both rosae (L.) and bicolor Lep. became
more common during the 1940s, for example. Athalia also contains the only known British
migrant Symphyta. A. rosae has difficulty in maintaining itself in Britain and is replenished
by migrations from Continental Europe (Benson, 1931b).
Recording the local distribution and abundance of certain Athalia spp. from year to year
would be most worthwhile and I recommend the possibly extending range of liberta as a
subject for exploration.
A. cor data Lepeletier
Larvae and adults were found on Teucrium scorodonia L. in a birch wood in the upper
Whitadder Valley, E Lothian on 8 August 1979, and on the same species at Glentress Forest,
Peebleshire the following day. Previous foodplant records include Ajuga spp. (both wild and
garden vars), Antirrhinum and Plantago spp.
Acknowledgements
I wish to thank Mr A. D. Leslie for giving me specimens from the Union Canal, Edinburgh,
and also Mr E. C. Pelham -Clinton (Royal Scottish Museum) for permission to look at
specimens in his care.
References
Benson, R. B. (1931a) Notes on the British Sawflies of the genus Athalia (Hymenoptera,
Tenthredinidae), with the description of a new species. Entomologist s mon Mag 67: 104-
14.
Benson, R. B. (1931b) Notes on the habits and occurrences of Athalia species in Britain.
Entomologist s mon Mag 67: 134—7.
Benson, R. B. (1952) Hymenoptera Symphyta. Handbk Ident Br Insects 6 (2b): 51-137.
Benson, R. B. (1962) A Revision of the Athaliini (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Bull Br
Mus Nat Hist (Ent) 11(7): 333-82.
Liston, A. D. (1980) Annotated List of Sawflies (Hym., Symphyta) from Kanton Unter-
walden. Pt 1. Mitt ent Ges Basel 30 (1) (NF): 4-28.
Smith, A. J. (1976) Two Butterflies. J Edinb Nat Hist Soc 1976: 12-13.
Smith, E. M. (1977) Butterflies. 7. Edinb Nat Hist Soc 1977: 16-17.
BOOK REVIEW
Hunting and Stalking Deer in Britain through the Ages by G. Kenneth Whitehead. Pp 304,
with numerous illustrations in black and white. Batsford. 1980. £17.50
This book is social history, but inevitably it has much to say about natural history as well.
Two species of deer (Red deer and Roe deer) are native to Britain, and four other species
have been introduced and are well established. In fact the deer population in the country
today is as high as it has ever been, and control of their numbers is essential. Traditionally
this has been done by hunting, but nowadays only the Red deer in south-west England and
the introduced Fallow deer in the New Forest are hunted. In Scotland Red deer stalking has
become an important part of the tourist industry. Elsewhere control is by shooting, and as
the author remarks, in some quarters it is regarded as important that ‘those entrusted with
the “culling” go about their business without a flicker of enjoyment on their faces’. A wealth
of information is brought together here for the first time, and the book is well produced, well
illustrated and well indexed. pud
SOME BRACKISH-WATER DIATOMS FROM
SALINE POOLS IN THE MICKLETOWN AREA
143
J. H. BELCHER and E. M. F. SWALE
Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Culture Centre of Algae and Protozoa,
36 Storey’s Way, Cambridge
Attention was first drawn by Brook (1976) to a series of seven shallow pools near Castleford,
South Yorkshire, which have an unusually high content of dissolved salts, apparently due to
leaching from heaps of the pit spoil. The pools are connected by channels, and chemical
analyses (Fryer, 1978) show that there is a consistent decrease in dissolved salts in the
direction of flow, from west to east. Thus Mickletown flash, the highest pool (and furthest
west), has the greatest concentration while the seventh, Boat Lane Ing, has the lowest. Fryer
also showed the presence of a number of species of Crustacea typical of brackish-water
habitats, while Ruttner-Kolisko (1979) found brackish-water rotifers.
TABLE 1
The distribution of fifteen species of brackish-water diatoms in samples from the
Mickletown Lagoons. C = common; O = occasional; and R = rare.
Amphiprora alata
0
O
0
O
A. paludosa
0
0
0
Anomoeneis sphaerophora
O
0
Berkeleya rutilans
R
Navicula halophila
O
N. salinarum
O
O
O
0
Nitzschia filiformis
O
0
0
N. sigma
O
o
N. tryblionella
0
O
o
Pleurosigma strigosum
O
Stauroneis spicula
R
Surirella oval is
O
o
S. striatula
O
O
o
Synedra pule hell a
C
C
C
c
S. tabulata
C
C
C
c
C
C
Naturalist 105(1980)
144 Some Brackish - Water Diatoms from Saline Pools in the Mickletown Area
It seemed likely that the pools would contain species of diatoms characteristic of similar
habitats and, in order that we might look for these, Geoffrey Fryer sent us material from his
samples collected for Crustacea. Lists of diatoms from each pool were made and were found
to include a number of species known to favour brackish water.
The occurrence and relative frequency of fifteen brackish-water species of diatoms are
recorded in Table 1, the pools being arranged in decreasing order of total salt content. Only
Synedra pulchella and S. tabulata were found in all pools, with none but these two species
occurring in the lowest three. The number of individuals was low for most species and, in the
case of Berkeley a rutilans, only one frustule was noted. However, since the samples were
collected for their animal content, this pattern of distribution of the diatoms must be
regarded as provisional until it can be amplified by additional data.
On the mainland of Europe the diatom flora of inland saline habitats has been studied in
detail but there seems to be little published information on similar sites in Britain (Belcher
and Swale, 1980). A closer examination of the Mickletown pools would probably be
rewarding.
We wish to thank Dr Geoffrey Fryer for sending us the samples.
References
Belcher, J. H. and Swale, E. M. F. (1980). An occurrence of halophilic diatoms in a fresh-
water habitat in Cambridge. Naturalist 105: 17-22.
Brook, R. L. (1976). The Aire Valley Wetlands. Wakefield Naturalists7 Society.
Fryer, G. (1978). A remarkable inland brackish-water crustacean fauna from the lower
Aire Valley, Yorkshire. Naturalist 103: 83-94.
Ruttner-Kolisko, A. (1979). Brackish -water rotifers from the Mickletown Lagoons in the
lower Aire Valley. Naturalist 104: 113.
BOOK REVIEWS
The Red Fox by H. G. Lloyd. Pp 320, with 28 figures and 29 monochrome plates. Batsford.
1980. £15
The fox is an animal that attracts considerable interest and arouses many emotions. To the
farmer it is a pest, to the huntsman a quarry for sport and to the medical officer of health the
potential lead animal in the transmission of rabies. With this general and widespread
interest it is an opportune time for an authoritative volume to appear on the biology of this
animal, and who better to write it than H. G. Lloyd, who has been engaged for many years on
field research on the fox.
This is an excellent account which initially considers, in appreciable detail and with
considerable supporting evidence, the food, breeding and development, population dynamics
and movement behaviour. The later chapters look more closely at the relations with man and
the methods and effects of control. The account as a whole is well balanced and clearly
written. One has no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone, whether he be amateur
naturalist, professional biologist, field sportsman or huntsman with an interest in British
carnivores. It is likely to remain the definitive account for many years to come. MJD
Parrots, their Care and Breeding by Rosemary Low. Pp 654. Blandford. 1980. £22
A useful practical guide to parrots, and a delightful book. The author states with a
cautionary note that will appeal to conservationists: ‘My fervent hope is that this book will
encourage aviculturists to think in terms of being self-sufficient. The era when fewer imports
of wild-caught birds occur may be nearer than is realized7. Part 1 gives details of care and
breeding for all species, with many case histories and useful tips. Part 2 is a systematic
introduction to all kinds of parrots, parrakeets and lovebirds with ninety-one excellent colour
photographs, and good indexing. I am not a parrot-fancier but if I were I would find this
book a great comfort, and good reading for winter evenings besides.
145
THE DISTRIBUTION OF DESMIDS IN SOME TARNS
IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT
EDNA M. LIND
Brat hay View, Clappersgate, Ambleside
Introduction
Desmids tend to be present in all but the most acid or most alkaline ponds and lakes and,
although the abundance and occurrence of particular species is undoubtedly related in part
to the water chemistry (Pearsall, 1952; Brook, 1965; Moss, 1973) it has been shown by
Bland and Brook (1974) that a factor of overriding importance may be the occurrence and
distribution of aquatic macrophytes.
There exist in the English Lake District, especially in upland habitats, a considerable
number of small bodies of water known as ‘tarns’. Many of these are, at least at certain
times, rich in species of desmid. They occur over a range of geological and soil conditions
and thus exhibit a range of water chemistry. They also show marked differences in the nature
and abundance of their submerged macrophytic vegetation but no comparative study has
been made of their desmid floras.
Aquatic habitats are continually changing as sediments accumulate in them. These are
formed partly of inorganic silt and partly of organic material derived from the decay of the
plants (algae and macrophytes) and animals which live within them. In rocky tarns and pools
there is little accumulation of silt and frequently they contain little or no phanerogamic
vegetation. Macan (1938), however, found that shallow pools at an altitude of 450m had
either no vegetation or their bottoms might be completely covered by Sphagnum and other
aquatic mosses. Pools at lower altitudes also contained Sphagnum and often in addition
Menyanthes trifoliata, Potamogeton natans and Juncus bulbosus. Distinct populations of
Corixids were associated with the two main types of pool.
Natural tarns are often of glacial origin, receiving silt from inflowing streams and develop-
ing a flora of submerged macrophytes such as Isoetes lacustris, Litorella uniflora and Nitella
species. In some there is sufficient development of sediment to support such emergent weeds
as Carex rostrata, Juncus bulbosus, etc. Other tarns, some of which are artificial, having
been constructed as fish ponds or reservoirs, often have soil or peat washed into them from
surrounding land and these develop a diverse macrophytic flora which includes both
emergent and floating leaf types.
A final stage in the evolution of some tarns would seem to be their invasion by Sphagnum
which can fill the basin to such an extent that it would be better described as a ‘moss’ than a
tarn though, in some, macrophytes still survive.
Macan (1950) found that in the central and southern parts of the Lake District there is a
relationship between the rate of accumulation of organic matter in the mud and the
distribution and succession of certain species of Corixidae. Smyly (1958) showed that
although some species of Copepoda and Cladocera were ubiquitous, there was a strong
association between many species and the presence or absence of aquatic weeds. The present
study has been undertaken to examine whether the desmids show any comparable relation-
ship in their distribution.
All the waters studied lie in an area of either Borrowdale volcanic rock or Bannisdale
Slates and are surrounded by rough fell grassland or moorland. Collections were made from
most tarns during the summer months when desmids tend to be abundant. A phytoplankton
net was thrown from the shore and drawn in slowly, the operation being repeated twenty
times. Except in the rocky tarns it was seldom possible to reach completely open water so
that many of the desmids collected were undoubtedly associated with aquatic weeds of the
tarn margins.
The Tarns and their Vegitation
There are three fairly distinct types of tarn though, as with all natural entities, there is
considerable overlap between them.
Naturalist 105 (1980)
146 The Distribution ofDesmids in Some Tarns in the English Lake District
1 . Rocky tarns
These have rocky shores and stony bottoms, some peat cover, and contain only small
amounts of submerged weeds. Many are corrie tarns and a few are of artificial origin. They
nearly all lie among rocky hills at an altitude of 213 to 610 m and are surrounded by fell
grassland in which there is often bracken and heather. Corrie tarns in rock basins have very
little macrophytic vegetation; others have firm, stony shores with varying degrees of peat
cover and contain a number of macrophytes of which the following are most common:
Carex rostrata Juncus bulbosus
Isoetes lacustris Potamogeton polygonifolius
Litorella uniflora
Total major ions for these rocky tarns have been measured as follows:
1953/54, average for twenty tarns, 274 microequiv. I-1, ranging from 136 to 495.
1974/75, average for fourteen tarns, 381 microequiv. I-1.
1953/54, average for the same fourteen tarns, 283 microequiv. I-1.
The average increase in calcium in these fourteen tarns was 9 per cent.
2. Pools
These are shallow bodies of water of various sizes and shapes, partly stony but with peaty
bottoms. They are widely scattered throughout the upland fells and are commonly
surrounded by Sphagnum- Eriophorurn bog. Some of them, especially at high altitudes, have
only sparse macrophytic vegetation while others have a fairly abundant macrophytic flora.
The commonest species are: Menyanthes trifoliata; Potamogeton polygonifolius; Juncus
bulbosus. Sphagnum and other mosses may be very abundant.
Few chemical data are available relevant to these pools. In 1953/54 the total ionic content
ranged from 158 to 334 microequiv. I-1 but there are no comparative figures for the same
pools in 1975. The few waters which were analysed seemed to show an increase in total ions.
3. Weedy tarns
These are common throughout the fell country especially at lower altitudes (91-403 m).
Some are of glacial origin while others have been made artificially and may serve as fish
ponds or small reservoirs. They range from those with firm, often rocky shores and a
considerable submerged and emergent macroflora to others which in addition have floating-
leaved plants including water lilies. The emergent plants often spread outwards from the
bays so that there is little open water left. Depths vary from 1 to 14 m.
A comparison of the occurrence of macrophytes in these tarns as shown by a survey
conducted in 1953/54 with a similar survey made in the course of the present study between
1972 and 1975 shows that there has been a considerable invasion by Sphagnum so that some
of the more highly evolved tarns previously classified as ‘weedy’ are rapidly becoming bogs
and it is difficult to distinguish ecologically between some very weedy tarns and large pools.
It can also be difficult to decide whether a body of water should be classed as a weedy tarn
or a small lake. Macan (1950) suggests that tarns containing Phragmites communis should
be considered as small lakes but in the present study six tarns containing Phragmites are
treated as weedy tarns.
The following macrophytes commonly occur in the majority of weedy tarns in addition to
the reed flora round the edge:
Carex rostrata Litorella uniflora
Char a spp. Lobelia dortmanna
Equisetum fluviatile Juncus bulbosus
Glyceria fluitans Myriophyllum alternifolium
Hydrocotyle vulgaris Nitella spp.
Isoetes lacustris
Nuphar lutea
Nymphaea alba
Potamogeton natans
P. polygonifolius
Ranunculus flammula
The Distribution of Desmids in Some Tarns in the English Lake District 147
Total major ions for these tarns have been measured as follows:
1953/54, 352-843 microequiv. I-1; average for fourteen tarns 507 microequiv. I-1.
1974/75, average for the same fourteen tarns 710 microequiv. I-1; the average increase in
calcium being 15 per cent.
Distribution of common species
Percentage occurrence
Weedy (27)
Rocky (20)
Pools (12)
Saccodermae
Netrium digitus
40
65
100
N. oblongum
20
80
25
Cylindrocystis spp
+
35
20
Placodermae
Gonatozygon monataenium
25
30
—
Actinotaenium cucurbitinum
—
30
65
Tetmemorus granulatus
30
+
+
Pleurotaenium coronatum
30
—
—
P. ehrenberghii
65
—
+
P. trabecula
30
+
—
Closterium didymoticum
25
+
+
C. dinae
+
—
25
C. intermedium
+
+
25
C. kutzingii
40
+
+
C. lineatum
+
+
30
C. lunula
24
+
+
C. ralfsii var hybridum
20
+
25
C. setaceum
+
—
20
C. striolatum
+
25
25
C. ulna
+
—
60
Euastrum affine
+
20
30
E. ansatum
30
45
25
E. bident at um
35
20
+
E. crassum
+
35
+
E. didelta
—
+
25
E. elegans
40
20
+
E. insigne
+
20
40
E. oblongum
30
—
25
E. pectin at um
+
25
+
E. pulchellum
+
+
E. verrucosum
55
+
+
Micrasterias am eric ana
+
20
—
M. apiculata
60
25
20
M. denticulata
55
20
25
M. papillifera
30
+
25
M. rotata
+
20
+
M. truncata
25
+
50
Xanthidium antilopeum & vars
80
70
43
X. armatum
+
50
30
X. cristatum
26
—
+
148 The Distribution of Desmids in Some Tarns in the English Lake District
Distribution of common species (continued)
Weedy (27)
Rocky (20)
Pools (12)
Staurodesmus brevispinus
40
+
+
S. convergens & vars
65
+
25
S. cuspidatus
23
—
—
S. dejectus
24
—
+
S. indent at us
26
50
—
Cosmarium abbreviatum
+
30
+
C. amoenum
+
—
25
C. blyttii
25
+
+
C. botrytis
50
20
+
C. brebissonii
+
—
20
C. connatum
35
—
+
C. contract um
25
—
+
C. depressum & var
26
50
+
C. impressulum
26
—
—
C. margaritatum
40
—
30
C. margaritiferum
45
30
25
C. ovale
+
—
20
C. portianum
35
—
+
C. punctulatum
55
20
20
C. quadratum
30
-
25
C. ralfsii
+
+
25
C. reniforme
60
+
25
C. sportella
30
—
—
C. subcrenatum
40
+
—
C. subtumidum
40
20
60
C. tetraophthalmum
20
—
+
Staurastrum anatinum & vars
33
25
+
S. arctiscon
27
50
—
S. cingulum
20
—
—
S. controversum
+
20
—
S. dilatatum
27
+
25
S. furcigerum & vars
43
20
+
S. hirsutum
+
20
20
S. hystrix
+
25
S. longispinum
22
—
S. lunatum var planctonicum
+
20
—
S. margaritaceum
+
30
43
S. punctilatum
+
—
25
S. teliferum
+
—
25
S. sebaldi var ornatum & f. planctonicum
20
—
—
S. vestitum
+
20
20
Hyalotheca dissiliens
60
50
70
H. mucosa
37
20
30
Desmidium schwarzii
25
+
+
Bambusina moniliformis
26
+
30
Distribution of Species
The above lists show the distribution of the commoner desmids in tarns of the three types.
Only those species which occurred in at least 20 per cent of the tarns of one type are listed.
+ indicates present but in less than 20 per cent of the tarns
- indicates absent
The Distribution of Desmids in Some Tarns in the English Lake District 149
It will be noted that Staurastrum paradoxum and S. gracile which are commonly listed in
earlier works are here omitted following Brook (1959). The former S. gracile var
cyathiforme, the only commonly occurring variety of S. gracile is included in S. cingulum
again following Brook. Included in S. anatinum are the varieties controversum and
truncatum and the form denticulatum.
The percentage presence of any species may vary considerably throughout the year and the
figures given refer to the summer months. Coesel (1975) studied the algal species of 270
bodies of water in the Netherlands ranging from eutrophic to oligotrophic types and,
although certain associations could be distinguished, there was considerable overlap. The
waters described in this paper would appear to come nearest to his oligotrophic habitat and
there is considerable agreement between the species he lists in these waters and those found
most frequently in the more oligotrophic Lake District tarns. Peterfi (1975) describes the
distribution of desmids in mesotrophic and oligotrophic bogs in Romania. Of the thirty-three
species recorded, twenty-one were common in Lake District oligotrophic waters and seven
others occurred less commonly.
Summary and Conclusions
A study has been made of the phytoplankton, especially the desmids, of a number of small
bodies of water known locally as ‘tarns’ among the hills of the English Lake District in
Cumbria. The tarns are considered under three ecological headings: Rocky Tarns of
which twenty are described, Pools (twelve) and Weedy Tarns (twenty-seven). Wherever
possible, data are given of major ions in 1953/54 and in 1973/75. This figure is lowest in
pools and highest in the weedy tarns and , in most cases, there has been a considerable
increase between the dates of the two analyses.
A list is given of those species of desmid which occurred in 20 per cent or more of the tarns
of each of the three groups with an indication of their presence or absence in the other
groups. There seem to be few species which could be considered as being confined to a
certain type of tarn, though some formed a noticeably higher proportion in the tarns of a
particular category.
I wish to express my thanks to the Freshwater Biological Association for allowing me
laboratory space and the use of the library at their Ferry House Laboratory.
References
Bland, R. D. and Brook, A. J. (1974) The spacial distribution of desmids in lakes in northern
Minnesota, USA . Freshwater Biology 4: 543-56.
Brook, A. J. (1959) Staurastrum paradoxum Meyen and Staurastrum gracile Ralfs and a
revision of the Staurastrum group of radiate desmids. Trans Roy Soc Edinb 63: 589—627.
Brook, A. J. (1965) Plankton algae as indicators of lake types with special reference to the
Desmidiaceae. Limn Ocean 10: 403-11.
Coesel, P. F. M. (1975) The relevance of desmids in the biological typology and evaluation
of fresh waters. Hydrobiol Bull Amsterdam 9: 93-101.
Macan, T. T. (1938) Evolution of aquatic habitats with special reference to the distribution
of Corixidae./ anim Ecol 7: 1-19.
Macan, T. T. (1950) Ecology of freshwater mollusca in the English Lake District. J anim
Ecol 19: 124-46.
Moss, B. (1973) The influence of environmental factors on the distribution of freshwater
algae. An experimental approach. J Ecol 61: 193-211.
Pearsall, W. H. (1932) Phytoplankton in the English Lakes. The composition of the phyto-
plankton in relation to dissolved substances. J Ecol 20: 241-61.
Peterfi, L. S. (1975) Structure and pattern of desmid communities occurring in some
Romanian ombrophilous peat bogs. Nova Hedwigia 25: 651-64.
Smyly, W. J. P. (1958) The Cladocera and Copepoda (Crustaceae) of the tarns of the English
Lake District. J an im Ecol 27: 87-103.
150
BOOK REVIEWS
Lichens. An Illustrated Guide by Frank Dobson. Pp xl + 317 (including many b/w
photographs, line drawings and maps), plus 8 pages of colour photographs. Richmond
Publishing Co. 1979. £7.95
A morphological description, a photograph, notes on chemical reactions and habitat, a
distribution map and an indication of pollution tolerance are provided for about 450 of the
1471 lichen species known to occur in the British Isles. The selection is good, and
representative of the commoner species to be encountered over the majority of the country,
together with a few rarer conspicuous macrolichens. The general and generic keys are
curiously presented in a variety of groupings and tabulations (occasionally illustrated) which
are difficult to cross-reference to the text, but the keys within genera are presented in a more
practical dichotomous manner.
The main feature of the book is the photography: much of this is of a high standard and
will prove most useful to the beginner. However, the quality of a few is disappointing and
such plates will have very limited value in species (or indeed generic) determination. The
majority of the distribution maps are oversimplified, and many are erroneous.
There are numerous spelling mistakes in the text. Normally one would welcome the
presence of an index, but unfortunately this one is so full of errors (spelling, sequence,
repetition, omission, and inaccurate cross-referencing) that it is a hindrance rather than a
help.
Despite these misgivings, this is a useful addition to lichen identification guides for use in
the field (the book is well bound in a water-resistant cover) and in the laboratory. It will
prove particularly valuable as an introduction to lichenology (especially on field courses) and
for the non-specialist natural historian.
MRDS
Introduction to Fungi by John Webster. Pp. xii + 669, including 331 line drawings and b/w
photographs. Cambridge University Press. 2nd edition. 1980. £30 hardback, £9.95
paperback
Extensive revision of a standard textbook (1st edition 1970), which deals mainly with the
structure and reproduction of each of the major groups of the Myxomycota and Eumycota,
including a new section on the Fungi Imperfecti (55 pages). More than 90 new illustrations
have been incorporated and the bibliography contains about 1770 references as compared
with about 900 in the previous edition, which gives a measure of the considerable
advancement of knowledge over the past ten years.
The clearly written text covers fungi readily available in the natural state, drawing
attention to their economic and ecological importance as well as their mode of life. Original
photographs and drawings prepared from fresh material have been thoughtfully used to com-
plement this authoritative account.
This book is thoroughly recommended to students and teachers not only as a fundamental
text but also as an invaluable reference guide to mycological literature.
A Perspective of Environmental Pollution by M. W. Holdgate. Pp x + 278, including 59
figures and 31 tables. Cambridge University Press. 1979. £15 hardback, £5.95 paperback
This book by a leading British ecologist describes how the various components of the
environment have been influenced by man, and under what circumstances a pollutant may
arise. Particular attention is paid to the pathways which pollutants follow in air and water,
and the main changes brought about thereby in these ecosystems. The consequent effects on
man, other animals and plants are related to pollutant concentrations, and environmental
monitoring for pollution control is discussed. The evaluation of damage and benefits, the
regulation of pollution, and the national and international implications are some of the many
topics covered in this important review. The text is supported by numeric, graphical and
flow-chart data and a useful bibliography (in which several errors have unfortunately been
detected).
151
THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE BISEXUAL FORM OF THE BRISTLY
MILLIPEDE, POLYXENUS LAGURUS (L., 1758) (DIPLOPODA:
POLYXENIDA) AT THREE COASTAL SITES IN ENGLAND
AND WALES, USING SEX RATIOS
G. D. FUSSEY and I. M. VARNDELL
Department of Pure and Applied Zoology,
Baines Wing, The University, Leeds LS2 9JT
Polyxenus lagurus, the sole British representative of the myriapod sub-class Pselaphognatha
(Penicillata), characterized by a lack of calcium in the cuticle, the absence of gonopods and
the presence of variously serrated hollow spines (Blower, 1958), is locally common in Great
Britain. It has been recorded from twenty vice-counties in England, and from Pembrokeshire
and Denbighshire in Wales (Blower, 1972).
Development in P. lagurus is anamorphic, and progresses through a number of stadia at
which segments and legs are added (see Table 1) until an adult stage is reached (stadium 8).
This is followed by a number of epimorphic stadia where no further segments or legs are
added (Blower, 1958). The sexes first become apparent in stadium 6, though it is not until
stadium 7 (sub-adult) when the sexes can be identified with certainty (Meidell, 1970). The
sexes are recognized by the shape of a pair of processes between and slightly posterior to the
second coxae on the ventral side (Schomann, 1956). The female vulvae appear as truncated
cones, whereas the male penes are relatively longer than the vulvae and are not truncated
(Fig 1). We have found it necessary to redraw Schomann’s figure of the penes since we feel he
shows the penis as being more curvilinear than it really is.
P. lagurus is notable for having a bisexual and a parthenogenetic form and, because the
bisexual form is thought to have a 1:1 sex ratio whereas the parthenogen has no males,
populations of such forms can be identified using sex ratio analysis of a large sample
(Enghoff, 1976a). Enghoff (1978), on the basis of observed sex ratios, has documented the
distribution of both forms in Europe, but as no sex ratios of any British samples have ever
been published (J. G. Blower, pers comm) the identity of British Polyxenus has never been
determined.
We have taken reasonably large samples of P. lagurus from Graig Wen, Anglesey (23/399
947), 4.5 km WNW of Amlwch, altitude 70m, on 30. III. 80; from Saltwick Nab, N Yorkshire
(45/914 113), 2km SE of Whitby, altitude 10m, on 3. IV. 80; and from Nant Bay, Bardsey
Island (23/122 225), altitude less than 3 m, on 4. VIII. 80. The first sample, which is a new
record for Anglesey, was taken from the soil and stone fragments between the crevices of a
shale wall on a south-facing slope. The Saltwick sample, which confirms an earlier record for
this site (Jackson, 1919), was taken from amongst soil and shale fragments on a headland
formed by an alum shale outcrop. The Bardsey sample, which is a new record for Caernar-
vonshire, was collected from a population observed and identified by Drs S. L. Sutton and
R. G. Loxton (pers comms), was taken from shell sand amongst isolated clumps of sea thrift
{Armeria maritima Willd.) on exposed rough rock lying within the supralittoral fringe.
The frequency of individuals in various stadia collected at Saltwick and Bardsey is given in
Table 1 .
The sex ratio of adults and sub-adults in the three samples is given in Table 2, and is
expressed as proportion of males in Table 3. None of these ratios deviates significantly from
the 1:1 sex ratio we would expect of pure bisexual populations. Nevertheless, the sex ratios at
Saltwick for adults, and for adults and sub-adults combined, approached the 95 per cent
level of statistical significance when tested against a 1:1 ratio using Chi2 analysis (0.1 > p >
.05), so it is possible that the Saltwick sample represents a population composed of both the
bisexual and parthenogenetic forms. Such aggregates of bisexuals and parthenogens are
known in the woodlouse Trichoniscus pusillus (Fussey and Sutton, 1980). It may well be,
however, that this deviation from a sex ratio of unity at Saltwick is purely the result of
differential mortality between the sexes, since the proportion of the males drops markedly
from sub-adult to adult (Table 3). Such lower male survival has been described previously
Naturalist 105 (1980)
152
FIGURE 1
Diagrammatic representation of male and female Polyxenus lagurus , to show the position
and shape of the reproductive organs directly posterior to the second pair of coxae
Identification of the Bisexual Form of the Bristly Millipede 153
from the bisexual form of another millipede species which is known to have a
parthenogenetic form, Nemasoma varicorne C. L. Koch (Enghoff, 1976b).
The only other British sample for which the sex ratio is available, that we are aware of, is
from Kent. In this population males and females were equally represented (J. G. Blower,
pers comm). Thus it seems that the four British samples examined to date are largely, if not
totally, bisexual.
TABLE 1
Number of body segments and legs present in the stadia of P. lagurus together with
the frequency of stadia in samples from Saltwick Nab and Bardsey Island
Stadium
Number of
body segments
Number
of legs
Frequency
at Saltwick
Frequency
at Bardsey
I
5
3
0
7
II
5
4
0
0
III
6
5
5
2
IV
7
6
6
19
V
8
8
0
34
VI
9
10
11
7
VII
10
12
21
17
Adult
11
13
19
33
Sex ratio
in ,
TABLE 2
adult and sub-adult stadia at three sample sites
Stadium and Sex
Saltwick
Bardsey
Anglesey
VII
d
8
6
2
VII
9
12
11
3
Adult
d
3
15
5
Adult
9
16
18
5
Combined stadia
d
11
21
7
Combined stadia
9
28
29
8
TABLE 3
Proportion of males in adult and sub-adult stadia for three sample sites
Stadium and Sex
Saltwick
Bardsey
Anglesey
VII
.400
.353
.400
Adult
.158
.455
.500
Total
.282
.420
.467
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Mr J. G. Blower for his help and encouragement, Dr S. L. Sutton for
the sample from Bardsey Island, and Professor R. McNeill Alexander for laboratory
facilities. The work was carried out during the tenure of a NERC studentship to G.D.F. and
an SRC studentship to I.M.V.
Identification of the Bisexual Form of the Bristly Millipede
154
References
Blower, J. G. (1958) British Millipedes (Diplopoda). Linnean Society of London Synopses of
the British Fauna, No 11.
Blower, J. G. (1972) The distribution of British millipedes as known at the end of 1969.
Bull Br Myriapod Gp 1: 9-38.
Enghoff, H. (1976a) Morphological comparison of bisexual and parthenogenetic Polyxenus
lagurus (Linne, 1758) (Diplopoda, Polyxenidae) in Denmark and Southern Sweden, with
notes on taxonomy, distribution and ecology. Ent Meddr 44: 161-82.
Enghoff, H. (1976b) Parthenogenesis and bisexuality in the millipede, Nemasoma varicorne
C. L. Koch, 1847 (Diplopoda: Blaniulidae). Morphological, ecological, and bio-
geographical aspects. Vidensk Meddr dansk naturh Foren 139: 21—59.
Enghoff, H. (1978) Parthenogenesis and spanandry in millipedes. Abh Verb naturwiss Ver
Hamburg 21/22: 73—85.
Fussey, G. D. and Sutton, S. L. (1980) The identification and distribution of the bisexual
and parthenogenetic forms of Trichoniscus pusillus (Isopoda: Oniscoidea) in Ireland.
Ir Nat J (in press).
Jackson, J. W. (1919) The bristly millipede at Saltwick Bay, near Whitby. Naturalist 1919:
243-4.
Meidell, B. A. (1970) On the distribution, sex ratio, and development of Polyxenus lagurus
L. (Diplopoda) in Norway. Norsk ent Tidsskr 17: 147—52.
Schomann, K. (1956) Zur Biologie von Polyxenus lagurus (L., 1758). Zool Jb, Syst 84: 195 —
256.
FIELD NOTE
Black duck at Fairburn Ings: first Yorkshire record
At about 14.45 hrs on 20 December 1978 a Black duck (Anas rubripes) was picked out from
amongst a flock of some 200 dabbling ducks, chiefly Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) , which
were on the ice at the RSPB reserve at Fairburn Ings, North Yorkshire. It was watched for
about an hour through binoculars and a telescope at a range of some 100 metres by Miss
P. S. Allen and myself. For the next few days observations were hampered by fog and the
bird was never seen again.
The following description was taken from our notes: Size and shape: Basically as
accompanying Mallard but rather larger and heavier-bodied although this effect could have
been due to the darkness of plumage making the bird appear larger. Bill: Shape and
structure as bill of Mallard; dull pale grey-green in colour with a black nail. Legs and feet:
Orange-red, rather browner than those of Mallard. Plumage: Body and wings very dark
dusky-brown with browner feather fringes, these fringes narrow and inconspicuous and most
marked on mantle and scapulars. Tail dark brown with even darker upper and under tail
coverts. Wings dark over all, speculum colour not definable but dark with very narrow white
trailing edge (much narrower than white trailing edge of Mallard) and no white band along
base of speculum which is present in Mallard. Paler grey-brown sides of head and neck and
superciliary contrasted with dark crown, nape and line through eye.
This record has been accepted by the British Birds Rarities Committee and constitutes the
seventh record for Great Britain and Ireland of this Nearctic relative of the Mallard. It is also
the first inland record and the first for Yorkshire and northern Britain of a species which
breeds in north-eastern North America, wintering south down the Atlantic seaboard to the
Gulf of Mexico.
S. C. Madge
155
BOOK REVIEW
Flora Europaea: Vol. 5, Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledones) edited by T. G.
Tutin, V. H. Heywood, N. A. Burges, D. M. Moore, D. H. Valentine, S. M. Walters, and
D. A. Webb. Pp xxxvi + 452, with 5 maps. Cambridge University Press, 1980. £37.50
The appearance of the fifth and final volume of Flora Europaea fifteen years and five months
after the publication of volume one, brings to an end one of the great undertakings in
systematic botany. The editors themselves were not fully aware of the daunting magnitude of
the task on which they had embarked since the time required for its completion has been
nearly double that which had been envisaged and five volumes instead of the four originally
planned have been needed. Despite the many formidable problems affecting its organization
and execution, progress has been maintained with unflagging determination and so carefully
was the work planned at the outset that no modifications in the manner of presentation
became necessary as it proceeded.
The five volumes contain descriptions of 11,557 species and between 2350-2400 sub-
species. One of the editors has recently published some interesting statistics extracted from
the completed work. From these we learn that, excluding the apomictic genera, about 10,500
of the species included in the flora are natives with 3500 endemic to Europe. About 2750
books and periodicals in many different languages are cited as sources of descriptions and
approximately the same number of authors is listed in an appendix giving the abbreviated
form of their names and dates of birth and death. The countries with the largest floras are
Spain, Yugoslavia and Italy with between 4750-4900 species; Britain with 1700-1850 native
species comes twenty-fifth in the table of size of flora per country, well below Switzerland
with 2600-2750 and Albania with 3000-3300. Nearly half the Flora has been written by the
seven British members of the editorial committee and although regional advisers repre-
senting every European country have been consulted throughout, nearly three-quarters has
been written by British authors. The total number of contributing authors is 187.
This volume covers all the families of Monocotyledons. None of the genera in these
families has produced the very large number of apomicts which have complicated the
treatment of some genera, especially in the Rosaceae and Compositae, in earlier volumes. At
the same time the sedges and grasses provide the second and third largest genera of
European flowering plants, Care x having 180 and Festuca 170 species. Allium has 110
species but of the other genera covered only Juncus with 53 has more than 50 species whilst
Poa and Crocus have 49 and 43 respectively.
The accounts of the rushes and grasses introduce many changes in the currently accepted
lists of British species. Juncus alpinus Vill. replaces/, alpino-articulatus Chaix;/. nodulosus
Wahl, disappears as a British species and/, marshallii Pugsl. is sunk without trace even in
synonymy. /. bulbosus L. is not subdivided but the /. bufonius group consists of six species
four of which, /. foliosus Desf., /. minutulus Alb. and Jah., /. ranarius Song, and Perr. and
/. bufonius L. sensu stricto are recorded as British. A recent paper (in Watsonia 12: 113-28
(1978)) dealing with the /. bufonius aggregate in Western Europe recognized five species
with three in Britain, only/, bufonius s.s. and/, foliosus agreeing with the names employed
in this work.
Amongst the grasses generic boundaries have always been less well marked than in most
families and hence successive accounts have been prone to deviate at various places from pre-
existing ones. Those who fondly supposed that Hubbard’s expertise had introduced stability
in the names of British grasses may be dismayed by the number of nomenclatural changes
introduced in this work. At the generic level Catapodium becomes Desmazeria, Danthonia
replaces Sieglingia, Avenula replaces Helictotrichon, Nardurus is merged in Vulpia and all
our Agropyrons are transferred to Elymus. At the specific level the familiar Koeleria cristata
(L.) Pers. is replaced by K. macrantha (Ledeb.) Schultes and a third British species K.
glauca (Schrad.) DC. is added. The British Sesleria is now separated specifically from S.
caerulea (L.) Ard. as S. albicans Kit. ex Schultes which is one of those unfortunate cases
where correct systematics necessitates the rejection of an appropriate, if incorrect, trivial
name and the substitution of a descriptively inept one in its place. Thirteen species of
of Festuca are credited to Britain and these include F. guestfalica Boenn. ex Reich., F.
Naturalist 105 (1980)
156 Book Review
lemanii Bast. andF. nigrescens Lam. at least some of which appear to be old friends dressed
in new clothes. Some name changes are probably not permanent; they are a reflection of
taxonomic judgements within groups wherein the delimitation of taxa is a matter of personal
opinion. As we have seen in some earlier accounts, given time, the wheel of change
sometimes turns full circle.
By contrast with the rushes and grasses, there are relatively few changes affecting British
species amongst the sedges and orchids. The fragmentation of Scirpus into six different
genera as favoured by Clapham, Tutin and Warburg is rejected, just as the grasses Zerna ,
Anisantha and Ceratochloa are reabsorbed into Bromus. Within Carex there is scarcely any
change and there are few innovations amongst the orchids. The difficult genus Dactylorhiza
in which variation and hybridization are both very prevalent, is limited to thirteen species
with D. incarnata (L.) Soo, D. majalis (Reich.) Hunt & Summerh. and D. traunsteineri
(Saut.) Soo as the three species of British marsh orchids, D. praetermissa, D. purpurella and
D. occidentalis being treated as subspecies within D. majalis. Some will feel that if these are
downgraded to subspecies, it would have been more consistent to accord a similar treatment
to the spotted orchids instead of D. maculata (L.) Soo and D. fuchsii (Druce) Soo being given
full specific rank; and few if any British botanists will agree that Pugsley’s Orchis pardalina
is synonymous with Dactylorhiza purpurella as here given.
Like most monumental and prestigious works Flora Europaea will tend to generate around
itself an aura of authority beyond that which its authors would claim for it. It would be quite
impossible in a work of this kind to maintain a uniformly high degree of taxonomic
excellence throughout. Some difficult genera have been written up by experts with long
experience of the special problems posed by their groups; others have had to be done without
such advantages and in too limited a time for the authors to gain the full knowledge required
to cope with the complexities involved. They are therefore no more than provisional. Even
when apomictic genera are excluded it is still doubtfully possible to maintain uniform
standards of admissibility to the species and subspecies categories. The subspecies which
figure so abundantly in these generic treatments are a very mixed lot; some combine morpho-
logical differences with distinctive geographical ranges but others are little more than
dubiously valid taxa reprieved by demotion from outright taxonomic liquidation.
A work with the scope and range of this one cannot hope to be free from error or immune
from criticism. Those who have repeatedly used the earlier volumes will, despite all the
editorial care lavished on their preparation, have discovered errors in descriptions and places
where keys are unworkable. Yet the merits of these volumes so immeasurably outweigh their
shortcomings that it seems churlish to carp. The taxonomic treatment of many difficult
groups of plants cannot be resolved within national boundaries and one of the virtues of
Flora Europaea lies in the adjustment of taxonomic perspectives resulting from a
continental as opposed to a narrow regional or national outlook. Its acceptance as the
standard Continental Flora will promote a more unified and stabilized framework of names
throughout European countries and it will also surely stimulate research in critical groups of
species. Progress in the understanding of difficult groups of plants is usually a co-operative
process in which many botanists, often from more than one country and over many years,
contribute to the disentangling of the problems and complexities involved. In arriving at a
generally accepted scheme many proposed species are eventually rejected and hence an
accumulation of redundant species is linked with advance in knowledge. One of the most
useful achievements of Flora Europaea is the way in which it has helped to clean the Augean
stables of superfluous names by relegating to synonymy huge numbers of names which have
received unjustified recognition.
The successful completion of Flora Europaea must have been a matter of very great
satisfaction to its originators and editors. The availability of the completed work is certainly
a matter of very great satisfaction also to systematic botanists in general and not only to those
in Europe. All who have had a hand in the preparation and production of this impressive
work deserve unqualified congratulations and thanks.
WAS
JOHN BARTON: A BIOGRAPHICAL SUPPLEMENT
157
D. E. ALLEN
Lesney Cottage, Middle Road, Winchester, Hants
In introducing the three letters to John Barton recently published in this journal, Shaw
(1978) did not establish the identity of this mid-Victorian botanist. This was a useful
opportunity missed, for Barton is one of those minor figures ignored by the standard works
of reference who nevertheless possess some interest today through the position they occupied
in one of those family networks that were such a feature of eighteenth- and nineteenth -
century natural history. Some of these figures, moreover, achieved distinction in other fields
and may be candidates for future biographies. Barton himself, indeed, became well known
for missionary work in India — in which guise he rates an entry in the Dictionary of National
Biography. On this the account that follows is partly based.
Descended on his father’s side from Quaker manufacturers in Cumberland, Barton was
born in 1836 at East Leigh, near Havant (not, as the DNB has it, Eastleigh, which was not
then yet named), the sixth child of John Barton (1798-1852) and Frances, daughter of James
Rickman. Bernard Barton (1784-1849), the poet and friend of Charles Lamb, was an uncle.
His mother having died when he was four, the children were brought up by her only sister,
Josephina Christiana Rickman (1808-1892). Both she and his father were keen botanists,
achieving contemporary note as the joint rediscoverers of Ludwigia palustris (L.)Ell. in
Goodyer’s original locality, Petersfield Heath, in 1827 (Cooper, 1834; Barton, 1857). It is the
father who is the John Barton included by Desmond (1977) on the strength of his authorship
that same year of A lecture on the geography of plants.
On moving to Stoughton, near Chichester the family had for a neighbour the Rev Gerard
Edwards Smith (1804-1881), one of the ablest field botanists of the day, who became a
particularly close and valued friend. A letter of Miss Rickman’s bearing witness to this as
early as 1839 has recently appeared in these pages (Allen and Lousley, 1979). The two letters
of Smith’s to the younger Barton, reproduced by Shaw (1978), provide further evidence, as
does the fact that in his will Smith selected the younger Barton as one of his literary
executors. Religious sympathies probably reinforced the botanical affinity, for Miss
Rickman’s will is redolent of a fervent piety which must have chimed well with Smith’s own
Evangelicalism.
With such a set of mentors it is no surprise that the younger Barton’s interest in botany
ripened early. The letters from Smith suggest that this was well developed by the time he
went up to Cambridge at nineteen, and by twenty-one his herbarium had been extended to
nearly 1000 species (Barton, 1857) — though what ultimately became of it is, alas, unknown
(Kent, 1958). In June 1858 he joined the Thirsk Botanical Exchange Club, which was
carrying on the annual distributions of the lately ill-fated Botanical Society of London, and
the pages of Irvine’s Phytologist bear copious witness to his intense activity at this period. So
intense was this by then, indeed, that after taking his degree in January 1859 he was allowed
to return to Cambridge to sit for the Natural Sciences Tripos. There is a letter from him in
the Babington correspondence at the Botany School, Cambridge, written from Torquay on
26 January 1860, in which he intimates that he hopes ‘to be able to do something in geology
and botany, with a little chemistry’ and seeks Babington’s advice on the books to read on
these subjects. September of that year, however, saw him ordained and a month after that he
set sail for India.
How far his interests in botany (and geology) stayed with him in later years — he lived till
1908 — is not known. What is known, however, is that a fondness for natural history
persisted within the family for at least one generation further. Smith’s allusion to the
botanical abilities of two of his sisters (Shaw, 1978) and a published note of a rarity found at
Brighton by his brother Gerard (Barton, 1859) suggest that John had not been the only one of
the children to succumb. Gerard, like him, subsequently entered the Church, settling in
Naturalist 105 (1980)
158 Field Notes
Norfolk at Wymondham; and it was a son of his, Capt Francis Rickman Barton
(1865-1947), who gained sufficient reputation as an ornithologist and botanist while a
colonial administrator to be accorded an entry in Flora Malesiana — as well as in Who ’s
Who. Plant collections of his are at Brisbane and in the British Museum (Natural History). It
may well be that other descendants are carrying on the tradition still.
References
Allen, D. E. and Lousley, D. W. (1979) Some letters to Margaret Stovin (17567-1846),
botanist of Chesterfield. Naturalist 104: 155-63.
B[arton], J. (1857) Exchange of British specimens. Phytologist, NS 2: 223.
B[arton], J. (1859) Phytologist , NS 3: 305.
Cooper, T. H. (1834) The Botany of the County of Sussex, 25. Sussex Press, Lewes.
Desmond, R. (1977) Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturalists. Taylor
and Francis, London.
Kent, D. H. (1958) (T959’) British Herbaria. Botanical Society of the British Isles, London.
Shaw, G. A. (1978) Some botanical correspondence of the mid-nineteenth century.
Naturalist 103: 31-3.
FIELD NOTES
Bryological excursion at Denholme
The spring excursion of the YNU Bryological Section was held in the Denholme area west of
Bradford (VC 63) on 26 April 1980.
At Hewenden Viaduct, the stream was found to be badly polluted and only the commonest
species occurred. Boggy ground by the viaduct was slightly better, with Plagiomnium
elatum, a very local species in VC 63. Pohlia wahlenbergii was on a wet track. Further wet
areas were examined at and above Doe Park Reservoir. A Plagiothecium was found which in
the field seemed close to P. ruthei, but from leaf shape was eventually referred to P.
denticulatum. Calliergon stramineum and C. cordifolium were present in some quantity,
and excellent material of Pohlia camptotrachela was found on wet peaty soil. A wall at the
upper end of the Reservoir proved interesting: Drepanocladus uncinatus, rare in S
Yorkshire, was present in small quantity, with Brachythecium populeum, stunted
Racomitrium heterostichum , and others. Also known to occur in the valley are Nardia
geoscyphus and Ditrichum cylindricum , but in the prevailing dry weather it was not expected
that these would be refound.
The district is typical of many in S Yorkshire, made inhospitable for bryophytes by heavy
atmospheric pollution and with few redeeming topographical features; nevertheless, some
sixty-five species were recorded.
T. L. Blocked
Sphagnum balticum refound on Thorne Moors
The bryophytes of Thorne Moors near Doncaster were reported by Miss Dalby ( Naturalist
1970: 139-40) after the YNU Meeting of June that year. Although she listed ten species of
Sphagnum , these did not include S. balticum , which had been collected here by A.
Thompson and was confirmed by Dalby in her review of the Yorkshire Sphagna {Naturalist
1965: 73-80). Thompson’s specimen (BM) was collected in 1932. S. balticum is one of the
scarcest of the British Sphagnum species and is known from only six vice-counties.
I had this record in mind when I visited Thorne Moors in January 1980 under the guidance
of Mr B. Eversham. The prospect of refinding the species seemed slim and field observation
was rendered difficult by the icy conditions. However, the material gathered was
subsequently found to contain several stems which resembled S. balticum in their brown
coloration and three-branched fascicles. Mr M. O. Hill has confirmed that the plant is
indeed typical S. balticum. The habitat is at the centre of the moor in one of the old canals
Field Notes 159
which are undergoing recolonization. The following species were growing along the same
stretch of canal: S. papillosum, S. squarrosum , S. recurvum var. mucronatum, S.
cuspidatum , S. fimbriatum , S. capillifolium , and S. subnitens.
S. balticum is much the most noteworthy bryophyte of Thorne Moors, the remaining
species recorded being widespread and characteristic of wet peat. There is only one other
record of S. balticum in Yorkshire (Lawkland Moss, A. Thompson, 1940), but Miss Dalby
was unable to trace a voucher and the record stands in need of confirmation. „ T . ,
T. L. Blocked
Possible display -call of Jack Snipe in the Thorne area
In the morning (alone) and evening (with C. Wall) of 23 March 1976, I flushed a Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimus from a marshy area adjacent to the New Junction Canal, close to
Smallhedge Farm. On each occasion the snipe flew off eastwards. After it had been flushed
in the evening, a sound was heard from the direction of nearby Clay Bridge (just to the east of
the canal). At first this was assumed to be a horse cantering along a surfaced road, giving two
‘hoofbeats’ per second. However, the sound, which was both regular and sustained,
apparently emanated from only one point. It soon became evident that we were not listening
to a horse, and the likelihood of a bird call was then considered. Unfortunately we were on
the wrong side of the canal to follow up this possibility in the daylight available.
Although no conclusions can be drawn, it seems worth noting that the display-call of Jack
Snipe has often been likened to the sound of equine hoofbeats. For example Ralph Chislett
( Northward Ho! — For Birds, 1933) when describing this call, commented: ‘Quite aptly it
has been compared with the sound of a horse galloping in the distance over a hard, hollow
ground’. The Handbook of British Birds (Witherby, H. F. et al, 1941) confirms that the note
is delivered on the ground as well as in the air.
Martin Limbert
Trichoniscoides albidus (Budde Lund, 1879), an isopod new to Yorkshire
A single specimen of the woodlouse, Trichoniscoides albidus, which until its recent recording
from Bedfordshire, Surrey, North Essex, Berkshire, and Notts, was considered to be a rare
species (A. J. Rundle, />ers comm), was taken during a hand search in calcareous soil on the
grass-covered banks of Thorngumbald Drain, Holderness, East Yorkshire (VC 61; TA(54)
186257) on 6 April 1979. This drain runs through an area of arable land. This record, taken
together with previous records, confirms the notion (Rundle, 1979 in British Isopod Study
Group Newsletter 12: 5) that the soil of stream banks is a preferred habitat for this species.
This species resembles, but is generally slightly larger than, the common Trichoniscus
pusillus and can be distinguished by having a tuberculate dorsal surface and a single ocellus
( T . pusillus has three). In addition, T. albidus loses its marbled reddish brown colour in
alcohol which T. pusillus does not.
Though two Yorkshire records (VC 62 and 63) for this species are given in Rhodes
{Naturalist , 1916: 99-102), neither of them can now be substantiated. On this criterion
neither of them figured in the latest British Isopoda Study Group Atlas (Harding, 1976), and
so the present record is, in effect, the first Yorkshire record. It seems likely that it may prove
quite common if specifically searched for in the appropriate habitat. I would like to thank
Dr A. Rundle for supplying voucher specimens to enable me to confirm my identification.
G. D. Fussey
Some interesting insects at Tag Lock, Elland
In July 1979 Mr J. H. Flint discovered the very local weevil Gvmnetron antirrhini Pk., in
some numbers, on Toadflax {Linaria vulgaris Mill.) at Sheepscar, Leeds. The district is one
of the inner city areas recently cleared of derelict housing prior to redevelopment, and the
Toadflax was growing along the edge of the resultant waste land. Mr Flint kindly gave me
precise directions from which I was able to locate the site and I had no difficulty in obtaining
a short series of the beetle, which was still abundant two or three weeks after the original
discovery, the insects occurring chiefly within the corollas of the flowers.
Recalling that when I lived in Halifax over twenty years ago, I used to see Toadflax in the
160 Field Notes
vicinity of Tag Lock, I resolved to visit the area when a suitable opportunity arose in order to
search for the beetle there. Tag Lock is a very old canal situated in the Calder Valley mid-
way between Elland and Brighouse. It has long been disused and in former times it was a
favourite haunt of Halifax naturalists, especially those interested in pond life and
microscopy. Like other interesting habitats in that part of the valley, it has undergone
considerable change during the past twenty or thirty years. An electricity power station has
been built on the site of the nearby sewage farm which was once a mecca for local bird
watchers, and three large gravel pits have been dug in bends of the river. One of these
received ash sludge from the power station, another is used for water sports and the third,
now filled in but not yet restored to agricultural use, abuts Tag Lock, the spoil heaps from
the original excavations having destroyed much of the old canal.
I was eventually able to pay a brief visit to the area on 11 August 1979 when I spent about
an hour looking for the beetle. The masses of Toadflax I remembered seeing years ago had
disappeared, but finally I located about a dozen plants and to my delight found that they,
too, had good numbers of Gymnetron antirrhini on them.
It was pleasing to find other interesting insects during my search, for at first sight the
whole area has a devastated look and superficial impressions are that nothing of entomological
value can have survived all the disturbance that has taken place. This, however, is not so,
and the following notes demonstrate that even the least auspicious looking area may hold
unsuspected treasures.
Sweeping the vegetation growing in the narrow strip between the cinder path and the
retaining wall of the River Calder, where the high railway embankment wall comes closest to
the river, I was pleased to take a couple of specimens of the local mirid bug Mecomma
dispar (Boh.) which I think came off Wood Sage ( Teucrium scorodonia L.). This is a
distinctive insect which I have taken on two previous occasions, these being on the sea cliffs
at Sandsend, and the edge of the colliery tip at Moorends. There are only four other records
of the species in Yorkshire, these being Spurn, Robin Hood’s Bay, Askham Bog, and
Wharnecliffe. A second interesting mirid bug, Plagiognathus albipennis (Fall.), was taken
on Artemisia, which is the host plant. Again, there are few Yorkshire records for this species,
although it is almost certain to be found wherever Mugwort or Wormwood occur. However,
being usually plants of waste places they often escape the attention of entomologists!
On a dry grass bank near the railway I took a single specimen of the very handsome hover
fly Chrysotoxum bicinctum (L.). Although not rare, this distinctive fly has eluded me in the
past, and prior to 1979 I had only taken it on two occasions in twenty years, once at
Houghton Wood near Market Weighton, and then in Anglesey. But in 1979 I took single
specimens at Tag Lock, Bishop Wood and Ashberry Pastures.
Although, as indicated earlier, much of Tag Lock itself has been destroyed there are still
some interesting small pools which remain and I was pleased to see the hover fly Pyrophaena
granditarsa Forster, and, more unexpectedly, a single specimen of Platycheirus fulviventris
(Macq.). In my experience this latter hover fly is by no means common and I have only
previously encountered it in low lying marshy areas such as Goole Moors and Blacktoft
Sands. The last insect of note was the conopid fly Conops quadrifasciata Deg., which,
although not uncommon, I have personally seen on only three previous occasions in
Yorkshire.
Roy Crossley
Some interesting spider (Araneae) records
Pirata uliginosus (Thorell) (64) Austwick Moss, an adult female accompanied by numerous
immatures, in Hypnum moss under Myrica, 29/4/78. Malham area in 1975 was first record
VC 64. Tolerates drier places than other Pirata species. Not found in Britain until 1951, but
previously probably overlooked.
*Tegenaria agrestis (Walck) (62) Coatham Dunes, under slag on tips with short vegetation,
adults on 19/8, 2/9, 28/10/78 (NZ5725, 5527, 5626). Other Yorks records are three from the
Doncaster area. This large outdoor relative of the common house^spider ( T . domesticus) was
first found in Britain in Hants during 1949, and since then has expanded its known range to
many parts of England and to Wales and Scotland.
Field Notes 161
*Walckenaera incisa (OP-C) (62) Kilton Woods, one adult male in a pitfall trap, in a clearing
near to Kilton Beck, 12/11/78 (NZ7017). Other records from Yorks are Cottingham near
Hull in 1915 and Rotherham in 1978.
Silometopus incurvatus (OP-C) (62) Coatham Dunes and in the dunes on the cliffs near
Marske. la Touche recorded it from ‘Redcar’ in 1946 and 1947 but most probably he collected
it from Coatham Dunes. I also found it across the Tees at Seaton Dunes (*66). I found it to
be confined to the narrow strip of fore-dune dominated by Ammophila arenaria and Elymus
arenarius, where it was one of the more abundant spiders in litter. Adult males and females
were taken throughout 1978.
*Taranucnus setosus (OP-C) (64) Austwick Moss, an adult female in Phragmites litter,
28/8/77. Other Yorks records Askham Bog, Skipwith Common, Tilmire near York and
recently Grimstone Moor (62).
*Lepthyphantes pinicola Simon (64) Grassington Moor, two adult females under stones on the
short grassland covering old mine tips, 17/10/78 (SE0266, alt 360 m). Apparently the only
other Yorks record is of a single female taken by Lodhi in a pitfall trap under Pinus nigra in
the Dalby Forest near Scarborough (SE9694, alt 215 m) during 1975 (62).
I am grateful to Clifford J. Smith who supplied me with the information on past records.
D. Horsfield
* Probable new vice-county records are indicated thus
The occurrence of Catoptria falsells (D & S) in Yorkshire during 1979
In November 1979 I received from Mr P. Q. Winter the microepidopterous content of a
Rothamsted light-trap operated at North Moor, Wykeham (VC 62) during 1979 and in
January 1980 Mr T. Potter gave me smaller samples of microlepidoptera collected on five
dates between 19 July and 18 August 1979 in a Rothamsted light-trap at Howefield Farm,
Baldersby, near Thirsk (VC 64).
The Wykeham batch for the period 16-31 July contained two specimens of C. falsella ,
while in the Baldersby samples it was represented on all five dates with a total of twenty-eight
moths in all. Indeed in the batch dated 19 July the twelve C. falsella present made it the most
numerous species in that sample.
These records are remarkable in that there is only one previous Yorkshire occurrence, a
single specimen netted at dusk in early July 1906 at Saxton, near Tadcaster (VC 64) by T. A.
Lofthouse (Naturalist 1907: 188).
Harry E. Beaumont
THE MOSS OCTODICERAS IN LEEDS, NEW TO YORKSHIRE
T. L. BLOCKEEL
A moss has been added to the Yorkshire flora in the unlikely setting of industrial Leeds.
Octodiceras fontanum (La Pyl.) Lindb. is an aquatic moss close to the genus Fissidens, but
distinctive in its relatively large size, flaccid habit and long narrow leaves. It grows as
blackish tufts or patches (2-3 cm long) submerged on wood and stone at the edge of the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Since the original discovery near Armley Mills, I have searched
the canal banks from the terminus near Leeds City Station as far as Armley Mills (with the
help of Mr A. Norris), and also in the Gotts Park, Bramley Fall and Calverley areas. Only
one additional site has resulted. Details of the occurences are:
1. Stonework at edge of canal, under Canal Road Bridge, near Armley Mills (north bank,
VC 64), in quantity but only for a few yards under the shade of the bridge, April 1980.
2. Stones and wood at edge of canal immediately above and below Spring Gardens Lock, in
shade of tall buildings (south bank, VC 63), a few small tufts, May 1980.
The one associated bryophyte is Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw., which occurs constantly
162 Book Reviews
along the canal banks. Fissidens crassipes Wils. was the only other aquatic species seen
during the survey for Octodiceras , though a number of other species grow near but above the
water level. The water of the canal is relatively clean and supports a rich molluscan and fish
fauna. Octodiceras in any case is known to tolerate some pollution (cf Smith, 1963). It is
distributed chiefly in central and southern England and is characteristic of canals and
sluggish streams. Both the Leeds sites suggest a need for some shade, as previously reported
by Sowter (1972) for the species in Leicester and Northampton. Another limiting factor in its
distribution may be the thick algal growth along the greater part of the canal banks. The
leaves themselves of Octodiceras are obscured by a thick coating of epiphytic algae.
In the North of England the species is known from Cheshire and there is one record from
Lancashire, by Wilson in 1912, in an overflow channel of the Manchester and Ashton-under-
Lyne Canal (Savidge et al, 1963, p 134). The distribution map of Smith (1963) is now rather
out of date. The new sites are the northernmost British localities for the plant. It is likely to
turn up elsewhere in the Leeds and Liverpool and perhaps other canals in the county.
References
Savidge, J. P., Heywood, V. H. and Gordon, V. (eds) (1963) Travis’s Flora of South
Lancashire. Liverpool Botanical Society.
Smith, A. J. E. (1963) Distribution maps of bryophytes in Britain: Octodiceras fontanum
(La Pyl.) Lindb. Trans Brit bryol Soc 4: 522.
Sowter, F. A. (1972) Octodiceras fontanum (La Pyl.) Lindb. epiphytic on sponges. J Bryol
7:87.
BOOK REVIEWS
Richard Heaton of Ballyskenagh 1601-1666 by Laurence Walsh, O. Cist. Pp 116, with 12
plates. Parkmore Press, Roscrea. 1978. £6 hardback limited issue; £2 paperback
Richard Heaton has been called the ‘First Irish Botanist’ - a claim which surely can be
contested in several ways, not least because he was born in Hooton Pagnell, near Doncaster,
Yorkshire, in 1601! Heaton studied at St John’s College, Cambridge, was ordained as an
Anglican priest and became chaplain to Lord Wentworth’s Lifeguard of Horse,
accompanying them to Ireland c. July 1633. By late August 1633, Heaton was appointed
Rector of Birr, Co Offaly. He does not seem to have taken up residence in Birr immediately,
but by 1640 he had moved to the Birr area. In 1641, rebellion broke out and Heaton returned
to England. Sometime between 1645 and 1648 he married Grizell Medhop, but little more is
known about Heaton’s life until September 1660 when he was granted the return of his
rectory at Birr. In November 1660 he was appointed Dean of Clonfert, and in January 1661
Trinity College, Dublin, awarded him a Doctorate of Divinity. Richard Heaton died about
Christmas 1666.
During Richard Heaton’s first period in Ireland he travelled about the country collecting
plants. His botanical activity initiated the scientific study of Irish flora. Heaton also collected
in Yorkshire, the Cotswold Hills, Devonshire, and Kent probably between 1641 and 1650.
The appearance of a biography of an ‘Irish’ naturalist is a rare event. Walsh has taken the
few facts previously known about Heaton, amplified them by much careful research, and
woven them into a history of the Heaton family, their Yorkshire origins and contemporary
Ireland. The book fills one of the many gaps in Irish, and British, biohistorical literature.
It is unfortunate, therefore, that the book contains errors, some of which could have been
removed by careful reading of the manuscript. For example on p 57, Walsh repeats the old
statement that How’s Phvtologia (1650) contains the ‘earliest printed records of Irish Plants’,
and yet on the same page he noted that in 1640 John Parkinson published a record of
Drosera, communicated by Zanchie Silliard, the ‘apothecarie of Dublin , in Theatrum
Botanicum which contains the first explicit references to Irish plants (Nelson 1979). Several
of the Latin names of plants are misspelt.
In the ‘first Irish flora’, Threlkeld’s Synopsis Stirpium Hibernicarum , published in 1726
(not 1727), that author attributed a manuscript list of plants, from which he had ‘copyed’
Book Reviews 163
Irish names, to Richard Heaton. Threlkeld’s opinion that Heaton wrote the manuscript can
be challenged; Heaton was most unlikely to have had any knowledge of Irish. Mitchell (1974)
argued that some of the Irish names given by Threlkeld could have been noted before 1641
(when Heaton returned to England) ‘as their Latin polynomial equivalents are obviously
taken from Gerard’s Her ball'. Mitchell continued that ‘it is clear that other [polynomials]
for which Threlkeld provided Irish equivalents were not published until after 1641’, implying
that these could not have been recorded by Heaton. But the date of publication of the Latin
polynomials is irrelevant; we would hardly argue that the Irish names in a modern botanical
dictionary could not have been recorded until after 1753 because the equivalent Linnaean
binomials were not published earlier than that. Walsh, unfortunately, took Mitchell’s
argument and stated (p 60) that he ‘has proved conclusively that many of the Irish names in
Threlkeld were in fact, recorded after Heaton’s death, some time after it’. We cannot prove,
or disprove, Threlkeld’s attribution. We only know that Heaton did provide William How
with one Irish name for Phytologia, so heaton was capable of recording vernacular Irish
names. It is probable that Threlkeld knew as little about the author of the manuscript as we
know today, and that he simply deduced that Heaton was the author as he was the only
botanist known to have collected in Ireland in the mid-seventeenth century.
While these few points do detract from the biohistorical content of the book, Father Walsh
has made a valuable contribution to the scant literature on the history of Irish botany. It is
illustrated with photographs (including some of original documents), contains a detailed
bibliography and is carefully referenced throughout. The botanical parts may seem to be
somewhat incidental to the author’s main task - why are the plant names not included in the
index? - but Father Walsh had done us a real service.
Mitchell, M. E. (1974) The sources of Threlkeld’s Synopsis Stirpium Hibernicarum.
Proc Roy Ir Acad 74B, 1-6.
Nelson, E. C. (1979) Records of the Irish flora published before 1726. Ir Biogeog Soc
Bull 3, 51-74.
ECN
Orchids of Britain. A Field Guide by David Lang. Pp viii + 213 (including 10 line drawings
and 49 maps), plus 32 pages of colour photographs. Oxford University Press. 1980. £9.50
Introductory sections on orchid structure, growth, vegetative and sexual reproduction,
variation, ecology, classification and hybridization are followed by detailed descriptions of
each of the British species supported by colour photography. Since the standard of
photography is generally good (although the definition of a few, eg Fragrant and Ghost
orchids, is disappointing), it is possible to identify the 49 British species without the use of a
key (which is a main purpose of the book), and the detailed text descriptions should resolve
any doubts. Maps showing the up-to-date distribution of each species (albeit on a vice-county
basis), a limited bibliography, and a useful glossary and index are also provided.
Despite these slight short-comings, this is a well-produced book, which is likely to become
a standard work for both the amateur and professional botanist.
MRDS
Bryophyte Systematics edited by G. C. S. Clarke and J. G. Duckett. Pp xii + 582, including
numerous line drawings, b/w photographs and tables. The Systematics Association Special
Volume No 14. Academic Press, London. (1979) 1980. £40
This collection of papers presented at the International Symposium on Bryophyte
Systematics, organized jointly by the British Bryological Society and the Systematics
Association and held at the University College of North Wales, Bangor in August 1978,
examines the present state of the subject. Not since Frans Verdoorn’s important Manual of
Bryology published in 1932 has bryological research been collected together in a single
comprehensive volume.
This volume contains a synthesis of the current knowledge of bryophyte systematics in the
164 Book Reviews
form of nineteen papers which critically examine such aspects as phylogeny, taxonomy
(including chemotaxonomy), evolution, cytology, sporogenesis, spermatogenesis, phyto-
geography, eco-physiological and climatic adaptations, and show the value of, for example,
rhizoids, peristomes, spores, spermatozoides, and conducting tissue in classifying bryophyte
taxa. Chapters are also provided on bryological exploration of North Wales and on a
historical review of Japanese bryology. Extensive bibliographical lists follow each chapter and
there are taxonomic, author and subject indices. A most useful reference work for students,
teachers and researchers.
Animal Identification. A Reference Guide. Volume 1: Marine and Brackish Water Animals
edited by R. W. Simms, pp ix + 111; Volume 2: Land and Freshwater Animals (not Insects)
edited by R. W. Simms, pp x + 120; Volume 3: Insects edited by David Hollis, pp viii+ 160.
British Museum (Natural History), London/John Wiley, Chichester, 1980. 3 volume set £31.
A major bibliographic survey providing guides to taxonomic (and to a lesser extent ecological
and biogeographical) literature arranged systematically (mainly to class level) and geo-
graphically: each entry is cited in full, usually in chronological order. An index to group
names used in the text is provided for volume 3 only: an adjunct which would have added to
the usefulness of the other two volumes. Recommended for reference and natural history
society libraries.
Marine Mammals by R. J. Harrison and J. E. King. Pp 192. Hutchinson University Library.
1980. £3.95
A welcome second edition, updated and metricated, of an authoritative little book, first
published in 1965. A very readable account of whales, porpoises, dolphins, seals, sea lions,
walruses, manatees, and dugongs.
Mammals of the Sheffield Area by Valerie Clinging and Derek Whiteley. Pp 48, including
text figures and maps, plus transparent overlay. Sorby Record Special Series No 3. Sorby
Natural History Society /Sheffield City Museums. 1980. 75p (+ 18p postage) from D.
Whiteley, 730 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield Sll 8TB
The Moss Flora of Britain and Ireland by A. J. E. Smith, with illustrations by Ruth Smith.
Pp viii + 706, including 333 figures. Cambridge University Press. 1980. £12.50 paperback
This comprehensive treatment of the British moss flora (see Naturalist 104: 42) has now been
issued in paperback at a price more suited to the pockets of undergraduates and amateur
naturalists — which should do much to promote further interest in these fascinating plants
among a wider audience.
Propagation by Alan Toogood. Pp 320, including numerous line drawings and tables, plus 16
pages of black and white photographs. Dent. 1980. £7.95
A comprehensive, well-organized and well-illustrated account of all aspects of plant
propagation, by an author who is thoroughly familiar with the practicalities and problems of
his subject. This book should prove invaluable to the amateur gardener and horticulatural
student.
Book Reviews 165
Late Victorian Roses by Peter Beales, with colour photographs by Keith Money. Pp 32.
Jarrold Colour Publications, Norwich. 1979. 75p
Edwardian Roses by Peter Beales, with colour photographs by Keith Money. Pp 32. Jarrold
Colour Publications, Norwich. 1979. 75p
Two further booklets in this excellent series which maintain the high standard of
presentation of the two earlier titles (see Naturalist 103: 82). Several varieties unlikely to be
well known to most rosarians are included.
Butterflies and Moths of Britain and Europe by John Wilkinson and Michael Tweedie. Pp
128, illustrated. Collins. 1980. £4.95 hardback, £2.25 paperback
This is an attractive little book with a handsome cover, an informative text and generally
good colour illustrations of selected butterflies and moths. There are 47 pages each for the
350 species of butterflies and 2000+ moths of Britain and Europe, so the treatment is six
times as detailed for the former as for the latter. 93 butterflies and the same number of
moths are treated, text and colour paintings pleasingly intermingled on each page, with
caterpillars and adults shown in more or less natural postures and situations.
The book begins with pictures of the main groups (eg Blues, Hairstreaks) giving the pages
in which they are discussed in detail. An introduction gives a useful summary of life history
and biology. There is a short postscript on adaptations to predators, and an index.
A handy, well-produced book for the enquiring traveller, much more useful for butterflies
than for moths.
SLS
SOCIETY REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS
Bradford Naturalists’ Society: Annual Report for 1979. Pp 25. Obtainable from Mr G. W.
Priestley, 54 Falcon Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16 4DW. Price 50p + 17p postage.
Castleford & District Naturalists’ Society: Report for 1978. Pp 44. Obtainable from Miss
M. C. Hoyle, 6 Grove Lane, Knottingley WF11 8ES. Price 30p + 20p postage.
Huddersfield Birdwatchers’ Club: Birds in Huddersfield 1978. Pp 60. Obtainable from
Mr J. E. Dale, 158 Lindley Moor Road, Lindley Moor, Huddersfield HD3 3UE. Price 80p +
17p postage.
Leeds Birdwatchers' Club: Twenty-eighth Report 1979. Pp 48. Obtainable from Mr P.
Singleton, 61 Parkland Drive, Leeds LS6 4PP. Price 50p + 17p postage.
Renfrewshire Natural History Society: The Western Naturalist, vol 7, 1978. Pp 104.
Obtainable from The Scottish Natural History Library, Foremount House, Kilbarchan,
Renfrewshire PA10 2EZ. Price £1.50.
Rotherham Naturalists’ Society: Centenary Magazine 1880-1980. Pp. 20, including 2 colour
plates. Obtainable from Mr D. Bailey, 57 New Road, Firbeck, Worksop, Notts S81 8JY.
Price 50p + 15p postage.
Sorby Natural History Society: The Sorby Record, no 17, 1979. Pp 63. Obtainable from
Mr D. Whiteley, 730 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield Sll 8TB. Price 70p + 17p postage.
Western Isles Natural History Society: Hebridean Naturalist, no 4, 1980. Pp 68.
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166
CONTRIBUTORS
Allen, D.E., 157-8
Archer, M. E., 71—2
Beaumont, H. E., 161
Belcher,!. H., 17-22, 143-4
Blocked, T. L., 33-7, 61-5, 116-17,
119-23, 158-9, 161-2
Boatman, D. J., 41-4
Brightman, F. H., 28, 123-4, 142
Browne, J., 89-101
Clegg, T. M.,81-7
Cotton, D., 28
Crawley, M.J., 79, 88
Crossley, R., 37, 159-60
Delany, M. J., 68, 74, 123, 140, 144
Densley, M., 39, 75
Dickens, R. F., 39
Disney, R. H. L., 45-50, 125-31
Dixon, J. M., 16
Dixon, T., 89-101
Ely, W. A„ 118, 120
Erzinclioglu, Y, Z., 133-4
Fitter, A. H., 89-101
Flint, E. H„ 54-5
Flint, J. H„ 38, 54-6, 115-18, 120-1
Fussey, G. D., 151-4, 159
Grant, D. R„ 116, 119
Hambler, D. J., 75, 140
Higgins, B., 135-9
Hinton, V. A., 76-8
Horsfield, D„ 160-1
Howes, C. A., 3-16
James, H. T., 68
Kearsey, S. V„ 107-14
Kingston, J. S., 28
Lawrence, I. C., 116-17
Leach, M.C.M., 107-14
Leedale, G. F., 76
Limbert, M., 159
Lind, E., 145-9
Liston, A. D., 51-4, 141-2
Madge, S. C., 154
Morphy, M. J., 135-9
Nelson, E. C., 162-3
Norris, A„ 88, 106, 115-23, 131
Paget, R. J., 57-60
Pashby, B.S., 115
Payne, J. 115-16, 118, 121-2
Payne, K. G., 115-18, 122
Priestley, G. W., 40
Richardson, D. H. S., 28
Roberts, J., 120-1
Rose, L.N., 69-71
Seaward, M. R. D., 22, 29-33, 76, 78,
132, 150, 163
Shaw, G. A., 67-8
Shaw, P. J„ 77
Skidmore, P., 101-6
Sledge, W. A., 39, 65-7, 72-4, 155-6
Smith, J. C„ 119
Stonehouse, B., 88, 144
Stubbs, F. B., 117, 121-2
Sutton, S. L., 165
Swale, E.M.F., 17-22, 143-4
Symonds, F. L., 23-7
Thomas, J., 135-9
Tucker, J. J., 89-101
Varndell, I. M., 151-4
Wells, C„ 107-14
Wheeler, A., 75, 87
INDEX
167
Compiled by Christine Shaddick
Algae
An Occurrence of Halophilic Diatoms in a
Freshwater Habitat in Cambridge,
17-22; Some Brackish-water Diatoms
from the Saline Pools in The Mickle-
town Area, 143-4; The Distribution of
Desmids in some Tarns in the English
Lake District, 145-9
Arachnida
Some Interesting Spider (Araneae)
records, 160—1
Askham Bog
Askham Bog, 72-4; Ecological Studies at
Askham Bog Nature Reserve 1, Inter-
relations of Vegetation and Environ-
ment, 89-101
Book Reviews
16, 22, 28, 37-40, 56, 68, 72-4, 74-9,
87-8, 123-4, 132, 140, 142, 144, 150,
155-6, 162-5
Botany (Flowering Plants and Ferns)
Mixed Hedges of the Former East Riding
of Yorkshire, 41-4; Botanical Records
of William Pilkington of Hatfield
(1758-1848), 101-6; John Barton: A
Biographical Supplement, 157-8
Bryophyta
Two Letters of Bryological Interest from
Richard Spruce to David Moore,
29-33; William Sutcliffe of Hepton-
stall and his Collection of British and
Irish Mosses, 33-7; Bryological Sec-
tion: Annual report 1979, 61-3; The
Bryology of Dentdale, 63—5; Thuidium
recognitum (Hedw.) in Yorkshire,
67-8; Macrophytes of the Huddersfield
Narrow Canal — A Prelinary Study,
135-9; Bryological Excursion at
Denholme, 158; Sphagnum balticum
refound on Thorne Moors, 158; The
Moss Octodiceras in Leeds, new to
Yorkshire, 161-2
Conchology
Notes on Yorkshire Mollusca — 1. Boett-
gerilla palens in Yorkshire, 106; 2. Arion
(Kobeltia) distinctus in Yorkshire, 131
Crustacea
Trichoniscoides albidus, an isopod new to
Yorkshire, 159
Diplopoda
The Identification of the Bisexual form of
the Bristly Millepede, Polyxenus
lagurus at three Coastal Sites in
England and Wales, using sex ratios,
151-4
Diptera
Records of Flower Visiting by Scuttle Flies
in the British Isles, 45-50; A New
Specimen of Gymnophora from York-
shire and Durham, 125-31; On the
Role of Trichocera larvae in the De-
composition of Carrion in Winter,
133-4
Ecology
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature
Reserve 1. Inter-relations of Vegetation
and Environment, 89-101
Entomology (General)
Some interesting Insects at Tag Lock,
Elland, 159-60
Hymenoptera
Notes on some Sawflies found in Scotland,
with a description of a new species of
Pachynematus from Wester Ross,
51-4; Hymenoptera in Yorkshire,
1975-78, 54-5; The Mining Social Bee
(Lasioglossum calceatum) in Dallow-
gill, Yorkshire, 71-2; On Two British
Athalia species, 141-2
Index
168
Lepidoptera
The Occurrence of Catoptera falsela in
Yorkshire during 1979, 161
Letter to the Editor
40
Mammalia
Polecats and Ferrets, Aspects of the
History and Distribution in Yorkshire
and Adjacent Areas, 3-16; Some
Particular Observations at a Badger
Sett over an Eleven-year Period,
57-60; Mammal Studies in Yorkshire
— A Review, 81-7
Ornithology
Some Aspects of Flocking Behaviour in
Lapwings during the Moulting Period,
23-7; The Use of Man-made Pools by
Diving Ducks and Terns off
Morecombe, Lancashire, 69—71; The
1978-79 Survey of Herring Gull ( Larus
argentatus) Colonies on the Yorkshire
and Cleveland Coast, 107-14;
Blackduck at Fairburn Ings: First
Yorkshire Record, 154; Possible
display-call of Jack Snipe in the
Thorne Area, 159
Society Reports and Publications
134, 139, 165
Obituary Yorkshire Naturalists1 Union
George Allan Shaw, 65-7 Excursions in 1979, 115-23
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JANUARY-MARCH 1981 (No 956) VOLUME 106
THE
MTMMLI5T
\ Quarterly Journal of Natural History for the North of England
505: u
Edited by M. R. D. SEAWARD, MSc, PhD, FLS, The University, Bradford
PAGE CONTENTS
3 Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve — 2. The Tree
Population of Far Wood — J. J. Tucker and A. H. Fitter
15 River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from
Pollution — J. P. C. Harding, P. J. Say and B. A. Whitton
31 Botanical Reports or 1978 and 1979 — Flowering Plants and Ferns
39 Field Note
40 Notes on Yorkshire Mollusca — 3. Patella intermedia— A. Norris
14, 40-44 Book Reviews
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THE
NATURALIST
A Quarterly Journal of Natural History for the North of England
Edited by M. R. D. SEAWARD. MSc. PhD. FLS, The University. Bradford
VOLUME
106
1981
PUBLISHED BY
THE YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' LINION
' I ' •
3
ECOLOGICAL STUDIES AT ASKHAM BOG NATURE RESERVE —
2. THE TREE POPULATION OF FAR WOOD
J. J. TUCKER* and A. H. FITTER
Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YOl 5DD
Introduction
Askham Bog is a small wooded valley mire about 5 km SW of York, surrounded and divided
into compartments by dykes (Fig 3). Its history and ecology were reviewed by Fitter and
Smith (1979). A more detailed report on the interrelationships of vegetation and
environment, with particular reference to Far Wood, is presented by Fitter et al (1980). This
paper reports work on the age-class structure of the tree canopy of Far Wood and its
implications to the succession in that compartment. The field work was carried out in
October 1978 and was presented fully in Tucker (1979a).
The Physical Environment
The dominating physiographic feature of Far Wood is the c35 cm high dome towards its
centre. The significance of this feature is discussed by Fitter et al (1980) and Tucker (1979a).
The dome results in a lowering of pH away from the base-rich dykes towards a Sphagnum/
Molinia dominated ground vegetation at the centre. The dome also affects the hydrology of
the compartment, maintaining a high water table, relative to soil surface, towards the centre.
Further, the concentrations of two ions in solution at the water table are similarly
concentrically distributed: concentrations of sodium and calcium (Figs la and lb) decrease
away from the dykes. The levels of phosphate and potassium are not, however, concentric
(Figs 2a and 2b). The anomalous distribution of phosphate is the subject of continuing
investigations.
Ground Vegetation
The ground vegetation, discussed in detail by Fitter et al (1980), is zoned according to
topography. They enumerate twelve vegetation types (A— L) though for simplicity only two
zones will be used in this work. The central zone (A) comprises Fitter et al's vegetation types
G-L and represents base-poor vegetation with for example Molinia caerulea, Sphagnum
fimbriatum and S. palustre and Lonicera periclymenum. The peripheral zone (B) comprises
vegetation types A-F and consists of base-rich vegetation with characteristic species such as
Filipendula ulmaria and Galium palustre. Zones A and B are presented in Fig 3. They were
obtained by Ward’s method of cluster analysis performed using the CLUSTAN IC package
on frequency data of twenty species of ground vegetation sampled at sixty-four sample sites
in Far Wood (Tucker, 1979a). The twenty species had been shown by Fitter et al (1980) to be
typical indicators of base-rich and base-poor vegetation. Tree data presented subsequently
was also obtained at these sample sites, which were chosen on a randomized grid system
(Tucker, 1979a).
Tree Vegetation
(i) Distribution
Fig 4 summarizes the distribution of the canopy occupancy by the four major tree species in
Far Wood. Birch, Betula pubescens, is widely distributed and oak, Quercus robur, is general
though more frequent away from the dykes. Sallow, Salix caprea, is restricted to the
immediate vicinity of the dykes and is particularly frequent in the SW. The distribution of
alder, Alnus glutinosa is detailed in Fig 5 — the species occurs near the north and east dykes
and widely in the NW corner.
‘Present address: Ecology and Conservation Unit, Department of Botany and Microbiology, University
College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT.
Naturalist 106(1981)
4 Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
Concentrations in ppm (parts per million) of ions in solution at the water table in Far Wood,
Askham Bog, October 1978.
a, sodium and b, calcium, determined by flame photometry, with contours at 10 ppm
intervals, except above 100 ppm for calcium. Selected spot-readings added.
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve 5
Concentrations in ppm (parts per million) of ions in solution at the water table in Far Wood,
Askham Bog, October 1978.
a, phosphate, determined by colorimetry, with contours at 0.2 ppm intervals to 1.0 ppm,
thence at 1.0 ppm intervals.
b, potassium, determined by flame photometry, with contours at 2.0 ppm intervals.
Selected spot-readings added.
6
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
. flow
re dyke -
Two vegetation zones, A and B, of Far Wood, Askham Bog, used in this paper. Dashed are
subdivisions between zones 1 and 2 (=A) and 3 and 4 (=B) of Tucker (1979a) from which the
two vegetation zones are derived. Also shown are the three main dykes and the direction of
water flow in the undammed N dyke.
FIGURE 4
Canopy occupancy by tree species in Far Wood, Askham Bog, October 1978. The four major
species and ‘others’ are presented, based on estimates of tenths occupancy of canopy at
sample sites. The stippled area represents vegetation zone A.
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
7
(ii) Growth-rates
A total of 2845 trees of all species and ages were catalogued in 4 m diameter circles at each
sample site. Of these 1608 were birch, 174 oak and 80 alder. The remainder were hawthorn,
Crataegus monogyna (299), sallow, Salix caprea (106), hazel, Corylus avellana (136), ash,
Fraxinus excelsior (40), rowan, Sorbus aucuparia (33). aspen, Populus tremula (38), alder
buckthorn, Frangula alnus (273), grey willow, Salix cinerea (57), and sycamore, Acer
pseudoplatanus (1). For every tree, diameter at breast height (DBH) was recorded (together
with several other parameters not used in this analysis). An increment borer was used to
extract cores from a sample of trees of each of the main species in order to establish age-DBH
calibrations. Birch, being diffuse porous, has rings which are notoriously difficult to count
and a method was devised for them, involving slicing, staining and particular viewing of the
borer cores (Tucker, 1979b).
To test for differences in growth rates between the acid and non-acid zones samples were
taken from both areas in the cases of birch and oak. Fig 6 presents the age-DBH calibrations
for oak. A linear relationship of ring width to age has been assumed and the regression lines
constrained through the origin (after Snedecor and Cochran, 1967). 95 per cent confidence
intervals are added to Fig 6. These intervals are constructed on the basis of the regression
calculated from the final data: they do not incorporate, for example, errors in annual ring
counting (Tucker 1979a).
Oaks are growing significantly (p<0.05) more slowly in the acid zone (n = 12) than in the
non-acid (n = 32) — at 0.27 cm as compared with 0.33 cm addition to DBH per year. There
is no significant difference in growth rates of birch, however, the overall rate being 0.31 cm
to DBH per year (n = 26). Alder, which grows only in the peripheral area (B), has a growth
rate of 0.46 cm to DBH per year (n = 71).
FIGURE 5
Distribution and density of alder, Alnus glutinosa, in Far Wood, Askham Bog, in 1978.
Figures indicate basal area in thousands of cm2 at 4 m radius sample sites. Dots indicate
numbers of individuals of less than twenty years of age. Also indicated are October 1978 pH
zones of less than 5.0 at the soil surface and water table.
8
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
DBH
40 “
— Zone A
— O — Zone B
o
30 -
20 -
10 -
o o o o;
<0!
I
20
~~r
40
"7“
60
80 age
FIGURE 6
Age-DBH (diameter at breast height) calibrations for oak, Quercus robur, growing in the
two vegetation zones of Far Wood, Askham Bog, 1978. Ages established from increment
borer cores. Regressions, constrained through the origin, fitted to data from
(a) vegetation zone A (solid circles and lines); y = 0.27x (p<0.001),
(b) vegetation zone B (open circles and dashed line); y = 0.33x (p<0.001).
Probability associated with the differences between the two regression lines is <0.05. 95 per
cent confidence intervals are added.
(iii) Age-structure of populations
Estimates of age (within 10 y age-classes) were made for the three principal tree species, by
applying the calculated DBH increment rates to the DBH records for the remaining trees in
both zone A (Fig 7a) and zone B (Fig 7b).
Modelling
At each sample site a note was made of which species occupied canopy and which were
beneath it. This enabled the construction of population matrices in which, for each area, the
proportions of species in the canopy represented the data for the canopy row vectors, while
the proportions of the various species beneath the canopy provided the seedling input
matrices. These data are shown in Tables 1 (zone A) and 2 (zone B), and were used in a
model, in which it was necessary to assume (i) that saplings under the canopy were potential
occupants of that canopy (understorey species were omitted from the analyses), (ii) that
species were of equal competitive ability and (iii) that species were of the same seedling
establishment potential and longevity.
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
9
30
20H
10
0
10
0
ioh
o
a. Zone A
A.D.
b Zone B
Birch
I n. n
46
Oak
ILl JL rv.-D n H H □ a
n
QLd» .
Alder
15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85
1925 1900
105
FIGURE 7
Age-structures of the three principal tree species of vegetation zones A and B (a and b
respectively) of Far Wood, Askham Bog, 1978. Age figures are centres of ten-year age-
classes. Years A.D. indicate approximate year of input to the population. Open columns
indicate numbers of live trees, solid columns of dead trees.
a, zone A, figures for birch (341 trees) and oak (n = 93) aged by reference to age-DBH
calibrations established by increment borer cores.
b, zone B, figures for birch (n = 201), oak (n = 82) and alder (n = 70), aged as for trees in
zone A.
10
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
TABLE 1
Matrix of seedling input and row vector of canopy occupancy in zone A — the central, acid
area of Far Wood, Askham Bog, 1978
A. Matrix of current seedling input.
canopy
B1
0
seedlings2 ^
0.47
0.53
0.32
0.68
n =
943
22
B. Row vector of current canopy occupancy.
B
0
n
Proportion in canopy
0.86
0.14
1184
1. B = birch, Betula pubescens and O = oak, Quercus robur.
2. Seedling defined as any tree developing under another which occupies canopy.
3. Fifty-nine first-year birch seedlings on a Sphagnum tuft counted as one, the maximum
number that could have matured from that close group.
4. Excludes elements^ 5 per cent of canopy.
TABLE 2
Matrix of seedling input and row vector of canopy occupancy in zone B — the peripheral,
base-rich area of Far Wood, Askham Bog, 1978
A. Matrix of current seedling input.
canopy
B1
O
A
S
B
0.26
0.03
0.17
0.00
seedlings2
O
0.28
0.74
0.35
0.42
A
0.04
0.09
0.44
0.00
S
0.42
0.14
0.04
0.58
n =
82
35
29
12
B. Row vector of current canopy occupancy.
B
O
A
S
Proportion in canopy
0.52
0.11
0.21
0.16
n
1993
1. B = birch, Betula pubescens , O = oak, Quercus robur , A = alder, Alnus glutinosa and
S = sallow, Salix caprea.
2. Seedling defined as any tree developing under another which occupies canopy.
3. Excludes elements^ 5 per cent of canopy.
By multiplying the row vector (current canopy) by the matrix (seedling input) a new row
vector (projected canopy) is produced, which is the projected canopy after one time period of
unspecified duration. The model then adjusts the seedling input according to the latest
canopy projection: changes in canopy proportionately changing the next seed-rain and
seedling input (the next matrix). These data are then remultiplied to obtain the next canopy.
The model can be re-run for as many time periods as are required but the assumptions of the
model make it increasingly unreliable after only a few intervals.
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve 11
This model is based upon that of Horn (1975) except that here the seedling matrix is
corrected after each time period for the change in canopy proportions. Details of the model,
the computer programme used to run it and the predictions based on Horn’s basic model
above are given by Tucker (1979a). The various models proposed by Botkin et al (1972),
Leak (1970) and Waggoner and Stephens (1970) were unsuitable for the data currently
available from Far Wood. They use such features as measurement -remeasurement data at
points in the wood, mortality and longevity. At a later date more detailed work will be
possible; the sample sites used in this study have been permanently marked and it is hoped to
repeat the survey.
Fig 8 presents graphical representations of the calculated predictions of changes in the
canopy of Far Wood according to the above model, for zones A (8a) and B (8b).
In zone A birch is predicted as declining to the benefit of oak in a relatively short period.
In zone B birch is again predicted as declining, as are alder and sallow, to the benefit of
oak. In fact sallow is likely to persist, holding ground around the periphery at the edges of
the dykes, being specifically adapted to those sites. It is known that alder is unable to
regenerate under its own canopy (McVean, 1956a) and this may explain its apparently cyclic
behaviour (Fig 7b). As its canopy occupancy declines alder may start to regenerate at some
time in the future and regain dominance. The total dominance of oak is probably an artefact
of the model, revealing its insensitivity to real situations.
Proportion
of
canopy zone A zone B
Number of time periods
FIGURE 8
Mathematically-generated projections of probable species-compQsition changes in the
canopy of Far Wood, Askham Bog, starting (t = 0) in 1978. Model based on that of Horn
(1975), with modification; see text. Projections based on proportional occupancy of canopy
(p) for two time-periods only. Projections using proportions of numbers of live trunks
produce the same general trends. Species shown are: oak: diagonal hatch; birch: vertical
hatch; alder: horizontal hatch; sallow: blank.
12 Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve
It must be emphasized that many biological and mathematical assumptions have been
made in the compilation of this model and that it is not to be relied upon beyond giving
indications of trends in the very short term. Its predictions towards the first time period may
be taken as likely trends; those to the second time priod are shown on Fig 8.
Discussion
The effects of the dome towards the centre of Far Wood have been demonstrated previously
for the ground flora by Fitter et al (1980), and are shown here to be important also for the
tree vegetation. However, two historical events are of great significance: firstly the whole of
Far Wood was clear felled in c 1890, and the central area over the most acid part was felled in
1927, leaving only the oak standing (Day, 1933, Fitter and Smith, 1979).
Oak
Oak is distributed away from the most base-rich zones and is shown to be growing more
slowly on the acid, central zone (Figs 4 and 6). In both areas trees date from the end of the
last century onwards — a peak in input being evident around 1910-20 in both zones (Figs 7a
and 7b). Similarly in both zones seedling input and establishment has been improving in the
two youngest age -cl asses.
Birch
In the central zone (A) the birch date from 1910 or so onwards (Fig 7a). The peak age-classes
for live trees are 0-10 and 10-20 y, for dead trees 0-10 y. The dates of death for the latter
cannot be determined. This central zone consists of dense, thin birch stems, many of which
are dead, though the canopy is full. This situation is the result of a large part of the central
area having been cut down in 1927 (Day, 1933). Subsequent regeneration from this effective
coppicing may be largely responsible for the high density of multiple stems and concurrent
high mortality due to self-thinning. Regeneration from seed is now poor, very few seedlings
being found in quadrats.
In the peripheral zone (B) the birch date from the end of the last century onwards (Fig 7b).
The peak age-class is 40-50 y (of zone A) for live trees, though again the peak for dead is
0—10 y. The birch here approach more typical ages of maturity, but the young trees suffer
from high mortality.
Alder
Alder only occurs in the peripheral zone and its age structure is of particular interest. All
sampled alders date from the late nineteenth-century onwards (Fig 7a). A peak in input is
evident between 1910 and 1940, followed by a reduction for 10-20 y. A further input
occurred, as shown by the high numbers in the two youngest age-classes. It is notable that
the latest phase of input is now over — all the trees in the first age-class are over 5 y old and
no alder seedlings were found anywhere in Far Wood during the survey period.
The distribution of the trees from the two youngest age-classes is mapped on Fig 5, where it
will be seen that regeneration has apparently occurred throughout the alder area. McVean
(1956c) noted that some alder populations regenerated in phases or cycles and that
sometimes these would occur at the periphery of the wood.
The limitations to alder distribution may be connected with pH or with the water table
during the spring. Alder has a root-nodule association with the nitrogen-fixing actinomycete
Actinomyces alni (McVean, 1956b). The efficiency of this association decreases markedly
below pH 5.0 (Ferguson and Bond, 1953). October 1978 water table and surface pH 5.0
contours are added to Fig 5. Alder seedlings are able to withstand winter flooding regimes
that will kill most other forest trees (McVean, 1956a) and this could also account for the
success of alder in the northern and western low-lying areas of Far Wood.
Over all, the tree population of Far Wood has developed naturally following clear-felling
in 1880-90 (Day, 1933). The exception is the central area, cleared of birch in 1927 (Day,
Ecological Studies at Askham Bog Nature Reserve 13
1933). Oak, alder and birch had successive peaks of establishment. Birch is currently in
decline while both oak and alder have undergone good regeneration, particularly the oak.
The modelled predictions are essentially that birch will decline throughout Far Wood, to the
advantage of oak in zone A and of oak and possibly alder in zone B (if the latter cycles at
some time in the future).
Fitter et al (1980) have suggested that existence of two separate successional pathways at
Askham Bog: one leading possibly to the re-establishment of ombrotrophic raised mire in the
central area (zone A of this paper), and one maintaining oak woodland. The predictions in
this paper certainly support the suggestion that oak is likely to predominate over birch in the
future, but it is not possible in this model to allow for the possible extinction of the trees due
to Sphagnum development. To the extent that where woodland survives it is likely to be oak-
dominated, the findings of this paper support that of the earlier one.
Summary
1. The tree population of Far Wood, Askham Bog, was sampled for distribution, age-
class structure and regeneration potential.
2. Alders are concentrated along the north and east dykes and in the north-west corner.
Birch is widespread throughout the wood, away from the alder-dominated sections and
particularly frequent towards the central, acid area. Oak also occurs away from the alder
area, towards the centre.
3. Oak are growing more slowly on the central, acid area than in the peripheral area.
Regeneration of oak is currently good throughout the area and projections suggest that the
species will increase throughout, to the exclusion of birch in the central area.
4. Birch, present throughout the area, are failing to regenerate well from seed. In an area
near the centre regrowth from stumping in cl926 is producing a high density of small DBH,
young trees. Oak regeneration here, according to the modelled projections, is tending to lead
the area to oak woodland.
5. Alder regeneration apparently peaked in about 1910-40. No alder regeneration has
occurred for at least five years but may occur, in a cyclic manner, in the future. Modelled
predictions, not allowing for cyclic alder regeneration, show oak becoming more abundant.
6. All trees post-date the clear felling of cl890. The successional predictions are in
accord with those of Fitter et al (1980) — that oak will increase throughout Far Wood, with a
corresponding decline in birch.
Acknowledgements
Dr F. B. Goldsmith for his comments on a draft, and Philip and Myrtle Radley who gave
their support during the writing up. Mrs J. Tucker has assisted in many ways throughout the
work.
References
Botkin, D. B., Janak, J. F. and Wallis, J. R. (1972) Some ecological consequences of a
computer model of forest growth. J. Ecol. 60: 849-72.
Day, N. E. (193 3) An ecological survey of Askham Bog. MSc thesis, University of Sheffield.
Ferguson, T. P. and Bond, G. (1953) Observations on the formation and function of the root
nodules of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. Ann. Bot. 17: 175-88.
Fitter, A. H., Browne, J., Dixon, T. E., and Tucker, J. J. (1980) Ecological Studies at
Askham Bog. 1. Interrelations of vegetation and environment. Naturalist 105: 89-101.
Fitter, A. H. and Smith, C. J. ( 1979) ^4 Wood in Ascam. A study in wetland conservation:
Askham Bog 1879-1979. Ebor Press/ Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust, York.
Horn, H. S. (1975) Markovian properties of forest succession. In Ecology and-Evolution of
Communities. (Eds Cody, N. L. and Diamond, J. M.) Belknap Press, Harvard University.
14 Book Review
Leak, W. B. (1970) Successional change in northern hardwoods predicted by birth and death
simulations./. Ecol. 51: 794-801.
McVean, D. N. (1956a) Ecology oi Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn III. Seedling establishment.
/. Ecol 44: 195-218.
McVean, D. N. (1956b) Ecology of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn IV. Root system./. Ecol. 44:
219-25.
McVean, D. N. (1956c) Ecology of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn V. Notes on some British
alder populations./. Ecol. 44: 321-30.
Snedecor, G. W. and Cochran, W. G. (1967) Statistical Methods. 6th edn. Iowa State
University Press.
Tucker, J. J. (1979a) Age structure of the tree population of Far Wood, Askham Bog, in
relation to succession. BSc thesis, University of York.
Tucker, J. J. (1979b) Estimation of Tree Age using the increment borer. Arboric. J. 3: 527-
31.
Waggoner, E. V. and Stephens, G. R. (1970) Transition probabilities for a forest. Nature
225: 1160-1.
BOOK REVIEW
Hovers by Richard Vaughan. Pp. 152, with 71 black and white and 11 colour photographs
by the author. Terence Dalton Ltd. 1980. £7.95.
Waders have always been an attractive group for study by ornithologists, and Richard
Vaughan’s book is one of a number on the subject to appear recently, including one in the
New Naturalist series.
This is the author’s fourth book, and his most ambitious. Early chapters deal with the
distribution of the world’s plovers, their place in literature and legend (the author is a
historian), plumage, identification and ecology. I particularly liked the reference to the
parallel derivations of the English and Latin names of the Dotterel — dote, dotage, dotty,
and moron.
The main body of the book is a series of close studies of seven species of plover, all but two
of which breed regularly in Britain. Although drawing heavily on the earlier researches of
many other, mainly European, workers, the author has skilfully woven into the very readable
text material from his own observations in the field and from the hide. The comparative
dearth of the author’s own observations on the breeding habits of Kentish Plover, and on the
breeding of Dotterel in Britain weakens this section of the book. A Yorkshire bias is revealed
in the fact that the only colour plate of Dotterel is of Yorkshire passage birds. There is no
picture at all of Kentish Plover at the nest, and all the photographs of the species in the book
are of the same individual bird. Not surprisingly, the author’s own comments on the Grey
Plover relate to his experiences with wintering birds in this country. In the chapter on the
breeding habits of the Grey Plover, the work of Henry Seebohm and his other early ornitho-
logical pioneering contemporaries in Siberia is a little over-maligned in my view.
The photographs are of the high standard we have come to expect from Richard Vaughan,
and the colour portraits are surely among the best ever taken of their subjects. However, the
book is not merely a vehicle for the author’s photographic ability. The black and white
plates, in particular, are an essential complement to the text, well illustrating particular
aspects of behaviour or plumage. Especially memorable are the Grey Plovers on the misty
Humber shore, and the Little Ringed Plover at its nest on a Yorkshire slag heap, with pit-
head gear in the background.
The book’s main strength, to my mind, lies in its excellent and clearly presented distilla-
tion of previously published literature on the subject, which has obviously been meticulously
researched.
The layout of the book is aesthetically pleasing, the binding is good and the plates are well
printed on quality paper. A book for the general reader as well as the enthusiast.
MD
15
RIVER ETHEROW: PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF A RIVER
RECOVERING FROM POLLUTION
J. P. C. HARDING,1 P. J. SAY2 and B. A. WHITTON2
^Biology Laboratory, Rivers Division, North West Water Authority, Dawson House,
Great Sankey, Warrington, Cheshire
2 Department of Botany, University of Durham, South Road, Durham
Introduction
During the Industrial Revolution, many textile, paper and associated industries became
established along the banks of rivers in the Mersey catchment. These rivers not only provided
an abundant supply of soft water for industrial processes, but also a convenient means of
disposing of industrial waste and sewage. One of the areas where industry became
particularly concentrated was the valley of the River Etherow, and by the 1920s it was
recognized that the Etherow had the worst pollution in the catchment.
Between 1930 and the early 1970s, organic pollution in the River Etherow decreased
markedly as a result of factory closures, increased control of effluent quality, re-sewerage
and improved sewage treatment. By the end of 1973 the river showed obvious visual and
chemical improvements, and these improvements encouraged the Stockport Federation of
Anglers to stock the middle and lower reaches with large numbers of coarse fish. Against
their expectations these fish apparently failed to survive.
In 1974 intensive studies were initiated by the North West Water Authority (NWWA) to
discover why the River Etherow could not support fish. Caged trout were found to survive for
short periods in all but the uppermost reaches, and chemical analyses of water and mosses
demonstrated that a previously unknown source of zinc was probably the cause. The zinc
entered the river from a minor tributary fed by underground seepages from lagoons which
stored effluent from a paper processing factory. As a result of discussion between the firm
and the NWWA, measures have now been taken to reduce the level of zinc reaching the
Etherow.
During recent years, therefore, the Etherow has been affected by two quite different types
of pollution and has undergone important changes which might be expected to influence its
plants and animals. The following paper summarizes what is known about the biology of the
river, and attempts to evaluate the effects of past and present pollution on algae,
macrophytes, invertebrates, and fish.
Environmental Background
Physical
The Etherow rises at 472 m at the head of the Longdendale valley and has a total catchment
of 154 km2 (Fig 1). A short distance (6.2 km) from source it passes through five large
reservoirs (Woodhead, Torside, Rhodeswood, Valehouse, Bottoms). Part of the water from
the first three is taken to supply Manchester, while Valehouse and Bottoms Reservoirs
provide compensation water to the lower river. The lower river flows for 13.3 km and drops
61m (ie 4.6 m km-1) from Bottoms Reservoir to its confluence with the River Goyt. The
present account deals only with the lower river and distances down river are given here from
the foot of Bottoms Reservoir. The rate of flow ranges from approximately 1.6-61 m3s“1.
Compensation water contributes c0.58m3s_1 and sewage effluents c0.17m3s_1. Current
speeds are often relatively high and the river bed includes many rock sheets, boulders and
cobbles.
Geological
For much of its length the river drains sandstones, coarse grits and shales of the Millstone
Grit series (Bromehead et al, 1933).
Naturalist 106(1981)
16 River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution
Historical
Staff of the North West Water Authority have brought together historical accounts of the
condition of the river and its surrounding valley. In addition to NWWA’s own records, useful
facts have been given by Pearson (1939), Palmer (1950) and Barber (1969). In the 1920s
industrial effluents caused severe pollution to the river and Glossop Brook. Although some
firms closed during the economic slump of the 1930s, the load of organic material in the river
water remained very high until about 1966, by which time the closures of a large paper mill
and a textile mill in Glossop had significantly reduced the organic load. Further factory
closures took place in the early 1970s, leaving only one major textile finishing works with a
direct discharge to the river. This effluent was diverted to Glossop Sewage Treatment Works
(STW) in 1973. Improvements to the sewerage system in the Glossop and Tintwistle areas
were also completed in 1973 and the river is now affected only occasionally by overflows of
untreated ‘storm sewage’ during wet weather.
The effluent from Glossop STW provides the largest discharge of treated sewage, but five
minor sewage effluents also enter the river (Fig 1). Effluent from a number of factories is
treated at Glossop STW, but no trade waste now enters the river directly. The high
concentration of industry around Glossop Brook (mostly engineering, chemical and paper
processing) does however lead to occasional intermittent pollution from spillages and
contaminated surface run-off. Although the main source of heavy metal contamination at
present is the zinc input from the paper processing factory, two other minor inputs of metals
affect the river. The effluent from Glossop STW contains some chromium and Chisworth
Brook (a small tributary entering near Broadbottom) is contaminated by chromium and lead
from the effluent of a factory manufacturing chrome pigments.
FIGURE 1
Map of River Etherow, showing important effluents and location of sampling sites.
River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution 17
Methods and Sampling Programme
Sampling sites
Details of the nine sites used are given in Table 1. Water from five sites (1, 4, 5, 6, 8) has
been sampled by the NWWA and analysed for major chemical variables since 1953 and four
sites (1, 4, 6, 8) for routine biological surveillance since 1969. Six sites (1, 2, 3, 5, 6,
9) correspond to those used in a study of metal accumulation by mosses (Say et al, in press).
Water
Data on the composition of water at site 9 before 1979 were obtained from the NWWA Water
Quality Archive. Details of analytical techniques can be obtained from the authority if
required. In addition samples of water were collected from sites 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8 on the
following dates: 24.7.79, 22.8.79, 2.10.79, 27.10.79, 16.1.80. The methods used for the
collection and subsequent analysis of these samples have been summarized by Holmes and
Whitton (1981).
Algae
Samples of submerged attached algae were collected from sites 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 9 on
24.7.79. The collection technique (described in detail by Holmes and Whitton, 1981)
involved the removal of algae from all visible microhabitats within a 10 m reach at each site
so as to represent ‘aggregates’ of all plant material present. Live samples were examined
microscopically and the abundance of each photosynthetic plant taxon was scored on a scale
increasing from 1 to 5 (rare, occasional, frequent, abundant, very abundant). For the
purposes of this paper, only taxa present at or above abundance 2 have been included in
Table 4.
Macrophytes
As part of a broad survey of river plants in the southern part of the NWWA area (Harding,
1979) records were made on 23.8.78 of all macrophytes (Holmes and Whitton, 1977) within
0.5 km lengths of river adjacent to sites 1, 2, 3, 4, 6. Each taxon was scored on a scale
indicating relative abundance within that 0.5 km length, i.e. the type of information
resembles that recorded for algae. A few additional species found during surveys after
August 1978 are noted on Table 5. The taxonomic code is that of Holmes et al (1979).
Records of the exact limits of the 0.5 km lengths are available from the NWWA.
Invertebrates
The data on invertebrate distribution are derived from two types of survey used for biological
surveillance by the NWWA.
1 . Historical data on the occurrence of major invertebrate taxa at sites 4 and 8 have been
obtained from records of ‘routine’ biological surveys carried out (mostly at four-monthly
intervals) between June 1969 and February 1980. Such routine surveys are carried out to
enable the rapid detection of changes in water quality, and invertebrates (collected by a
standard kick-sampling technique) are identified (usually to generic level) and counted in the
field.
2. An ‘intensive’ survey of invertebrate distribution was carried out on 27 — 28.6.79.
Samples from sites 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 were collected by the same technique used for
routine surveys, but representatives of all taxa present were preserved in 70 per cent ethanol
and returned to the laboratory for identification to specific level wherever possible.
Records for both types of survey are given on a scale of 1-5, corresponding to the following
estimates: 1 = 1-2 individuals; 2 = 3 - 10 individuals; 3 = 11 - 50 individuals; 4 = 51- 200
individuals; 5 = 201 - 1000 individuals. In addition, values for Trent Biotic Index
(Woodiwiss, 1964) have been calculated for each sample. This index is used to describe the
response of invertebrate communities to organic pollution, and is based on the fact that
decreasing levels of dissolved oxygen eliminate key groups of invertebrates in a well
established order. Values range from zero in streams with no invertebrate life to ten for a
diverse fauna dominated by stonefly and mayfly nymphs. The taxonomic code is that of
Maitland (1977).
Equiv site in Durham code km from
Site Name Say et al (in press) stream/ reach Grid ref reservoir Survey
18
River Ether ow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution
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River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution
19
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20
River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution
TABLE 3
Long-term changes in 5-day BOD
(Biochemical Oxygen Demand) and zinc pollution
BOD (mg l ~l) at Etherow site 8
year
n
X
year
n
X
year
n
X
1953
3
15.5
1962
4
40.1
1971
7
6.1
1954
4
20.5
1963
4
30.9
1972
6
4.5
1955
4
30.3
1964
6
13.0
1973
5
2.6
1956
4
20.9
1965
5
10.4
1974
7
4.4
1957
4
29.9
1966
7
5.9
1975
5
4.2
1958
4
23.1
1967
6
4.3
1976
6
3.8
1959
4
18.6
1968
6
4.2
1977
6
3.2
1960
4
37.1
1969
6
4.8
1978
6
2.8
1961
4
27.8
1970
5
5.1
1979
6
4.5
Zn in unfiltered water (mg l~l)
Etherow site 8 Zn-rich tributary
year
n x
n
X
1975
1 0.35
1
72.9
1976
16 0.41
21
51.8
1977
3 0.37
10
32.5
1978
8 0.25
8
34.1
1979
6 0.31
8
17.6
Fish
The occurrence of fish at five sites (3, 4, 6, 8, 9) was investigated by electrofishing on
3.7.79. At each site 50 m of river was fished using a 240v DC Erskine generator by wading
upstream between two stop nets or between a stop net and a natural barrier such as a weir.
Results and Discussion
Chemistry
The results of the July 1979 — January 1980 surveys are summarized in Table 2. Immediately
downstream of Bottoms Reservoir the water is very soft, reflecting the peaty nature of the
drainage area upstream of the reservoirs. Levels of alkalinity, calcium, nitrate, and
phosphate rise at site 2, reflecting the influence of the first small sewage treatment works. At
site 3 the main change is a marked increase in zinc due to the entry of water contaminated by
the paper processing factory. Downstream of site 3 the river passes the urbanized area of
Glossop drained by Glossop Brook and this, together with the effluent from a small sewage
works, brings about further increase in alkalinity, calcium, nitrate, and phosphate, but a
decrease in zinc due to dilution. This pattern continues downstream towards Compstall (site
8) with the entry of effluents from Glossop STW and two minor sewage works.
River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution 21
TABLE 4
List of algae and one lichen recorded as at least ‘occasional’
(see Methods) at sites I- VI on 24.7.79
Code
Taxon
Site
1
2
3
5
6
020200
Batrachospermum sp.
+
+
210332
Closterium rostratum Ehr.
+
+
210300
Closterium sp.
+
+
210432
Cosmarium punctulatum Breb.
+
+
210400
Cosmarium sp.
+
+
210601
Cylindrocystis brebissonii Menegh.
+
+
122201
Frustulia rhomboides (Ehr.) de Toni
+
+
not var. saxonica
172194
Microspora sp. > 12 < 16 pm
+
+
211593
Mougeotia sp. > 8-^ 12 pm
+
+
122700
Navicula sp.
+
+
180293
Oedogonium sp. > 8 < 12 pm
+
+
013200
Oscillatoria amphigranulata van Goor
+
+
211900
Penium cruciferum (de Bary) Wittrock
+
+
124002
Tabellaria flocculosa (Roth) Kiitz.
+
+
173403
Ulothrix moniliformis Kiitz.
+
+
173492
Ulothrix sp. > 4< 8 pm
+
+
210400
Cosmarium pseudarctoum Nordst.
+
+
+
122002
Eunotia exigua (Breb.) Grun.
+
+
+
013601
Pseudanabaena catenata Lauterborn
+
+
+
012303
Homoeothrix varians Geitler
+
+
+
+
212614
Staurastrum punctulatum Breb.
+
+
+
+
123300
Pinnularia subcapitata Gregory
+
+
+
+
122103
Fragilaria construens (Ehr.) Grun
+
+
150501
Chlamydocapsa ampla (Kiitz.) Fott
+
122102
Fragilaria capucina Desmazieres
+
+
123315
Pinnularia viridis (Nitzsch.) Ehr.
+
+
120100
Achnanthes sp.
+
+
+
010706
Chamaesiphon polymorphus Geitler
+
+
+
123315
Pinnularia viridis (Nitzsch.) Ehr.
+
+
+
121503
Diatoma hiemale (Lyngbye) Heiberg
var. mesodon (Ehr.) Grun.
+
+
121324
Cymbella ventricosa Kiitz.
+
+
+
22 River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution
TABLE 4 (continued)
Code
Taxon
Site
2 3
5
6
9
122312
Gomphonema parvulum (Kiitz.)Grun.
+
+
+
+
123013
Nitzschia palea (Kiitz.) W. Smith
+
+
+
+
013301
Phormidium autumnale (Ag.) Gomont
+
+
+
+
123804
Surirella ovata Kiitz.
+
+
+
+
091406
Vaucheria sessilis (Vaucher) DC
+
+
+
+
313001
Verrucaria aquatilis agg.
+
+
+
+
122007
Eunotia tenella (Grun.) Hustedt
+
+
122700
Navicula cryptocephala Kiitz. var. veneta
(Kiitz.) Grun.
+
+
173205
Stigeoclonium tenue Kiitz.
+
+
120114
Achnanthes minutissima Kiitz.
+
+
+
122721
Navicula radiosa Kiitz. (not var. tenella)
+
+
+
122728
Navicula viridula Kiitz.
+
+
+
123908
Synedra ulna (Nitzsch.) Ehr.
+
+
+
120701
Lemanea fluviatilis (L.) Ag.
+
+
123310
Pinnularia mesolepta (Ehr.) W. Smith
+
+
120110
Achnanthes lanceolata (Breb.) Grun.
+
010704
Chamaesiphon incrustans Grun. in
Rabenhorst
+
190103
Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kiitz.
+
121102
Cocconeis placentula Ehr. (not var.
euglypta)
+
122202
Frustuiia rhomboides (Ehr.) de Toni var.
+
saxonica
110609
Melosira varians Ag.
+
172101
Microspora amoena (Kiitz.) Lagerh.
+
122711
Navicula gracilis Ehr.
+
123006
Nitzschia dissipata (Kiitz.) Grun.
+
123012
Nitzschia linearis W. Smith
+
012401
Hydrococcus cestatii Rabenhorst
+
012402
Hydrococcus rivularis Kiitz.
+
180297
Oedogonium sp. > 36 pm
+
An indication of the major changes in organic pollution which have taken place in the river
since the 1950s is provided by measurements of five-day BOD at site 8 (Table 3). Before 1963
very high BOD values (>20 mg 1_1) were frequent. By 1966 the factory closures mentioned
above caused a marked reduction in BOD. The data suggest that there may have been a still
further reduction in BOD following the diversion of the last organic industrial effluent to
Glossop STW in 1973. The results are not however so clear-cut, perhaps due to interference
with the BOD assay by the high level of zinc present.
River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution 23
TABLE 5
List of macrophytes found in 0.5 km lengths of river near seven sites during 1978
(recorded on 1-5 scale: see Methods), and additional records in late summer 1979 (indicated by +)
Code
Species
Site
1
2
3
4
6
7
9
abundance scale
383005
Juncus bufonius L.
1
326601
Racomitrium aciculare (Hedw.) Brid.
1
366909
Ranunculus omiophyllus Ten.
1
384602
Sparganium emersum Rehman
1
1
2
384603
Sparganium erectum L.
1
1
1
1
383302
Lemna minor L.
1
1
1
345410
Scapania undulata Dum.
1
1
382502
Glyceria fluitans (L.) R. Br.
3
2
1
1
361100
Callitriche sp. (p).
3
3
4
1
323905
Hygrohypnum ochraceum (Turn.
2
1
1
1
1
ex Wils.) Loeske
323402
Fontinalis squamosa Hedw.
5
2
1
1
1
1
2
383001
Juncus acutiflorus Hoffm.
1
1
1
1
1
1
383010
Juncus effusus L.
1
1
1
1
1
1
383701
Phalaris arundinacea L.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
323401
Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw.
1
4
3
3
180200
Oedogonium sp.
3
091406
Vaucheria sessilis (Vaucher)
5
5
362504
Epilobium hirsutum L.
1
1
326902
Rhynchostegium riparioides
4
4
5
5
4
5
(Hedw.) C. Jens.
020701
Lemanea fluviatilis (L.) Ag.
1
1
1
365100
Myosotis scorpioides L.
1
173205
Stigeoclonium tenue Kiitz.
1
384002
Potamogeton alpinus Balbis
+
2
1
364801
Mimulus guttatus DC
1
366907
Ranunculus hederaceus
1
382101
Elodea canadensis Michx.
1
366201
Petasites hybridus (L.) Gaertn.,
1
1
Mey and Scherb.
367103
Rorippa islandica (Oeder) Borbas
1
1
320303
Amblystegium riparium (Hedw.)
1
2
1
Br. Eur.
380303
Alisma plantago-aquatica
1
190103
Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kiitz.
+
5
2
382901
Iris pseudacorus L.
1
366501
Polygonium amphibium L.
+
24 River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution
A less detailed historical picture is available for zinc (Table 3). However, since the factory
from which the zinc originates has treated paper in the same way (with zinc chloride) and has
stored its effluent in the same lagoons since at least 1920, it seems likely that inputs of the
metal to the river remained fairly constant until about 1975.
Algae
A list of algae is shown in Table 4. As the survey was restricted to a single day (following an
extended period of low river flow), it is difficult to comment in detail. The fifty-nine taxa
recorded (as frequent, abundant or very abundant) showed an obvious downstream
zonation, with sixteen taxa at sites 1 and 2 only and thirteen taxa at site 9 only. Attached
filamentous algae formed the most abundant visible algal growths at all six sites, thoughtthe
dominant species changed downstream. Microspora sp. was the most abundant algae at sites
1 and 2 but absent elsewhere. A surprising feature was the restriction of Cladophora to the
lowermost part of the river, a distribution confirmed both in the macrophyte survey (Table 5)
and general observations by the authors. It seems very likely that this is due to the influence
of zinc at sites 3 and 4. Cladophora is often very sensitive to zinc pollution, though the
presence of high aqueous levels of phosphate can markedly reduce its sensitivity (Whitton,
1980). As abundant growths did occur at site 7 where average levels of zinc are about half
those at site 4 (Table 2), it seems that aqueous levels of zinc in the middle stretches of the
Etherow are usually just above the limits of tolerance of this algae. Further reductions in zinc
inputs to the river may therefore lead to large increases in Cladophora. Oedogonium sp.
>36 pm is another species which, though of much lesser importance, may show a similar
response to Cladophora.
Macrophytes
The occurrence and estimated relative abundance of all macrophytes recorded in 0.5 km
lengths at seven sites are shown in Table 5. Althogh submerged or emergent angiosperms
were recorded at all sites, the vegetation was in all cases dominated by attached filamentous
algae (Vaucheria, Cladophora) or by submerged bryophytes. This is probably due largely to
the rocky nature of the river bed and the relatively fast current speeds at most sites, but it is
also possible that rooted aquatic macrophytes have not yet realized their full potential range
of distribution within the river. A downstream zonation of macrophytes was apparent and
several species showed clearly defined ranges of occurrence. This zonation is illustrated most
clearly by the seven submerged bryophytes. Two species, Scapania undulata and
Racomitrium aciculare, were confined almost exclusively to site 1 upstream of any inputs of
treated sewage. The relative abundance of both Fontinalis squamosa and Hygrohypnum
ochraceum was also greater at site 1 than further downstream. In contrast, Rhynchostegium
riparioides was absent from site 1, but appeared as abundant growths immediately
downstream of the small sewage effluent between sites 1 and 2; it was the most abundant
bryophyte at all sites downstream of site 2. With the exception of a single plant noted at site
1, Fontinalis antipyretica was recorded only at sites downstream of the entry of Glossop
Brook. Similarly, Amblystegium riparium, a species noted for its tolerance of organic
pollution and preference for high nutrient levels (Holmes and Whitton, 1975) was recorded
only at sites downstream of the effluent from Glossop STW.
Invertebrates
The results of twenty-five routine surveys of invertebrates carried out at sites 4 and 8 between
June 1969 and February 1980 are summarized in Tables 6 and 7, together with values of
Trent Biotic Index (TBI) for each sample. At site 4 ‘sewage-fungus’ was present until
September 1971 and the fauna usually consisted solely of tub.ificid worms and chironomid.
larvae. The cessation of organic discharges to the river upstream of the site brought about a
marked change in the invertebrate fauna between September and November 1971, with three
taxa ( Baetis , Rhyacophila and Polycentropidae) being recorded for the first time and values
TABLE 6
Records of Trent Biotic Index and the occurrence of ‘sewage-fungus’ and invertebrates at site 4 between 1969 and 1980.
Invertebrates are recorded on a scale of increasing abundance from 1 to 6.
River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution
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Invertebrates are recorded on a scale of increasing abundance from 1 to 6.
26
08 TIZ
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River Ether ow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution
River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution 27
of TBI increasing from 2 to 5. With the exception of a single ‘poor’ sample (TBI = 1) caused
by short-term pollution, values of TBI have remained reasonably steady since then, with a
population of Baetis sp(p). becoming established and a reduction in the abundance of
tubificid worms and chironomid larvae.
At site 8 values of TBI fell within the range 4-7 on all occasions. This indicates that by
1969 organic pollution had already decreased significantly at the site, with the effects of the
organic input which affected the fauna at site 4 between 1969 and 1971 being reduced by
downstream dilution and self-purification. However, the sudden appearance of Simuliidae in
1974 (recorded at abundance 3 in almost all subsequent routine surveys) suggests that a
significant change took place during early 1974. As the larvae of Simuliidae are filter feeders,
the most likely explanation is that some change took place in the abundance or nature of
suspended solids in the river water. This may have been brought about by changes in inputs
from Glossop STW following the completion of extensions in 1973.
The results of an intensive survey of the distribution of invertebrates at seven sites on
27-28 June 1979 are shown in Table 8. Samples were collected after a period of low river
flows when downstream drift of invertebrates would be at a minimum, and the results
probably give a good indication of stable species distribution along the river. Although values
for TBI were quite similar (6-9) at most of the sites, a few species showed quite clearly
defined patterns of distribution which can be attributed to the effects of known inputs. For
example, nymphs of the stoneflies Amphinemura sulcicollis and Leuctra hippopus and the
caddis larva Polycentropus kingii were restricted almost entirely to sites upstream of the
effluent from Glossop STW, whilst Asellus aquaticus, Ephemerella ignita and larvae of
Simuliidae were recorded only at sites downstream of the effluent. Nymphs of the mayfly
Baetis vernus were captured at all of the sites, being joined by nymphs of B. rhodani
downstream of site 3. Records held by the NWWA indicate that B. vernus (like Ephemerella
ignita) is usually recorded as a nymph in the summer only, and, in fact since records began in
1969 Baetis nymphs (presumably B. vernus) at site 1 have only been noted between June and
November.
The absence of the crustacean Gammarus pulex from all of the sites sampled is a striking
feature of the survey. In fact only one specimen of G. pulex has ever been recorded from the
Etherow (site 6; 17.10.79) confirming Holland’s (1976) observation that the species is sparse
in, or absent from, several apparently suitable rivers in the southern NWWA area. No
obvious explanation for this is apparent, although no detailed attempt has yet been made to
correlate the distribution of riverine G. pulex with physical or chemical environmental
variables.
Fish
Few detailed historical data are available concerning the distribution of fish in the Etherow.
Records kept by the NWWA suggest that, with the possible exception of sticklebacks, fish
were absent downstream of site 2 during the period when the river was affected by severe
organic pollution. The unpolluted stretch of the river between Bottoms Reservoir and the
input of zinc at 1.4 km has been stocked by anglers with brown and rainbow trout since at
least 1970, and resident breeding populations of brown trout, perch, minnows, and stickle-
backs are known to be present in this part of the river. During the 1970s occasional trout
have been captured by anglers as far downstream as site 4, but the infrequent nature of such
captures and the occurrence of several minor fish mortalities near site 3 suggest that fish
were unable to survive for long downstream of the input of zinc.
The results of the electrofishing survey of five sites along the river (Table 9) suggest that
the distribution of fish was relatively unchanged in 1979. The one trout and two perch
recorded at site 3 may well have moved down from the angling club’s waters near site 2 and
apart from occasional sticklebacks the river appeared to be fishless between sites 4 and 7.
Breeding populations of gudgeon and sticklebacks were however present downstream of the
weir at site 9, but there was no evidence of several thousand dace which had been taken from
the River Eden (Cumbria) and stocked at the site in 1978.
28
River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution
TABLE 8
List of invertebrates found at seven sites on 27-28 June 1979,
together with values of Trent Biotic Index for each sample
Site
1
2
3
4
6
7
8
Trent Biotic Index
9
7
9
6
9
7
7
Code Taxon
38030303 Polycentropus kingii McLachlan
2
2
1
1
38080000 Limnephilidae
1
1
31020202 Amphinemura sulcicollis (Stephen)
3
2
2
1
40090000 Chironomidae, red, thummi type
1
1
1
19010000 Hydracarina
2
2
2
1
2
40013500 Dicranota sp.
2
2
1
16030000 Tubificidae
3
2
1
3
2
2
35030703 Potamonectes depressus elegans
1
1
(Fabricius)
31030103 Leuctra hippopus (Kempny)
2
1
1
38010101 Rhyacophila dorsalis (Curtis)
2
2
2
3
2
2
40090000 Chironomidae, not thummi type
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
35030802 Oreodytes sanmarki
3
1
2
1
1
1
2
30020103 Baetis vernus (Curtis)
2
3
3
2
4
3
1
17020302 Glossiphonia complanata (L.)
1
31020401 Nemoura cinerea (Retzius)
1
16020000 Naididae
1
2
2
18080000 Ceratopogonidae
1
1
31070101 Chloroperla torrentium (Pictet)
1
30020105 Baetis rhodani (Pictet)
1
2
1
1
17040102 Erpobdella octoculata (L.)
1
1
28030101 Asellus aquaticus { L.)
2
3
3
30050101 Ephemerella ignita (Poda)
3
2
3
40150000 Simuliidae
2
2
3
16060000 Lumbriculidae
1
1
General comments
During the period covered by this account the Etherow has been affected by two major types
of pollution, organic pollution from industrial effluents and sewage and pollution by zinc.
Although it is impossible to separate their effects entirely or to assess the importance of other
environmental or chemical factors, the present data allow a few comments to be made on the
different effects of these two types of pollution on algae, macrophytes, invertebrates, and
fish.
The data summarized in Table 3 show that organic pollution in the Etherow has decreased
markedly during the last twenty years. Although the only historical data available on
biological composition are records of invertebrate occurrence kept since 1969 these alone
River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution 29
TABLE 9
Results of electro-fishing survey, 2—3 July 1979
Site
Typical
depth
(m)
Width
(m)
Length
surveyed
(m)
Fish
caught
3
0. 5-1.0
7
50
2
brown trout
perch
4
p
In
1
o
7
50
1
stickleback
(seen)
6
0. 2-1.0
10
50
0
(none seen)
7
0.2-0.75
10
50
0
(none seen)
9
0.2-1. 5
15
50
13
20
gudgeon
stickleback
Glossop Brook
0.2-0.75
6
50
1
stickleback
illustrate the marked biological changes that must have followed the reduction of pollution
loads. As pollution decreased at site 4 between 1969 and 1971, a clear change in community
structure from a fauna dominated by tubificid worms and chironomid larvae to one
dominated by mayfly nymphs took place. Changes such as these have frequently been
observed following a reduction in organic pollution (eg Hellawell, 1978) and are often
summarized by the use of indices such as the Trent Biotic Index used here. The increase in
values of TBI at site 4 between 1969 and 1980 provides a good illustration. A further example
of the effects of slight pollution by sewage is seen in the succession from an invertebrate
fauna dominated by stonefly nymphs (TBI = 9) at site 1 to one dominated by Baetis spp. and
Asellus aquaticus (TBI = 6 - 7) on passing down the river.
No information is available on the response of plants to changes in organic pollution since
1969. However, it seems probable that communities of algae and bryophytes changed quickly
in response to reductions in organic pollution. In the River Douglas (Greater Manchester)
Cladophora, Amblystegium and Rhynchostegium , three of the macrophytes also present in
the Etherow, spread into the lower reaches within six months of the cessation of discharges
from a textile treatment factory (Harding, 1980). Since rooted plants are less easily dispersed
and take longer to become established, it seems possible that the angiosperms noted in the
lower part of the river (Table 5) have been established for only a relatively short period.
Indeed, data on macrophytes in adjoining rivers indicate that the vegetation of the Etherow
may change further in future years as species already present extend their ranges or new
species become introduced. Several angiosperms (eg Potamogeton crispus, P. natans,
P. pectinatus, Ranunculus fluitans ) are abundant in the nearby rivers (eg Tame, Goyt) but
absent from the Etherow (Harding, 1979), despite similarities in river flow, substrate type
and water quality.
Although less information is available on pollution by zinc than by organic material, it
seems likely that the level of zinc entering the Etherow upstream of site 3 has remained
relatively constant over a long period. However, the present distributions of plants and
animals give few indications of the toxic effects of zinc. For example, although submerged
bryophytes showed a clear zonation down the river (Table 5), none of the observed changes
occurred in the first length influenced by high levels of zinc. In fact, the absence of
Cladophora from a long stretch of the river appears to be the only obvious sign of the toxic
effects of zinc on plants. This alga is almost always present in nutrient-enriched flowing
waters, and in fact dominates the vegetation along most of the River Tame, a neighbouring
30 River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution
Mersey tributary (Harding, 1979). It seems likely that Cladophora will spread upstream
following anticipated further reductions in levels of zinc.
Of all the organisms considered, fish appear to have suffered most from the effects of
pollution in the Etherow. There was every reason to believe that coarse fish and trout would
colonize the river following the reduction in levels of organic material, but levels of zinc
between sites 3 and 7 were clearly too high to allow such a spread to occur. Figures given by
Alabaster and Lloyd (1980) indicate that river water with hardness similar to that of the
lower reaches of the Etherow should be able to support permanent populations of coarse fish
and salmonids when Zn concentrations are less than about 0.7 and 0.2 mg 1_1 respectively.
The present data are in close agreement with these figures, with coarse fish being present,
but trout absent, at a zinc concentration of c0.25 mg l-1 at site 9. Since zinc appears to be the
main poison affecting the present distribution of fish in the river, it seems likely that the next
stage in the biological recovery of the Etherow will be a marked spread of coarse fish and
trout as levels of zinc decrease during the next few years.
Summary
An account is given of surveys of the chemistry, algae, macrophytes, invertebrates and fish in
the Etherow, a fast-flowing river in the Mersey catchment with a long history of pollution.
The river underwent considerable chemical changes between 1953 and 1973 as factory
closures and the control of effluent quality caused a steady decrease in organic pollution. The
level of zinc from a small tributary carrying very high levels of this metal has also started to
decrease since about 1975. Marked biological changes have probably taken place as a result
of the decreased organic pollution, although the only ones which are well documented are for
decreases in ‘sewage-fungus’ and changes in invertebrate composition such as a reduced
abundance of tubificid worms and chironomid larvae and the establishment of populations
of Baetis spp. Despite the decrease in organic pollution, fish have been unable to colonize
much of the river, probably due to the zinc pollution.
Acknowledgements
Much of the information presented in this account was obtained from chemical and
biological records held by the North West Water Authority Rivers Division. The authors are
most grateful to those NWWA staff who provided assistance during the preparation of this
account, in particular R. G. Chambers, D. G. Holland, S. C. Lever, A. D. Parkinson, S. H.
Taylor, and B. Williams. Part of the research was carried out under Contract DGR/480/571
(‘Bryophytes for monitoring river water quality’) from the Department of the Environment to
the University of Durham. The authors are grateful for the help of D. of E. staff, especially
R. Abel, R. H. Aram, R. B. Bussell, R. K. Chesters, J. C. Rodda, and J. M. Way. J. D.
Wehr (Durham) gave much help with the collection of field samples and N. T. H. Holmes
(Nature Conservancy Council, Huntingdon) confirmed the identification of some flowering
plants.
References
Alabaster, J. S. and Lloyd, R. (1980) Water Quality Criteria for Freshwater Fish. Butter-
worths, London.
Barber, W. (1969 ) Brief History and Guide of the Village of Tintwistle.
Bromehead, C. E. N., Edwards, W., Wray, D. A., and Stephens, J. V. (1933). The Geology
of the Country around Holmforth and Glossop. Memoirs of the Geological Survey
England and Wales.
Harding, J. P. C. (1979) River Macrophytes of the Mersey and Ribble Basins Summer
1978. North West Water Authority Rivers Division, Ref No TS-BS-79-1.
Harding, J. P. C. (1980) Changes in Macrophyte growths in the River Douglas following
Improvements in Water Quality Tech Report NWWA (Rivers Division) TS-BS-80-1.
River Etherow: Plants and Animals of a River Recovering from Pollution 31
Hellawell, J. M. (1978) Biological Surveillance of Rivers. Water Research Centre, Med-
menham.
Holland, D. G. (1976) The distribution of the freshwater Malacostraca in the area of the
Mersey and Weaver River Authority. Freshwater Biol. 6: 275—6.
Holmes, N. T. H. and Whitton, B. A. (1975) Macrophytes of the River Tweed. Trans. Bot.
Soc. Edinb. 42: 369-81.
Holmes, N. T. H. and Whitton, B. A. (1977) The macrophytic vegetation of the River Tees
in 1975: observed and predicted changes. Freshwater Biol . 7: 43-60.
Holmes, N. T. H. and Whitton, B. A. (1981) Phytobenthos of the River Tees and its
tributaries. Freshwater Biol. (In press.)
Holmes, N. T. H., Whitton, B. A. and Hargreaves, J. W. (1979) A Coded List of Freshwater
Macrophytes of the British Isles. Lichens — Bryophytes — Vascular Plants. Water
Archive Manual Series, No. 4. Department of the Environment, Reading.
Maitland, P. S. (1977) A Coded Checklist of Animals Occurring in Fresh Water in the
British Isles. Natural Environment Research Council, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology,
Edinburgh.
Palmer, W. T. (1950) The River Mersey. Gilmour & Dean, Glasgow.
Pearson, S. (1939) The Mersey and Irwell basin. Royal Engineers Journal (March).
Say, P. J., Harding, J. P. C. and Whitton, B. A. (In press.) Aquatic mosses as monitors of
heavy metal contamination in the River Etherow, England. Environ. Pollut.
Whitton, B. A. (1980) Zinc and plants in rivers and streams. In Zinc in the Environment:
Part II Health Effects. Ed. Nriagu, J. O. Pp 364-400. John Wiley, Chichester.
Whitton, B. A., Holmes, N. T. H. and Sinclair, C. (1978) A Coded List of 1000 Freshwater
Algae of the British Isles. Water Archive Manual Series No. 3. Department of the
Environment, Reading.
Woodiwiss, F. S. (1964) The biological system of stream classification used by the Trent
River Board. Chem. Ind. 11: 443-7.
BOTANICAL REPORTS FOR 1978 AND 1979
FLO WERING PLANTS AND FERNS
The recorders wish to thank all those who have contributed to these reports. The species
included are those which are new to the 10 km grid-square and are recorded in the Atlas of
the British Flora for fewer than ten 10 km squares in the vice-county, except in the case of
VC 63 where some additional species are of relevance to the check list of 1970 onwards.
The figures indicate 10 km squares. * New vice-county record.
In each vice-county list, the names of contributors are given the first time each occurs and
thereafter initials are used.
1978
EAST YORKSHIRE (VC 61) (Miss E. Crackles)
There is one new vice-county record, Azolla filiculoides being found in a pond at Heming-
borough by J.and H. Flint. Mr Chicken’s record for Petasites hybridus at Foston on the
Wolds is of great interest, being the first VC 61 record for female plants of this species.
The occurrence of Lepidium latifolium on recently disturbed sites in Hull is thought to be
due to the germination of dormant seeds; the only previous records for the East Riding are
for the Hull docks at the beginning of the century and in 1974 when archaeologists
discovered seeds in a fourth-century watercourse in Sewer Lane, Hull!
There are new records at Spurn resulting from the floods early in the year, notably for
Glaucium flavum, the only previous vice-county record being for Hornsea at the end of the
eighteenth century by Robert Teesdale.
Naturalist 106(1981)
32 Botanical Reports for 1978 and 1979
Other notable records are for species rarely recorded in the area: Petroselinum segetum ,
Kickxia elatine and Silene maritima.
The occurrence of the reddish-purple form of Antirrhinum majus on an old wall at
Beverley has apparently gone unrecorded possibly for centuries.
Polypodium vulgare L. In sand dunes, Spurn, 54/41; E. Crackles.
* Azolla filiculoides Lam. Hemingborough, 44/63, H. and J. Flint.
Clematis vitalba L. Disused railway station, Swine, 54/ 13; E.C.
Ranunculus sardous Crantz Near Broomfleet, 44/82, J. Robertson, conf R. J. Pankhurst,
B.M. (Nat. Hist.).
Papaver argemone L. Near Broomfleet, 44/82; J.R.
Glaucium flavum Crantz Spurn, 54/41; B. Spence, comm. E.C.
Lepidium campestre (L.) R. Br. Foston on the Wolds, 54/05; E. Chicken.
Lepidium latifolium L. Clifton Street, Hull, 54/02, Bridlington Avenue, Hull, 54/02 and
54/03 and filled-in drain, Witham, Hull, 54/12; E.C.
Cochlearia officinalis L. River side, Faxfleet, 44/82; YNU Excursion.
Barbarea stricta Andrz. Market Weighton Canal and river bank, near Broomfleet, 44/82;
YNU Excursion.
Silene maritima With. Spurn, 54/41; J. Cudworth and E.C.
Atriplex longipes x prostrata nm. kattegatense Turess. Barmston, 54/15.
Saxifraga tridactylites L. Airfield, Holme upon Spalding Moor, 44/83; A. Peacock.
Petroselinum segetum (L.) Koch Side of drain, Fosham, 1976; E. Matthews comm. E.C.
Pimpinella major (L.) Huds. Spring Head sidings, 54/02; E.C.
Atropa belladonna L. Frequent, disused railway, N. Cave, 44/83; E. Wear.
Hyoscyamus niger L. Waste ground, Clifton Street, Hull, 54/02; E.C. Spurn, 54/41;
B. Spence and B. Pashby.
Linaria repens (L.) Mill. Established on railway embankment, Fountain Road, Hull,
54/03; E.C.
Kickxia elatine (L.) Dumort. Swindale, 1977, 44/93; E.W.
Viburnum lantana L. Wauldby, 44/93; E.C.
Petasites hybridus (L.) Gaertn. Mey. & Scherb. Female plants, Foston on the Wolds,
54/05; E.Ch.
Inula conyza DC. Great Gutter Lane, near Melton Woods, 44/92; E.W.
Gnaphalium uliginosum L. Spurn, 54/41; E.C.
Crepis biennis L. Alfred Gelder Street, Hull, 54/12 and Faxfleet, 44/82; E.C.
Triglochin maritima L. Riverside, Faxfleet, 44/82; YNU Excursion.
Antirrhinum majus L. A form with reddish-purple flowers on an old wall, Walkergate,
Beverley, described by old inhabitants as having ‘always’ been there, 54/03; E. Hall,
comm. E.C.
Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Druce) Soo x D. incarnata (L.) Soo Top Hill Lowe, 54/04,
E. Cooper and E.C.
Festuca arundinacea x Lolium perenne = x Festulolium holmbergii (Dorfl.) P. Fourn. Top
Hill Lowe, 54/04; E.C.
NORTH-EAST YORKSHIRE (VC 62) T. F. Medd)
Ceratophyllum demersum L. R. Foss, York; Mrs E. Bray.
Fumaria capreolata L. Hayburn Wyke 54/09; YNU Excursion.
Stellaria neglecta Weihe Dalehouse 45/71; G. Simpson.
Rhamnus catharticus L. Easingwold 44/56; TFM.
Salix aurita L. xcinerea L. (S xmultinervis) Easingwold 44/56; T.F.M.
Dactylorhiza fuchsia (Druce) Soo x traunsteineri (Sauter) Soo ( D . x kellerana) Near
Helmsley (second VC record) D. J. Tennant det R. H. Roberts.
X Festulolium loliaceum (Huds.) P. Fourn. (Festuca pratensis x Lolium perenne) River-
side, Malton 44/77; T.F.M.
Bromus erectus Huds. Strensall Common 44/66; T.F.M.
33
Botanical Reports for 1978 and 1979
SOUTH-WEST YORKSHIRE (VC 63) (D. R. Grant)
Phyllitis scolopendrium (L.) Newm. Bradley 44/12; B. and J. Lucas.
Dryopteris borreri Newm. Ogden 44/03; T. Schofield.
Polystichum setiferum (Forsk.) Woynar Stannington 43/38; C. B. Waite.
Corydalis claviculata (L.) DC. Blaxton 44/60; E. Thompson.
Arenaria serpyllifolia L. Greenfield Valley 44/60; F. Murgatroyd.
Ulexgallii Planch. Near Darton 44/31; D.R.G.
Astragalus glycyphyllos L. Near Castleford 44/42; R. F. Dickens.
Crataegus oxyacanthoides Thuill. Thorne 44/61 ; E.T.
Chrysosplenium alternifolium L. Broughton Hall Estate 34/95; YNU Bryol Excursion.
Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Shafton 44/31; D.R.G.
Bryonia dioica Jacq. Woolley 44/31; E. Lucas.
Carpinus betulus L. Deepcar 43/29; T.S.
Populus tremula L. Netherton 44/21; C. Braham.
Blackstonia perfoliata (L.) Huds. Near Castleford 44/42; I. Instone.
Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort. Broughton Hall Estate 34/95; YNU Bryol Excursion.
St achy s palustris L. Centre of Castleford 44/42; A. Pearson.
Galium verum L. Hessle Common, Ackworth 44/41; D.R.G.
Hieracium diaphanum Fr. Netherton 44/21; D.R.G., det C. E. A. Andrews.
H. perpropinquum (Zahn) Druce Anston Stones 43/58; D.R.G., det C.E.A.A.
Alisma lanceolatum With. Centre of Castleford 44/42; D.R.G.
Potamogeton perfoliatus L. Armley 44/23; L. Magee.
Carex lepidocarpa Tausch Near Haworth 44/03; T.S.
C. pendula Huds. Deepcar 43/29; C.B. W.
Melica nutans L. Hardcastle Crags 34/92; F.M.
Hordelymus europaens (L.) Harz Wilsic, Doncaster 34/59; D.R.G.
Apera spica-venti (L.) Beauv. Blaxton 44/60; E.T.
MID-WEST YORKSHIRE (VC64)(J. R. Hickson)
Polypodium taxa confirmed by R. H. Roberts.
P. australe Fee On cliff, Southerscales, Chapel-le-dale 34/77; F. J. Roberts.
P. australe Fee x P. vulgare L. On cliff, Southerscales, Chapel-le-Dale 34/77; F. J.
Roberts.
*P. australe Fee x P. interjectum Shivas On cliff near Victoria Cave, Settle 34/86; F. J.R.
P. interjectum Shivas On cliff, Southerscales, Chapel-le-dale 34/77; F.J.R.
P. interjectum Shivas xP. vulgare L. On cliff, Southerscales, Chapel-le-Dale 34/77; F.J.R.
Ranunculus fluitans Lam. R. Aire, Armley 44/23: L. Magee.
Hornungia petraea (L.) Reichb. E. face of Pen-y-ghent 34/87; F. R. Halmshaw, seen there
and reported by F.J.R.
Ulexgallii Planch. Rigton High Moor, near Beckwithshaw 44/25; Mrs. F. Houseman.
Rubus spp. determined by A. Newton:
R. sciocharis Sudre Near Robin Hole, Burley-in-Wharfedale 44/14; F.Ho.
R. eboracensis W. C. R. Wats. Langbar Road, Beamsley 44/05; F. Ho.
R. warrenii Sudre Beamsley Lane, Nesfield 44/04; F. Ho.
R. procerus P. J. Muell. Langbar Road, Beamsley 44/05; F. Ho.
R. echinatoides (Rogers) Sudre Beamsley Lane, Nesfield 44/04; F.Ho.
R. infestus Weihe ex Boenn. Near Robin Hole, Burley-in-Wharfedale 44/14; F.Ho.
Myriophyllum alterniflorum DC. Lindley Goit 44/24; Mrs J. E. Duncan; Yeadon Tarn
44/24; L. Magee.
Cynoglossum officinale L. Near Drax 44/62; D. R. Grant and T. Schofield, 1977.
Limosella aquatica L. On exposed bed of Stocks Reservoir, Bowland 34/75; P. Jepson.
Mentha x piperita L. var. citrata (Ehrh.) Briq. Bowers Row, near Swillington 44/32; L.Ma.
Sherardia arvensis L. Top of Malham Cove 34/86; F.J.R.
Juncus filiformis L. On exposed bed of Stocks Reservoir, Bowland 34/75; P. Jepson.
Epipactis atrorubens (Hoffm.) Schult. Near Ledsham 44/42; Castleford Nats.
34 Botanical Reports for 1 978 and 1979
*Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soo x Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R.Br. Ribblehead 34/77;
D. J. Tennant, conf R. H. Roberts.
D. fuchsii (Druce) Soo x D. traunsteineri (Sauter) Soo Second site in Upper Wharfedale
34/96; D.J.T., conf R.H.R.
*D. maculata (L.) Soo subsp. ericetorum (E. F. Linton) Hunt & Summerh. x D. traunsteineri
(Sauter) Soo Upper Wharfedale 34/96; D.J.T., 1976 and 1978, conf R.H.R.
*D. incarnata (L.) Soo subsp. incarnata xD. traunsteineri (Sauter) Soo Upper Wharfedale
34/96; D.J.T., 1977 and 1978, det R.H.R.
Lemna gibba L. Stub Wood, Acaster Malbis 44/54; T. F. Medd.
Eriophorum latifolium Hoppe Two sites between Snell Holme Bridge and R. Ribble, Helli-
field 34/85; YNU Excursion; Near Beckermonds, Langstrothdale 34/88; D.J.T.
Scirpus sylvaticus L. Bank of R. Ribble, Long Preston 34/85; YNU Excursion.
Schoenus nigricans L. Marsh near Carr House, Mickley 44/27; D.J.T.
Carex muricata L. subsp. muricata Upper Ribblesdale 34/77; seen by R. W. David in site
where found by F.J.R. in 1974. Only other confirmed British station is at Nympsfield in
Glos.
Alopecurus aequalis Sobol. On exposed bed of Stocks Reservoir, Bowland 34/75 D.R.G.
and T.Sc., also P. Jepson.
NORTH-WEST YORKSHIRE (VC 65) (T. F. Medd)
Selaginella selaginoides (L.) Link Addlebrough 34/98; YNU Excursion.
Asplenium adiantum-nigrum L. Middleham Castle 44/18; T.F.M.
Nymphaea alba L. Great Langton on Swale 44/29; Mrs F. Houseman.
Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm. Great Langton 44/29; F.H.
Agrimonia procera Wallr. Masham 44/28; F.H.
Chrysosplenium alternifolium L. Whitfield Gill, Wensleydale 34/99; D. J. Tennant.
Hippuris vulgaris L. Great Langton 44/29; F.H.
Meum athamanticum Jacq. Four localities near Sedburgh; C. Steel and K. Kirby.
Polygonum viviparum L. Whitfield Gill, 34/99; D.J.T.
Pyrola minor L. Whitfield Gill, 34/99; D.J.T.
Lysimachia nummularia L. Whitfield Gill, 34/99; D.J.T.
Menyanthes trifoliata L. Masham 44/27; D.J.T.
Hieracium strumosum (W. R. Linton) A. Ley Great Langton 44/29; F. H. det C. E. A.
Andrews.
Crepis mollis (Jacq.) Aschers. Field below Wooton Scar 34/98; YNU Excursion.
Allium oleraceum L. Masham 44/28; F.H.
Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soo x purpurella (T. & T. A. Stephenson) Soo (D. x venusta)
Middleham 44/18; D.J.T. det R. H. Roberts.
Carex pallescens L. Whitfield Gill, 34/99; D.J.T.
Melica nutans L. Whitfield Gill, 34/99; D.J.T.
Hordelymus europaeus (L.) Harz Aysgarth 44/08; F.H.
CASUALS and ADVENTIVES (Mrs F. Houseman)
The outstanding find this year was two fine plants of Crepis setosa. Twenty-seven new
records of Polygonum cuspidatum , 4 of Veronica filiformis and 3 of Aster novi-belgii have
been entered in the card index this year.
Eranthus hyemalis (L.) Salisb. (64) Widdington Manor, 1977, 44/45; L. Magee.
Papaver lecoqii Lamotte (64) Ilkley 44/14; F.H.
P. somniferum L. (64) with above; F.H.
Corydalis solida (L.) Sw. (65) Coverbridge 44/18; F.H.
Brassica napus L. (63) Sheepridge, Huddersfield 44/ 1 1 ; Mrs J. Lucas.
B. rapa L. (63) Bradley, Huddersfield 44/12; J.L.
Lepidium ruderale L. (61) Disused railway station, Swine 54/13; Miss E. Crackles.
Coronopus didymus (L.) Sm. (61) Humber Bank, Kilnsey, 1977, 54/41; E. Pratt comm.
E. C. (64) Hull Road, York 44/65; Mrs E. Bray.
Botanical Reports for 1978 and 1979 35
Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv. (61) Near disused Cannon Street station, Hull 54/02; E.C.
(63) Sheepridge 44/11; J.L.
Arabis caucasica Willd. (61) Railway embankment near Humnanby 54/07; B. Pashby.
comm. E.C. (65) High on Coverham Abbey ruins 44/18; F.H.
Sisymbrium orientate L. (63) Sheepridge 44/ 1 1 ; J.L.
Reseda alba L. (61) Roadside near Broomfleet 44/82; YNU Excursion.
Chenopodium murale L. (61) Garden weed, Spurn 54/41; E.C.
Geranium endressii Gay (62)* Hutton Lowcross Forestry area, Guisborough 45/61; YNU
Excursion. (63) Bradley 44/12; J.L. (64) Laneside, Beckwithshaw 44/25; J. Oxtoby.
Impatiens parviflora DC. (61) Edge of cricket circle, Anlaby Road, Hull 54/02; R.
Cracroft comm. E.C.
I. glandulifera Royle (61) Garden weed, Beverley 54/04; Mr Gooding; near Pearson Park,
Hull 54/03; R.C. comm. E.C.
Melilotus indica (L.) All. (61) Spurn 54/31 ; E.C.
Vicia sativa L. (63) Sheepridge 44/11 ; J.L.
Spiraea salicifolia L. (61) Development site, Bridlington Avenue, Hull 54/03; E.C.
Saxifraga spathularis x umbrosa (64) By stream at Kilnsey Trout Farm 34/96; J.L.
Epilobium adenocaulon Hausskn. (63) Bradley 44/12; J.L.
Angelica archangelica L. (64) By River Aire, Castleford 44/42; D. R. Grant.
Heracleum mantegazzianum Somm. & Levier (63) Spen Beck, Liversedge 44/22; (64) By
River Aire, Castleford 44/42; A65 roadside, Gargrave 34/95; D.R.G.
Euphorbia lathyrus L. (61) Garden weed, Willerby near Hull 54/03; Driffield 54/05; E.C.
Rumex patientia L. ssp. patientia (64) Opencast site, Allerton Bywater 44/42; D.R.G.
Solanum sarrachoides Sendtn. (61) Spurn, 1977, 54/31; E.P. comm. E.C.
Erinus alpinus L. (65) Middleham Castle 44/18; T. F. Medd.
Veronica persica Poir. (63) Sheepridge 44/11; Bradley 44/12; J.L.
Mentha x niliaca Juss. ex Jacq. (64) Lane to Dob Park Bridge 44/15; G. Parker.
Campanula rapunculoides L. (61) Carlton Park, 1977, 44/62; E. Chicken.
Senecio squalidus L. (63) Bradley 44/12; J.L.
S. viscosus L. (64) Lane to Dob Park 44/15; Mrs J. E. Duncan; (65) Great Langton on
Swale 44/29: F.H.
Doronicum pardalianches L. (64) Rougemont, Harewood, 1977, 44/24; L.M. (65) By old
mill, Coverbridge 44/18; F.H.
Solidago canadensis L. (63) Sheepridge 44/11; Bradley 44/12; J.L.
Hieracium auranticum L. (62) Menethorpe 44/76; L.M.
*Crepis setosa Haller f. (64) By Troutbeck, Lindley 44/15; J.E.D.
Egeria densa Planch. (63) Bradley 44/12; J.L.
Elodea canadensis Michx. (65) In lagoon, Great Langton on Swale 44/29; F.H.
Ornithogalum umbellatum L. (61) Roadside near Broomfleet 44/82; YNU Excursion.
Allium paradoxum (Bieb.) G. Don (64)Aberford, 1977, 44/43; E. Thompson; lane to Sand
Quarry, Stutton, 1977, 44/44; D.R.G.
Crocosmia x crocosmiflora (Lemoine) N.E.Br. (63) Sheepridge 44/11; J.L.; (64) Lane-
side, Beckwithshaw 44/25; old railway station, Wetherby 44/34; F.H.
Bromus inermis Leyss. (64) Roadside, Beckwithshaw 44/25; D.R.G.
1979
EAST YORKSHIRE (VC 61) (E. Crackles)
There is an unusually large number of notable discoveries to report this year, including three
new vice-county records. The most important find is that Peucedanum palustre occurs in
some quantity in a reed bed at Hornsea Mere, thus reinstating the species both as an East
Riding plant and a Yorkshire one; it no longer seems to occur at Thorne. George Bolam, the
ornithologist, noted the species at Hornsea Mere in 1912 {The Naturalist , 1913, 2) but the
fact escaped inclusion in the botanical records.
36 Botanical Reports for 1978 and 1979
Miss Priest has shown that Oenanthe silaifolia is more frequent in the Derwent valley than
was hitherto known, recording it for water-meadows at East Cottingwith, North Duffield,
Ellerton, Thorganby, West Cottingwith, and Breighton; it is however very local, occurring in
only four 10 km squares (44/, 63, 64, 73, and 74).
Ranunculus sardous Crantz Arable field, Bewholme 54/14; E. Chicken.
Cardamine amara L. Tophill Low 54/04; D. R. Grant.
Barbarea stricta Andrz. Spurn Point 54/41; H. Flint and A. Fritchley; Fulford Ings 44/64;
T. F. Medd.
Hypericum maculatum x H. perforatum = H. x desetangsii Lamotte Near Arnold in the
absence of both parents 54/13; E. Crackles.
Hypericum montanum L. Elloughton Dale 44/92, confirmation of an old record; E. Wear.
Saponaria officinalis L. Spring Head Railway sidings, Hull 54/02; E.C.
Cerastium atrovirens Bab. Barmston 54/15; E.Ch.
Stellaria palustris Retz. Breighton and Duffield 44/73; S. Priest.
Epilobium adnatum Griseb. Garden weed, Driffield: E.Ch.
Oenanthe silaifolia Bieb. East Cottingwith 44/64; S.P.
Peucedanum palustre (L.) Moench Hornsea Mere, 1978, 54/14; R. Hawley, det. E.C.
Polygonum mite Schrank Fulford Ings 44/64; Mrs E. Bray comm. T.F.M.
Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc. Walkington Grange tip 44/93; D.G.
Rumex tenuifolius (Wallr.) Love King George Dock reservation, Hull 54/12; E.C.
*Rumex longifolius DC. Naburn Sewage works 44/64; E.B. det., D. J. Hodgson.
*Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. King George Dock reservation, Hull 54/12; E.C.
Vaccinium myrtillus L. King George Dock reservation, Hull 54/12; E.C.
Blackstonia perfoliata (L.) Huds. Elloughton Dale 44/92; E.W.; King George Dock
reservation, Hull 54/12; E.C.
Bidens tripartita L. Hornsea Mere 54/14; E.C.
Senecio aquaticus x jacobaea = S. x ostenfeldii Druce Wharram Percy 44/86, Hornsea
Mere 54/14; E.C.
Inula conyza DC. Elloughton Dale 44/92; E.W.
*Filago apiculata G.E.Sm. Spurn Point 54/41; E.C., det C. Jeffrey.
Arctium lappa L. Hagg Bridge, Sutton-on-Derwent 44/74; E.Ch.
Cicerbita macrophylla (Willd.) Wallr. Near Hornsea 54/14; R. Hawley; Near Eppleworth
54/03; E.C.
Alisma lanceolatum With. Tophill Low 54/04; D.G.
Stratiotes aloides L. Near Beverley 54/04; S.P., conf E.C. Presumably introduced.
Orchis morio L. Newton upon Derwent 44/74: S.P.
Dactylorhiza purpurella (T. & T. A. Steph.) Soo, form B King George Dock reservation,
Hull 54/12, conf P. F. Hunt; Aldborough cliff 54/23; E.C.
Dactylorhiza purpurella x D. fuschii = D. venusta T. & T. A. Steph. King George Dock
reservation, Hull 54/12; E.C.
Scirpus sylvaticus L. Fulford Ings 44/64; E.B.
Cyperus longus L. Fulford Ings 44/ 64; E.B.
Car ex otrubae x C. remota = C. x pseudoaxillaris K. Richt. Arram Carrs 54/04; J.
Higgins, det E.C.
Carex polyphylla Kar. & Kir. Wharram Percy 44/86; E.C.
Vulpia bromoides (L.) Gray King George Dock reservation, Hull 54/12; E.C.
Vulpia myuros (L.) C. C. Gmel. South Orbital Road, Hull 54/12; E.Ch.; Disused railway,
Everthorpe 44/93 and at Eppleworth 54/03; J. Spencer and E.C.
NORTH-EAST YORKSHIRE (VC 62) (T. F. Medd)
Lycopodium clavatum L. Faceby 45/40; I. Laurence.
Silene gallica L. New Earswick, York; Dr R. Gulliver.
Chenopodium polyspermum L. Greenhouse weed, York 44/65; R. Freer; Garden weed,
New Earswick 44/65; T. F. Medd.
Filipendula vulgaris Moench Saltburn 45/62; I.L. Brewsdale 45/41; I.L.
37
Botanical Reports for 1978 and 1979
Epilobium adenocaulon Hausskn. Goathland 45/80; YNU Excursion.
E. tetragonum L. Goathland 45/80; YNU Excursion.
Populus nigra L. Hopgrove, York; R.G.
Lithospermum officinale L. Brewsdale 45/41 ; I.L.
Lamium hybridum Vill. Saltburn 45/62; I.L.
Anthemis cotula L. Guisborough 45/ 61 ; Mrs H. Pellant.
Leontodon taraxacoides (Vill.) Merat Goathland; YNU Excursion.
Potamogeton polygonifolius Pourr. Goathland 45/80; YNU Excursion.
Allium oleraceum L. Middleton-on-Level 45/40; I.L.
Scirpus caespitosus L. Goathland 45/80; YNU Excursion.
Carex lepidocarpa Tausch Goathland 45/80; YNU Excursion.
C. strigosa Huds. Stittenham 44/66; Dr M. B. Usher.
SOUTH-WEST YORKSHIRE (VC 63) (D. R. Grant)
Phyllitis scolopendrium (L.) Newm. Hepworth 44/10; T. Schofield; canal, Turner Wood
43/58; E. Thompson.
Asplenium adiantium-nigrum L. Colden Valley, Halifax 44/12; F. Murgatroyd.
Thelypteris phegopteris (L.) Slosson. Near Marsden 44/01 ; B. and J. Lucas.
Ophioglossum vulgatum L. Pyn Flatts 44/20; Dr L. Lloyd-Evans.
Ceratophyllum demersum L. Canal, Kirkstall, Leeds 44/23; D. Sutcliffe.
Corydalis claviculata (L.) DC. Perkin Wood 44/21; Ll.E.
Rorippa amphibia (L.) Bess. River Calder, Dewsbury 44/22; D.R.G.
Hypericum montanum L. Brodsworth 44/40; E.T.
Montia sibirica (L.) Howell Hepworth 44/10; Eastwood 44/92; T.S.
Chenopodium bonus-henricus L. Brodsworth 44/40; Stanley Ferry 44/32; D.R.G.
Tilia platyphyllos Scop. Firbeck Hall 43/58; R. Smith.
T. cor data Mill. Norwood 43/48; D.R.G.
Euonymus europaeus L. Castleford 44/42; I. Instone.
Prunus avium (L.) L. Darton 44/21 ; E.T.
P. padus L. Slaithwaite 44/01; T.S.
Crataegus oxyacanthoides Thuill. Gildingwells 43/58; D.R.G.
Hippurus vulgaris L. Feeder stream, Langold Lake 43/58; E.T.
Bryonia dioica Jacq. Old Snydale 44/42; D.R.G.
Parietaria diffusa Mert. & Koch. Worsborough Dale 44/30; D.R.G.
Humulus lupulus L. Notton 44/31; Billingley 44/40; D. R. G. Scholes, near Rotherham
43/39; E.T.
Populus canescens (Ait.) Sm. Adwick-le-Street 44/50; E.T.
P. tremula L. Mirfield 44/11 ; T.S.
Salix pentandra L. Alcomden 34/93; T.S.
S. viminalis L. Slaithwaite 44/01; B. and J.L.
Hottonia palustris L. Old canal, Norwood 43/48; D.R.G.
Scrophularia aquatica L. Sheephouse Wood 43/29; Ll.E.
S. umbrosa Dumort. Near Thorlby 34/95; D.R.G.
Mimulus moschatus Dougl. ex Lindl. Alcomden 34/93; T.S.
Lycopus europaeus L. Canal, Wombwell 44/30; E.T.
Stachys palustris L. Canal, Hemingfield 44/40; D.R.G.
Sambucus ebulus L. Mirfield 44/21 ; E.T.
Hieracium vagum lord. Rishworth 44/01; T.S.
Butomus umbellatus L. Canal, Kirkstall, Leeds 44/23; L. Magee.
Zannichellia palustris L. Feeder stream, Langold Lake 43/58; E.T.
Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz Hugset Wood 44/20 and 30; Ll.E.
Orchis mascula (L.) L. Margery Wood, Cawthorne 44/20; Ll.E.
Dactylorchis praetermissa (Druce) Vermeul. Castleford 44/42; R. F. Dickens.
Acorus calamus L. River Calder, Dewsbury 44/23; E. T. Canal, Edgerton 44/01; B. and
J.L.
38 Botanical Reports for 1978 and 1979
Carex laevigata Sm. Hazelshaw, Grenoside 43/39; D.R.G.
Festuca arundinacea Schreb. Blacktoft Sands near Goole 44/82; E.T.
Puccinellia distans (L.) Pari. Near Shire Oakes 43/58; D.R.G.
Poa compressa L. Anston Stones 43/58; YNU Excursion.
Brachypodium pinnatum (L.) Beauv. Brookhouse 43/58; E.T.
MID-WEST YORKSHIRE (VC64)(J. R. Hickson)
Ophioglossum vulgatum L. Clough side, Middop, near Gisburn 34/84; D. R. Grant and
T. Schofield.
Potentilla crantzii (Crantz) G. Beck ex Fritch In field near Skythorns, Threshfield; Miss
H. Lefevre.
Chrysosplenium alternifolium L. Clough side, Middop, near Gisburn 34/84; D.R.G. and
T.S.
Ribes spicatum Robson One bush in limestone gryke, Hardgate, Skythorns, Threshfield;
H.L.
Peplis portula L. Margin of pond, Skell Gill Wood, Skelding 44/26; YNU Excursion.
Daphne laureola L. Roadside near Marston Moor Farm, Long Marston 44/55; D.R.G.
and T.S.
Galium mollugo L. Roadside, Rathmell 34/85; D.R.G. and T.S.
Chrysanthemum segetum L. Disused airfield, Tockwith; D.R.G. and T.S.
Serratula tinctoria L. In field near Skythorns, Threshfield; H.L.
Carex spicata Huds. Roadside near Toldrum Farm, Winksley 44/27; D.R.G. and T.S.
NORTH-WEST YORKSHIRE (VC 65) (T. F. Medd)
Lycopodium selago L. Combe Scar, Dentdale 34/68; YNU Bryol Excursion and Brackens-
gill, Dentdale; T. Blocked per D. R. Grant.
L. clavatum L. Combe Scar 34/68; YNU Bryol. Excursion per D.R.G.
Selaginella selaginoides (L.) Link Combe Scar 34/68; D. Wright and YNU Bryol Excursion
per D.R.G.
Hymenophyllum wilsonii Hook. Combe Scar; YNU Excursion and YNU Bryol Excursion.
Phyllitis scolopendrium (L.) Newm. Brackensgill and Flinter Gill, Dentdale; YNU Bryol
Excursion.
Asplenium adiantum-nigrum L. Combe Scar; D.W.
Dryopteris carthusiana (Vill.) H. P. Fuchs. Combe Scar 34/68; D.W.; Brackensgill and
Combe Scar; YNU Bryol Excursion.
Thelypteris phegopteris (L.) Slossom Combe scar 34/68; YNU Excursion and D.W.;
Brackensgill; YNU Bryol Excursion.
Gymnocarpium dryopteris (L.) Newm. Combe Scar 34/68; YNU Excursion and D.W.;
Brackensgill and Combe Scar; YNU Bryol Excursion.
G. robertianum (Hoffm.) Newm. Combe Scar; YNU Bryol Excursion.
Ophioglossum vulgatum L. Wensley station 44/09; Mrs F. Houseman.
*Ceratophyllum demersum L. Great Langton on Swale 44/29; YNU Bot Excursion.
Reseda lutea L. Wensley station 44/09; F.H.
Cerastium arvense L. Combe Scar 34/68; D.W.
Myosoton aquaticum (L.) Moench Great Langton 44/29; F.H.
Saxifraga hypnoides L. Combe Scar 34/68; YNU Excursion.
Myriophyllum spicatum L. Great Langton 44/29; YNU Bot Excursion.
Conium maculatum L. Dillicar, Dentdale; YNU Bryol Excursion.
Erica cinerea L. Brackensgill 34/68; YNU Bryol Excursion.
Vaccinium oxycoccos L. Combe Scar, Brackensgill and South Lord’s Land, Dentdale
34/68; YNU Bryol Excursion.
Primula farinosa L. Combe Scar 34/ 68; YNU Excursion.
Trientalis europaea L. Gunnerside 34/99; C. R. Boon.
Centaurium pulchellum (Sw.) Druce Great Langton 44/29; YNU Bot Excursion.
Pedicularis palustris L. Brackensgill 34/68; YNU Bryol Excursion.
39
Botanical Reports for 1978 and 1979
Taraxacum nordstedtii Dahlst. Coverham 44/08; F.H., det Dr J. Richards.
T. unguilobum Dahlst. Marsett 34/98; F.H., det J.R.
Narthecium ossifragum (L.) Huds. Combe Scar and Brackensgill 34/68; YNU Bryol
Excursion.
Allium oleraceum L. Great Langton 44/29; F.H.
Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz Flinter Gill, Dentdale 34/78; YNU Bryol Excursion.
Listera cordata (L.) R.Br. Combe Scar 34/68; YNU Excursion.
Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soo Combe Scar 34/68; D. W.
Scirpus sylvaticus L. Great Langton 44/29; YNU Bot Excursion.
Carex bigelowii Torr. ex. Schwein Baugh Fell. Sedbergh 34/79; R. W. M. Corner.
CASUALS and ADVENTIVES (Mrs F. Houseman)
Cardaria draba (L.) Desv. (63) Huddersfield (2 sites) 44/12; Mrs J. Lucas; (64) Waste
ground, Ilkley 44/14; Wharfedale Nat Soc.
Vaccaria pyramidata Medic. (62) Cundall village 44/47; L. Magee.
Trifolium incarnatum L. (61) In quantity, disused railway, East Hull 54/13; Miss E.
Crackles.
Epilobium nerterioides Cunn. (65) Combe Scar, Dent 34/68; D.R.G.
Heracleum mantegazzianum Somm. & Levier (64) Boston Spa 44/44; D.R.G.
Polygonum polystachyum Wall, ex Meisn. (63) New Mill village 44/10; Dr L. Lloyd Evans.
Ficus carica L. (63) Huddersfield 44/10 and 44/11 ; J.L.
Populus canescens (Ait.) Sm. (64) Near Wighill 44/44; D.R.G.
Linaria repens (L.) Mill. (63) New Mill village 44/10; Ll.E.
Campanula rapunculoides L. (65) River bank, Great Langton on Swale 44/29; J. Oxtoby.
C. persicifolia L. (65) Great Langton on Swale 44/29; J.O.
Galinsoga ciliata (Raf.) Blake (63) New Mill village 44/10; Ll.E.
Doronicum pardalianches L. (65) Abundant, roadside. Little Langton 44/39; F.H.
Arthemis tinctoria L. (65) Roadside, Flintoft 44/39; F.H.
Cicerbita macrophylla (Willd.) Wallr. (63) Stuart Road, Pontefract 44/42; D.R.G.
Echinops sphaerocephalus L. (64) Abundant on waste ground, Ripon 44/37; F.H.
Hieracium brunneocroceum Pugsl. (61) King George Dock reservation, Hull 54/12; E.C.
Lilium martagon L. (65) Roadside, Little Langton 44/39; F.H.
Gladiolus byzantinus Mill. (61) Southcoates, Hull 54/13; E. Chicken.
Agrostis scabra Willd. (61) Spring Head railway sidings, Hull, det Dr C. E. Hubbard,
1978, 54/02; E. Crackles.
Setaria italica (L.) Beauv. (61) High Street, Hull, 1978, 54/12; E. Crackles.
FIELD NOTE
Eriozona syrphoides (Fallen) (Dipt. Syrphidae) at Wharndiffe Wood
A female specimen of this elegant hoverfly was taken by Mr Austin Brackenbury at the
southern end of Wharndiffe Wood, Sheffield (SK 311937) (alt 400 ft) on 24 June 1980. This
species was first found in Yorkshire at Timble Ings in 1979 by Roy Crossley ( Entomologist’s
mon. Mag. 115 (1979) p 200) but the Wharndiffe specimen is apparently new to south-west
Yorkshire (VC 63). These first- Yorkshire records are of considerable interest, as E.
syrphoides is thought to be a recent colonist in Britain, with a habitat preference for large
coniferous woodlands. Its larvae probably feed on aphids specific to conifers, and the adult
fly tends to be found along flower-rich rides and margins of such woodland (pers comm
A. E. Stubbs).
Mr Brackenbury’s collecting site lies along the edge of a main railway line which forms an
effective ride through the large Forestry Commission mixed woodland, dominated by
commercial conifer plantations. Other noteworthy hoverflies taken at this site since 1977
include Megasyrphus annulipes (Zett.), Didea fasciata Macq. Xylota coeruleiventris Zett.,
Xylotomima lenta (Mg.), Brachypalpus bimaculatus (Macq.) — a second Yorkshire record,
40 Field Note
Criorhina asilica (Fall.), C. floccosa (Mg.), C. berberina (Fab.), and C. b. var oxycanthae
(Mg.) which are probably associated with the mature oak, birch, sweet chestnut, sycamore
and various other broad-leaved trees in the vicinity. These species are nationally scarce and
indicate that the wood is a rich site for dead wood insects.
Derek Whiteley
Natural Sciences Department, Weston Park Museum, Sheffield
NOTES ON YORKSHIRE MOLLUSCA — 3
PATELLA INTERMEDIA JEFFRIES: ITS STATUS IN YORKSHIRE
A. NORRIS
Leeds City Museum
In 1973, as a result of several visits to the Yorkshire coast by the Yorkshire Conchological
Society, a report was published (Norris, 1973) in which Patella intermedia Jeffries (= P.
depressa Pennant) was reported as occurring at Thornwick Bay and Filey Brigg on the
Yorkshire coast.
These two records confirmed the previous Yorkshire reports of this limpet from Robin
Hood’s Bay (F. H. Woods, Oct 1912), and Scarborough and Filey (J. A. Hargreaves, 1910).
Work carried out since this report on material collected at both Thornwick Bay and Filey
Brigg has, however, proved that what was thought at the time to b e Patella intermedia, is, in
fact, a hybrid species between Patella vulgata (L.) and Patella aspera Roding. Patella
intermedia should therefore be removed from the Yorkshire list of marine mollusca.
Records of Patella intermedia in Britain have only been confirmed from south-west
England, Wales and western Ireland.
References
Walsh, G. B. and Rimington, F. C. (1956). The Natural History of the Scarborough District.
Vol 2.
Norris, A. (1973). Conchological Section: Marine Survey, Report of field trips to Scar-
borough, South Bay; Thornwick Bay; Flamborough and Filey Brigg, 1972. Naturalist
71-3.
BOOK REVIEWS
Use Observer’s Book of Weather by Robert Pearce. Pp. 192, with 16 colour and 136 black
and white photographs, and 64 line drawings, 1980. Warne. £1.80.
This small, attractive book in the well-known Observer’s Series bears little resemblance to
the previous volume with the same title. Robert Pearce has used his expert knowledge of
meteorology and particularly of weather satellite pictures to provide a series of extremely
clear and pertinent illustrations of the features associated with the atmosphere’s circulation.
Cloud types, rainbows, mirages, lightning, depressions, fronts, fogs and a host of other
phenomena are admirably explained. Besides dealing with temperate weather systems which
affect the British Isles, there is a sound introduction to tropical weather systems. The
sections on changes in climate and the methods and difficulties of weather forecasting
incorporate recent developments and are clearly and concisely presented.
An enormous quantity of first rate material has been packed into this small pocket book
and it is warmly recommended to anyone who wishes to gain an understanding of weather
systems or who, having such a knowledge, would like to familiarize themselves with some of
the recent advances in weather study.
DEC
41
Book Reviews
Waders by W. G. Hale. Pp. 320, illustrated. New Naturalist, Collins. 1980. £9.50.
Hale’s new book on shorebirds follows a similar pattern to the earlier bird-group titles in this
series such as Finches, British Tits, British Thrushes and others. There are chapters on
habitats and adaptation, geographic distribution, breeding biology, migration, feeding, and
mortality in the standard mould. Since the text covers all the world’s 202 species, few details
are given on the natural history of individual birds. Two novel chapters are on ‘carrying
capacities in the non-breeding season’ and ‘energy balance’. The discussion of winter
carrying capacity is extremely interesting and rich in ecological detail, while the energy
balance chapter is a rather prosaic description of standing crop biomass in estuarine inverte-
brates. It is an unfortunate fact that we know so little about the breeding ecology of waders;
it may well be that their populations are regulated not by the availability of winter food but
by conditions in their arctic breeding grounds.
The final chapter details the extensive research on the impact of oystercatcher feeding on
cockle beds and chronicles the misguided attempts to control the birds by shooting with a
bounty of 25p per head. Elementary ecological theory would have been sufficient to show the
folly of this approach, not to mention practical experience gained in trying to control pigeons
by shooting. The oystercatchers kill large numbers of cockles only when the molluscs are
abundant; at low cockle densities the birds feed elsewhere. The birds thus do no substantial
harm to the fishery, killing only those animals that would otherwise have died from different
causes.
This book is a valuable compendium and a useful addition to the library of ecologist and
ornithologist alike.
MJC
The British Ornithologists’ Guide to Birdlife edited by Jim Flegg. Pp. 310, many colour
plates. Blandford Press. 1980. £10.95.
Originally published in Sweden in 1979, this edition has been edited by Jim Flegg and is a
most pleasing production. It is really a maxi field guide to Britain and Europe and the
paintings by a group of Scandinavian artists are some of the best I have seen. Editors of
larger and more important volumes could do worse than consider them. Each species has
adequate text on field identification, calls, breeding, food, and status (amended to suit the
British edition). The plates alone justify spending £10.95 and anyone interested in birds
at whatever level should have this work on the shelf.
JRM
A Guide to Seabirds on the Ocean Routes by Gerald Tuck. Pp. 144, with 58 line drawings.
Collins. 1980. £4.50.
This splendid book takes each of the twenty-five major shipping routes around the world and
lists the birds to be encountered along them; it is an absolute must for anyone contemplating
a long sea voyage. The information has been collated from over twenty years’ observations by
members of the Royal Naval and Mercantile Marine Birdwatching Society and individuals
who have taken part in the well-organized recording system of the Society. Inexpensive and
fascinating enough even for the landlubber.
JRM
Bill Oddie’s Little Black Bird Book. Pp. ix + 149, including numerous line drawings and
photographs. Eyre Methuen. 1980. £4.95.
A lighthearted and entertaining romp through the bird-watching scene, accompanied by the
author’s illustrations of key pointers to bird identification and otherwise. Emphasis is placed
on nomenclature, not so much of the birds as of the large variety of bird-watchers to be
encountered: birders are definitely in, and twitchers are out. As the author is undoubtedly a
genuine enthusiast, a hard core of useful information is occasionally to be glimpsed through
the joke-screen.
42 Book Reviews
Squirrels in Britain by K. Laidler. Pp. 192, with 18 colour and 23 monochrome plates and 26
figures. David and Charles. 1980. £6.95.
This is an attractive general account of the ecology of squirrels living in Britain. The author
has a good knowledge of his facts and puts them together into a pleasant, readable account.
Following introductory chapters on the biological characters of red and grey squirrels, he
then goes on to discuss topics such as the interactions between the two and the spread of the
grey afid decline of the red, habitat requirements, social organization, movement, economic
importance, and methods of study. There are numerous illustrations, the colour ones of
particularly high quality. There are even recipes for squirrels and nut galantine and squirrel
and vegetable stew!
This is a carefully thought out and well balanced account by someone who knows his
animals well and has kept up to date with the literature. Nevertheless, he has his moments of
speculation, no more so than when he proposes squirrels birth control! But this is only a
trivial fantasy in a generally recommendable book.
MJD
Queen of Sharba. The Story of an African Leopard by Joy Adamson. Pp. 190 with 14 colour
and 68 half-tone plates. Collins and Harvill, London. 1980. £8.50.
This book describes the relationship between Joy Adamson and a wild leopard which was
presented to her as an orphan. Not only was she able to rear and release the leopard to the
wild but the relationship was so close that the leopard permitted the author to visit her cubs
reared from a mating with a wild leopard.
This fascinating account is even more poignant as the author was murdered almost
immediately after the experiment ended. Some scientific information is included but the
main attraction of the book is the delightful story. It follows logically after her previous
books on Elsa the lioness and Pipa the cheetah, but this was a much more difficult project
and a more fascinating account of the African bush. The half-tone and colour photographs
are of a high quality.
AVD
The Observer’s Book of Pond Life by John Clegg. Pp. 459 with numerous coloured and black
and white illustrations. Warne. 3rd edn. 1980. £1.80.
This new edition of John Clegg’s little book on pond life has been produced in the attractive
new format now being used by the publishers. The illustrations (previously in the form of full-
page plates), have been divided and integrated within the text. The printing methods have
also increased the clarity of the illustrations, making for an even more attractive publication
than previously. The text remains much the same as in previous editions, although an
attempt has been made to update the nomenclature as much as possible within the confines
of the book.
The book is one of the best short guides available on freshwater life, covering as it does a
wide range of animals and plants found in such habitats. The Observer series have given a
great deal of pleasure to naturalists of all ages, and I have no doubt that this new edition will
increase the reputation of these books even further. I can highly recommend this book to all
those people interested in exploring the intricate web of life found in our ponds and streams.
AN
Three Mile Man. A Countryman’s View of Nature, with text by Alan Thornhill, photographs
by Peter Warnett, drawings by Lawrence Easden, and an introduction by Malcolm
Muggeridge. Pp. 144, with numerous coloured photographs and line drawings. Collins.
1980. £8.95.
An attractive amalgam of words and pictures descriptive of a small corner of the Sussex
countryside (Rotherfield — Winnie the Pooh country), which shows what a really observant
naturalist is likely to encounter within the immediate environs of a home in the country.
Outstanding photography and pleasant line drawings are complemented by a sympathetic
text.
Book Reviews 43
Wild Flowers by Marilyn Jones and Wendy Bramall. Pp. 125, illustrated in colour.
Kingfisher Books. 1980. £2.50.
If you want a book with 250 attractive paintings of British wild flowers, this is the book for
you. For comparison, Keble Martin illustrates nearly 1500 species, though Wendy Bramah’s
paintings are clearer than his and Marilyn Jones’ descriptions are considerably fuller. An
interesting feature of the brief introductory matter is the painting of a ‘typical flowering
plant’. This is the artist’s idea of an ‘average’ plant, and would require an entirely new order
of flowering plants, if not a new sub-class, were an attempt to be made to fit it in to any of the
standard classifications.
FHB
The Restoration of Land. The Ecology and Reclamation of Derelict and Degraded Land by
A. D. Bradshaw and M. J. Chadwick. Pp. xi 4- 317, including many b/w photographs, line
drawings and tables. Studies in Ecology Volume 6, Blackwell Scientific Publications,
Oxford. 1980. £13.50.
Although written by plant ecologists, this volume is intended for a wider audience including
planners, landscape designers, soil scientists and engineers. This intention is successfully
realized: sound theoretical knowledge combined with practical application show how derelict
and degraded land arising from a wide variety of activities can be restored for many uses.
The authors ably demonstrate how there are few land restoration problems for which there is
no satisfactory or potential solution, and how land has multiple uses and should be treated as
a resource that can be used, improved, restored and recycled.
Drawing mainly on first-hand experience in many countries throughout the world, the
authors show how collaboration with central and local government, industry, and research
institutions can be effectively achieved.
The presentation of text and illustrations is excellent, although the quality of some of the
photography lacks the desired impact due to excessive reduction. Furthermore, there are
good photographic examples of sites before and after restoration, but unfortunately as these
only occasionally refer to the same location, the improvement is hard to assess.
Land restoration is a challenge — this book meets that challenge in presenting a wealth of
theoretical and practical information in a readily accessible form.
MRDS
The West Highland Way by Robert Aitken. Pp. 175, plus folding map. HMSO. 1980. £4.75,
The West Highland Way and this booklet about it have been a long time in preparation, as
they were initiated by the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967 and a Countryside Commission
Report 1972. The booklet bears indelible marks of its period. We read that the authors of the
Way had a ‘remit’ and that some of the subject matter was ‘outwith’ it. The design is very early
70s. It is printed in a purply-brown ink on cream coloured paper; the line drawings, probably
quite good if they could be seen properly, are printed in yellow! For some reason most of the
photographs, also printed in purply-sepia, show the mountains in mid winter. It is to be
hoped that in the ’80s such publications will move away from jargon and silly tricks of design.
The Way is the first official long-distance footpath to have been established in Scotland and
runs for 152 km (95 miles) from the outskirts of Glasgow to Fort William. In the booklet it is
described in fourteen sections varying in length from 4 to 15 km. The information given about
each section is interesting and the accompanying map makes them quite easy to follow. The
latter is based on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 map and is in four sections. These are
skewed to give as symmetrical coverage of the surrounding country as possible, which takes a
little getting used to at first. By applying Naismith’s Rule for timing fell walking, that is
allowing an hour for each 5 km on the flat plus half an hour for each 300m of ascent, it is
obvious that an average walker could complete more than one section in a day. The booklet
suggests that the whole route could be covered in a week. Many people will react to a fully
signposted ‘way’ through the mountains with mixed feelings, but no doubt many others will
welcome it, and they will need, and make good use of, this guide.
FHB
44 Book Reviews
Nature Near London by Richard Jefferies. Facsimile reprint, with short introduction by
Hockley Clarke. Pp. vii + 242. John Clare Books, London. 1980. £5.50.
A collection of essays on the natural history of the Surbiton area as recorded by Richard
Jefferies (1848-87) during his residence there from 1877 to 1882. The richness of the flora
and fauna of the woodlands, heathlands, riversides, etc. at that time is captured through his
visual impressions, particularly of seasonal change, but his accounts are often repetitious
(vide his preoccupation with the colour of grass), and are, on the whole, generalized and
often wanting in scientific accuracy: they are essentially newspaper nature column material.
The Thames Valley Heritage Walk by Miles Jebb. Pp. 301, including numerous maps and
b/w photographs. Constable. 1980. £4.95.
The latest title in the excellent Constable guide series intended for walkers with an appre-
ciation for the natural landscape and cultural heritage. The walk, from Westminster to
Woodstock, is divided into sixteen stages, each varying in distance from 4£ to 8J miles.
Shetland’s Living Landscape. A Study in Island Plant Ecology by David Spence. Pp. 152 +
25 pages of b/w photographs. Thule Press, Stornoway. 1979. £6.50.
A clear and informative account of the fascinating plant ecology of these islands, supported
by considerable original data by the author. The text is complemented by numerous line
drawings and tables; a bibliography, index to botanical names and a general index are also
provided. It is unfortunate that this work will to some extent be overshadowed by the recent
‘New Naturalist’ publication which covers much of the same matter.
Ecology of Insect-Plant Interactions by Peter J. Edwards and Stephen D. Wratten. Pp. iv
+ 60, illustrated. Studies in Biology no. 121. Edward Arnold. 1980. £1.95, paperback.
The Ecology of Streams and Rivers by Colin R. Townsend. Pp. iv + 68, illustrated. Studies in
Biology no. 122. Edward Arnold. 1980. £2.10, paperback.
REGISTER OF NATURAL SCIENCE
COLLECTIONS IN NORTHWEST ENGLAND
Edited by E. G. Hancock and C. W. Pettitt. Manchester Museum.
1981.
Details of collections from over seventy museums, totalling about
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VOLUME 106
APRIL- JUNE 1981 (no 957)
THE
NtfPJRflLIST
Quarterly Journal of Natural History for the North of England
5 '05, H 9.
Edited by M. R. D. SEAWARD, MSc, PhD, FLS, The University, Bradford
PAGE CONTENTS
45
53
67
75
76
79
81
83
83
66, 74, 82, 85-87
Spiders in Yorkshire — Clifford J. Smith
A Survey of the Scuttle Flies (Diptera: Phoridae) of Upland
Habitats in Northern England — R. H. L. Disney, J. C. Cou/son
and Jennifer Butterfield
Stephen Robson's Hort us Siccus - Peter Davis
British Records of the Northern Willow Tit — Martin Limbert
YNU Bryological Section: Annual Report 1980 — T. L. B/ockeel
Short-eared Owls (Asio f/ammeus) at Carlton Marsh Nature
Reserve During the Winter of 1978-79 — J. S. Armitage
Dr E. Wilfred Taylor
Some New Vice-County Records for Woodlice in Yorkshire —
G. D. Fussey and D. T. Richardson
The Discovery of Microlepidoptera from the H. H. Corbett
Collection — Harry E. Beaumont
Book Reviews
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THE LEPIDOPTERA OF YORKSHIRE
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45
SPIDERS IN YORKSHIRE
CLIFFORD J. SMITH
7 Malton Way, Clifton, York Y03 6SG
Presidential Address delivered at the Annual General Meeting of the
Yorkshire Naturalists ' Union, held at Rotherham on Saturday, 6 December 1980
The study of spiders has attracted the attention of a limited number of naturalists in
Yorkshire during the past three hundred years, the rise and fall of interest within the county
closely reflecting that in the country as a whole.
Martin Lister (1638-1712) produced his famous Historae Animalium Angliae Tres
Tract atus (1678) under the auspices of The Royal Society while practising medicine in the
City of York. In the course of this treatise, Lister described thirty-two species of spider — one
assumes many of them were Yorkshire specimens — and such is the detail of his descriptions
that it is possible to assign them to present-day species with considerable certainty. Lister
concludes his account by stating: ‘I do not want anyone to think that I have described
absolutely all the species, but I make bold to say that no one can find casually in this country
any species not described by me.’
R. H. Meade (1814-1899) was the first Yorkshire arachnologist of any significance after
Lister, and in the meantime Linneus’ nomenclature had been widely adopted for the
separation of different species. Meade, who was a surgeon in Bradford, was particularly
interested in diptera and arachnida, and was one of the few people to work closely with John
Blackwall (1788-1881) who described no fewer than 304 species of British spider. Meade
himself undertook a private publication which listed 231 British species, but there is little to
indicate which of them were recorded in Yorkshire.
O. Pickard-Cambridge (1828-1917) was the doyen of British arachnologists for many
decades; in 1907 he contributed a section in The Victoria History of Yorkshire which
recorded 219 Yorkshire species (compared with a total of 532 British species in 1900). Being
a Dorset man, Pickard-Cambridge had to rely extensively on Yorkshire collectors to produce
his list, and he was lucky to have an up-and-coming young teacher, William Falconer, to
provide him with most of his information.
William Falconer (1862-1943) was a schoolmaster in the village of Slaithwaite, near
Huddersfield, for all his working life; he joined the YNU in 1909, and was elected its
President in 1927 after he had retired to Liverpool. His main interests were botanical and all
arachnid orders. Such was his ability to communicate his enthusiasm to others that large
numbers of arachnologists sprang up in many parts of Yorkshire, and their collected data
were summarized by Falconer and published in The Naturalist 1918-22. Stainforth in
VC 61, Walsh, Heslop-Harrison and Britten in VC 62, and Winter in VC 63 and VC 64
were his chief colleagues in helping to swell the Yorkshire total of species to 323.
The appearance of British Spiders , published by The Ray Society in two volumes (1951
and 1953) revolutionized the study of spiders in Britain by making it possible for the amateur
and professional alike to identify every species to be found in Great Britain. The two authors,
G. H. Locket and A. F. Millidge, obviously drew extensively on the published records of
William Falconer, and to a lesser extent on the studies of A. A. D. La Touche, a Bradford
doctor who visited habitats neglected by Falconer. More recent work in Yorkshire,
particularly that directed by E. A. Duffey at Malham Tarn Field Centre, has led to the
Yorkshire species total now standing at 383. This represents about 60 per cent of the British
list.
Changes in the Yorkshire Arachnifauna During the Period 1940-80
In 1943, at the time of Falconer’s death, little work on spiders was being undertaken in
Yorkshire, but by 1980 a further sixty species had been added to the Yorkshire list. Since
Falconer and his colleagues were such thorough and enthusiastic workers, it is of interest to
Naturalist 106(1981)
46 Spiders in Yorkshire
consider how so many species could remain unknown to him. The following table*
summarizes changes in status for each of the main families of spider over the past forty years
in Yorkshire.
TABLE 1
Major changes in Yorkshire Spider Records since 1940
Increasing Species Decreasing Species
New species Species showing Not recorded Species showing
Family since 1940 marked increase since 1940 marked decrease
Dictynidae and L. humilis (65) L. humilis (0-8) D. latens (36) D. latens (11-0)
Oonopidae A. patul a (80) O. domesticus A. subnigra (10)
(1-8)
Gnaphosidae D. pubescens (53) H. blackwalli
Z. rusticus (54) (7-16)
Z. pusillus (80) G. leporina (1-7)
Clubionidae C. norvegica (48)
C. virescens (36) C. erraticum (8-1)
S. celans (18)
S. gracilipes (15)
Thomisidae
X. bifasciatus (77)X. lanio (1-10)
P. fallax (47) X. ulmi (1-8)
P. histrio (59) T. maritimus
T. maritimus (53) (0-8)
D. dorsata (1866) X. kochi (5—0)
X. kochi (32) O. praticola (12-1)
P. emarginatus P. emarginatus
(36) (4-0)
Salticidae S. cingulatus H. cupreus { 5-1)
(3-10)
H. flavipes (2-8)
H. nivoyi (1-7)
Eu. aequipes
(IS)
Lycosidae P. prativaga (53) P. agricola (2-15) T. robusta
X. miniata (53) P. purbeckensis A. cinerea
A. cuneata (75) (3-11)
P. uliginosus (75) P. prativaga (0-9)
P. hortensis (1-4)
X. miniata (0-6)
T. spinipalpis
(1-6)
P. uliginosus (0-7)
Agelenidae and A. labyrinthica
Mimetidae (69)
T. agrestis (69)
T. agrestis (0-7)
E. cambridgei
(3-13)
P. latitans (6-2)
H. montana (34-15)
H. nava (4—1)
Theridiidae
E. flavomaculata E. flavomaculata
(78) (0-5)
T. tinctum (56) T. tinctum (0-5)
T. bellicosum (75)
A. tepidariorum
(35)
A. tepidariorum (15-0)
T. simile (3-1)
R. neglectus
(12-3)
*Nomenclature according to A Check List of British Spiders part IV Vol. Ill of British
Spiders by G. H. Locket, A. F. Millidge and P. Merrett, together with more recent additions
and alterations contained in the Bulletin of The British Arachnological Society.
Spiders in Yorkshire
TABLE 1 (continued)
47
Tetra- T. striata (46) P. listen (13-3)
GNATHIDAE
Araneidae
A. gibbosus (77)
A. marmoreus
(48)
A. sclopetarius
(70)
A. redii (61)
A. adiantus (65)
H. albovittata
(61)
A. marmoreus
(0-10)
A. sclopetarius
(0-7)
A. redii (0-4)
A. adiantus (0-3)
H. albovittata
(0-3)
H. pygmaea (1-8)
A. alsine (1891)
A. sturmi (15-3)
Linyphiidae W. melano-
Erigoninae cephala (61)
(TM IV present) E. flavipes (67)
E. omissa (47)
P. parallela (61)
P. mediocris (60)
S. incurvatus (46)
W. melanocephala C. scabrosa
(0-6) W. capito (13)
W. nodosa (1-13) W. obtusa (09)
W. incisa (1-4) H. florens (09)
W. kochi (9-18)
W. clavicornis
(1-7)
T. af finis (4-18)
B. pratensis
(4-17)
H.jacksoni (3-10)
P. parallela (0—4)
C. scabrosa (3—0)
W. dysderoides (8—2)
M. penicillata (14-5)
G. rubellum (46—24)
P. nemoralis (13—3)
Erigoninae
(TM IV absent) C. stativa (79)
E. capra (61)
R. morulus (65)
E. fausta (46)
M. castaneipes T. biovatus
(1—10) P. sulci frons
A. crassiceps
(1-9)
R. morulus (0—3)
E. fausta (0-13)
E. caliginosa (2-9)
T. biovatus (5—0)
M. subaequalis (6—2)
P. sulicfrons (7-0)
L. dentichelis (5-1)
C. distincta (7—2)
Linyphiinae D. speciosa (47) D. speciosa (0-4) S. innotabilis (20) H. reprobus (7—2)
H. nubigena (47) H. nubigena (0-7) .S', gracilis (05) O.firmus (7-1)
H. pervicax (46) H. pervicax (0-6) L. obscurus (50-30)
O. melanopygius O. melanopygius
(46) ' (0-14)
P. campbelli (46) P. campbelli (0-4)
P. oblitum (48) A. subtilis (1—8)
A. ramosa (61) A. ramosa (0-3)
M. mollis (69) M. lepidus (0-3)
M. lepidus (63) O. vaginatus (0—3)
O. vaginatus (78) T. setosus (0-6)
C. persimilis (46) L. pinicola (0-4)
T. setosus (60) L. angulatus
L. pinicola (73) (2—21)
L. expertus (67) L. expertus (0—18)
P. phrvgianus P.phyrgianus
(76) (0-17)
48 Spiders in Yorkshire
Notes on the previous table:
Column I There are no significant changes in the families that have been omitted.
Column II The numbers in parentheses indicate the year in which the species was first
recorded in Yorkshire. Thus, (65) implies 1965.
Column III The first number in parentheses indicates the number of records for that species
in Yorkshire before 1940, and the second number is that of records after 1940.
Column IV The numbers in parentheses indicate the year in which the species was last
recorded in Yorkshire. Thus, (36) implies (1936).
Column V As in column III.
It will be seen that twenty species on Falconer’s list have not been recorded since 1940,
including two rare species each taken on a single occasion in the nineteenth century. On the
other hand, fifty-one species have been added to Falconer’s list. This number does not
include several species which have been subdivided by modern systematists: for example, the
species known to Falconer as Theridion denticulatum (Walck.) is now recognized as two
distinct species, T. melanurum Hahn and T. mystaceum L. Koch which exhibit minor
morphological differences but which generally live in different biotopes.
Causes Underlying the Changes in the Yorkshire Arachnifauna
Apart from recording the changes summarized in the previous Table, the main purpose of
this study is to suggest possible reasons for each changes.
A. Changing Techniques
The development of the modern binocular microscope, together with more effective lighting,
make the study of morphological microstructure much easier, and this may partly account
for many more arachnologists being able and willing to tackle the smaller members of such
families as the Linyphiidae.
The rapid development of the science of ecology frequently involved a statistical element,
and one such technique was the refinement of pitfall trapping. While making allowances for
its considerable limitations — many species do not pass through a stage when they would
normally be in a position to enter a trap — many species, particularly the nocturnal
Gnaphosidae and the Linyphiidae that live in the decomposing plant remains of woods and
heaths, as well as the Lycosidae during their mating and dispersal phases, enter pitfall traps
freely. During the past ten years, a number of projects involving this technique have been
employed by many workers in various parts of Yorkshire with outstanding results.
Other techniques such as Tullgren funnel extraction, water-traps and adhesive surfaces
have been much more limited in their use and in producing results of any significance.
B. Changing Habitats
Perhaps the most significant change in the diversity of the Yorkshire countryside is the
considerable afforestation that has been undertaken by both the Forestry Commission and
private landowners. In particular, large areas of lowland and upland heath have been
drained and planted with conifers. The large acreage of plantation in Yorkshire has resulted
in the loss of many populations of wetland and upland spiders, but it has also led to the
establishment of its own characteristic arachnifauna. Lepthyphantes expunctus (O.P. —
Cambridge) was first recorded by John Murphy in the conifers near Malham Tarn in 1967,
since when it has spread throughout the northern half of Yorkshire. In a similar manner, the
species Pity ohyph antes phrygianus (C. L. Koch) was first recorded in Scotland in 1974; two
years later Lodhi found it among conifers in the Langdale Forest, and by 1977 it was well
established in the conifer plantations on the North Yorkshire Moors. This year it has been
taken in suitable habitats just south of York, and in the western parts of VC 64 and 65
(Fig !)•
Spiders in Yorkshire 49
FIGURE 1
The spread of Pityohyphantes phrygianus (C.L.K.) since its first Yorkshire record in 1976.
The considerable and continuing loss of wetlands throughout Yorkshire has had no
apparent effect on the variety of spiders in the county but this may be due to a number of
factors, such as the apparent reluctance of arachnologists to study wetland spiders in the first
half of the twentieth century, the fact that many important wetland sites still remain, the fact
that most spiders are not very specific in their prey, and the fact that dispersal by gossamer
allows a constant restocking of existing wetlands. In fact, many of the additions to the
Yorkshire list since 1940 are wetland species: species such as Entelecara omissa O.P.-
Cambridge are rare fenland species that have been recorded at Hornsea Mere (1947) and
Askham Bog (1960) where they continue to flourish.
Recent records of Baryphyma pratensis (Blackwall) indicate a sudden expansion of a
previously limited population. Prior to 1940, it had been recorded from four sites in the lower
Ouse basin. In 1978 there were indications that it was spreading along the many tributaries
of the Ouse system and in 1980 its presence was detected in most riverside sites that were
investigated (Fig 2). Is the cause of this population explosion attributable to a change in the
management of river banks? A similar unanswered question is: why were the pre-1940
records for Walckenaera kochi (O.P. -Cambridge) all from coastal regions while those since
1950 are entirely from riverside and swampy sites inland?
C. Introductions
The apparent introduction of P. phrygianus (C.L.K.) from the continent has already been
mentioned. It is certain that Ostearius melanopygius (O.P. -Cambridge) was introduced to
Britain, probably from New Zealand; la Touche recorded it first at Cottingley Bridge in
50 Spiders in Yorkshire
1946, since when it has been taken on thirteen occasions from sites all over Yorkshire. Some
species survive in Yorkshire for short periods only, such as Hasarius adansoni (Audouin)
which was well-established in the hot-houses at Pearson’s Park, Hull in 1908. This spider is
no longer retained on the British list, although Falconer regarded it as a Yorkshire species in
his time.
D. Facilities
There is no doubt that facilities available to the naturalist to take up the study of spiders are
much more favourable than ever before. The appearance of a reliable, comprehensive and
well-illustrated book for the identification of all British species heralded a new era, and we
were fortunate to have one of its co-authors directing the first course on spider identification
at Malham Tarn Field Centre ever to be run by that organization. Subsequent courses at that
centre, particularly those run by Dr Eric Duffey, have produced a well-documented
arachnifauna for the Malham area.
Arising out of courses run at various Field Centres, the British Arachnological Society was
founded and continues to provide bulletins, newsletters, a library and field courses for its
members.
Putting aside for a moment the matter of expense, it is true to say that transport is easier
for the modern arachnologist than it ever was for Falconer’s generation. During the 1940s la
Touche visited all parts of the county which were not readily accessible to Falconer and he
FIGURE 2
Records of Baryphyma pratensis (Bl.) during 1980.
51
Spiders in Yorkshire
was able to add over a dozen new species to the Yorkshire list in a very short time.
The foundation of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust in 1946 by the establishment of
Yorkshire’s first nature reserve at Askham Bog, has now resulted in over forty such reserves
being created in the county. Apart from the Trust, Yorkshire reserves are administered by
the Nature Conservancy Council, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, local
authorities and private owners. The proper management for each of them relies on a
comprehensive and thorough knowledge of its flora and fauna, of which the spiders form an
integral part. The overall Management Plan for a nature reserve calls for a full knowledge of
the spiders present, their numbers, habitat requirements and significance in the ecosystems
present. The very presence of a nature reserve is a challenge to find out as much as possible
about its natural content, and the arachnologist will automatically gravitate to such areas.
E. The Arachnologist
All disciplines attract men and women of particular temperaments and enthusiasms. The
study of spiders is no exception. But on various counts, the number of people attracted to the
study of spiders is bound to be comparatively small, and as a result the construction of a
distribution map of a single species of spider in Yorkshire will often provide more
information about the distribution of arachnologists than of the spider in question. An
individual worker naturally devotes most study to the countryside near his home.
TABLE 2
Habitat
New species
since 1940
Increasing
species
since 1 940
Decreasing
species
since 1940
Lowland wetlands
16
5
4
Lowland heath
13
5
4
High ground (over 1500 ft.)
8
4
0
Trees, shrubs and vegetation
9*
2
6
Under stones, bark, etc
7
1
0
Coastal
5
0
3
Woodland litter
2
2
9
including four spp. on conifers.
Analysis of the changing pattern of spider records according to habitat preferences yields the
information in Table 2. It is quite apparent that little work was done by Falconer’s
generation on the great lowland heaths at Strensall Common (not mentioned by Falconer
and his contemporaries), Skipwith Common, Allerthorpe Common, Tilmire Pilmoor, and
such areas in the Vale of York. Not until recently have collections been made on hills such as
Pen-y-ghent, Whernside, Mickle Fell and many others; while much of the Yorkshire
countryside in Swaledale, Teesdale and Wensleydale was visited only on the occasion of a
YNU Excursion. The apparent decrease in the woodland litter species is really a decrease
in the number of records, probably correlated with this type of habitat being less frequently
searched than half a century ago.
Current Activity in Yorkshire
More work is being undertaken in Yorkshire today than for a long time, and this has largely
been stimulated by the proposed production of an Atlas of Yorkshire Spiders which will
hopefully appear in 1982. Many Yorkshire schools have collected specimens, particularly
from parts of the county which are rarely visited by the collector, and these have been
52 Spiders in Yorkshire
identified and the data used for the preparation of maps. Wardens of RSPB and NCC
Reserves have made collections from the areas in their charge, and the Management
Committees of many of the YNT Reserves have acted similarly. Curators for the Natural
Sciences in many Yorkshire museums have undertaken special projects in the areas served
by their museum, partly in keeping with the current trend to get to know their own localities
at least as well as making collections on a national or worldwide basis.
The help provided by these many sources is invaluable, but it still remains true that the
bulk of progress at the present time lies with those who can identify specimens accurately and
whose collecting can be directed by their own understanding of the finer points of the
subject. At the time when this address is being delivered, it is gratifying to be able to say that
in Yorkshire today we have more well-qualified arachnologists than ever before. Most of
them have followed up an initial enthusiasm by attending a BAS Field Course at one of the
nationwide Field Centres, and once started there is no stopping them.
References
Ashmole, N. P., Locket, G. H., Lodhi, A. Q. K., Smith, C. J., and Sudd, J. H. (1978)
Pityohyphantes phrygian us (C. L. Koch), a possible recent colonist of Britain Bull. Br.
arachnol. Soc. 4 (6): 279-84.
Blackwall, J. (1864) A History of the Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland. Ray Society,
London.
Duffey, E. A. (1962) A population study of spiders in limestone grassland. J. anim. Ecol.
31:571-99.
Ely, W. A. (Unpublished) Pitfall-trapping records from the Rotherham district.
Locket, G. H. and Millidge, A. F. (1951 and 1953) British Spiders, Vols I and II. Ray
Society, London.
Locket, G. H., Millidge, A. F., and Merrett, P. (1914) British Spiders, Vol. III. Ray Society,
London.
Nature Conservancy Council. (Unpublished) Pitfall-trapping records from North Yorkshire,
collected by Dr Butterfield and Dr Coulson of Durham University.
Lodhi, A. Q. K. (1978) Unpublished PhD thesis, including pitfall-trapping data from the
Langdale Forest, North Yorkshire (original and specimens lodged with The Yorkshire
Museum, York).
Pickard-Cambridge, O. (1879 and 1881) The Spiders of Dorset. Sherborne.
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. (Unpublished) Pitfall-trapping data gathered from
Hornsea Mere and Blacktoft Sands, and held at the Doncaster Museum.
Smith, C. J. (Unpublished) Pitfall-trapping records from Skipwith Common (1978) and
Strensall Common (1979 and 1980).
Sudda, J. H. (1972) The distribution of spiders at Spurn Head in relation to flooding. J.
anim. Ecol. 41: 63-70.
IRISH NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL
A MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY
Published every Quarter by the I.N.J. Committee
Edited by ELIZABETH PLATTS, with the assistance of an Editorial Committee
Annual subscription IR£10 or £9 sterling, post free. Single Parts £2.50
All communications to be addressed to:
The Editor, I.N.J., Science Library, Queen’s University,
Belfast BT9 5EQ
53
A SURVEY OF THE SCUTTLE FLIES (DIPTERA: PHORIDAE)
OF UPLAND HABITATS IN NORTHERN ENGLAND
R. H. L. DISNEY*, J. C. COULSON+ and JENNIFER BUTTERFIELD+
*Malham Tarn Field Centre, Settle, North Yorkshire
■f Department of Zoology, University of Durham, South Road, Durham
Two of us (JCC and JB) surveyed a series of peat and upland habitats in the north of
England as part of a study to characterize the invertebrate fauna of peatlands for the Nature
Conservancy Council. The major invertebrate groups were investigated, primarily by pitfall
trapping at a large series of sites across the north of England, ranging in altitude from
lowland oligotrophic mires near sea-level to the ridge of the northern Pennines on Great
Dunn Fell (847 m).
Although not specifically included in the groups studied in the survey, over 7000
individual Phoridae were obtained and the material relating to this difficult taxonomic group
was sent to one of us (RHLD) for determination. As a result of this investigation at least
forty-three species were found and a preliminary picture was obtained of the distribution of
several species of phorids which inhabit upland areas. The extent of the survey allowed
generalizations to be formed concerning the environmental factors influencing the
distribution of some phorids as well as information concerning their biology and life-cycles.
FIGURE 1
Study sites in Yorkshire, Co. Durham and Cumbria (see Table 1).
Methods
The investigation started with the selection of forty-two typical peatland or upland grassland
sites distributed across the north of England in Yorkshire, Co. Durham and Cumbria. Eight
upland grassland sites on mineral soils were selected in close proximity to eight of the
peatland sites to enable comparisons to be made between the faunas on the two soil types.
The peat sites ranged from deep blanket peat to dry heath where the peat layer is less than
100 mm in depth. Lowland oligotrophic mires were included to extend the altitude range of
the peat sites but no low altitude mineral soil sites were investigated. The sites studied are
listed in Table 1 and their distribution is shown in Fig 1.
Naturalist 106(1981)
54
A Survey of Scuttle Flies
TABLE 1
List of the sites used in the survey with National Grid references
and environmental parameters. Site names in italics denote sites on mineral soils,
all others are on peat.
Altitude Rainfall** Peat depth Vegetation No. of Total
Site Grid ref. (m) (mm) (mm) dominants species specimens
Main sites used in 1977/78
1. Bearpark
NZ 252442
91
670
500
Grasses
13
182
2. North Plantation
NZ 083455
274
840
80
Calluna
8
211
3. Waskerley A
NZ 016447
411
950
70
Calluna
8
253
4. Waskerley B
NZ 014446
411
950
1500
Calluna/
Eriophorum*
7
147
5. Kilhope
NY 800432
627
1480
60
Eriophorum
8
208
6. Langdon Common
NY 863349
625
1510
1000
Eriophorum
6
54
7. Grass Common A
NY 827357
674
1700
0
Grasses
7
122
8. Grass Common B
NY 825357
674
1700
1000
Calluna/
Eriophorum
6
50
9. Moor House A
NY 755332
533
2050
0
Grasses
6
70
10. Moor House B
NY 756328
561
2050
0
Grasses
18
488
11. Moor House C
NY 764332
549
2000
1000
Juncus
squarrosus
5
82
12. Moor House D
NY 765333
551
2010
1000
Calluna/
Eriophorum
8
72
13. Great Dun Fell
430 m
NY 697295
427
1400
60
Juncus
squarrosus
10
114
14. Great Dun Fell
520 m
NY 702298
518
1500
300
Juncus
squarrosus
6
63
15. Great Dun Fell
580 m
NY 708302
579
1650
550
Juncus
squarrosus
9
239
16. Great Dun Fell
NY 713307
625
1700
0
Grasses
17
446
630 m
17. Great Dun Fell
NY 711319
823
1900
120
Eriophorum
8
212
820 m
18. Cow Green A
NY 814302
500
1750
500
Calluna/
Eriophorum
9
111
19. Cow Green B
NY 814303
500
1750
0
Grasses
11
236
20. Tailbridge A
NY 810042
518
1500
0
Grasses
13
548
21, Tailbridge B
NY 81 1043
518
1500
1500
Eriophorum
6
49
22. Sunbiggin A
NY 687090
335
1420
0
Grasses
12
194
23. Sunbiggin B
NY 680083
274
1420
100
Calluna
7
145
24. Scar Close A
SD 755779
336
1700
340
Calluna/
Eriophorum
9
42
25. Scar Close B
SD 754780
336
1700
0
Grasses
10
202
26. Newby Head Moss SD 795836
427
1950
460
Juncus
squarrosus
10
122
27. Burns Beck Moss
SD 595880
168
1600
1000
Calluna/
Eriophorum
9
32
A Survey of Scuttle Flies 55
TABLE 1 (continued)
28. Meathop Moss
SD 445818
11
1150
1000
Calluna
5
71
29. Deer Dyke Moss
SD 343823
15
1380
1000
Calluna
6
66
30. Golden Groves
SE 044945
457
1100
250
Calluna
9
162
31 .Apedale A
SE 022943
388
1180
0
Grasses
11
131
32. Apedale B
SE 023944
396
1180
60
Calluna
5
154
"f" 33. Rowantree Scar A
SE 032932
411
1050
60
Juncus
squarrosus
12
191
"t34. Rowantree Scar B
SE 032932
411
1050
100
Calluna
8
95
35. Bel don Bottom
SD 967940
488
1500
1000
Calluna/
Eriophorum
4
99
36. Tranmire
NZ 762117
213
910
100
Calluna
7
79
37. Kildale
NZ 620111
274
880
80
Calluna
7
69
38. Murk Mire
NZ 797025
240
780
1000
Juncus
effusus/
Calluna
8
197
39. Yarlsey
NZ 750007
305
1020
130
Calluna
6
68
40. Job Cross
NZ 692110
259
910
1000
Calluna
9
76
41. Fen Bog
SE 852974
198
880
1000
Calluna/
Eriophorum
8
46
42. Botton Cross NZ 701017
Additional sites used in 1978
427
900
1000
Eriophorum
6
28
43. Grass Common B
extra
NY 825358
674
1700
1000
Calluna/
Eriophorum
5
63
44. Moor House D
extra
NY 765332
551
2010
1000
Calluna/
Eriophorum
5
36
45 Tailbridge A extra
NY 810043
518
1500
0
Grasses
3
18
46. Tailbridge B extra
NY 81 1042
518
1500
1500
Eriophorum
1
2
47. Great Dun Fell top NY 712322
847
0
0
Grasses
7
454
48. Dun Fell Saddle'
NY 708328
780
0
1000
Eriophorum
4
77
49. Little Dun Fell top
Additional site used in
NY 705330
1976 only
842
0
0
Grasses
8
245
50. Moor House E
NY 758335
553
2050
200
Juncus
squarrosus
6
20
*Eriophorum is in all cases Eriophorum vaginatum
** Estimates supplied by the Meteorological Office
■}" Based on five traps
At all sites, with the exception of Rowantree Scar, ten pitfall traps were used. Each trap
had a mouth diameter of 45 mm except at Moor House and on Great Dun Fell in 1976 where
jars with a 50 mm diameter were used. All traps were emptied at monthly intervals in April,
May, September, and October and at fortnightly intervals in June, July and August.
Trapping started at most sites between May and July 1976 and continued through the
severest drought of the century to February 1977. Because of the exceptional weather
conditions, the phorids were examined during a further year of trapping, from April to
November 1978 at the same sites plus additional sites also listed in Table 1.
56 A Survey of Scuttle Flies
On emptying each trap, the jar was filled to a depth of about 20 mm with a water-detergent
mixture to which a small quantity of formalin was added to aid preservation of material. The
detergent lowered the surface tension of the water and prevented insects which had entered
the trap from escaping.
Species List
The list of the forty-three species recorded in this survey is given below. Against each species
name, the site number from Table 1 is given for each locality from which the species has been
recorded. The site numbers for areas on mineral soils are given in italics. Many of the species
have been collected previously in emergence traps set over soil (Disney, 1978, 1979c, 1980c;
Disney and Szadziewski, 1979; Jones, 1976a, b; Varley, unpublished data). These are
marked with an asterisk below. Other larval habits are noted in the text.
Anevrina thoracica (Meigen).* 4, 9, 10, 12, 13, 26, 27, 40.
Fourteen in 1976 and only 5 in 1978. They were obtained in June — 2, July — 6, August — 3,
and September — 3. Hackman (1963) recorded numbers in vole burrows in Finland from
May to August with peak numbers in May and June/July. Pupae recorded in mole nests
(Malloch, 1908; Lundbeck, 1922).
Anevrina urbana (Meigen)* 10, 23, 24, 50
Two dd in 1976 and 4 dd in 1978 in March — 1, May — 3, and June — 2. Pupae recorded
in mole nests (Malloch, 1908; Lundbeck, 1922), and adults in vole burrows (Hackman, 1963;
Baumann, 1977) and at the corpse of a coot at Malham Tarn on 27 April 1980 by one of us
(RHLD).
Citrago citreiformis (Becker) 10, 16
One in 1976 and 13 in 1978 (only 2 dd); all in September except 1 in October. Nelson (1971)
recorded it at Moor House in September. Elsewhere adults recorded in August and
September (Schmitz, 1949).
Conicera floricola Schmitz* 24, 25, 40
C. miniscula Schmitz has recently been synonymized with C. floricola (Disney, 1980b). One
in August 1976 and 3 in June and July 1978. It has been reared from a mole’s nest (Schmitz,
1953), recorded in numbers in vole burrows and other cavities in the soil (e.g. Hackman,
1963; Baumann, 1977), caught at rodent droppings and meat bait (Hackman, 1963), and at
dung (Skidmore, 1978).
Conicera tibialis Schmitz 49
One 9 in August 1978. This is the ‘Coffin fly’ that breeds in coffined human corpses and
other, usually buried, carcases (Schmitz, 1953; Colyer, 1954a, c, d).
Diplonevra concinna (Meigen)* 10, 23
One in August 1976 and 1 in August and 1 in September 1978. Recorded in a wasp nest
(Spradbery, 1973), and reared once from fungi (Schmitz, 1949). Nelson (1971) recorded it at
Moor House in July and August. Puparia collected 9 June 1965 (by Nelson) in alluvial turf at
Troutbeck Flats, Moor House (site 9 in this study) gave rise to adults on 31 July 1965.
Diplonevra funebris (Meigen) 1, 2, 7, 9, 10, \3-20, 25, 26, 30, 31 , 33, 49, 50
Sixty-eight in 1976 and 31 in 1978. In 1976 the phenology was June — 1, August — 21 and
September — 46. In 1978 it was June — 3, July — 18, August — 6, and September — 4. In a
survey of Tow Hill, North Yorkshire in 1976, using two water traps (Disney, 1979a), 83 speci-
mens were obtained as follows: June — 4, July — 2, August — 76, September — 1. It would
seem that the July peak observed in 1978 had no counterpart in 1976, probably because of
A Survey of Scuttle Flies 57
the extreme drought. The 1976 peak in August/September was not observed in 1978, and
may, therefore, by an atypical phenomenon resulting from the drought earlier in the year. It
has been reared from wasp nests (Collart, 1933; Collin, 1939; Macdonald et al., 1975).
Schmitz (1949) suggested it breeds in the remains of dead insects in the wasp nests. Aldrich
(1892) reared it from (? moribund) sawfly pupae ( Cimbex cimericana Leach). We have a
female reared (by J. P. Dear) from a dead snail {Helix aspersa Muller) in Kent.
Diplonevra nitidula (Meigen)* 31
Two 99 and 13 dd in November 1976 to February 1977. Females have been observed
swarming over a dead earthworm (Disney, 1979a).
Diplonevra pilosella Schmitz* 12, 33
One in August 1976 and 1 November 1976 to February 1977. Colyer (1950) reported this
species reared from a wounded earthworm.
Gymnophra healeyae Disney 1, 3, 14, 26, 33
This species has long been confused with G. quartomollis Schmitz and has only recently
(Disney, 1980d) been distinguished from the latter. Six dd and 6 99 in September 1976. In
1978, 22 dd and 10 99 were collected, 27 in July and 5 in August.
Megaselia aequalis (Wood)* 1
One d in September 1978. The larvae feed on the eggs of slugs (Robinson and Foote, 1968).
Megaselia angelicae (Wood) 14, 19, 20, 22
One in September and 1 in October 1976, 1 in November 1976 to February 1977, 8 in June
and July, 1 in September, and 1 in October 1978. Larval habits unknown.
Megaselia angustifrons (Wood) 29
One d in August 1978. Larval habits unknown.
Megaselia brevicostalis (Wood)* all except sites, 6, 35, 41, 42
Ninety-five were collected in 1976 and early 1977 and 107 in 1978, with the two sexes being
equally represented. The phenology in 1976 was May — 1.2%, June — 2.5%, July — 3.8%,
August — 28.8%, September — 51.3%, October — 1.2%, and November — 11.2%. In
1978 it was April — 0.9%, June — 2.8%, July — 7.4%, August — 11.2%, September —
25.2%, October — 46%, and November — 6.5%. Thus in the drought year the peak came
earlier than in 1978. It is known to breed in dead snails (Lundbeck, 1922; Beaver, 1972;
Disney, 1979b). Edwards (1929) reared this species from live Tipula larvae from soil.
Although it has been suggested (Disney, 1979b) that caution is in order regarding the
the correctness of the identification it is noteworthy that in the present survey the species was
common at several sites devoid of snails.
Megaselia ciliata (Zetterstedt)* 16, 18, 20, 22, 24
Eleven in 1976 (8 in August and 3 in September), 1 November 1976 to February 1977 and 6
in 1978 (4 in August and 2 in October). Nelson (1971) recorded it at Moor House. The larvae
feed on slug eggs (Disney, 1977b, 1979b).
Megaselia dahli (Becker) 6, 10, 47
One 9 in July and 1 d, 1 9 in August 1978. Larval habits unknown.
Megaselia diversa (Wood) 38
One d in September 1976. It has been reared from the nest of a blackbird (Colyer,
unpublished notebooks). Robinson (1971) cites records of adults in bird nests.
58 A Survey of Scuttle Flies
Megaselia flavicoxa (Zetterstedt) 3-6, 8, 9-12, 16, 18, 19, 24-6, 30-5, 38, 41, 42, 44, 50
Fifty-seven in 1976 and 163 in 1978. Only 17 specimens were females. The phenology in 1976
was July — 5.3%, August 80.7%, and September — 14.0%; in 1978 it was July — 1.8%,
August — 34.6%, and September — 63.6%. As with M. brevicostalis the peak came earlier
in the drought year than in 1978. Nelson (1971) recorded it at Moor House in August. The
larvae parasitise larvae of the sciarid Bradysia bicolor (Meigen) (Disney, 1976). Hackman
(1963) recorded it only in burrows of voles also inhabited by B. bicolor adults. The capture
dates given by Schmitz (1956) suggest two periods of adult emergence in the year, but only
the second is evident in the survey results.
Megaselia giraudii (Egger) 2-5, 15-17, 20, 21, 22, 26, 29
Eleven in 1976 and 10 in 1978. Phenology was June — 12, July — 1, August — 4, September
— 3, and October — 1. The larvae are highly polyphagous, ranging from moribund insects
to dog dung (Robinson, 1971; Disney, 1979b).
Megaselia hirticaudata (Wood) 22
Fifty-nine 99 and 22 dd were collected at Sunbiggin limestone site only. Phenology was
September 1976 — 24, February 1977 — 1, June 1978 — 17, July 1978 — 19, August/
early September 1978 — 20. Larval habits unknown.
Megaselia longicostalis (Wood) every site
This species was collected at every site. Eight-hundred-and-sixty-five in 1976, 130 in January
and February 1977, and 3540 in 1978. It is the one British phorid that is best sampled by
pitfall traps, probably because the females tend to have abbreviated wings, and the species is
characteristic of the litter layer (e.g. Disney, 1977a; Disney and Davies, 1979). Nelson (1971)
recorded it at Moor House. The phenology for those caught in 1976 and 1978 is presented in
Table 2 as the monthly totals expressed as a percentage of the catch for the year. The sites
have been grouped into three altitude bands. Inspection of the 1978 figures for lowland sites
shows a May — July generation and a September — November generation. At upland sites
the earlier generation is shifted to June — August and there is no obvious later generation.
Inspection of the 1976 figures suggests that at lowland sites the earlier generation was
disturbed by the drought, giving rise to a delayed peak in September, with the later
generation being delayed until November. At higher levels the start of the June/ July peak is
comparable with 1978 but then falls to be followed by a September peak. The presence of
130 specimens between November 1976 and February 1977 suggests there may be an
overwintering population of adults. Herbert and Braun (1958) recorded adults hibernating
under moss in winter. Overall the males tended to outnumber the females (about 1.3:1), with
this tendency being more marked from September onwards. This species is known to
frequent carrion (Wood, 1912; Lundbeck, 1922) and Schmitz (1938) reared it by exposing
meat to gravid females.
Megaselia meconicera (Speiser) 21
One d in September 1976. Larval habits unknown.
Megaselia pectoralis (Wood) 1, 2, 16, 22, 25, 26, 27
Two dd in 1976, 10 dd and 1 $ in 1978. Phenology was May — 2, June — 4, July — 3,
August — 2, September — 1, and November — 1. Larval habits unknown.
Megaselia pleuralis (Wood)* All localities except 28
One-hundred-and-thirty-three in 1976, 2 in February 1977, 1133 in 1978. There were 523 99
and 745 dd. The contrast in the totals for 1976 and 1978 strongly suggests the 1976 drought
severely reduced the population. The phenology is presented in Table 3. The contrast bet-
ween the 1976 pattern and the total pattern for 1978 suggests the drought shifted the normal
June/July peak to July/August. The 1978 figures show a sharp peak in June at lower
altitudes but a broader peak in June/July at higher altitudes, with the actual peak coming in
TABLE 2
The phenology of Megaselia longicostalis in 1976 and 1978 at different altitudes
(expressed as percentages of total catch for the year at altitudes indicated)
A Survey of Scuttle Flies
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60 A Survey of Scuttle Flies
July at these higher altitudes. At lower altitudes there is clearly a second generation in
September/October. At higher altitudes this is less marked. At intermediate altitudes this
second generation is drawn out over three months (September/October/November) instead
of two. It has been reared from the nest of a mole (Colyer, cited Disney, 1978), found in
numbers in vole burrows (Hackman, 1963; Baumann, 1977), reared from a rotten willow log
(Edwards, 1925) and a freshly emerged adult found in a rotten birch log (Disney, 1979b).
The larval habits are still unknown.
Megaselia propinqua (Wood) 1, 34
One 9 in October and 1 in November 1978. Larval habits unknown.
Megaselia protarsalis Schmitz. 41
One d in September 1978. Larval habits unknown.
Megaselia pulicaria (Fallen)* All localities
The recognition of this somewhat variable species has caused problems, but recently this
situation has been clarified (Disney, 1980a) if not finally resolved. One of us (RHLD)
would welcome specimens caught in copula , or reared series, in order to further advance
knowledge of the variation in this species. Specimens should be preserved in fluid (e.g. 70%
alcohol). One-hundred-and-thirty-eight were collected in 1976 and early 1977, 240 in 1978.
There were 156 99 and 222 dd. Nelson (1971) recorded it at Moor House. The numbers are
not sufficient to reveal any significant difference in the phenology at different altitudes. The
overall phenology in 1976 was April — 0%, May — 5.1%, June — 27.9%, July — 18.4%,
August — 20.6%, September — 12.5%, October — 8.1%, November — 7.4%. In 1978 the
pattern was April — 0.8%, May — 18.7%, June — 31.7%, July — 24.2%. August — 6.7%,
September — 3.3%, October — 14.2%, November — 0.4%. The latter figures suggest two
principal periods of emergence in May — July, and October. In 1976 it appears the first peak
was delayed by the drought and tended to overlap with the second peak, which was also
somewhat prolonged into November. Two specimens in February 1977 support the
observation that adults will overwinter (Aston, 1957; Herbert and Braun, 1958). The larvae
feed on the eggs of spiders (Evans, 1969; Disney and Evans, 1980), and have also been
recorded breeding in fungi (Lundbeck, 1922; Disney, 1980a), in larvae and pupae of
Lepidoptera, wasp nests, dung (Lundbeck, 1922), and dead snails (Disney and Evans,
unpublished data). It seems, however, that spider eggs are the preferred diet of the larvae.
Megaselia pumila (Meigen) 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 16, 17, 19, 22, 25, 27, 30, 31, 34, 36-40, 47
Thirteen were collected in 1976 and 37 in 1978. There were 24 9 9 and 26 dd . The phenology
in 1976 was June — 2, July — 1 , August — 1 , September — 2, October — 2, November — 5.
In 1978 it was April — 1, May — 4, June — 14, July — 5, August — 1, September — 5,
October — 5, November — 2. The latter figures suggest two principal periods of emergence,
in May — July and in September — November. Nelson (1971) recorded it at Moor House.
Colyer (1954b) reared it from an Agaric fungus.
Megaselia ruficornis (Meigen)* 25
One d in July 1978. The larvae appear to be polyphagous, with a preference for dead
molluscs (Robinson, 1971).
Megaselia sepulchralis (Lundbeck) 47, 49
Four dd and 3 99 in June 1978. Nelson (1971) recorded it at Moor House in April. The
larval habits are not known but Lundbeck (1922) collected numbers on tree stumps,
especially exuding stumps of Acer.
Megaselia sordida (Zetterstedt) 10, 15, 16, 31 , 47, 48
Two 99 in August 1976, and 6 99 and 6 dd in 1978 (4 in July, 7 in August, 1 in September).
Nelson (1971) recorded it at Moor House in July. The larval habits are not known.
61
A Survey of Scuttle Flies
Megaselia stigmatica (Schmitz) 16, 22
One 9 in July 1976 and 1 d in June 1978. The males of this species are highly distinctive and
yet it has only recently been added to the British List on the basis of a specimen from
Windsor Great Park (Disney, 1977c). Since then one of us (RHLD) has collected it in
Wiltshire, Dr I. F. G. McLean has sent us specimens from Norwich and Dr A. G. Irwin has
sent specimens from Huntingdon. The larval habits are not known.
Megaselia vernalis (Wood) 40
One d in June 1978. Larval habits unknown.
Megaselia woodi (Lundbeck) 10, 16, 19 ,21
One d in November 1976. One d, 1 9 in September and 2 dd in October 1978. Nelson
(1971) recorded it at Moor House in September. Malloch (1906) recorded adults on decaying
fungi. Larval habits unknown.
Megaselia spp.
Seventeen specimens cannot be identified as yet. In most cases they are females in groups
where the taxonomy of the males only is understood. At least seven species are represented
and at least one appears to be new to science. It is hoped to sort out these specimens when
good comparative material of related species is available.
Metopina galeata (Haliday)* 7, 30, 33
Three dd and 1 9 in September 1976. Larval habits unknown.
Metopina ologoneura (Mik)* 6, 9, 10, 18, 19, 37, 41, 42
Three dd and 3 99 in 1976 (June — 1, August — 1, September — 3, November — 1).
One 9 in July and 1 9 in August 1978. Adults were reported in numbers in vole burrows by
Baumann (1977). Larval habits unknown.
Phora atra (Meigen) 28
Phora aterrima (Fabricius) has recently been synonymised with P. atra (Smith, 1980).
Three dd ad 1 9 in July 1978. Larval habits unknown.
Phora stictica Meigen 10,16, 30
One 9 and 1 d in August 1976, 2 dd in September 1978. Nelson (1971) recorded this species
at Moor House. Larval habits unknown.
Triphleba distinguenda (Strobl) 20
One d in June 1978. The species is associated with carrion (Schmitz, 1938, 1943).
Triphleba gracilis (Wood) 3, 11, 12, 18, 33, 43, 44
One 9 and 10 dd in 1978 (5 in September, 5 in October, 1 in November). Nelson (1971)
recorded it at Moor House in September. The larval habits are not known, but puparia have
been found under the bark of rotting logs of conifers (Disney, 1979b).
Triphleba intermedia (Malloch) 20
Two 99 in May/June 1978. Nelson (1971) recorded it at Moor House. Larval habits
unknown.
Triphleba nudipalpis (Becker)* 1, 2, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 28, 33, 34,
37, 39, 42, 47, 49
Eight collected in 1976 as follows: May — 1, August — 1, September — 2, November — 4.
Thirteen collected November 1976 to February 1977, 44 collected in 1978 as follows: May —
2, June — 4, July — 6, August — 6, September — 3, October — 22, November — 1. In all
there were 32 99 and 33 dd. Schmitz (1943) states that it overwinters in the pupal stage and
probably has three generations in the year. The relatively large number caught overwinter
62 A Survey of Scuttle Flies
between November 1976 and February 1977 contradicts Schmitz’s view of the overwintering
stage and there appears to be only two generations. The May to August collections
presumably represent the first generation. Elsewhere, emergence traps set from 12 May to
end of July produced 8 in May, 15 in June and 33 in July (Disney and Gunn, 1980). The
September to February collections presumably represent the second generation.
Colyer (cited in Disney, 1979a) reports this species reared from a dead earthworm and
from sewage.
Triphleba trinervis (Becker) 31
One d November 1976 to February 1977. Wood (1906) recorded adults visiting carrion and
rotting fungi in the autumn. The larval habits are not known.
Discussion
The invertebrate fauna of the Moor House National Nature Reserve was surveyed over a five-
year period (1963-67) by sweep-netting and trapping (Nelson, 1971). In the present study
nine sites on the Reserve were used over two years (Moor House and Great Dun Fell sites); and
a further four were used in one year only, but only two of the sites were close to those used by
Nelson. Nelson recorded seventeen species of phorids but also remarked that only a small
proportion of the catch had been identified. It is not clear how selective he was in the
identification, although ten out of seventeen of the identified species were members of the
genus Megaselia. He commented that phorids were more frequently encountered on the
mineral grasslands than on the peat soils. In the present survey we recorded twenty-seven
species from the Moor House National Nature Reserve, with fifteen of these in the genus
Megaselia. We encountered thirteen of the species identified by Nelson. The other fourteen
species were new records for the Reserve.
The captures made during the present survey can be compared with those made in two
white water-traps at Tow Hill Nature Reserve, in the Yorkshire Pennines, in 1976 (Disney,
1979a). A total of twenty-one species were caught in the two traps and Megaselia
longicostalis only represented 1.1 per cent of the specimens. By contrast, in the present
survey more than 60 per cent of the specimens belonged to M. longicostalis and no site
produced any total approaching twenty-one species. Surveys of the Malham Tarn Nature
Reserve (situated between 350 and 450 m in the Yorkshire Pennines) have so far produced
more than eighty identified species and a number of species whose identity is still uncertain
(Disney, unpublished data). The indications are that a minimum of 100 species probably
occur on Malham Moor. The site, however, embraces a much larger area and a richer
diversity of habitat types than any site in the present survey.
Some of the observed differences are probably due to the sampling techniques used.
Experiments show that pitfall traps are not as effective as water traps for surveying phorids
(although they have advantages for other groups). However, pitfalls would appear to be a
particularly useful tool for the investigation of the population dynamics of M. longicostalis.
The nature of the bias in pitfall trapping for phorids is such that comparative differences
between sites and years are likely to be genuine. For example the greater number of phorid
species recorded per site on mineral grasslands than on peats is likely to be real and confirms
Nelson’s conclusion using different sampling methods. Similarly, the wide altitudinal range
of most phorids and the frequency with which the same species occur commonly on peat and
mineral soils are genuine results and contrast with other groups of Diptera, e.g. Tipulidae
and Dolichopodidae which have been simultaneously investigated using the same traps.
The fauna of peat and mineral soils have several major differences (Coulson and
Whittaker, 1978). In particular, earthworms, snails and moles are almost completely absent
from peat soils, which make up the majority of the sites covered in this investigation. Several
phorids occur in localities where their known larval habitat or food is absent. The most
marked example is the abundant Megaselia brevicostalis which is known to breed in dead
snails. This species was collected from over thirty of the forty-two sites but at only six of these
have we found snails, and all six of these were on mineral soils. Edwards (1929) suggests that
A Survey of Scuttle Flies 63
this species parasitizes Tipula larvae and a similar extension of larval requirements must
apply to Anevrina thoracica , A. urbana and Diplonevra pilosella. In contrast, two species
whose larvae feed on slug eggs, Megaselia aequalis and M. ciliata, were taken at one and
five sites respectively although slugs were found at almost every site.
Sciarids are exceedingly abundant on many of the peatland sites and there is a good
agreement between these observations and the distribution of M. flavicoxa, the larvae of
which parasitize sciarid larvae. Likewise, spiders, particularly Linyphiidae, are also
abundant in upland areas and M. pulicaria whose larvae feed mainly on spiders’ eggs, was
found at all sites.
It is clear that many phorids, including those found in this investigation, have a very
limited distribution, resulting in the majority of species being taken at only a few trapping
sites. Altitude and the differences between peat and mineral soils are relatively unimportant
in determining the distribution of phorids and only in some cases is there a good agreement
between the known larval habitat and food source and the distribution of the fly. There is
need for much more detailed work on the biology of the phorids before a clear understanding
of their habitat requirements is obtained.
Conclusions
The extent of the material from forty-two main sites and several other stations where trapping
was carried out in one year allows a number of conclusions to be drawn concerning the
distribution and abundance of the Phoridae in upland areas and on peatlands. These are:
1. No species of phorid collected during this survey was restricted to high altitudes. This
suggests that there are no truly Arctic or sub -Arctic phorids in upland areas of northern
England. This is in contrast to some other groups of Diptera. However, there are some
phorids that have an extensive geographical range which penetrates into the Arctic. These
have a ‘northern’ distribution but also occur at low altitudes in Britain. We do not yet know
enough of the distribution of phorid species in Britain to be able to make more detailed
comments.
2. Only four out of the forty-three species recorded in this survey were found at most
sites. These are Megaselia brevicostalis , M. pleuralis, M. pulicaria, and M. longicostalis. M.
flavicoxa was also found at the majority of sites, but was less frequently encountered on the
North York Moors and was only recorded in two out of the thirteen sites below 336 m.
3. A high proportion of the species (twenty-six out of forty-three) was recorded at less
than four sites. The rarity of these species cannot be attributed solely to the catching method
since in several species, e.g. Diplonevra nitidula, Megaselia angelicae, M. hirticaudata the
species were represented by several specimens at each site.
4. There is no correlation between the number of species at a site and altitude (r =
+0.13). This is again in contrast to some other groups of Diptera, such as the Tipulidae,
where the number of species increases markedly with altitude.
5. There is virtually no change in the phorid community on peat soils at high and low
altitude. Few of the species found appear to be limited in their distribution by the lower
temperatures encountered at higher altitudes.
6. Few of the phorid species showed a marked habitat separation between mineral and
peat soils. Only three species, Diplonevra funebris , Megaselia sordida and M. woodi, showed
a strong attraction to mineral soils or an avoidance of peat. Similarly, only Megaselia
giraudii and Triphleba gracilis showed a marked preference for peat and avoided mineral
soils, but both species are known from other habitats.
7. Nevertheless, more phorid species were found on the mineral sites than on the peat
sites. This difference is clearly shown by comparison of the eight pairs of sites on peat and
mineral soils. In all eight cases, more phorid species were recorded on the mineral grassland
sites with mean of 11.0 species on the mineral soils, and 6.9 on the peats (difference 4.1 ±
1.2, t = 3.4, p< 0.05).
8. The study of other invertebrate groups on the forty-two main sites resulted in the
recognition of six communities. The number of species of phorid per site in each of the
communities was as follows:
64
A Survey of Scuttle Flies
(i) Lowland, oligotrophic mires
(ii) High altitude blanket bog
(iii) Mixed wet and dry moor
(iv) Dry, heath-like moor
(v) Areas with both peat and mineral
affinities
(vi) Mineral grasslands
6.25 species (standard error ± 0.63)
6.71 ±0.52
7.29 ±0.58
6.88 ±0.52
9.20 ±1.32
10.43 ± 1.31
There is a marked similarity in numbers of species (and species composition) between the
four peat communities (i — iv) and the greater number of species on upland grasslands is also
evident in areas with a mineral influence (v).
Acknowledgements
Two of us (JCC and IB) are indebted to the Nature Conservancy Council who commissioned
the survey and the Manpower Services Commission who financed an extension to the study
which allowed the Phoridae to be collected and sorted prior to identification by RHLD. One
of us (RHLD) is indebted to the Shell International Petroleum Co. Ltd. for grants to further
investigation of the Phoridae.
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A Survey of Scuttle Flies 65
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Disney, R. H. L. (1980d) A new species of Gymnophora Macquart (Dipt., Phoridae) from
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BOOK REVIEWS
100 Families of Flowering Plants by M. Hickey and C. J. King. Pp. xx + 568, with 135
figures. Cambridge University Press. 1981. Hardback £27.50; Paperback £8.95.
The diversity of floral structure within the Angiosperms is very wide. As an aid for students
in comprehending this range in floral morphology numerous books have illustrated and
described the floral details of representative families of flowering plants. The present work is
reasonably comprehensive since it includes a number of the more important families not
represented as natives in the British flora. In addition to the series of drawings showing
dissections of the floral parts of each type portrayed along with the accompanying captions,
there are also accounts of the floral characteristics of each family together with its
distribution, chief economic and ornamental species and an outline classification with
enumeration of the principal genera and the numbers of species they contain. An illustrated
introductory sketch covering floral structure and a glossary complete this sound and useful
guide: the pity is that the teaching of systematic botany to the level catered for by this book is
now neglected in all save three or four British universities.
WAS
The Observer’s Book of Cacti and other Succulents by the late S. H. Scott, and revised by
J. W. P. Milliard. 185 pages, illustrated in colour. Frederick Warne Ltd. 1981. £1.80.
The Observer’s Books manage to keep reasonably up to date without losing their distinctive
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one first appeared twenty years ago and was certainly due for revision. It now has entirely
new illustrations made from excellent colour photographs, and the unpretentious text is
about equally divided between Cactaceae, ‘other succulents’ and introductory matter on
morphology and methods of cultivation. It can be thoroughly recommended as a beginner’s
book to anyone interested in these fascinating plants.
FHB
STEPHEN ROBSON’S HORTUS SICCUS
PETER DAVIS
The Hancock Museum, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne
67
Abstract
Stephen Robson (1741-79), the Quaker botanist of Darlington, Co. Durham, is well known
as the author of The British Flora published in 1777. A number of letters and manuscripts
survive today with the family’s descendants which refer to the publication of the Flora, but
perhaps more surprising is the survival of Stephen Robson’s collection of dried plants in
three bound folio volumes — his Hortus Siccus. This paper examines the collection and its
compiler. Particular reference is made to the survival of the Hortus Siccus during the 200
years it remained in the possession of the Robson family.
Stephen Robson and The British Flora
Accounts of the life and work of Stephen Robson have been given by Smith (1878), Britten
and Boulger (1893), Boulger (1897), Baker (1903), Green (1917), Henrey (1975), and
Desmond (1977).
Stephen Robson was born on 13 June 1741 in Darlington, Co. Durham. His father,
Thomas Robson (1691-1771) had become a Quaker in 1717, and Stephen received a basic
education as was common among the Friends at that time. He developed an early interest in
the natural sciences, particularly botany and astronomy, and taught himself Latin and
Greek in order to pursue his interests. When his father died, Stephen Robson succeeded to
the family linen- weaving business in Northgate, Darlington, the premises including a small
house and shop from where he also conducted a grocery business.
Stephen Robson’s interest in botany probably dates from his late teens. He was evidently
competent by 1763, when he corresponded with Robert Harrison (1715-1802), a
mathematician and linguist of Newcastle upon Tyne, about obtaining plant specimens.
Harrison was a close friend of Stephen Robson throughout his life and gave a great deal of
help in the preparation of The British Flora for which he is credited in the preface of the work.
The correspondence between Robson and Harrison is quoted by Green (1917), and the letters
themselves still survive with a family descendant, Edward Robson, of Market Weighton,
York. Davis (1980) describes how these manuscripts and the Hortus Siccus were located,
and the subsequent discovery of the original manuscript of The British Flora with another
family descendant, Stephen Rambaut of Beverley, North Humberside.
Green (1917) and Henrey (1975) have described at length the origins, publication and
finances of The British Flora. The original prospectus is dated 1 March 1776, and the first
copies of the publication were received by Robson in September 1777 from the printer,
William Blanchard of York. The published price of The British Flora was 4/6d. to
subscribers and 5s. to non-subscribers. However, in spite of the reasonable price, the book
was never to prove particularly popular, and Robson wrote to his friend, Rev. Richard Hill
Waring (1716-1794), on 15 December 1778 to say that there would be no second edition
because the sale of his work had fallen short of expectation. The letter is quoted in full by
Green (1917). There can be little doubt, however, that the Flora was a significant
contribution to botanical literature, being the first British Flora written in English in which
binomial nomenclature is used. As Smith (1878) states — ‘(The British Flora) . . . published
when the enthusiastic author was only 36 years of age and closely confined to the counter,
was, however, no mean attempt for one entirely self taught both as regards the classic
languages and science, and reflects great credit upon his proficiency, and the good purpose
of which this was applied’.
Some confusion has existed until recently regarding the authorship of a rare plant list for
Durham — Plantae rariores agro dunelmensi indigenae — credited to Stephen Robson in
Naturalist 106(1981)
The Descendants of Thomas Robson of Darlington
68
Stephen Robson ’s Hortus Siccus
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1890-1953 I 1894-1969
Stephen Robson ’s Hortus Siccus 69
most recent bibliographical literature. However, Davis and Graham (in press) have shown
that this list was printed privately for circulation by Stephen Robson’s nephew, Edward
Robson (1763-1813). He was one of the original Associates of the Linnean Society of
London, a correspondent of J. E. Smith (1759-1828) and contributed various descriptions to
English Botany. His 'Supplement to the British Flora’, a manuscript dated 1790 which
updates his uncle’s work is in the Botany Library of the British Museum (Natural History). A
shorter manuscript referring to Ribes spicatum and rare Durham plants is currently in the
possession of the Darlington and Teesdale Naturalists Field Club.
Origins of the Hortus Siccus
Stephen Robson was greatly encouraged by his friend Robert Harrison to pursue the study of
botany. Evidently the two men exchanged plant specimens, as Harrison’s letter to Robson on
1 October 1763 testifies:
Frd. [Friend] Stephen,
I have sent thee as many seeds of the Balsamine [sic] lutea as I have been
able to save this bad season, and must beg the favour of thee to procure
and send me p[er] Pickersgill [the carrier] a good quantity of the roots
of White Bryony; I would be also glad . . .[part of letter missing] a
specimen of the yellow poppy, Carduus maria [nus], Astragalus luteus,
(roots or seeds) or any other rarity thou hast met with abt. Darnton
[Darlington] .
I am
Thy obliged Friend
R. Harrison
This exchange of seeds and roots to propagate in their respective gardens continued. In a
further letter dated 25 August 1764 Harrison writes:
Frd. [Friend] Stephen,
I reed, the books etc. p[er] carrier. Thy fears were but too true abt. the
C. marianus / what I had from thee proves C. nutans / I have collected
some seeds of it this summer at Tinmouth [Tynemouth] where it grows
plentifully. I found a nettle too amongst the plants that came from thee
which I took for the U. urens, and accordingly rooted it up — if it was
the pilulifera I must beg a fresh supply. The Stellaria is alsine longifolia
uliginosis proveniens locis R. Syn. 347. J.B. aquatica media C.B.
(Caulam habit quadrangularum infirmum, . . . [indecipherable]
foliorum). This is included under S. (graminea) foliis linearibus
intergerrimis floribus paniculatis Lin. S.P. who supposes it (I imagine)
a variety arising from the place of growth. C. Intzbus I have met with
several times in this country; particularly this summer I took up some
roots at Hartley — pans with intention to plant them here, but unfortu-
nately left them at Blyth. It is at present called by Lin. C. caulis
simplici ramoso, floribus consertis, omnibus sessilibus. I am
particularly obliged to thee for the flower of the Utricularia, which . . .
[this part of the letter missing] .
I find Salicaria lutea in my garden, which I suppose came from thee;
pray where was it found? and should it not be Monadelphia in the
sexual system? Is it Salarea [? Salvia] or Horminum that grows, on the
outside, under the wall of Houghton Church-yard! Thou mayst easily
collect some roots and seeds of Menianthes; I would be glad try [sic] to
propagate them.
70 Stephen Robson s Hortus Siccus
An appended note dated 12 October continues . . .
I wish thou couldst also procure me some roots of the Solidago
virgaurea — I have seen it on Crossbridge and imagine there must plenty
thereabouts on the banks of the Tees — I would have a good quantity if
it may be got conveniently. I have enclosed a few seeds for thee to
nurse, but shall leave it to thyself to impose names on them when they
are come to perfection. Please to give Frd. Rchd. [Richard Lindley] the
glasses with my best respects and send the parcels to Mr. Emerson.
from
Thy sincere Friend
R. Harrison
This exchange of specimens and botanical information was to prove vital to the success of
the Flora. Harrison’s superior education helped resolve a number of problems which Stephen
faced with terminology, and his circle of correspondents must soon have learnt of Robson’s
botanical interests. Harrison was in contact with many leading naturalists of the time, some
eager to capitalize on a new source of specimens — as his letter to Stephen Robson on 3
November 1770 indicates:
Friend Stephen,
I have sent thee on the other side a list of English Plants which I
received from Doctor Hope, Professor of Botany at Edinbro’, of which
he would be glad to have seeds or dried specimens. If any of them fall in
thy way I doubt not but as a lover of the science thou will be glad to
oblige him. I got something last spring for the root of the Monarda but
it has never appeared above ground. I must therefore beg thou will get
it supplied for me either from Mr. Ornsby’s or Mr. Dent’s garden
behind his house. Have I nothing I ought to send thee?
I am
Thy Sincere Friend
R. Harrison.
A list of 107 plants arranged in four columns follows. It is interesting to note that this is
the first reference to dried plants, all previous exchanges referring to seeds or roots for
propagation. The Doctor Hope mentioned in the letter was John Hope (1725—1786),
Professor of Botany and Regius Keeper in Edinburgh, 1761.
Stephen Robson was to realize the importance of herbarium specimens when correspond-
ing with William Curtis (1746—1799). In a letter to Curtis dated 25 November 1771 (quoted
by Curtis (1941)) he writes:
Esteemed Friend
Thy very acceptable favour came to hand, and agreeably to thy
proposal I send thee a catalogue of the plants growing in this neigh-
bourhood, including some British plants which we have in gardens, or
which I think I can procure in their respective seasons . . . [several
species of grasses] . . . The names are taken from Linnaeus’s Species
Plantarum. I am afraid this catalogue will not answer thy expectation,
as our country produces but few uncommon plants: we have no
mountains, few woods or marshes ... I am sorry that I have not been in
the practice of preserving specimens, but hope from thy example and
instructions to be more careful in that respect for the future. I am with
grateful acknowledgement of the favours received from thee.
Thy real friend
Stephen Robson
Undoubtedly this instruction from one of the most respected botanists of the day to
preserve plants had a marked effect on the young Robson, as only a year later the vast
majority of the specimens in his Hortus Siccus had been collected, preserved, bound and
indexed. Prior to Curtis’s influence Robson seemed content to exchange seed and cultivate
Stephen Robson ’s Hortus Siccus 71
his botanic garden, perhaps due to Harrison, of whom Robson himself, in the letter to
Richard Hill Waring on 15 December 1778 says ‘R. Harrison, tho’ a great naturalist, is
not, as far as I ever could find, a great collector’. This long botanical letter is quoted in full
by Green (1917), but ends with a reference to gum arabic, used in preparing his plant
specimens for the herbarium:
I use Gum Arabic. I have no method of keeping the gum water in a
fluid state. I keep it in a pot, where it soon hardens, and when I intend
to use it, pour a little water on it, at the same time laying the brush
which has been used for the purpose before in water to soften, and both
are fit for use the next morning. I have heard that gum water may be
kept fluid in a bottle closely corked, but my method is so easy that I
don’t think it necessary to seek for any other.
I am Thy Frd.
Stephen Robson
From the sudden burst of activity in 1771 and 1772, the number of specimens added to the
collection declines rapidly, although Robson continued to add specimens up to the year of his
death, 1779.
Survival of the Hortus Siccus
It seems probable that Stephen Robson’s collection passed to his son, Thomas Robson
(1779-1853), who established a drapery business in High Street, Sunderland. He married
Ann Capper (1784-1850) in 1803, and their son, Edward Capper Robson (1812-1893) was
to take possession of the Hortus Siccus and the many manuscripts written by his grandfather.
Smith (1878), notes ‘we are gratified to learn that his Hortus Siccus, comprised in 3 folio
volumes and dated 1772, is yet in existence and carefully preserved by his grandson, in
addition to the MS of his British Flora, and many other volumes of manuscript extracts etc.,
all of which are executed in a remarkably neat and legible caligraphy’.
Green (1917) quotes a letter written by Edward Capper Robson to him in 1884 which
states:
‘I have many MSS of my grandfather, chiefly botanical — the MS copy of the Flora —
three folio volumes of his dried plants, and many letters written to him from his friends and
his publishers, but his signature is scarce with me’.
Britten and Boulger (1893) repeat that: ‘MS of ‘Flora’, letters and herbarium in possession
of his grandson, Edward Capper Robson of Sunderland’.
There is some confusion as to the fate of the plant collection following Edward Capper
Robson’s death in 1893. Writing in 1897, G. S. Boulger states: ‘The original manuscript (of
the Flora), together with the author’s Hortus Siccus, in three folio volumes, is still preserved
by his descendants’. Baker (1903) confirms that ‘The manuscript of his flora and his
herbarium in three folio volumes, were lately in the possession of his descendants’, whilst
Green (1917) states that ‘Stephen Robson’s Hortus Siccus in three folio volumes, dates 1772,
is in possession of his great grandson Stephen Edward Robson of Moorhill, Sunderland; we
fear many of his books and manuscripts, so greatly treasured by his erudite grandson the late
Edward Capper Robson of Sunderland, have been dispersed since his death, unhappily the
lot of most family collections’.
Stephen Edward Robson (1859-1919) was one of five children from Edward Capper
Robson’s second marriage, to Priscilla Tuke of York in 1852. Although Green (1917) states
that Stephen Edward held the plant collection, it seems that his elder sister, Priscilla Maria
Robson (1854-1919) was the more likely owner. In a bound copy of The British Flora
presently owned by Mr Edward Robson of Market Weighton, there is a note in Priscilla
Maria’s handwriting, saying ‘to Frank Robson with Stephen Robson’s Hortus Siccus —
September 1906’. Frank Robson (1857-1908) was her younger brother.
It seems that it is at this point that the two major Robson heirlooms — the original MS of
the Flora and the Hortus Siccus — parted company after more than one hundred years. S. E.
72 Stephen Robson ’s Hortus Siccus
Robson certainly possessed the MS of the Flora, which passed to his daughter Mabel
Awmack (1884-1973) who married Major Bertrand R. R. Rambaut (1874-1953). Their son,
B. Stephen R. Rambaut (b. 1911) of Beverley, is its current owner.
Frank Robson’s wife,, Hannah Isabella Watson (1866-1936), inherited the Hortus Siccus.
Writing to her son, Roland Reginald Robson (1890-1953) from Harrogate in March 1924
she says:
I am giving you ‘Robson’s Flora’. You are the only one who under-
stands it and I think I may say you will be the only one who will know
what to do with it.
It would seem that the plant collection was becoming something of an embarrassment,
and it is likely that it was around this time that the collection suffered from poor storage
conditions, causing severe damage.
Roland Robson passed on the collection to his son Mr Edward Robson of Market
Weighton, the current owner.
It is interesting to note that Kent (1957) says of the Hortus Siccus : ‘formerly in possession
of family. Not traced’. Desmond (1977) mentions that York Museum has plants collected by
Stephen Robson, but these have not yet been found.
The Horticus Siccus
Although the survival of Stephen Robson’s plant collection is notable, the collection itself is
something of a disappointment, as none of the specimens have accompanying data. This is
somewhat surprising considering the meticulous care shown by Robson in his preparation of
the Flora , and in the effort expended in collecting and preparing specimens for his
herbarium. Had notes on place and date of collection been added, undoubtedly many of his
specimens would now be considered as first records for Durham and North Yorkshire.
The three volumes of the Hortus Siccus (each measuring 21 x 35 cm) were rebound in 1853
by Edward Capper Robson, although the original titles on the spine have been re-used.
E. C. Robson obviously treasured his grandfather’s collection, and a number of pencilled
notes throughout the collection verify this; it was also Capper Robson who was responsible
for conservation work on the collection, including the use of gummed paper strips to re-
fix some of the specimens.
There is no logical sequence followed in the plant collection, althogh an attempt has been
made to group together species from one genus. Volume 1, dated 1772-73 contains 320 species
of flowering plants, which are listed by Robson. These are of interest, as they indicate the
Latin and common names in use at the end of the eighteenth century; for example, Paris
quadrifolia is known by the names ‘True-love’ and ‘One-berry’. Volume 1 also has a page
index to the common names of the plants present. Against specimen number 26 a pencilled
note (by E. Capper Robson) reads ‘The R. spicatum was first put here for R. alpinum' . This
is a reference to a plant described by Edward Robson in the Linnean Society Transactions in
1794, which he names Ribes spicatum. In the Edward Robson manuscript in the possession
of the Darlington and Teesdale Naturalists Field Club, which also describes Ribes spicatum ,
E. Robson writes (in 1794): ‘The specimen from whence the Figure was made, as also the
dried ones, were taken from a tree which was brought from the neighbourhood of Richmond
in Yorkshire some years ago to my late uncle Stephen Robson who planted it in his garden
where it remained for several years and took it for the R. alpinum; the circumstances of the
upright spike of flowers most probably led him into that mistake as it answers the specific
character given by Linne in his Species Plantarum . . .’ A further pencilled note adjacent to
specimen number 102, Montia fontana reads, ‘Shafto Crags, ECR, 6.8.72’ indicating that
Edward Capper Robson has also replaced certain specimens.
Volume 2 has no heading to the plant list, but simply continues the 1772/3 listing. The
340 specimens in this volume include not only flowering plants, but also ferns, mosses,
lichens, fungi, and marine algae. There is no common name index in this volume, and only
one pencilled note referring to the loss of certain specimens of grasses from the collection.
Volume 3 has been compiled from 1774 to 1778, where Stephen Robson has evidently
attempted to fill the gaps in his collection. Flowering plants, ferns and lycopods are present
Stephen Robson ’s Hortus Siccus 73
in this volume, 142 specimens being added in 1774, 60 in 1775, 11 in 1776, 12 in 1777, and
19 in 1778, a total of 244 specimens.
There is an interesting addition to the back of Volume 3 — three specimens of bark cloth
brought from Otaheite by Sydney Parkinson in 1769, with a neat handwritten note by
Stephen Robson describing the mode of manufacture.
Three specimens of plants have been added on certain sheets (Gentiana verna, Hermannia
althaefolia. Ranunculus aquatilis), probably by Edward Capper Robson.
Unfortunately the overall condition of the specimens is poor. In extreme cases complete
specimens have been destroyed and the majority show at least some sign of insect attack. But
the principal reason must lie with poor conditions of storage, exacerbated by the use of gum
arabic (a ready food for small insects), and the fact that the sheets have been bound, which
makes their examination difficult and even damaging. The collection has now been cleaned
and fumigated, and this should ensure its survival for a time longer.
Acknowledgements
I am indebted to Stephen Rambaut of Beverley and Edward Robson of Market Weighton not
only for allowing me to borrow original Robson manuscripts and the Hortus Siccus, but for
their patience in supplying information about their botanical family.
References
Baker, J. G. (1903) Biographical Notes on the early botanists of Northumberland and
Durham. Trans, nat. Hist. Soc. Northumb. 14: 69-86.
B(oulger) G. S. (1897) Stephen Robson. In Dictionary of National Biography 49: 62.
Britten, J. and Boulger, G. S. (1893-1905) A Biographical Index of British and Irish
Botanists. West, Newman & Co., London. 3 vols.
Davis, P. S. (1980) A note on the survival of the manuscripts and plant specimens of the
Robsons of Darlington. Newsletter Soc. Biblphy Nat. Hist., 8-9.
Davis, P. S. and Graham, G. G. (in press). The Authorship of Flantae rariores agro dunel-
mensi indigenae. Archives of Natural History.
Desmond, R. (1977 ) Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturalists. Taylor
and Francis, London.
Green, J. J. (1917) Stephen Robson of Darlington, Quaker botanist and Saint. Friends
Quarterly Examiner 203: 14—31 and 265—82.
Henrey, B. (1975) British botanical and horticultural literature before 1800. Oxford
University Press. 3 vols.
Kent, D. H. (1957) British Herbaria. Botanical Society of the British Isles, London.
Smith, H. E. (1978) Annals of Smith of Cantley, Balby and Doncaster. Saffron Walden,
Essex.
FIELD NOTE
Trogulus tricarinatus(L.), a harvestman (Opiliones) found for the first time in northern
England
A single immature specimen of Trogulus tricarinatus was found under a stone beneath hazel
bushes in scrub on limestone at Bastow Wood, Upper Wharfedale at an altitude of 230 m on
17th June 1980. The individual was purple in colour, naked (i.e. without a covering of soil
particles as in the adult) and its movement was slow and steady. This species has previous
records from south of a line from the Bristol Channel to the Thames estuary, chiefly from
chalky districts (Sankey and Savory, 1974. British Harvestmen, Academic Press). I am
grateful to J. Sankey for confirming the identity of the specimen.
D. Horsfield
74
BOOK REVIEWS
Seaweeds and their Uses by V. J. Chapman and D. J. Chapman. Pp. x + 334, including
many tables and line drawings. Chapman and Hall. 1980. 3rd edition. £17.50.
An updated account of the many commercial uses of seaweeds throughout the world;
substantial revisions to all sections have been made since the second edition, published in
1970. This fascinating aspect of these plants is all too often neglected on the school or
university syllabus. The authors provide a most readable text, which contains a broad
spectrum of reference material, including an impressive bibliography of more than 1450
titles; even this is incomplete, as the authors state that ‘the literature is not so extensive that
it is not possible to provide a complete bibliography’.
Desmids of the English Lake District by Edna M. Lind and Alan J. Brook. Pp. 123, in-
cluding 171 figures. Scientific Publication No. 42, Freshwater Biological Association (The
Ferry House, Far Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 OLP). 1980. £3.50.
Concise descriptions, supported by clear line drawings (by Joanna Langhorne, D. William-
son and A. J. Brook), of those species and varieties found in three or more of the tarns and
lakes of the Lake District. Keys to genera and species, introductory matter, glossary,
references, and index increase the value of this identification guide, which will also prove
useful in other upland areas of the British Isles.
The Mushroom Hunter’s Field Guide by Alexander H. Smith and Nancy Smith Weber.
Pp. iv + 316, with full-colour illustrations. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. 1980.
$14.95.
New and enlarged edition (the last one was published in 1963) of this excellent guide to North
American fungi. Keys and beautiful, explicit colour plates (most indicating both pileus and
gill structure), as well as text descriptions (on identification, spores, edibility, habitat, etc),
are provided for 282 species. Numerous plates and descriptions will prove helpful in
identifying European fungi, but it will only be useful as a field manual in North America.
Quaternary Palaeoecology by H. J. B. Birks and Hilary H. Birks. Pp. viii + 289, including
many figures and table. Edward Arnold. 1980. £28.
John and Hilary Birks’ book will undoubtedly provide the standard text on the methodology
involved in obtaining, and the interpretation of, data derived from Quaternary fossils and
sedimentary deposits. The treatise comprehensively covers environmental reconstruction
from such records, using a wide range of organisms to interpret past climates, vegetation
cover, topographical features, impact of man, etc: plant macrofossils, diatoms, Cladocera,
Mollusca, Coleoptera, and Vertebrata are treated, but a major part of the book is devoted,
as indeed it should be, to pollen analysis. This work is strongly recommended to libraries,
and a paperback version with a price more suitable to the undergraduate’s pocket would
most certainly be welcomed.
Nickel in the Environment edited by Jerome O. Nriagu. Pp. xiv + 833, including numerous
figures and tables. Wiley, New York and Chichester. 1980. £34.75.
The latest in a series of volumes of major importance to biologists and environmentalists,
under the competent editorship of Jerome Nriagu. Previous titles, having the same editor,
have covered sulphur, copper, zinc, and cadmium in the Wiley Interscience Series, and lead
and mercury in the Elsevier Topics in Environmental Health Series.
The present volume comprehensively treats (in twenty-nine chapters by forty-four authors)
the chemical properties; ore deposits; economic uses; distribution and cycling in air, water,
soil and ecosystems; accumulation and role in a wide range of biota; and toxic and deficiency
effects, especially in respect of man.
The text provides both fundamental reading and a wealth of source material, and is
strongly recommended for reference libraries.
BRITISH RECORDS OF THE NORTHERN WILLOW TIT
MARTIN LIMBERT
Museum and Art Gallery, Doncaster
75
The Yorkshire Specimen of 1975
On the South Yorkshire portion of Thorne Moors on 8 February 1975, C. D. R. Heard
flushed an odd-looking titmouse from a patch of Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) , and
obtained a clear view when it perched in a nearby bush. The bird most closely resembled a
Willow Tit (Parus montanus) and uttered a call very similar to the contact/feeding note of
British Willow Tits P. m. kleinschmidti. However, it was unlike the latter race in several
respects. The upperparts were pale grey (quite different from the warm brown of
kleinschmidti), and the pale wing panel was not only distinct and well defined, but strikingly
white — far more so than in native birds. The underparts and flanks were pale grey-cream,
with little (if any) of the buffish coloration typical of British specimens. The cheeks — a clear
pure white — contrasted with the duller breast colour. The bird looked relatively large,
seemingly midway in size between Great Tit (P. major) and Willow Tit, and had a
surprisingly long tail, of the same proportion to the body as that of a Great Tit.
The conclusion drawn was that the titmouse showed characters of the northern race of
Willow Tit P. m. borealis. It has been accepted as such by the British Birds Rarities
Committee (Rogers 1979), and is included in a study of the Thorne Moors avifauna (Limbert
et al., in press).
Other Confirmed /Unconfirmed Records
British Willow Tits belong to the resident, endemic race kleinschmidti and to date the only
other race recognized in Britain is borealis (B.O.U. 1971). Until the Yorkshire occurrence of
1975, there had been only two confirmed British records of Willow Tits showing the
characters of the latter race. The first involved one shot by J. H. Paddock at Tetbury
(Gloucestershire) in March 1907 (Ogilvie-Grant 1908, 1908a). The specimen, a female, was
presented to the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) where it remains (registered number 1908. 10.
25. 6). D. W. Snow (pers. comm.) notes: ‘It seems to be a perfectly typical specimen of
P. m. borealis though not quite as pale as some’.
More recently, one was seen on 15 and 16 September 1974 in Tree Lupins (Lupinus
arboreus) near the sluice at Minsmere (Suffolk) by H. E. Axell and P. J. Makepiece. HEA
(pers. comm.) observed the noticeably white cheeks and underparts, grey mantle and wings,
and flanks with only a hint of buff. The bird was larger than British Willow Tits, frequently
uttered the familiar ‘tchay’ note, and was very active. HEA and PJM had been
catching locally breeding Willow Tits and Marsh Tits P. palustris for some years, and this
bird, even in the field, was clearly different. The former was also able to draw on his
experience of Willow Tits in central and south-western Europe, and Black-capped
Chickadee (P. atricapillus) in North America, to comment: ‘None was quite like this
Minsmere bird, though the chickadee had the same bright white face and larger size, also the
paler wing which the Minsmere bird had’.
On two further occasions, details have been published of possible sightings of borealis.
Ogilvie-Grant (1908, 1908a) reported a group of titmice at Welwyn (Hertfordshire) on
12 January 1908 which he believed were of this race (published then as Northern Marsh-Tit
P. borealis ). His attention was first drawn to them by their ‘Linnet-like song, composed of a
number of broken, ascending notes’. Of the four or five individuals present, two sang the
song described. Ogilvie-Grant commented on three features of the birds: flanks as pale as
the breast, pale upperparts and white cheeks.
A second possible record of borealis was documented by Waterston (1937), involving Fair
Isle’s only Willow Tit. The bird, which appeared on 3rd November 1935, was accompanied
by three Blue Tits (P. caeruleus ) showing characters of the Continental -type race. Although
Naturalist 106(1981)
76 British Records of the Northern Willow Tit
not examined in the hand, the ‘outstanding feature’ of this Willow Tit was the pure white of
the cheeks and the sides of the neck. Both the Hertfordshire and Fair Isle records were
quoted by Witherby et al. (1938) without commitment.
Range and Migration
The range of borealis extends from Norway/Sweden (to 70 degrees N.), the south-eastern
Baltic and the eastern Carpathians westwards into the Soviet Union, as far as north-west
Siberia. Although most populations are resident, those in the north of the breeding range
migrate southwards in winter. The only vagrancy in this race known to Vaurie (1959) was the
English record of 1907.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank H. E, Axell and C. D. R. Heard for allowing me to publish details of
their records.
References
Axell, H. E. (1977 ) Minsmere: Portrait of a Bird Reserve. London.
British Ornithologists’ Union (1971) The Status of Birds in Britain and Ireland. Oxford.
Limbert, M., Mitchell, R. D. and Rhodes, R. J. (in press) Thorne Moors: Birds and Man.
Ogilvie-Grant, W. R. (1908) The Northern Marsh-Titmouse in England. British Birds 2:
277-8.
Ogilvie-Grant, W, R. (1908a) [Untitled note on Northern Marsh-Tit (Parus borealis) in the
British Isles.] Bull. Brit. Orn. Cl. 23: 34-5.
Rogers, M. J. and the Rarities Committee (1979) Report on rare birds in Great Britain in
1978. British Birds 72: 503-49.
Vaurie, C. (1959) The Birds of the Palearctic Fauna: Order Passeriformes. London.
Waterston, G. (1937) Bird notes from Fair Isle 1936. Scot. Nat. 73—6.
Witherby, H. F., Jourdain, F. C. R., Ticehurst, N. F. and Tucker, B. W. (1938) The
Handbook of British Birds, vol. 1. London.
YNU BRYOLQGICAL SECTION: ANNUAL REPORT 1980
T. L. BLOCKEEL
The death of George Shaw further depletes the Bryological Section, and the county is now
left with few active workers. George had an extensive knowledge of the literature of the
county and he knew most of the sites for the rarer species of the Dales. This knowledge will
be greatly missed.
In addition to the usual reports, notes have appeared in the Naturalist on William Sutcliffe
of Heptonstall (Blocked, 1980), and on the distribution of Thuidium recognitum (Shaw,
1980). This year’s Sectional meetings were held at Denholme (VC 63) in May and in the
Kilburn area (VC 62) in September.
J. H. Payne Herbarium
With the kind permission of Mr P. Skidmore of Doncaster Museum, I have been able to
examine the collection of the bryologist J. H. Payne, who collected in South Yorkshire
cl918-1928. Unfortunately, almost all the packets are of the commoner species, and some
are misnamed. In particular, no vouchers were found to support the published records of
Scleropodium cespitans and Pottia starkeana sens, strict. (Payne, 1928). A few of the
gatherings are referred to in the records below.
YNU Bryological Section: Annual Report 1980
77
Records
My own work has again been largely in VC 63, with further interesting results. The vice-
county is now relatively well recorded, but some gaps remain to be filled. Unless stated
otherwise, the records below are my own.
Anthoceros agrestis (= A. punctatus auct.): (63*) 43/48 Arable field, Harthill Reservoir,
Sept 1980.
Riccia warnstorfii : (63*) 43/48 Arable field, Harthill Reservoir, Sept 1980.
Metzgeria conjugata : (63) 43/59 Edlington Wood, J. Verhees, Aug 1971, (Doncaster
Museum).
Trichocolea tomentella: (63) 34/94 Wet ground in rough pasture, Scald Bank, Kelbrook,
nr Earby, Feb 1980.
Lepidozia cupressina (= L. pinnata): (63*) 34/93 Millstone grit boulder, Hardcastle Crags,
Aug 1980. An oceanic species which is a notable addition to the flora of the Hebden Valley
— the only previous record for the vice-county (Idle Woods) was made in 1857.
Lepidozia sylvatica : (63*) 34/93 Boulders, Highgreenwood, Hebden Valley, Oct 1978; (64)
44/25 Birk Crag, Harrogate, in packet of L. trichoclados, W. H. Burrell, 35.7.33 (Leeds
Univ).
Calypogeia integristipula (= C. neesiana var meylanii): (62) 45/80 Near Mallyan Spout,
YNU Exc, July 1979.
Plectocolea obovata: (63) 34/93 Hardcastle Crags, May 1978 — previously reported as
P. paroica (Annual Report, 1978), but since redetermined by Mrs J. A. Paton; 44/04
Sutton Clough, Glusburn, Oct 1979.
Lophozia incisa : (63) 43/19 Wet rocks, Upper Derwent Valley, May 1980.
Mylia taylori : (63) 34/93 Boulders, Upper Worth Valley, May 1980.
Plagiochila britannica: (63*) 34/95 Broughton Hall, YNU Exc, Apr 1978 — reported at the
time (Blocked, 1978) as P. asplenioides var major, but since found to belong to this
recently described species; 43/59 Edlington Wood, May 1980; (64*) 34/88 Limestone
Rocks, Oughtershaw, YNU Exc, July 1980.
Nowellia curvifolia : (63) 34/94 Logs, Park Gill Woods, Carleton, Feb 1980.
Cephalozia connivens : (63) 44/60 Hatfield Moor, Dec 1979.
Cladopodiella fluitans : (63) 34/94 Peat bog, Raygate Hill, Carleton, Feb 1980.
Porella cordaeana: (64) 34/88 Oughtershaw, A. Norris, Sept 1980.
Lejeunea cavifolia : (63) 34/94 Park Gill Woods, Carleton, Feb 1980; Catlow Gill, Carleton,
Apr 1980.
Lejeunea lamacerina : (63) 34/94 Park Gill Woods, Carleton, Feb 1980.
Sphagnum balticum: (63) 44/71 Refound on Thorne Waste, Jan 1980.
Pogonatum aloides: (63) Sandall Beat, J. H. Payne, 13.4.18 (Doncaster Museum) — Payne
(1928) reported the rarer P. nanum from Sandall Beat, but the extant material is P.
aloides.
Distichium capillaceum: (63) 43/58 Anston Quarry, Nov 1979.
Fissidens viridulus var tenuifolius : (63*) 43/59 Edlington Wood, M. Dalby et al, 22.8.71
(Doncaster Museum).
Octodiceras fontanum : (63* and 64*) 44/23 Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Leeds, Apr and May
1980. New to Yorkshire and most northerly British locality.
Encalypta vulgaris: (63) 43/58 Roche Abbey, J. H. Payne, 25.2.18 (Doncaster Museum).
Tortula laevipila: (64) Abbey Road, Knaresborough, F. E. Branson, Nov 1979.
Desmatodon cernuus : (63) 43/58 Anston Quarry, Nov 1979.
Pottia starkeana ssp conica (= P. davalliana): Roadside at Skellow, J. H. Payne, 13.3.22
(Doncaster Museum) — this is the only material labelled P. starkeana in Payne’s
herbarium, but it is not the rarer P. starkeana ssp. starkeana, for which Payne’s is the only
VC record.
Phascum curvicolle : (63) 43/58 Anston Quarry, Nov 1979.
Oxystegus tenuirostris : (63) 43/39 Wharnecliffe Woods, Dec 1979.
Leptodontium flexifolium : (63) 34/94 Rough pasture near Carleton, Feb 1980.
7 8 YNU Bryological Section : Ann ual Report 1 980
Tetraplodon mnioides: (63) 44/00 Sheep carcass, Wessenden Moor, July 1980.
Pohlia lutescens: (64*) 44/14 Laneside bank, Guiseley, Oct 1980.
Pohlia lescuriana : (63) 43/39 Bank in pasture, Wharnecliffe, Dec 1979.
Bryum alpinum: (63) 44/00 Marsden Clough, Mar 1980.
Bryum pallescens : (63*) 44/01 Concrete wall, Ryburn Reservoir, Mar 1980.
Zygodon viridissimus var stirtonii: (62*) Limestone, Wass Bank, YNU Exc, Sept 1980.
Thuidium philibertii: (63) 34/95 Damp limestone grassland between Gargrave and Skip ton,
Aug 1980.
Amblystegium humile: (63) 44/71 Soil at edge of shallow dyke, Will Pits, Thorne Waste,
J. Verhees, 2.6.71 (Doncaster Museum); 44/30 Carlton Marsh, Barnsley, May 1980.
Drepanocladus uncinatus: (63) 34/94 Old quarry near Lothersdale, Feb 1980.
Rhynchostegiella teesdalei: (63*) 34/94 Park Gill Woods, Carle ton, Feb 1980.
Eurhynchium praelongum var stokesii: (63*) 44/04 Sutton Clough, Glusburn, Aug 1980.
Brachythecium salebrosum : (63) The Hebden Bridge records are errors. M. O. Hill has
confirmed the following record: wall by Thwaite Wood above Thwaite Hall near Firbeck,
J. Brown, 1952 (BBSUK).
Brachythecium glareosum : (63) 34/94 Old quarry near Lothersdale, Feb 1980.
Isopterygium pulchellum: (63) 44/10 Harden Clough, Meltham, Jan 1980; 34/93 Near
Ponden Reservoir, May 1980; 44/04 Sutton Clough, Glusburn, Aug 1980. Evidently an
under-recorded species.
Orthothecium intricatum : (63) 44/04 Sutton Clough, Glusburn, Oct 1979.
An asterisk indicates a new vice-county record or an amendment to the Census Catalogue.
References
Blocked, T. L. (1978) Bryological meeting at Broughton Hall. Naturalist 103: 155-6.
Blocked, T. L. (1980) William Sutcliffe of Heptonstall and his Collection of British and Irish
Mosses. Naturalist 105: 33—7.
Payne, J. H. (1928) Yorkshire Moss Records. Naturalist : 149.
Shaw, G. A. (1980) Thuidium recognitum (Hedw.) Lindb. in Yorkshire. Naturalist 105:
67-8.
FIELD NOTE
Artemesia annua L., an alien plant new toYorkshire
In early September 1979 whilst working on arable land at Newton Hill, Wakefield (V.C 63;
grid. ref. SE 325224), I came across an unfamiliar plant which I was unable to identify from
the literature available to me . Consequently I consulted S. C. Madge, D. Grant and
Mrs F. Houseman, none of whom were able to identify it other than as a member of the
genus Artemesia .
I therefore sent the specimen to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, where it was identified
as Artemesia annua L. I also contacted the British Museum who put me in touch with
Mr Eric J. Clement of the Botanical Society of the British Isles, to whom I am grateful for
more detailed information on this species.
A. annua is native to south-east Europe and Turkey east through southern-central Asia to
Japan and has been introduced into North America and probably elsewhere.
It has been reported as a very rare weed in Californian carrot seed (e.g. S. London, 1966).
‘In wool shoddy there is only one record (from south Lancashire)’ states Mr Clement who
continues ‘it is certainly a rare casual in Britain’.
A. annua is an annual growing to a height of some 50cm., differing from the similar
A, vulgaris in being brighter green, lacking silvery undersides to leaves and in having a more
pleasant, sweeter aroma. The Newton Hill plant was in full flower, these being small and
yellow but similar in outward appearance to those of A. vulgaris.
A. annua appears not to have been recorded before in Yorkshire and there is little doubt
that the seeds of this plant came with wool shoddy which had been applied to the fields
during the previous spring. It failed to reappear in 1980 but could easily be more frequent as
a wool alien than present records suggest.
John Martin
79
SHORT-EARED OWLS (ASIO FLAM ME US) AT
CARLTON MARSH NATURE RESERVE
DURING THE WINTER OF 1978-79
J. S. ARMITAGE
RSPB, North West Regional Office, Imperial House,
Imperial Arcade, Huddersfield HD1 2BR
During the period 7 October 1978 to 15 May 1979 a series of records of Short-eared Owls
Asio flammeus occurring at the Carlton Marsh Nature Reserve, near Barnsley, South
Yorkshire was collected. This paper examines the incidence of these occurrences and
provides information on prey items based on an analysis of pellets collected at the reserve.
Introduction
The reserve is situated between the villages of Carlton and Shafton to the north-east of
Barnsley (Map reference SE/379103) and comprises a subsidence flash bordered by
agricultural land on its north, east and south aspects and by a series of operational railway
lines on a wide elevated embankment to the west. The area is designated as a Local Nature
Reserve and is owned by the Barnsley Metropolitan District Council.
Around the water area, the vegetation is predominantly Juncus effusus, Typha latifolia
and Glyceria maxima, which grade on the western and southern margins into damp
grassland containing a variety of typical species. Beyond this to the south is an area of dry
grassland dominated by Deschampsia flexuosa, but also including Festuca ovina, Brizia
media, Cynosurus cristatus, Anthoxanthum odoratum, and Agrostis tenuis. This, and the
slope of the railway embankment, which is dominated by hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) ,
hazel (Coryllus avellana) and crab apple (Malus sylvestris) scrub, were those areas over
which the reserve owls most frequently hunted. Another area was regularly frequented by the
birds during early November 1978. This was located approximately one mile west of the
reserve and comprised an area of rough grassland on an undeveloped part of the Carlton
Industrial Estate. This roosting area was quite remarkable in that it was surrounded on all
sides by urban or industrial development. Access to the reserve area by the birds could,
however, be gained along a corridor of land associated with a reclaimed colliery spoil heap.
An indication of both use of, and affiliation to, this site is provided by the records of five
birds roosting there on the 1 November 1978 and eight being present by the middle of that
month. At that point the birds appeared to disperse to a number of locations, one of which
was the nature reserve.
The roost used at the reserve was rough grassland in a triangular-shaped area set amidst a
series of railway lines. This was used until late February 1979 when a nearby, narrow gully 30
metres long and 4 metres deep adjacent to an operational line was adopted. This was
somewhat devoid of vegetation and had rubble and miscellaneous debris along its base.
From then until mid-April this site was used regularly.
Incidence of Records
The first birds of the autumn occurred on 7 October at the reserve and 31 October 1978
at the Industrial Estate roost.
From 1 November 1978 to the middle of November no records were obtained at the
reserve but between five and eight birds occurred at the Industrial Estate roost. From
15 November to the end of December 1978 birds were regularly recorded at the reserve with
a maximum of three on 19 November 1978. The initial roost had disbanded and the birds
appeared to have dispersed more widely or moved completely out of the area. From the
beginning of January 1979 more birds were recorded at the reserve and it appeared that
hunting activities and roosting were centred on the area. During that month four on 7th, five
six on 24th, and four on 28th were the maxima but singles or pairs were recorded on most
other dates. This pattern was repeated during February 1979 with a maximum of seven birds
being recorded on 24th with five of these being present in the gully adopted as a roost site.
Naturalist 106(1981)
80 Short-eared Owls at Carlton Marsh Nature Reserve
During March 1979 the number of birds recorded until 29th was quite low (maximum
three) but then six were present in the roost on 30th. After four and three being recorded on
1 and 4 April respectively it appeared that two birds only were in the area. These
remained until 15 May when no further evidence of their presence was available.
Throughout the last week of March at least one bird was heard to call on several occasions
whilst in flight during the daytime. In the late afternoon of 22 March 1979, E. M. Bennett
and the writer watched a pair in full display over rough grassland to the north of the marsh,
and display was similarly observed on several other occasions during April and May.
During 1976 birds were occasionally seen at the reserve but none was recorded there in
1977. It is known that larger numbers than normal of these birds were present in Britain
during the winter of 1978/79 and it is against this fact that this unprecedented series of
records must be viewed. Additionally, during the same period the weather was quite severe
with prolonged priods of snow and this, plus an ample availability of food, may also have led
to the concentration of birds.
Results of Pellet Analysis
At intervals throughout the winter pellets were collected from the roost site or from below
posts that were obviously used as vantage points or resting stations during hunting. During
the adverse weather many pellets were obviously lost but fifty-eight were collected and
analysed. The average size of these was 42.37 mm x 21.15 mm with a range in length of
28-71 mm.
Prey species
No. of
items
%of
total prey
Short-tailed Vole, Microtus agrestis
76
81.72
Bank Vole, Clethrionomys glareolus
13
13.98
Harvest Mouse, Micromys minutus
3
3.23
Common Shrew, Sorex araneus
1
1.07
The distribution of the prey items within the fifty-eight pellets was as follows:
pellets with three prey items 17.24%
pellets with two prey items 25.86%
pellets with only one pre item 56.90%
Glue ( Bird Study 17: 39-42, 1970) in his summary of British data on the prey of the Short-
eared Owl showed that whilst the Short-tailed Vole in particular, but also other rodents,
form the main part of the bird’s diet, birds can become the predominant prey especially
during severe weather.
Additionally Vernon ( Bird Study 19: 114-15, 1972) showed that the Brown Rat (Rattus
norvegicus) formed the main part of the bird’s diet (63.5%) in autumn but that from about
December birds (15.5% of prey) and the Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) (13.5% of
prey) predominated, with Short-tailed Voles being taken in much smaller numbers (6.5% of
prey) throughout the whole period.
A comparison of the bird prey species quoted in the two papers with those known to be
present/roosting at the reserve during the period shows a number of striking similarities.
However this appears to indicate the owls were selectively taking Short-tailed Voles as their
main prey presumably because of their abundance, and not exploiting some of the other
available prey, such as birds, within the same area. Similarly, the Brown Rat is recorded
quite frequently around the reserve although, by contrast, no records exist for the Wood
Mouse.
Evidently it would seem that the Short-tailed Vole can be an important prey species even in
severe weather, if it is sufficiently abundant and that bird prey species are not always
exploited as an alternative. It is also interesting to note that the Brown Rat was not
apparently taken as prey during the period despite its obvious availability.
Dr E. Wilfred Taylor 81
Glue also cites two instances, one at a north Kent marshland breeding site, and the other
at a wintering site at Nursling, Hampshire, where Short-tailed Vole comprised a similar
predominant proportion of the diet as in the birds present at Carlton Marsh Nature Reserve.
Due to such variations between analysed results there is obviously a need to examine pellets
collected during a series of different winters where the population levels of the different prey
species are known and the effects of weather conditions can be investigated.
Summary
1. During the 1978/79 winter Short-eared Owls were recorded at unprecedented levels at
the Carlton Marsh Nature Reserve, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Birds occurred between
7th October 1978 and 15th May 1979 with a maximum of eight being recorded.
2. The roost sites adopted are described and the incidence of records throughout the period
examined.
3. Pellets were collected and analysed. This showed that the predominant prey species was
Short-tailed Vole, and that no birds or Brown Rats were taken in contrast to other analyses.
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank E. M. Bennett, G. Blunt and C. Gorman for their kind assistance in
providing information and collecting pellets, J. R. Mather for his comments on the draft of
this paper, and Mrs S. Middleton for typing and checking the manuscript.
DR E. WILFRED TAYLOR
Dr E. Wilfred Taylor, cbe, frs died on 1 November 1980 at the age of eighty-nine. He was
rightly proud of the fact that he was the longest serving Member of the Yorkshire Naturalists’
Union, having joined as a young man in 1911. During almost seventy years’ membership he
served on many Union Committees, becoming President in 1955.
He went to Oundle School, which provided a more liberal education than many public
schools at that time, and where he came to know the Northamptonshire countryside by day
and night, winter and summer, sometimes breaking school rules to do so! School workshops
enabled him to become skilled with his hands, and it was inevitable that he should go
straight into the firm of T. Cooke & Sons of York, of which his father was then optical
manager. Later in life Wilfred Taylor frequently regretted that he never had a university
training, but this did not preclude his election to a Fellowship of the Royal Society (1952) in
recognition of his contributions to the development of optical instruments. Nearer home, the
University of Leeds honoured him with the award of an honorary DSc in 1957, and somewhat
later the newly-established University of York conferred on him a university doctorate. He
was created cbe in 1946 in recognition of his contribution to the war effort.
In November 1911, soon after joining the Union, Wilfred Taylor was elected member of
the Wild Birds & Egg Protection (Act) Committee. He continued to serve the Union in this
capacity for a remarkable unbroken period of sixty-one years, the last twenty-four of which
he was Chairman. It was particularly in collaboration with Ralph Chislett and later with
Charles Wilson that his dedicated leadership was most apparent. While it is difficult to point
to any specifically dramatic piece of work or achievement with which Wilfred Taylor was
associated, it was certainly a period of hard work with great attention to detail. It is ironic
that so much time was unsuccessfully devoted to the protection of Peregrine breeding sites
(including that at Bempton), the breeding of Montagu’s Harriers, and the nesting of Stone
Curlews and Little Terns.
While still a schoolboy, Wilfred Taylor came under the influence of Oxley Grabham,
curator at The Yorkshire Museum, who encouraged and fostered his interest in natural
history. The foundations of his enthusiasm for bats were laid at this time, and it is significant
that most of the Yorkshire bat records in the national data bank at Monks Wood (apart from
very recent additions) are in Wilfred Taylor’s name. His interest in the vertebrates was
82 Dr E. Wilfred Taylor
comprehensive, including fish, amphibia, reptiles, birds, and mammals, and he took over as
General Secretary of the Vertebrates Section in 1920. From then until 1938 his reports on
Vertebrate Zoology in Yorkshire, published in the Naturalist, contain a wealth of observation
and comment that in themselves provide a fitting tribute to the naturalist he was. He was
Chairman of the Vertebrate Section during the war years, and with its re-organization he
became the first Chairman of the newly-formed Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish
Committee (1950-1952). His friendship with Adam Gordon, gamekeeper and taxidermist
from Duncombe Park, Helmsley, was a constant delight to him, particularly during his later
years when his physical powers and eyesight were beginning to fail and it became necessary to
enjoy his field work less energetically.
During his early field work he developed considerable skill in the use of a camera, and
much of his work with birds of prey at that time was illustrated with remarkable photographs
he had taken. An article in The Naturalist in 1914 on the habits of the Merlin included four
photographs of chicks and adults at the nest, providing a clear indication of the quality of his
work. During the 1950s he was Chairman of the Ornithological Committee (1953-1956),
Ornithological Recorder for the York District (1943-1957), and joint editor with Ralph
Chislett of the YNU Ornithological Report (1957-1959).
In many ways, Wilfred Taylor’s term of office as President of the Union served as a turning
point in his interests. His Presidential Address in 1956 was a masterly summary of the status
of mammals in Yorkshire and has served as a standard reference for many years; but from
that time onwards it seems as if he wanted to devote his time and energy to nature conserva-
tion. In the mid-1950s he retired from full-time business commitments with the Vickers
organization, and the Presidency of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust suddenly became more
demanding with the negotiations for the acquisition of Spurn.
From 1956 until the time of his death Wilfred Taylor limited his official connection with
the Union to his role as Vice-President and as Chairman of the Wild Birds & Egg Protection
Committee, while devoting most of his energies to the work of the Trust. However, like so
many present-day naturalists, he felt that the work of the two organizations was
complementary: the Trust would be less well informed without access to the body of factual
information provided by field naturalists all over the county, while the Union would be
relatively powerless to prevent or meet threats to the Yorkshire countryside without the
increasing power of the Trust. Wilfred Taylor saw it as a duty to draw the two organizations
ever more closely together, but he realized that a complete amalgamation might do much to
weaken the strengths that are associated with independence.
In the latter part of his life, Wilfred Taylor found increasing pleasure in the study of plant
life. This may have arisen out of his desire to understand more clearly the basis of ecological
principles. Like all good naturalists, he never stopped learning, and he realized that a sound
judgement on matters of nature conservation must be based on a knowledge of all the
organisms involved together with their environment. Pjo
BOOK REVIEW
Intertidal Invertebrates of California by Robert H. Morris, Donald P. Abbott and Eugene C.
Haderlie. Pp. xii + 690, plus 200 pages of full colour plates. Stanford University Press,
California. 1980. $30.
This work provides a detailed systematic treatment by numerous text contributors of the
major orders, with exhaustive references (more than 5500 sources) to the literature. Each
species description contains information on distinctive characters, range and habitat, life
history where known, interactions with other species, economic importance, and current
research. Descriptions are supported by lavish colour photography.
Although designed as a manual to the Californian coastline, much of the content is
relevant to America as a whole, and will also prove useful over a wider area.
This work maintains the very high standards of scholarship and production we have come
to expect from this publishing house (see also Naturalist 104: 129; 105: 132).
83
SOME NEW VICE-COUNTY RECORDS FOR
WOODLICE IN YORKSHIRE
G. D. FUSSEY and D. T. RICHARDSON
Two recent field collections made in Yorkshire have yielded a number of new vice-county
records for isopods.
The first collection, taken at Saltwick Nab, near Whitby (VC 62; 45(NZ)/914113; alt.
10 m) on 3.6.1980, consisted of two specimens of Cylisticus convexus and one each of
Armadillidium pulchellum and Trichoniscoides albidus. The animals were taken from
amongst chips of alum shale a few metres from where the Nab drops down to the beach.
These are new vice-county records for C. convexus , a species considered to favour
synanthropic habitats but often native in coastal areas, and A. pulchellum . The only record
of T. albidus for Yorkshire was given in Rhodes (1916). Since this record cannot be
substantiated, and is, on this basis left out of the British Isopoda Study Group Atlas
(Harding, 1976), it seems appropriate to consider this present record to be the first for this
vice-county and the second for Yorkshire. It was recently found in East Yorkshire (Fussey,
1980).
The second collection from underneath a stone on the banks of the Leeds-Liverpool canal
at Bank Newton, 34(SD)/910520; alt. 125m on 22.6.1980 consisted of a single specimen
of A. pulchellum which is the first record for VC 63.
All three species exhibit similar distribution patterns, in that though they are considered
uncommon, they are nevertheless widespread in their range. It seems likely that these species
might prove much more common if specifically searched for.
We would like to thank Paul Harding for confirming the identification of A. pulchellum
from Saltwick Nab, and Ian Varndell for his assistance with the field work.
References
Fussey, G. D. (1980) Trichoniscoides albidus (Buddie Lund, 1879), an isopod new to
Yorkshire. Naturalist 105: 159.
Harding, P. T. (1976 ) Provisional Atlas of the Crustacea of the British Isles. Part 1, Isopoda:
Oniscoidea. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Huntingdon.
Rhodes, F. (1916) The terrestrial isopoda of Yorkshire. Naturalist (1916): 99-102.
THE DISCOVERY OF MICROLEPIDOPTERA FROM THE
H. H. CORBETT COLLECTION
HARRY E. BEAUMONT
Dr H. H. Corbett (1856-1921) of 9 Priory Place, Doncaster was one of a small number of
active and competent microlepidopterists resident in Yorkshire in the early years of the
present century. The majority of his collecting appears to have taken place in the immediate
vicinity of Doncaster, favourite localities, judging from his published records, being
Wheatley Wood. Hatfield Moors and the Askern area. Unfortunately little of his,
presumably extensive, lepidoptera collection has survived and until recently the only known
extant specimens were about fifty of his larger moths and two or three micros in Doncaster
Museum, none of them being of particular significance (P. Skidmore, pers comm).
While on a brief visit to Weston Park Museum, Sheffield on 10 November 1980 I was
shown a store box containing microlepidoptera which had formed part of the collecton of
William Buckley of Skelmanthorpe whose collection was purchased at auction by Sheffield
Museum in 1972.
The majority of specimens in the store box were either unlabelled or were from localities in
the south of England but my attenton was attracted to a number which carried labels
Naturalist 106(1981)
84 The Discovery of Microlepidoptera from the H. H. Corbett Collection
indicating that they had been taken in the Doncaster area in 1920. As with many collections
of that era the data labels on the specimens did not include the name of the collector but the
familiar locality names of Wheatley Wood and Hatfield made me strongly suspect that they
were some of Corbett’s specimens.
They had evidently been exhibited at some time for below each species was a handwritten
label giving, in addition to the name of the species, brief explanatory comments.
On returning home my suspicions were confirmed when it was found that the specimens in
question coincided exactly with a list of species exhibited by Dr Corbett at the YNU
entomological section meeting at Leeds on 30 October 1920 ( Naturalist 1921:31).
This material consists of twenty-eight moths of eight species, the most interesting being
two species which Corbett added to the Yorkshire list in 1920. These are:
Cydia splendana (Hubn.) One specimen, the data label reads ‘Doncaster 10.8.20’ and the
explanatory label below reads ‘ Carpocapsa splendana New to Yorkshire. Taken at rest on
stone wall below a tree of Quercus cerris 10.8.20’.
Capperia britanniodactyla (Gregs.) Six specimens bearing data labels inscribed ‘Hatfield’
and dated 12.7.20 (2), 15.7.20 (3) and 18.7.20 (1). The explanatory label reads 'Oxyptilus
teucrii New to Yorkshire. Taken at Hatfield on Teucrium scorodonia' .
The remaining six species do not call for special comment and are listed below with the
names used on the labels given in parentheses where these differ from current nomenclature.
Adela reamurella (L.) (A. viridella) Wheatley Wood, 13.5.20 (5 specimens).
Adela rufimitrella (Scop.) Askern, 26.6.20 (1 specimen).
Clepsis consimilana (Hubn.) (Tortrix unifasciana) Locality unrecorded, 5.10.20 (1
specimen).
Philedonides lunana (Thumb.) (amphisa walkerana) Wheatley Wood, 3.20 (4 specimens
plus one unlabelled). This species is listed as Amphisa prodromana in the list of exhibits
in the Naturalist (1921: 31).
Eudonia angustea (Curt.) (Scoparia angustea ) Doncaster, 8.20 (6 specimens).
Pyrausta cespitalis (D. & S.) (Herbula cespitalis) Hatfield, 13.7.20 (1), 15.7.20 (1), 1.9.20
(1 specimen).
How the specimens comprising this exhibit were acquired by Buckley is a matter of
conjecture; however the fact that Corbett died the following year (obituary in the Naturalist
1921: 145-9) makes it likely that this was the last exhibit that he assembled and probably
accounts for it remaining together and not being broken up and the component species being
returned to their respective places in his collection.
It was thought advisable to place this discovery on record in view of the historic interest of
the two species which were new to Yorkshire and the fact that there can be few entomological
exhibits that have survived intact for sixty years.
My thanks are due to Mr S. P. Garland for showing me the microlepidoptera housed at
Sheffield Museum and to Mr P. Skidmore for his helpful comments regarding Corbett’s
specimens at Doncaster Museum.
FIELD NOTE
A new Leisler’s Bat Nyctalus leisleri record from Yorkshire
On 17.9.80 Stephen Turner of Fulford, York, found a N. leisleri and passed it to me to
confirm its identity. The bat was found dead near one of the permanent exhibits of the open-
air sculpture exhibition at Bretton Park, near Wakefield — (grid ref. 44/2812). It is now in
the Sheffield Museum (Museum No. SHEFM. 1980.617).
Dr Robert Stebbings at Monks Wood, suggests it was ‘a young adult female, possibly two
years old, and which did not breed in 1980’. It has very dark pelage often indicative of young
bats. Derek Whiteley of the Sheffield Museum gives the following measurements for the bat:
weight 10.00 g, forearm 44.0mm, hind foot 9.2mm, head and body, c. 63.0mm, tail
c. 38.0mm, wing-span c. 280.0 mm, ear 13.0mm long, 10mm wide.
Yorkshire is at the northern range of N. leisleri in Britain, and this is now the most
northerly record. Cannock Chase in the West Midlands is the nearest known breeding site
Field Note 85
(Stebbings 1980, pers. comm.), but undoubtedly there will be others, some probably in
Yorkshire. Yorkshire records of N. leisleri are detailed in the following table.
Locality
Altitude
Date
No. Remarks
Author
Grid Ref.
Leeds
—
1840
3
Old chimney shaft site
F. Bond
44/33
Mexborough
—
1890
7
Shot, one in B.M.
W. D. Roebuck
43/49
Barnsley
—
1905
1
Confirmed by B.M.
J. Armitage
44/30
Stainborough
—
1907
4
—
A. Whitaker
44/20
Monk Fryston
—
1907
6
—
A. Whitaker
44/52
Worsborough
—
1907
1
—
A. Whitaker
44/40
Oulton
—
1909
—
—
A. Whitaker
44/32
Rockley*
300
1909
1
Killed 7.8.09
No author
44/3202
Rockley-f
300
1909
1
Killed 9.8.09
No author
44/3202
Barnsley
—
1910
—
—
A. Whitaker
44/30
Worsborough
—
1911
—
—
A. Whitaker
44/40
Stainborough
—
1913
1
—
A. Whitaker
44/20
Halifax
—
1957
1
—
E. Hazelwood
44/02
Bretton Park
—
1980
1
—
M. J. A. Thompson 44/2812
^Sheffield City Museum — specimen no. 1964-1369
f Sheffield City Museum — specimen no. A 1909 — 2
I should like to thank Henry R. Arnold of the Biological Records Centre, Monks Wood for
supplying me with the record data, and Dr R. E. Stebbings for critically examining the
specimen.
Michael J, A. Thompson
BOOK REVIEWS
The West Highland Way by Robert Aitken. Pp. 175, plus folding map. HMSO. 1980. £4.75.
The West Highland Way and this booklet about it have been a long time in preparation, as
they were initiated by the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967 and a Countryside Commission
Report 1972. The booklet bears indelible marks of its period. We read that the authors of the
Way had a ‘remit’ and that some of the subject matter was ‘outwith’ it. The design is very
early 70s. It is printed in a purply-brown ink on cream coloured paper; the line drawings,
probably quite good if they could be seen properly, are printed in yellow! For some reason
most of the photographs are also printed in purply-sepia, show the mountains in mid Winter.
It is to be hoped that in the ’80s such publications will move away from jargon and silly tricks
of design. The Way is the first official long distance footpath to have been established in
Scotland and runs for 152 km (95 miles) from the outskirts of Glasgow to Fort William. In
the booklet it is described in fourteen sections varying in length from 4 to 15 km. The infor-
mation given about each section is interesting and accompanying map makes them quite
easy to follow. The latter is based on the Ordnance Survey 1 :50,000 map and is in four sections.
These are skewed to give as symmetrical coverage of the surrounding country as possible,
which takes a little getting used to at first. By applying Naismith’s rule for timing fell walk-
ing, that is allowing an hour for each 5 km on the flat plus half an hour for each 300 m of
ascent, it is obvious that an average walker could complete more than one section in a day.
The booklet suggests that the whole route could be covered in a week. Many people will react
to a fully signposted ‘way’ through the mountains with mixed feelings, but no doubt many
others will welcome it, and they will need, and make good use of, this guide.
FHB
86 Book Reviews
The Natural History of Shetland by R. J. Berry and J. L. Johnston. Pp. 380 (including
numerous diagrams, maps and tables), plus 16 pages of b/w and 8 pages of colour
photographs. Collins. 1980. £8.50.
This latest ‘New Naturalist’ title maintains the very high standard we have come to expect
from this series. It differs from previous titles in that the photographic plates are grouped
together (for economic reasons) rather than spread throughout the text. The book contains a
wealth of information on most aspects of the natural history in relation to their physical and
biological setting. Interesting general accounts of Shetland naturalists, the impact of oil
development, and conservation are also included, as well as authoritative lists (as
appendices) of fungi, marine algae, bryophytes, lichens, flowering-plants, and ferns,
Siphonaptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, spiders, land and freshwater molluscs, and birds; a
comprehensive list of places to visit; and a detailed bibliography.
Portrait of a Country Artist by Ian Niall. Pp. 160, including many b/w, tinted and full colour
plates. Victor Gollancz. 1980. £10.
A delightful tribute to Charles Tunnicliffe, RA (1901-1979), which shows not only his talent
as a bird artist but also his expertise in the portrayal of other natural history subjects and the
landscape. The book is copiously illustrated with his wood-engravings, etchings, water-
colours, and pen and ink sketches, together with photographs of the artist and examples
from his sketchbooks; the whole is held together by a sympathetic text.
Sir Joseph Banks. 18th Century Explorer, Botanist and Entrepreneur by Charles Lyte.
Pp. 248, including monochrome and full colour plates. David & Charles, Newton Abbot.
1980. £10.50.
Joseph Banks (1743-1820), son of a wealthy Lincolnshire landowner with estates at Revesby,
was one of the most significant figures of the late eighteenth century. He became a skilled
botanist and devoted his life and fortune to pursuing and promoting plant sciences, and was
a generous patron to the sciences in general. Following botanical and zoological surveys of
Newfoundland and Labrador, he accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage around the
world as one of the party of naturalists. Amongst Banks’ many achievements can be
numbered his presidency of The Royal Society for forty-two years, his promotion of many
scientific enterprises, his role in the colonization of Australia, and his unofficial directorship
of Kew Gardens. His memory is perpetuated through the many plant epithets which bear his
name.
Although numerous scholarly works, such as those devoted to critical analyses of his
correspondence and journals, have been published, surprisingly few general biographical
accounts are available; the most recent of these was H. C. Cameron’s Sir Joseph Banks
published in 1952. The latter is sadly out of print, but from personal experience may still be
encountered fairly frequently in second-hand bookshops. Charles Lyte, although covering
essentially the same ground as Cameron, provides a welcome new account of this fascinating
man and the times in which he lived; however, this new biography does not supersede the
earlier work as it lacks comparable supporting reference and bibliographical material.
Nevertheless, this new account will provide an introduction to eighteenth-century exploration
and the origin of learned societies which undoubtedly paved the way for Darwin, Wallace,
etc.
MRDS
Love among the Butterflies: The Travels and Adventures of a Victorian Lady by Margaret
Fountaine, and edited by W. F. Cater. Pp. 224, illustrated in colour and sepia half-
tones. Collins. 1980. £8.50.
The Fountaine-Neimy collection of diurnal lepidoptera consisting of 20,000 specimens from
all over the world was bequeathed to the Castle Museum in Norwich by Margaret Elizabeth
Fountaine in 1940. She also bequeathed a diary which she had kept from 1878 to 1939 with
the stipulation that the twelve volumes in which it was written should remain in a sealed box
until 1978. Now an edited version of less than a quarter of the diary has been published,
embellished with period illustrations. It is perhaps a pity that the editing has been done by a
Book Reviews 87
newspaper man who has concentrated on so-called human interest, and we read less than we
would have liked about the insects she collected, and the eminent lepidopterists she knew,
and nothing of her travels after 1914, although she still had more than two decades of
collecting before her in Australia and America.
FHB
Why Big Fierce Animals are Rare by Paul Colinvaux, with illustrations by Varna Haggerty.
Pp. ix + 224. Allen & Unwin. 1980. £7.95.
The scope and depth of this book are perhaps not fully revealed by the title. Paul Colinvaux
expertly guides the reader, whether student or layman, through many of the major ecological
concepts. He draws his material from the works of such pioneers as Elton, Gause and
Clements right through to areas of ecological thought currently receiving much attention. It
is most encouraging to find that he can cover such topics as the niche, ecological pyramids,
energy and nutrient cycling, vegetation classification, homeostasis of the physical environ-
ment, succession, co-existence, predation, territory, speciation, stability and diversity,
without becoming either too technical or disjointed.
Colinvaux rounds off his lucid account with a presentation of his ideas as to how man fits
into the scheme of nature. Having whetted the reader’s appetite, a guide to further reading is
provided which includes a short but inspiring bibliography.
This book, which is also available in paperback (Pelican, £1.95), is to be thoroughly
recommended to all with an interest in the workings of the natural world around them.
JEPC
Wild Horizons by Dieter Plage. Pp. 216, with 31 colour and 43 monochrome photographs,
and 5 maps. Collins. 1980. £8.95.
Dieter Plage is a professional wildlife photographer of considerable standing. During the
1960s and early 1970s Plage spent considerable time working on assignments in Africa.
These ranged from the wildlife reserves and deserts of Namibia in the south, through central
and east Africa to the uplands of Ethiopia.
The book is a collection of the author’s reminiscences. These include the exciting and the
dangerous, the humorous and the sad but always written in an easily readable style. The
account is illustrated with many superb colour and monochrome photographs which reflect
not only the author’s photographic skills but also considerable artistic appreciation. This is
an attractively produced volume.
MJD
Survival in the Wild by Cindy Buxton. Pp. 102, with 18 colour plates. Collins. 1980. £5.95.
A young woman’s experiences filming wildlife in Africa. An attractive light-hearted account,
richly illustrated with first-class photographs.
AVD
Sexual Strategy by Tim Halliday. Pp. 158, plus 60 b/w plates and 32 pages of colour
photographs. Oxford University Press. 1980. £6.95.
This book deals with the behaviour that precedes, accompanies and follows the act of mating
in a wide variety of animals. Special emphasis is given to the amphibians, reflecting the
author’s interest in this group. The topic is presented from the point of view of the new
sicence of sociobilogy. Tim Halliday shows how the behaviour of an individual will increase
the survival of the maximum number of his or her offspring or the offspring of near relatives
to reproductive age. The text is interesting to read, reporting on very recent research and the
many photographs are usually of very high quality. A brief final chapter discussing human
sexual strategy suggests that both biological and cultural factors are important in explaining
the wide diversity of human sexual practices. A thoroughly fascinating book.
MEA
The Biology of
Mosses
David H.S. Richardson MSc, DPhil
Professor of Botany, Trinity College, Dublin
This important new book presents students and naturalists with
an attractive and informative introduction. Recent research has
revealed fascinating aspects of the physiology and ecology of
mosses, and their unique application as monitors of pollution.
These, and man's more traditional uses of mosses are fully
described as well as a more scientific investigation of their struc-
ture and function. The author's infectious enthusiasm for his
subject is clearly evident in his lucid style of writing, and readers
of his text will be greatly rewarded by the stimulating and
absorbing account of this remarkable group of plants. Many of
the illustrations are reproduced from early works on mosses and
contribute greatly to the book's appeal.
Contents
Structure, history and illustration
Water relations
Photosynthesis, temperature and nutrients
Sex and cytogenetics
Capsules and spore dispersal
Spores and protonemata
Moss-animal associations
Mosses and micro-organisms
Ecology Air pollution
Monitoring and geobotanical prospecting
Mosses and man
Summer 1981. 224 pages, 72 illustrations
Paper, about £8.80
Blackwell Scientific Publications
The Shaping of Cambridge Botany
S. M. WALTERS
Published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the acquisition by the
University of Cambridge of the present site of the Botanic Garden, this book is
the history of botanical and horticultural science in Cambridge from its
beginnings in medieval medical botany until the establishment of specialised
modern branches of botany in the present century, with special reference to the
Botanic Garden. £17.50 net
River Vegetation: Its Identification,
Assessment and Management
A Field Guide to the Macrophytic Vegetation of the British
Watercourses
S. M. HASLAM and P. A. WOLSELEY
This illustrated practical field guide to British river vegetation describes how to
identify the plant communities and includes a dial that allows vegetation to be
correlated with the composition of water and with the extent of pollution. It can
be used with profit by amateur naturalists, botanists and those concerned with
the conservation of our waterways. Hardcovers £18.00 net
Paperback £6.95 net
The Archives of the Peat Bogs
SIR HARRY GODWIN
The vast rain-fed peat bogs that cover much of the landscape of northern and
western Britain contain plant remains that are a precious archive of the events of
the past and they have also preserved a host of archaeological remains dating
back to the Mesolithic period. Sir Harry Godwin provides a historical account of
how the art of reading the bog archives was learned and led to the establishment
of one area of Quaternary research. About £18.00 net
Forthcoming (July)
Excursion Flora of the British Isles
Third Edition
A. R. CLAPHAM, T. G. TUTIN and the late E. F. WARBURG
This edition of Excursion Flora of the British Isles gives brief but accurate
scientific descriptions of all common British plants. More concise than the
previous editions, it is a Flora ideally suited to the needs of students and
amateur botanists. £12.50 net
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JULY- SEPTEMBER 1981 (no 958)
VOLUME 106
THE
NffNRflLIST
\ Quarterly Journal of Natural History for the North of England
Edited by M. R. D. SEAWARD, MSc, PhD, FLS, The University, Bradford
PAGE
CONTENTS
89 Lichen Flora of the West Yorkshire Conurbation —
Supplement II (1978-1980) — M. R. D. Seaward
96 G. H. Ainsworth
96 1981 Royal Society Conversazione
97 Plants of the River Tyne System Before the Kielder Water
Scheme — N. T. H. Holmes and B. A. Whitton
109 Jethro Tinker (1788-1871) — Field Naturalist by the Late the
Rev. N. Dennis, S.J. — Edited by Elaine R. Bullard and Nora F. McMillan
111 The Bryophyte Collections of Jethro Tinker (1788-1871) —
M. £. Newton
118 Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Excursions in 1980 — A. Henderson
and M. R. D. Seaward
130 Spring Fungus Forays, 1978-1980 — T. F. Hering
107-8,132 Book Reviews
^THSOAJ^
SEP 141981
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89
LICHEN FLORA OF THE WEST YORKSHIRE CONURBATION —
SUPPLEMENT II (1978-1980)
M. R. D. SEAWARD
School of Environmental Science, University of Bradford
Numerous additions to the lichen flora of the West Yorkshire conurbation (Seaward, 1975,
1978) have been made during the past three years as a result of a continuing programme of
fieldwork by Mr P. M. Earland-Bennett, Mr A. Henderson and myself; several records relating
to this work have been published elsewhere (Earland-Bennett, 1979, 1979a; Henderson, 1980).
Numerous corrections to the lichen flora are also necessary in the light of taxonomic revisions,
complied by Hawksworth et al. (1980).
Since the implementaion of the Clean Air Acts (1956 and 1968) the range of sulphur dioxide
concentrations in the West Yorkshire conurbation has declined considerably, resulting in a more
homogeneous distribution of this pollutant. This means that recently collected data do not
provide a convincing demonstration of any relationship between species diversity of lichens and
air pollution level (Seaward, 1976). Furthermore, an intensive search of a wide range of
substrates (including microhabitats) within a 1 km x 1 km grid square recording unit, even near
to the centre of Leeds, can result in a significant increase in the species tally. Nevertheless, a
species diversity count, based on field records of reasonably identifiable lichens which occur
frequently within a defined area and are not restricted to a microhabitat, can be useful for
FIGURE 1
Graph to illustrate the increase in lichen diversity with increasing distance from the centre of
West Yorkshire conurbation (WYC) in 1972 and 1980; source of comparative London data:
Laundon (1970).
Naturalist 106 (1981)
90
Lichen Flora of the West Yorkshire Conurbation
evaluating the general level of air pollution, particularly in respect of transects radiating from
urban and/or industrial complexes. The amelioration of the atmosphere of the West Yorkshire
conurbation can be effectively demonstrated by a comparison of transect data for 1972 and 1980
(Fig 1).
Acarospora fuscata (Nyl.) Arnold
AddB.
Anisomeridium juistense (Erichsen) R. C. Harris
Coppins and Seaward, 1974 (in herb.E). U. On Ulmus. Rare.
Aspicilia calcarea (L.) Mudd
Add M. On calcareous gravestones and concrete pathway. Uncommon.
A. contorta (Hoffm.) Krempelh.
Add M, W. On concrete pathway and calcareous gravestone. Uncommon.
Bacidia chlorococca (Graewe ex Stenhammar) Lettau
See Scoliciosporum chlorococcum (Graewe ex Stenhammar) Vezda
B. chloroticula (Nyl.) A. L. Sm.
Henderson, 1980. M. On cement-aggregate. Rare.
B. sabuletorum (Schreber) Lettau
Add M.
B. umbrina (Ach.) Bausch
See Scoliciosporum umbrinum (Ach.) Arnold
Biatorella moriformis (Ach.) Th.Fr.
See Strangospora moriformis (Ach.) Stein
B. pinicola (Massal.) Anzi
See Strangospora pinicola (Massal.) Korber
Buellia punctata (Hoffm.) Massal.
Add G; on siltstone pebble — rare on this substrate.
Caloplaca citrina (Hoffm.) Th.Fr.
Add I, L.
C. heppiana (Miill.Arg.) Zahlbr.
Add M; on calcareous gravestones. Rare.
Candelariella heidelbergensis (Nyl.) Poelt
Henderson, 1974. W. On asbestos-cement. Rare. (See Earland-Bennett, 1979a.)
Catillaria chalybeia (Borrer) Massal.
Delete(T), add M, T.
Cladonia chlorophaea (Florke ex Sommerf.) Sprengel
Add W.
C. coniocraea auct.
Add D.
C. conista auct. angl. non Robbins ex Allen
See C. conoidea Ahti
C. conistea (Delise) Asah.
Nom. illegit ., transfer all records to C. conoidea Ahti.
C. conoidea Ahti
Revised distribution: A, C, G, H, M, O-Q, S, U, W. On neutral soils, of mainly spoil tips and
disused railway cuttings. Locally frequent.
C. furcata (Huds.) Schrader
Add M.
C. glauca Florke
Earland-Bennett, 1977. G. On soil over siltstone wall beside canal. Rare.
C. impexa Harm.
See C. portentosa (Dufour) Coem.
C. polydactyla (Florke) Sprengel
AddM.
C. portentosa (Dufour) Coem.
Add W.
91
Lichen Flora of the West Yorkshire Conurbation
Collema crispum (Huds.) Wigg.
Add M; see Henderson (1980).
Fuscidea praeruptorum (Du Rietz and Magnusson) V. Wirth and Vezda
Earland-Bennett, 1979. V. Vertical surface of Millstone grit boulder in wall. Rare.
Huilia crustulata (Ach.) Hertel
Delete (T), add T; on siltstone boulder.
Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl.
Delete (B), (W), add B, D, W. Occasionally reappearing in urban areas, following
amelioration of atmosphere during the past ten years (see Fig 2). For example, several small
(under 0.5 cm2) thalli of this species, Parmelia saxatilis and Physcia tenella have recently
colonized a young Salix near to the centre of Leeds (GR: 44/288359) — A. Henderson (pers.
comm.)
Lecania erysibe (Ach.) Mudd
Add I, L.
Lecanora calcarea (L.) Sommerf.
See Aspicilia calcarea (L.) Mudd
L. conizaeoides Nyl. ex Crombie
The distribution map (Fig 3) is included as an indication of those areas critically surveyed to
date (cf. Seaward, 1975, Fig 23 and 1978, Fig 3).
West Yorkshire conurbation: distribution of Hypogymnia physodes , showing (a) major inner
limit equivalent to mean winter sulphur dioxide level of c. 70 ug/m3 (see Hawksworth and
Rose, 1976, Table 5), and (b) disjunct recent sightings (•) within the urbanized area (see
Seaward, 1978, Fig 2) suggesting local atmospheric amelioration or influence of microclimatic
conditions.
FIGURE 3
West Yorkshire conurbation: the distribution of Lecanora conizaeoides (rarity denoted by
spots) reflects the 1 km2 urban recording units so far investigated.
L. contorta (Hoffm.) Steiner
See Aspicilia contorta (Hoffm.) Krempelh.
L. epanora (Ach.) Ach.
A few earlier records (see Seaward, 1975, p.190) are referable to L. subaurea Zahlbr.
L. intricata var. soralifera Suza
See L. soralifera (Suza) Rasanen
L. muralis (Schreber) Rabenh.
First record = Smith, 1784 (in Galloway, 1979): ‘I have seen this Lichen on large flat stones
about Wakefield Yorkshire assume a centrifugal figure, forming a large circular band an inch
broad and often 12-20 inches in circumference . . .’
Fig 4 shows its distribution within the conurbation in 1980 (cf. Seaward, 1975, Fig 27 and 1978,
Fig 4); reinvasion into the conurbation continues at a rate of c. 9 km2 per annum.
L. polytropa (Hoffm.) Rabenh.
Add B. Probably less frequent than indicated in Seaward (1975, p. 192); numerous records
referable to L. stenotropa Nyl.
L. saligna (Schrader) Zahlbr.
Earland-Bennett, 1976. T. On decorticate bole of Sambucus. Rare.
L. soralifera (Suza) Rasanen
Add B.
L. stenotropa Nyl.
Seaward, 1968, D, E, G-I, L, M, Q, T-W. Frequent, on mortar, concrete, calcareous siltstone
walls and asbestos-cement; less frequent on non-calcareous siltstone. (See Earland-Bennett,
1979a.)
Lichen Flora of the West Yorkshire Conurbation
93
L. subaurea Zahlbr.
Earland-Bennett, 1971. G, T, V. On siltstone walls, on more illuminated surfaces (e.g. coping
stones) than L. epanora (Ach.) Ach. and rarer than that species. Uncommon. (See
Earland-Bennett, 1975.)
Lecidea aeruginosa Borrer
Earland-Bennett and Henderson, 1980. V. On old tree stump. Rare.
L. crustulata (Ach.) Sprengel
See Huilia crustulata (Ach.) Hertel
L. fuscoatra (L.) Ach.
Add T; on coping of Millstone grit walls. Uncommon.
L. leucophaea (Florke ex Rabenh.) Nyl.
Earland-Bennett, 1971. T, V. On siltstone walls. Rare.
L. scabra Taylor
See Lecidella scabra (Taylor) Hertel and Leuckert
L. stigmatea Ach.
See Lecidella stigmatea (Ach.) Hertel and Leuckert
Lecidella scabra (Taylor) Hertel and Leuckert
Add B.
L. stigmatea (Ach.) Hertel and Leuckert
Add I, L, R, S.
Lepraria zonata Brodo
Add G.
FIGURE 4
West Yorkshire conurbation: major distribution (inner limits) of Lecanora muralis in 1969,
1974 and 1979.
94 Lichen Flora of the West Yorkshire Conurbation
Micarea botryoides (Nyl.) Coppins
Henderson, 1980. M, U, V. On Acer, Alnus, Betula , and Quercus , Millstone grit and
laminated sandstone. Overlooked and/or increasing in urban areas.
M. denigrata (Fr.) Hedl.
Add M, V.
M. sylvicola (Flotow) V6zda and V. Wirth
Earland-Bennett, 1977. T. On Millstone grit boulder in stream. Rare.
Ochrolechia turneri (Hoffm.) Arnold
Earland-Bennett, 1977. B. On Millstone grit boulders and exposed roots of Quercus. Rare.
Parmelia omphalodes (L.) Ach.
Delete (U), add U.
P. physodes (L.) Ach.
See Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl.
P. subaurifera Nyl.
Add B; on Salix (one thallus c. 1 cm diam. in 1978; extinct in 1979).
P. sulcata Taylor
Add B, E: on Salix and Ulmus.
Pertusaria amara (Ach.) Nyl.
Delete T, add (T); collection on which modern record based is in fact Trapelia coarctata (Sm.)
Choisy.
Phaeophyscia orbicularis (Necker) Moberg
Add I, J, L, R, S.
Physcia adscendens (Fr.) H. Oliver
Add B.
P. dubia (Hoffm.) Lettau
Add U.
P. orbicularis (Necker) Poetsch
See Phaeophyscia orbicularis (Necker) Moberg
P. tenella (Scop.) DC.
Add B, S.
Placynthium nigrum (Huds.) Gray
Add M; on calcareous gravestone. Rare.
Polysporina simplex (Davies) Vdzda
Earland-Bennett, 1976. T. On coping of Millstone grit wall. Rare.
Ramalina farinacea (L.) Ach.
Delete (G), add G; on Salix by canal.
Rhizocarpon geographicum (L.) DC.
Add U.
R. obscuratum (Ach.) Massal.
Add U. Delete var. reductum record (Seaward, 1978, p. 75) since variety no longer
recognized.
Rinodina exigua (Ach.) Gray
Add T; on decorticate bole of Sambucus.
R. gennarii Bagl.
Add E, I, L, N.
R. subexigua (Nyl.) H. Olivier
See R. gennarii Bagl.
Sarcogyne simplex (Davies) Nyl.
See Polysporina simplex (Davies) Vezda
Scoliciosporum chlorococcum (Graewe ex Stenhammar) Vezda
Add N.
S. umbrinum (Ach.) Arnold
Add B, L. Rarely corticolous.
Strangospora moriformis (Ach.) Stein
Add B, D; on Acer at both localities.
95
Lichen Flora of the West Yorkshire Conurbation
S. pinicola (Massal.) Korber
Earland-Bennett, 1976. T. On decorticate bole of Sambucus. Rare.
Trapelia involuta (Taylor) Hertel
Add M.
T. obtegens (Th.Fr.) Hertel
Earland-Bennett, 1976. G, M, R, T, U. On ‘black-lime’ mortar, siltstone wall, and canvas.
Increasing in urban areas. Occasional.
Verrucaria hochstetteri Fr.
Add G.
V. hydrela Ach.
Add U; on siliceous stone in stream.
V. muralis Ach.
Add L.
V. nigrescens Pers.
Add B.
V. praetermissa (Trevisan) Anzi
Earland-Bennett, 1977. T. On quartzite boulder in stream. Rare.
V. viridula (Schrader) Ach.
Add I, L.
Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr.
Add O.
As a consequence of the above work, the lichen flora of the West Yorkshire conurbation can
be summarized as follows: 318 lichen taxa have been reported from the area within 20 km of the
centre of the conurbation, of which five are doubtful in the absence of supporting herbarium
material, at least thirty-two are extinct in the area, and 179 have been recorded during the
present survey (October 1967 — December 1980).
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to Mr P. M. Earland-Bennett and Mr A. Henderson for providing me with their
field records, and also to the latter for his helpful criticism of a draft manuscript of this paper.
References
Earland-Bennett, P. M. (1975) Lecanora subaurea Zahlbr., new to the British Isles.
Lichenologist 7:162-7.
Earland-Bennett, P. M. (1979) Lichens. In: A Sketchbook of the Natural History of the Country
around Wakefield (R. Bell, ed.). Lion and Unicorn Press, London.
Earland-Bennett, P. M. (1979a) New, rare or interesting Huntingdonshire lichens — 2. Rep.
Huntingdon. Fauna Flora Soc. 31:8-14.
Galloway, D. J. (1979) ‘Flora Scotiae Supplementum’: James Edward Smith’s notes on Scottish
lichens, 1784. Lichenologist 11:307-11.
Hawksworth, D. L., James, P. W. and Coppins, B. J. (1980) Checklist of British
lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi. Lichenologist 12:1-115.
Hawksworth, D. L. and Rose, F. (1976) Lichens as Pollution Monitors. Arnold, London.
Henderson, A. (1980) The gelatinous lichen, Collema crispum (Huds.) Wigg., in inner Leeds.
Leeds Nat. Club and Sci. Assoc. Newsletter 2:26-7.
Laundon, J. R. (1970) London’s lichens. Lond. Nat. 49:20-69.
Seaward, M. R. D. (1975) Lichen flora of the West Yorkshire conurbation. Proc. Leeds Phil,
and Lit. Soc. (Sci. Sect.) 10:141-208.
Seaward, M. R. D. (1976) Lichens in air-polluted environments: multivariate analysis of the
factors involved. In: Proceedings of the Kuopio Meeting on Plant Damage Caused by Air
Pollution (L. Karenlampi, ed.): 57-63. Kuopio, Finland.
Seaward, M. R. D. (1978) Lichen flora of the West Yorkshire conurbation — I (1975-1978).
Naturalist 103:69-76.
96
G. H. AINSWORTH
George Henry Ainsworth died suddenly in Hull at the age of seventy-seven on 18 September
1980 following a heart attack. With his passing we lose another of the founder members of the
Bird Observatory at Spurn. He will best be remembered for the great part he played in
establishing the Observatory.
From the time he was a boy living in Scarborough and Bridlington he was interested in birds.
This interest continued and he was very active in the East Riding from the mid-1930s, teaming
up with John Lord, a fellow member of the staff at Malet Lambert School, Hull: they formed a
very successful partnership. George joined the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union in 1940 and was
Joint Recorder of Birds for the East Riding with John Lord from 1942 to 1948, continuing as
Recorder until 1951.
In the early 1940s when the area was closed to the public he got permission from the War
Department to visit Spurn. This really began his close association with the Peninsula. Soon after
the end of the Second World War in 1945, the Bird Observatory was set up, mainly at his
instigation, and his drive and enthusiasm at a difficult time ensured that the Observatory was
firmly established. He became its first secretary, continuing until 1962 and remaining as a
member of the Committee until he resigned in 1972 through ill-health. Although he continued
to take an interest in Spurn after 1972, he concentrated on his life-long hobby of
stamp-collecting and, latterly, resumed his early interest in river fishing.
In 1972 the Yorkshire Naturalist’s Union conferred Honorary Life Membership on him in
recognition of his services to the Union, an honour that particularly pleased him. An
appreciation of GHA, as he was known to so many of his ornithological friends, and his work at
Spurn appeared in The Naturalist , 1973, p. 75 on the occasion of his being made an Honorary
Life Member.
His many friends in the Union and at Spurn extend their sympathy to his widow Marion, his
daughters Joan and Doreen and his son John in their time of bereavement.
JC
1981 ROYAL SOCIETY CONVERSAZIONE
Perhaps the most attractive exhibit to the naturalist in this year’s Royal Society Conversazione
was a large aquarium full of beautiful living coelenterates and reef fishes. In the modern
manner, it was ‘under-explained’; no names of species were given, though the easily recognized
clownfish (. Amphiprion sp.) was mentioned because of its immunity to being stung by sea
anemones. The research described was concerned with the mechanism of cellular recognition in
coelenterates; this is so ‘specific’ in the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima that individuals
of different clones of the same species will attack one another. Most of the biological exhibits
dealt with physiology and involved advanced experimental techniques such as embryo transfer
in the study of reproduction in mammals and isolating single photoreceptors from the
mammalian retina and stimulating them with single photons. Of more immediate potential
practical interest was a demonstration of polymerizing crude oil with such substances as amine
alcohols which have low toxicity and could be used to solidify oil spills into a flexible non-sticky
solid. Of botanical interest was an exhibit about the accumulation of heavy metals in plants,
such as gold in Phacelia sericea and nickel in Dicoma niccolifera. Possibly such plants could aid
mineral prospectors, and a study of the way in which they convert metals into nontoxic
substances might lead to the development of new ways of extracting them from low-grade
deposits.
FHB
97
PLANTS OF THE RIVER TYNE SYSTEM
BEFORE THE KIELDER WATER SCHEME
N. T. H. HOLMES1 and B. A. WHITTON
Department of Botany, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE
Summary
An account is given of partial surveys of the macrophytes of the North Tyne, South Tyne and
Tyne. The data are presented in a manner which will permit the monitoring of changes
taking place as a result of the regulatory Kielder Reservoir.
Introduction
The construction of large regulatory reservoirs can lead to obvious changes in the vegetation
of the downstream river (Ridley and Steele, 1975). Such changes have already been noted in
the Tees since the construction of Cow Green Reservoir (Holmes and Whitton, 1977a).
The completion of the Kielder Reservoir on the Kielder Burn, the main tributary of the North
Tyne, provides a further opportunity to monitor such changes. Surveys of the North Tyne
and Tyne have already been reported (Holmes et al., 1972), but these included only the
lowermost 10 km of the North Tyne and only plants which are at least partially submerged
even under conditions of low flow. The present account summarizes the distribution of
macrophytes found in the river or on the immediate water’s edge and parts of the South Tyne
and Tyne in 1975, before the construction of the reservoir.
FIGURE 1
Map of the North Tyne and Tyne. Unshaded parts represent stretches of river surveyed. Map
is redrawn from River Pollution Survey, England and Wales 1975 (Department of the
Environment and Welsh Office, 1978) by permission of HMSO.
1 Present address: Nature Conservancy Council, Godwin House, George Street, Huntingdon,
Cambridgeshire.
Naturalist 106 (1981)
98
Plants of the River Tyne System
Methods
The methods are in general similar to those already used for surveys of the rivers to which
water will be transferred from the Tyne (Wear: Holmes and Whitton, 1977c; Tees: Holmes
and Whitton, 1977a) or to which it had originally been intended to transfer water (Swale:
Holmes and Whitton, 1977b). Key features are the listing of all species of macrophyte in a
0.5 km length of river at one particular time, careful checking for presence or absence against
a check-list and the separation of records according to whether they refer to the ‘bank’ or
‘river’. Unlike some of the other surveys, the present one included only selected 0.5km
lengths (Fig 1, Table 1); it was carried out in August 1975. Records of the geographical
limits of each length and the estimate of cover of each species are held at Durham University,
Northumbrian Water Authority, and Nature Conservancy Council (Huntingdon) and may be
obtained from the authors.
TABLE 1
List of sections of rivers for which each 0.5 km length surveyed.
Distances are measured upstream ( — )
from junction of North Tyne and South Tyne and downstream for the main Tyne.
North Tyne km — 46.0 to — 44.0
— 36.0 to — 34.0
— 26.0 to — 24.0
— 16.0 to — 14.0
— 10.0 to — 0.0
Tyne
km
0.0 to 15.0
km
24.0 to 26.0
South Tyne
km
-2.0 to -0.0
Results and Discussion
The distribution of species is shown in Figs 2-8.
North Tyne
The flora of the North Tyne reflects the fast currents and predominantly rocky substratum
typical of much of the river. In the upper stretches Ulothrix zonata and mosses were
dominant, with Myriophyllum alterniflorum also present as far upstream as the survey went.
From km — 25.0 downstream Potamogeton crispus, Ranunculus penicillatus var. calcareus
and Elodea canadensis were all present; the dominant species in this stretch was however
Rhynchostegium riparioides, with Fontinalis antipyretica and Cladophora glomerata
frequent. Potamogeton pusillus was not recorded, although small fragments were reported in
1972 (Holmes et al., 1972).
FIGURES 2-8 (Pages 99-105)
Distribution of macrophytes in North Tyne and Tyne based on number of records of presence
of species in 0.5 km lengths of particular sections of river. Records above the horizontal line
refer to ‘bank’ and those below the line to ‘river’. Authorities for species are given by Whitton
et al. (1978) and Holmes et al. (1979). (Bryophytes are not in strict alphabetical order due to
nomenclatural changes since production of check-list used for surveys.)
Estimates of area cover: <0.1% >0.1< 1% HH| >1%.
number of 0.5 km length records within each section of river surveyed
99
Plants of the River Tyne System
NOSTOC PARMELIOIDES NOSTOC VERRUCOSUM
U D II
LEMANEA FLUVIATILIS
"0 — o — cr
VAUCHERIA SESSILIS
20
20
20
10
10
RHODOCHORTON VIOLACEUM
U □ tr
HERIBAUDIELLA FLUVIATILIS
"D D D"
JZZ2
SPONGILLA LACUSTRIS
— — nzn
GONGROSIRA INCRUSTANS
TETRASPORA LUBRICA
CP'
E
20 J
10 t PRASIOLA CRISPA
Jl_ Q_ CL-
IO
MONOSTROMA BULLOSUM
a a a
STIGEOCLONIUM TENUE
- — o 0
CJ
r
10 -i
ULOTHRIX ZONATA
a — ° — °
CLADOPHORA AEGAGROPILA
— jzzzr
COLLEMA FLUVIATILE
nr 1 r
"40 -20 0 2 0
km up the N. Tyne (figures preceded by -) and km down the Tyne
FIGURE 2
number of 0.5 km length records within each section of river surveyed
100 Plants of the River Tyne System
20 DERMATOCARPON FLUVIATILE
LUNULARI A CRUCIATA
20
0 -L-a
JL
20
10
10
PELLIA END I VI I FOLIA
n n
PREISSIA QUADRATA
10
SOLENOSTOMA TRISTE
n n n n
LEPTOGIUM SP
□ —
VERRUCARIA - OTHER SPP.
ru LI U
CONOCEPHALUM CONICUM
n n n n
i
MARCHANTIA POLYMORPHA
n n n n V7zr77z~ I □_
PELLIA EPIPHYLLA
n n n a.
SCAPANIA UNDULATA
-a — a E3
CALLIE RGON CUSPIDATUM
_D □ □ ci-
10
BARBULA CYLINDRICA
_a □ CL
0 - o i 0 i r
BARBULA RECURVIROSTRE
20 1 BRACHYTHECIUM PLUMOSUM BRACHYTHECIUM RIVULARE
-40 -20 o 20 _4o -20 0 20
km up the N. Tyne (figures preceded by -) and km down the Tyne
FIGURE 3
number of 0.5 km length records within each section of river surveyed
Plants of the River Tyne System
20 n BRACHYTHECIUM FUTABULUM
101
n JL
BRYUM CAPILLARE
0
20
BRYUM PSEUDOTRIQUETRUM
□ n n n
20 -*
20
0
20
CRAT0NEUR0N COMMUTATUM
DICHODONTIUM PELLUCIDUM
_ n n n n
"i
_
BRYUM BICOLOR
BRYUM PALLENS
n n n -o-
CINCLI DOTUS FONTINALOIDES
I
fl
CRATONEURON FILICINUM
-fl ° Q Q_
DICHODONTIUM FLAVESCENS
q n n n
20 1 DREPANOCLADUS FLUITANS
-O D □_
20 J
20 -i
FISSIDENS ADI ANTHOIDES
H r, „ „
20 J
10 FISSIDENS TAXIFOLIUS
20
-40 -20 0 20
RHYNCHOSTEGIUM RIPARIOIDES
— n
“o d trj
1
If
0
FISSIDENS CRASSIPES
km up the N. Tyne (figures preceded by -) and km down the Tyne
FIGURE 4
number of 0.5 km length records within each section of river surveyed
102
20 i
Plants of the River Tyne System
SCHISTIDIUM ALPICOLA
FONTIN ALIS ANTIPYRETICA VAR. RIVULARXS
VAR. GRACILIS
10
20
AMBLYSTEGIUM FLUVIATILE
20
n n n
o □ 0 t J
HY GROHYPNUM OCHRACEUM
hr"B" Q u
AMBLYSTEGIUM RIPARIUM
10 I
P LAG I OMN I UM ROSTRATUM
20
~ n fl n
10 P L AG I OMN I UM UNDULATUM
10 1 PHYSCOMITRIUM PYRIFORME
RACOMI TRI UM ACICULARIS
0 4-0 □
20 -i
THAMNOBRYUM ALOPECURUM
20
10 -] ALISMA PLANTAGO-AQUATICA
D n n opgii o
HYGROHYPNUM LURIDUM
T3 0 0 O'
HYLOCOMIUM SPLENDENS
-e — a — e — —
LESKEA POLYCARPA
RH I Z OMN I UM PUNCTATUM
PHILONOTI S FONTANA
a n .. .n-O^i —
POHLIA SP(P)
_jo n H
SCORPIDIUM SCORPIO IDES
EQUISETUM FLUVIATILE
l r
-40 -20
fl--- ° □n-=B~r*
20
-40 -20 0 20
km up the N. Tyne (figures preceded by -) and km down the Tyne
FIGURE 5
number of 0.5 km length records within each section of river surveyed
Plants of the River Tyne System 103
CAREX ACUTIFORMIS CAREX DEMISSA
0 ffl-B = —
CAREX HIRTA
INCLUDING VAR. SUBLAEVIS
0 4-0 Q Q □ c=i
CAREX LEPIDOCARPA
_n □
10
CAREX NIGRA
-0 0 □
20 ~\
20
CAREX ROSTRATA
B 0
CAREX REMOTA
ELEOCHARI S PALUSTRIS
■&
LEMNA MINOR
10
20
- JUNCUS
INFLEXUS
n n n
n
1
1 1 1
t i
JUNCUS EFFUSUS
_Q_0 a JL
PHALARI S ARUNDINACEA
-40 -20 0 2 0
km up the N. Tyne (figures preceded by -) and km down the Tyne
FIGURE 6
number of 0.5 km length records within each section of river surveyed
104
Plants of the River Tyne System
P0TAM0GET0N BERCHTOLDI I
P0TAM0GET0N CRISPUS
20
POTAMOGETON NATANS
=mj
10
20 -|
POTAMOGETON PERFOLI ATUS
10 -| SPARGANIUM EMERSUM
10
TRIGLOCHIN PALUSTRIS
I n □ a ■ ■
10 -i ACHILLEA PTARMICA
1 fl fl n n I I r
APIUM NODIFLORUM
10 CALLITRICHE PLATYCARPA
JO
10
20
CALTHA PALUSTRIS
4 n n fl
20 -i EPILOBIUM HIRSUTUM
20
10
IMPATIENS GLANDULIFERA
-CL
i i r
■40 -20
0 -
° U “ D“
cr
POTAMOGETON X NITENS
SCIRPUS SYLVATICUS
_Q □ □ 0_
1^
SPARGANIUM ERECTUM
OTHER MONOCOTYLEDON SPP
_■ a fl
ANAGALLI S TENELLA
_□ □
CALLITRICHE HAMULATA
E0-
CALLITRICHE STAGNALIS
D o ° -
&
CARDAMI NE AMARA
FILIPENDULA ULMARIA
LYSIMACHIA VULGARIS
r^B , D ■ B
0 20 -40 -20 0 20
km up the N. Tyne (figures preceded by - ) and km down the Tyne
FIGURE 7
number of 0.5 km length records within each section of river surveyed
105
Plants of the River Tyne System
MENTHA AQUATICA
20 -|
10 J
20 -| STACHYS PALUSTRIS
0
20 n OTHER DICOTYLEDON SPP
0
-L
MIMULUS GUTTATUS
n □ n n , —
0_
0 ° °
u
MYRIOPHYLLUM ALTE RN I FLORUM
D 0 ET — □"
PLANTAGO MARITIMA
RANUNCULUS FLAMMULA
RORIPPA NASTURTIUM-AQUATICUM
n o o o_
SOLANUM DULCAMARA
„ n r
i r~
1
1 H
a — r
r=
d
i 0
VERONICA BECCABUNGA
n-B-
-40 -20 0 2 0 -40 -20 o 2 0
km up the N. Tyne (figures preceded by -) and km down the Tyne
FIGURE 8
106
Plants of the River Tyne System
South Tyne
No species were present in the section surveyed which were not present also in one or both of
the other rivers. At the time of the survey about 5 per cent of the river was covered by
Cladophora. The substratum is very variable and macrophytes occur as individual plants or
in small slumps and never in large beds.
Tyne
The distribution of species was in general similar to that found in 1972. A few further species
were however recorded. Cladophora aegagropila and Heribaudiella fluviatilis were almost
certainly present in 1972 but not recognized. The record of Potamogeton perfoliatus in 1975
fulfils the prediction made in 1972 that its presence somewhere in the catchment was likely,
since the hybrid P. perfoliatus X P. gramineus CP. X nitens ) was frequent. The other parent,
P. gramineus has been recorded within the South Tyne catchment (late J. E. Dandy, pers.
comm. 1972), so perhaps in situ hybridization has taken place within the Tyne catchment.
Potamogeton berchtoldii was probably overlooked in 1972, although it could have spread
recently from the lower part of River Derwent (downstream tributary of Tyne), where large
stands were present in 1975.
Species notable for their absence
In the Tweed (Holmes and Whitton, 1975), Wear (Holmes and Whitton, 1977c), Tees
(Holmes and Whitton, 1977a) and similar rivers throughout Britain (NTHH, unpub-
lished), Myriophyllum alterniflorum is present in the upper, faster-flowing, more
oligotrophic waters, but replaced downstream by M. spicatum. Although M. alterniflorum
disappears in the middle reaches of the Tyne (Fig 7), there is no simultaneous occurrence of
M. spicatum. Potamogeton pectinatus, another downstream species of the Tweed, Wear,
Tees, Swale, and other rivers in NE England has never been recorded from the Tyne catch-
ment (late J. E. Dandy, pers. comm. 1973). Other downstream species of the Tweed, Tees
and Swale but absent in the Tyne are Enteromorpha flexuosa and Ranunculus fluitans.
It is essential to know whether a particular species is present or absent in a river prior to
major changes in its management if its impact is going to be monitored accurately. The data
above suggest that a number of species which might be expected to occur in the Tyne
system have not been recorded. Chance thus plays an important role in determining the
distribution of many species. River regulation in a river such as the Tyne is more likely to
produce a change in the distribution and abundance of species already present in the
catchment than to induce a major invasion by other species. The most likely invader is
Elodea nuttallii, a plant of uncertain taxonomy, which in the last five years has spread from
East Anglia to many counties as far apart as Hampshire and Cumbria. The records include
Billingham Beck, Co. Durham (G. G. Graham, pers. comm. September 1980). If this
species does invade the river it is a change in the flora which cannot be attributed to its
regulation .
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the Natural Environment Research Council for financial support for a
study of the possible effects of the water transfer scheme on river vegetation.
References
Holmes, N. T. H., Lloyd, E. J. H., Potts, M., and Whitton, B. A. (1972) Plants of the River
Tyne and future water transfer scheme. Vasculum 57: 56-78.
Holmes, N. T. H. and Whitton, B. A. (1975) Macrophytes of the River Tweed. Trans. Bot.
Soc. Edinb. 42: 369-81.
Holmes, N. T. H. and Whitton, B. A. (1977a) The macrophytic vegetation of the River Tees
in 1975: observed and predicted changes. Freshwat. Biol. 7: 43—60.
Book Reviews 107
Holmes, N. T. H. and Whitton, B. A. (1977b) Macrophytic vegetation of the River Swale,
Yorkshire. Freshwater Biol. 7: 545-58.
Holmes, N. T. H. and Whitton, B. A. (1977c) Macrophytes of the River Wear: 1966-1976.
Naturalist, Hull 102: 53-73.
Holmes, N. T. H., Whitton, B. A. and Hargreaves, J. W. (1979) ^4 Coded List of Freshwater
Macrophytes of the British Isles. Lichens — Bryophytes — Vascular Plants. Water
Archive Manual Series No. 4. Department of the Environment, Reading.
Ridley, J. E. and Steele, J. A. (1975) Ecological aspects of river impoundments. In: Whitton
B.A. (ed .) River Ecology , pp. 565-87. Blackwell, Oxford.
Whitton, B. A., Holmes, N. T. H. and Sinclair, C. (1978)/! Coded List of 1000 Freshwater
Algae of the British isles. Water Archive Manual Series No. 3. Department of the Environ-
ment Reading.
BOOK REVIEWS
The Birdwatchers A — Z by Alan J. Richards. Pp. 328, with many photographs and
drawings. David & Charles, Newton Abbot. 1980. £14.95.
My first thoughts on seeing this book were that it was probably another incomplete
commercial enterprise. These thoughts were soon dispelled and it is in fact a very good
publication which more than adequately fulfils its claim. Profusely illustrated and including
most of the obscure terms which we often hear but never quite know the exact meaning of
and all the fashionable lingo of the modern birdwatcher, it is a working counterpart of
Landsborough Thompson’s New Dictionary and I would recommend it to anyone with an
ornithological bent.
JRM
A Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa by J. G. Williams and N. Arlott. Pp. 415, with
many colour plates. Collins. 1980. £7.95.
A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia by G. Pizzey. Pp. 460, with many colour and black
and white plates. Collins. 1980. £12.50.
Two excellent books from the Collins stable which adequately supersede what has gone
before. The first, on East Africa, is an update of the 1963 original but is in fact much more,
with far better new plates by Arlott. No-one could fail to find their way around the East
African birds with this work. The second, on Australian birds, is certainly the most complete
guide available since Neville Cayley’s What Bird is That?, which surprisingly fails to get a
mention in the introduction. With Australia only £550 away, every serious birdwatcher
should buy it. The plates by Roy Doyle are excellent.
JRM
Birds of Prey of the World by Friedhelm Weick and Leslie H. Brown. Pp. 159, with
numerous colour plates. Collins. 1980. £15.
This book was inspired by Peter Scott’s Coloured Key to the Wildfowl of the World and fails.
Published with German and English text, the whole depicts the diurnal raptores in stiff,
perched ranks across the page, which was fine for Eider Ducks and Mallards but just doesn’t
work for birds of prey. This notoriously difficult group, the majority of which are seen and
identified in flight, does not lend itself to this treatment and those who find birds of prey
difficult will be in exactly the same position, or worse after reading and perhaps more
importantly, looking at, this book. Those, and there are many, who rely on the vernacular
will also find life difficult. It is certainly well produced and is the result of ‘more than a
decade of labour’, but as an aid to identification, treat it with reserve.
JRM
108 Book Reviews
Birds of Africa. A Bird Photographer in East Africa by John Karmali. Pp 191. Collins, 1981.
£12.50.
John Karmali is an amateur photographer who lives in Kenya. This book consists of 72 colour
and over 140 black and white photographs, linked by an intelligent text. For anyone interested
in East African birds it must surely represent good value. There is a brief introduction outlining
the zoogeographic regions and East Africa’s place among them, with maps of relief and
vegetation. Then the author works systematically through his selection of 37 families of birds,
starting with ostriches and pelicans and working through to weavers and starlings. The pictures
are mostly portraits, and very good ones; the text covers taxonomy briefly and ecology — very
readably — at greater length. The book ends with nine pages of technical notes on how the
colour plates were photographed, and a useful bibliography and index. A delightful book,
expensive but not overpriced.
Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. A Field Guide by Oleg Polunin Pp. xvi + 592 (including
numerous line drawings), plus 80 pp. of full colour plates. Oxford University Press. 1980. £40.
The introductory section gives a lucid account (with maps) of the diverse climate and
topography to be encountered in the botanically rich area comprising Greece and its islands,
Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Albania, and north-west Turkey. This area supports more than 6500
species of flowering-plant, of which 1750 plus are Balkan endemics and of these about half are
extremely local.
The next section provides an excellent guide to the outstanding plant-hunting regions, giving
particular attention to accessibility and the major environmental factors, including past and
present agricultural practices, responsible for the character of today’s flora. The text is
supported by colour plates of the terrain and line drawings of typical plants.
The major section of the book is devoted to descriptions of almost 3000 plants, supported by
further line drawings of entire or part plants and 64 pages of splendid colour plates illustrating
461 species. Keys to genera and species are also provided for many plants. It is helpful in
numerous cases to cross-reference to Polunin’s Flowers of Europe, which gives supplementary
information and employs the same numbering arrangement for species. These two works
together with Polunin and Smythies’ Flowers of South-west Europe comprehensively cover the
north Mediterranean flora. All works are essentially non-academic, being aimed at the amateur
naturalist, the botany student and the holiday-maker; in addition, there is much of interest for
the gardening enthusiast.
We are indebted to Oleg Polunin for providing easy-to-use plant identification guides in
English for use in foreign parts and commend the publishers for the high standard of
presentation but not for the high price charged which will certainly reduce the book’s potential
usefulness.
MRDS
Excursion Flora of the British Isles by A. R. Clapham, T. G. Tutin and E. F. Warburg. Pp. xxxiii
+ 499, including 8 figures. Cambridge University Press. 1981. 3rd edition. £12.50.
Completely revised and expanded edition (2nd edn. 1968) of the indispensable guide for the
field botanist: the new format, with plastic covers and larger pages (23 cm x 12 cm), caters for a
more detailed treatment of certain taxonomically-difficult groups and a more precise indication
of distribution for many species. The elongate form of the book, however, is awkward to shelve
or to carry in any but the deepest of pockets. The strength of the work lies mainly in its keys,
which include almost all the native, many naturalized and a few casual species. The descriptions
treat all species common in lowland districts of the British Isles and some rarer species likely to
be found near field centres, etc. A model of accuracy and conciseness, without sacrificing
clarity.
Richard Bell’s Britain. Pp. 192, with coloured illustrations. Collins. 1981. £9.95.
The latest in a spate of coloured sketchbooks, generated no doubt by the success of The Country
Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden (1977). This is a charming presentation of the
British countryside by the Yorkshire-based illustrator and writer, but it is short on natural
history, being liberally peppered with question marks and with such comments as ‘which I
thought might have been . . .’, ‘could this have been . . .’, and ‘some kind of . . .’.
109
JETHRO TINKER (1788-1871) — FIELD NATURALIST
BY THE LATE THE REV. N. DENNIS, S.J.
Edited by ELAINE R. BULLARD
Toftwood, Kirkwall , Orkney
and
nora f. McMillan
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Merseyside County Museums, Liverpool
When his untimely death in September 1966 left the work unfinished, the Rev. Norman Dennis,
s.j., was gathering material towards a paper on Jethro Tinker. Since he had not drawn up a
preparatory draft, we have edited his notes and present them here in the form of a short account
of Tinker, his collections and their fate, as far as that has been ascertained. The paper must, of
course, be credited to the author of the notes.
Jethro Tinker was born on 25 September 1788 in a cottage at ‘North Britain’, the Brushes,
Stalybridge; the farm and buildings of North Britain Farm later covered the site of the cottage
(Hill, 1907). Later still, the farmhouse and buildings were demolished when the ground was
cleared by the waterworks authority (Bradshaw, 1945).
As a boy, Tinker worked on the moors above Hollingworth shepherding for a Mr Gartside of
Thorncliffe Hall, Hollingworth (Hill, 1907). It was perhaps during this period that he became
interested in natural history, especially botany, a study in which he was encouraged by John
Bradbury (1768-1823) a Stalybridge naturalist (Hill, 1907; Bradshaw, 1945). About 1806, the
Tinker family moved to Mottram, where Jethro became a hand-loom weaver, but two years
later he moved to the valley after the introduction of power-looms to Stalybridge. From
operative weaver, Tinker became overlooker and eventually manager at Cheetham Mills but
then gave up weaving, becoming in turn shopkeeper, publican and finally gardener at
Eastwood, a private house whose grounds now form part of a public park. It is of interest,
however, that his name appears among lists of neither publicans nor gardeners in the Post Office
Directory for Cheshire of 1857.
Bradshaw (1945), who has written affectionately of Tinker, was born at 154 Brierley Street,
Stalybridge, next door to the Tinker house, and well remembered the old naturalist going about
in a blue smock (Dallman, 1945). A man of fine physique and even at eighty ‘tall and
straight-limbed’. Tinker lived in his later years with his son-in-law William Worthington of
Mottram Road, Stalybridge, and there he died on 10 March 1871 in his eighty-third year (Hill,
1907). He lies in Mottram churchyard, on the north side, his grave marked by a flat stone (Hill,
1907).
Soon after his death some friends and admirers erected a monument to Tinker in the form of a
stone column which was set up on 18 July 1874 and which still stands in Stamford Park,
Stalybridge. The inscription reads, ‘Jethro Tinker, born 25th. September 1788, died 10th.
March 1871. Our local Linnaeus. Erected by the friends and admirers of Natural History 1874.
A field naturalist from early youth to old age’.
Throughout his life, he took an active interest in local natural history and in the botanical
societies which flourished in the industrial north-west of England. Buxton (1849) wrote warmly
of Tinker’s probity and helpfulness, publishing many of his records of flowering plants and
ferns. Local botanical discoveries made by Tinker were also recorded by Whitehead et al.
(1888). As is evident from these accounts, he did not confine himself to flowering plants but was
a good bryologist and also worked on the Mollusca and Lepidoptera. His achievements were
recognized in his own lifetime when, in 1858, his fellow naturalists expressed their appreciation
in the form of a public testimonial. As Hill (1907) recorded, he allowed no opportunity to pass
of adding to his collection of butterflies, moths and shells. ‘The Herbarium itself contains
hundreds upon hundreds of specimens of the vegetation of the district, with notes in the
handwriting of the gifted botanist detailing the date and place where they were gathered’ (Hill,
1907). It is curious, however, that little seems to be known of Tinker’s work on the Mollusca.
His name does not appear in the Cheshire list (Oldham, 1896) or in the Lancashire list (Standen,
Naturalist 106 (1981)
110 Jethro Tinker (1788-1871 ) — Field Naturalist
1887) of Mollusca. In Dyson (1850), there are two Brushes records, of Ancylus fluviatilis and
Clausilia ‘nigricans’, but there is no mention of Tinker, all of which rather suggests that the
molluscs were of only minor interest to him.
The Brushes where Tinker collected so often was a wooded glen running up between the hills
a couple of miles from Stalybridge and opening out upon the wild moorland at its head.
However, his detailed local knowledge extended much further than this. For instance, there is
an interesting account by William Wilson of a botanical ramble undertaken on 15 June 1832 by
Wilson himself, Mr Crozier (doubtless George Crozier, 1792-1847) and Tinker, the account
having been quoted by Cash (1887). The trio started from Greenfield in Saddleworth with
Tinker acting as guide. He showed them both species of the filmy fern, Hymenophyllum , as well
as Arctostaphylos uva-ursi and very many mosses and liverworts during a day in which they seem
to have covered a great deal of ground.
After Tinker’s death in 1871, his son-in-law, who was one of his executors, retained the
herbarium for some years, and probably the other collections as well. During this period, J. G.
Baker and F. M. Webb examined the flowering plants and extracted records for de Tabley’s
Flora of Cheshire (Warren, 1899).
Later, Tinker’s herbarium and other collections were given to the Stamford Park Museum,
Stalybridge (Hill, 1907), and their subsequent history is distressing. The museum was opened in
Highfield House in 1874 and it was natural for Tinker’s executors, anxious to have his valuable
collections preserved, to present them to the local museum, then being actively developed.
Unfortunately, their faith was sadly misplaced. In 1910, it was recorded (Beaumont, 1910) that
the museum included ‘Jethro Tinker’s herbarium and entomological collection of insects’ [sic/]
but by 1915 the collections are stated (Bradshaw, 1945) to have been in a very poor state of
preservation.
Highfield House, the museum building itself, was demolished in 1954. Inspecting the museum
collections the following year, the Stalybridge Librarian found them to be in bad condition and
very little was salvaged. According to one report, only one small picture was retained, but it
would seem that at least some of the museum collections were kept and stored in the Stalybridge
Public Library, although Kent’s (1957) statement in respect of Jethro Tinker’s herbarium was
brief, ‘Museum now closed and collections disposed of. Not traced’.
On 15 April 1966, the Rev. N. Dennis visited Stalybridge Library and was shown a herbarium
of some 2000 sheets. He noted, ‘Most of the plants were William Whitehead’s (he lived at 26
High Street, Stalybridge, now demolished), but there were also plants from J. E. Sutherland of
Hatherlow near Stockport and plants from the Botanical Exchange Club collected by various
botanists. A valuable set of plants.’ There was also a cardboard box labelled ‘Musci (Mosses)
Jethro Tinker & others (1821-1870)’, which included specimens collected by S. Gibson
(1790-1840), J. Nowell (1802-1867), F. Pill, D. Schofield, J. Whitehead (1833-1896). W.
Wilson (1799-1871) and others. Father Dennis suggested that the handwriting on both box and
specimens was that of W. Wilson. Newton (1980), however, has pointed out that the
annotations on the mosses are not in the handwriting of William Wilson but, rather, that the
‘W.W.’ signature to notes is most probably that of William Whitehead. These mosses, fully
treated of in Newton (1981), seem to be all that remains of Tinker’s bryological herbarium. His
herbarium of flowering plants has not been traced.
Of Tinker’s entomological collections nothing is known and it seems probable that all have
perished. His molluscan collection has also vanished, though Mrs H. C. Caffrey, Museum
Officer to Tameside Metropolitan Borough, has tried locally in recent years to obtain further
information on Tinker and the fate of his collections. It is nothing less than tragic that his
valuable collections, well documented and of historic importance, have been so neglected and
finally lost.
Acknowledgements
The papers on which this account is based were originally sent to Miss M. Scanned, Head of the
Herbarium, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin. We are grateful to her for putting
them at our disposal. We are also grateful to Mrs Caffrey for her help and for supplying a copy
of a Tinker label.
Jethro Tinker (1788-1871) — Field Naturalist
111
References
Beaumont, W. (1910) Lecture to Stalybridge Hygienic and Botanical Society on History of
Stamford Park; its fauna and flora. Ashton-under-Lyne Reporter, 8 October 1910.
Bradshaw, A. P. (1945) Jethro Tinker, a Stalybridge naturalist of the 18th— 19th century. NWest.
Nat. 20:229-32.
Buxton, R. (1849) A botanical guide to the Flowering Plants, Ferns, Mosses and Algae, found
indigenous within sixteen miles of Manchester: with some information as to their agricultural,
medicinal, and other uses. Longman, London.
Cash, J. (1887) The early botanical work of the late William Wilson. Naturalist, Hull
1887:181-90.
Dallman, A. A., ed. (1945) Book notes and news. NWest. Nat. 20:100-01.
Dyson, D. (1850) The land and Fresh Water Shells of the Districts around Manchester: with their
particular localities. John Harrison, Manchester.
Hill, S. (1907) Bygone Stalybridge. Samuel Hill, Stalybridge.
Kent, D.H. (1957) British Herbaria. An Index to the Location of Herbaria of British Vascular
Plants. Botanical Society of the British Isles, London.
Newton, M. E. (1981) The bryophyte collections of Jethro Tinker (1788-1871). Naturalist, Hull
106:111-17.
Oldham, C. (1896) The land and freshwater Mollusca of Cheshire. Naturalist, Hull 1896:109-28.
Standen, R. (1887) Lancashire land and freshwater Mollusca. Naturalist, Hull 1887:155-76.
Warren, J. B. L. (Lord de Tabley) (1899) The Flora of Cheshire. Longmans, Green, London.
Whitehead, J., Ledger, C., Parkinson, J., and Barber, A., eds. (1888) The District Flora as
compiled by the Ashton-under-Lyne Linnaean Botanical Society. J. Andrew, Ashton-under-
Lyne.
THE BRYOPHYTE COLLECTIONS OF JETHRO TINKER (1788-1871)
M. E. NEWTON
Departments of Botany and Zoology, University of Manchester,
Manchester M13 9PL
Jethro Tinker of Stalybridge, Cheshire, close to the old county boundaries of Lancashire,
Yorkshire and Derbyshire, was a naturalist held in particularly high esteem by his
contemporaries (Tinker, 1904; Hill, 1907). Not only was he a capable entomologist and botanist
but many accounts bear testimony to his enthusiasm and helpfulness (Moore, 1842; Cash, 1887;
Bradshaw, 1945). It is, therefore, surprising that his legacy of extensive natural history
collections (Hill, 1907) should have fallen victim to apathy and, perhaps, to misfortune within
forty or fifty years of his death (Bradshaw, 1945). Writing of a time more than thirty years
earlier, Bradshaw (1945) blamed the municipal councils to which they had been entrusted for
the sorry state in which Tinker’s collections then were. Exactly what that state was is not known.
What is known is that no more than a hundred or so mosses (Brill, 1963) now remain. Those few
are, however, of considerable local interest.
The specimens are mounted individually on postcards and, as Dennis (1981) has observed,
not all were collected by Tinker. Brill (1963) considered that all had been annotated by Tinker
himself, whereas Dennis (1981) regarded the handwriting on the majority of specimens and,
until 1976, on the box which held them as probably that of W. Wilson of Warrington. Both views
are only superficially plausible and neither is correct.
Of the 124 specimens I examined in 1966 and again in 1976, fifty-six had been collected by
Tinker, two of them jointly with D. Schofield. The remainder include several specimens without
collecting details, as well as gifts from fourteen other botanists, namely E. Berry, E. Clough, S.
Gibson, W. Hobson, J. Nowell, F. Pill, T. Rogers, D. Schofield, J. Whitehead, W. Wilson and
four indicated only by the initials A.F., A.W., J.B.W. and N.W. Only five specimens bear the
characteristically minute handwriting of W. Wilson (Fig 1) and this has been verified by
comparison with authenticated writing among Wilson’s papers at the British Museum (Natural
112
The Bryophyte Collections of Jethro Tinker (1788-1871)
History). Two letters among the correspondence of E. Hobson at Manchester Museum identify
the writing on a further eight specimens as that of J. Tinker (Fig 2), yet Hill (1907) implied that
most of the specimens in the herbarium, as they existed at the beginning of the twentieth
century, had been labelled by Tinker. There is also a single gathering of Sphagnum cuspidatum
Ehrh. from Ashton Moss which, although confirmation has not been obtained, may have been
annotated by its collector, W. Hobson (Fig 3), but the other 109 specimens bear examples of
only one person’s handwriting (Fig 4). It is that of someone whose incidental notes are initialled
W.W. (Fig 5), a fact which may have misled Dennis (1981) into supposing that the writing could
be that of W. Wilson. Alternatively, while proof is wanting, there is very strong evidence to
suggest that the majority of Tinker’s specimens still extant were labelled by W. Whitehead.
It is evident from herbarium sheets which belonged to the Astley Cheetham Public Library,
Stalybridge, and which are now in the Tameside Museum, that W. Whitehead was collecting
flowering plants in the vicinity of Stalybridge prior to the First World War. His writing, as
suggested by these sheets (Fig 6), is obviously identical to that on many of Tinker’s specimens.
Less obvious is his reason for labelling them. However, it is known that by 1915, at the latest,
Tinker’s collections were the worse for neglect or misuse (Bradshaw, 1945). It might be
suggested, therefore, that W. Whitehead carried out an essential salvage operation, remounting
what specimens he could and transcribing labels as necessary. It is perhaps significant that only
Whitehead has written directly on the postcards. All other handwriting is on paper attached to
the cards.
If this is indeed what happened, it might dispel, at least as far as the mosses are concerned,
some of the widely held suspicions (J. Cassidy and F. W. Roberts, pers. comm.) that all except a
few remnants of Tinker’s collections were distributed among private collectors on the closure of
the museum in Stamford Park, where they were originally housed under the joint ownership of
Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge Borough Councils. Many may have been lost by neglect
long before this, and perhaps even within a shorter period than ten years if Hill’s (1907) report
of the herbarium’s value at that time were based on personal observation rather than repute.
The irony would be that, after Tinker had been at pains to protect his moss collection from the
ravages of damp in his home by constructing a free-standing cabinet (letter of 1825, Manchester
Museum), our public curators should have allowed the herbarium to deteriorate so drastically.
In 1976, I updated the nomenclature and checked the identity of all 124 specimens as far as
the material would allow. To avoid defacing them, a separate list of my findings was supplied to
Tameside Museum Service where it would appear that the names provided were written on the
cards themselves. Indeed, it seems that a troublesome ball-po(nt pen has been coaxed into
activity on the fronts of three cards and used to underline the name on another, and six cards
have been numbered on the face. Most of the specimens have recently been properly
incorporated in the Museum’s collections in two series and now bear accession numbers
1978/4204 to 1978/4323 and 1978/7723 to 1978/7725. One, a specimen of Hygrophypnum
ochraceum (Turn, ex Wils.) Loeske, leg, J. Nowell, without accession number, is missing. The
only other alteration since W. Whitehead labelled them is that the attachment of covering tissue
paper has been reinforced by transparent self-adhesive tape, an unfortunate but well-
intentioned choice of material. Nevertheless, whatever their form, the survival of these
specimens does provide a valuable insight into local environmental changes over the last 150
years. Pronounced though these changes have been, their effects have been considerably less
devastating than a previous report would imply (Branson, 1967).
Tinker’s own gatherings were made between 1821 and 1864, chiefly within a few miles of
Stalybridge, Mottram in Longdendale, Greenfield and Ashton-under-Lyne, though some from
as far afield as Buxton, Southport, Rostherne, Llanberis and Warwickshire. Among the earlier
ones may be mentioned Splachnum sphaericum Hedw. from Ashton Moss, an area which
retained the character of a shaking bog well into the nineteenth century (Aikin, 1795;
Butterworth, 1823). Drained between 1831 and 1868 (Bowman, 1960), its height continued to
drop conspicuously until earlier this century. It now supports a mere fraction of once flourishing
horticultural activities and is as unlikely as any of the other mosses in Greater Manchester to
possess a member of the Splachnaceae. Also of interest are Racomitrium lanuginosum (Hedw.)
Brid. and Thamnobryum alopecurum (Hedw.) Nieuwl., which appear to have been sensitive to
The Bryophyte Collections of Jethro Tinker (1788-1871)
113
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FIGURES 1-6
Label facsimiles from Jethro Tinker herbarium. (1) William Wilson scripsit; (2) Jethro Tinker
scripsit, first line added by W. Whitehead; (3) unidentified hand, possibly William Hobson’s,
last line added by Jethro Tinker. (Reproduction c. x 0.6.)
Label facsimiles from (4-5) Jethro Tinker herbarium and (6) W. Whitehead herbarium. (4) W.
Whitehead scripsit; (5) Jethro Tinker scripsit, annotated by W. Whitehead; (6) W. Whitehead
scripsit. (Reproduction c. x 0.6.)
pollution concomitant with industrialization and a population increase from c. 500 in the
eighteenth century to c. 5000 in 1823 (Butterworth, 1823), 17,000 in 1836 and more than 20,000
in 1841 (Hill, 1907) in Stalybridge alone. The former species has been present in the district for
at least the last thirty years and doubtless longer. It is now increasing in frequency but is still
much less abundant than Tinker implied was the case around Greenfield in 1821. T.
alopecurum, however, is rare. It has certainly not been seen in recent years in Early Banks
Wood, Stalybridge, where Tinker found it, and this is an area which has changed mainly in the
level of water-borne pollution. The disappearance of Climacium dendroides (Hedw.) Web. and
Mohr from Carrhouse near Mottram in Longdendale, on the other hand, points to improved
drainage of agricultural land. Mnium marginatum (With.) P. Beauv. probably no longer grows
at Seals-bark, Greenfield, where the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union for example did not find it
(Branson, 1967), nor does Rhytidiadelphus loreus (Hedw.) Warnst. at the Brushes, Stalybridge,
yet most of the other local species represented in Tinker’s remaining herbarium are still typical
of the exact localities from which they were collected well over a century ago. Buxbaumia
aphylla Hedw., from Hollingworth Bank Wood, leg. A.W., 1866, however, is a notable
exception both for its rarity locally and in Britain as a whole (Warburg, 1963). The gift of a
sample to the seventy-eight-year-old naturalist can therefore be taken as a clear indication of the
respect with which its finders (Whitehead, 1888) regarded Jethro Tinker.
114 The Bryophyte Collections of Jethro Tinker (1 788-1871 )
In the list of specimens which follows, localities have been identified with vice-counties
wherever possible. The few specimens inadequate for confirmation of original names are
indicated by asterisks, and specimens bracketed together are attached to a single postcard.
Sphagnaceae
Sphagnum capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw. Nant Cramnant, Near Trefriw (49), 1863.
S. fimbriatum Wils. without locality, leg. J. Nowell, 1848.
fS. plumulosum Roll cfr. Ashton Moss (59), leg. Wm. Hobson, 1821.
IS. cuspidatum Ehrh. Ashton Moss (59), leg. Wm. Hobson, 1821.
S. plumulosum Roll cfr. Greenfield (63), leg. J. Tinker.
S. squarrosum Pers. ex Crome cfr. Pittsteads, Dukinfield (58), leg. J.T., 1821.
S. auriculatum Schimp. Stansfield Moor ( — ), leg. J. Nowell, 1853.
S. tenellum Pers. without locality, leg. J. Nowell, 1848.
POLYTRICHACEAE
Polytrichum alpinum Hedw. cfr. not localized (58), leg. D. Schofield, 1867.
P. commune Hedw. cfr.
P. commune Hedw. cfr. without locality, leg. J. Tinker, 1821.
P. commune Hedw. cfr. Charlesworth Coombes (57), leg. J. Tinker, 1855.
P. juniperinum Hedw. cfr. Stansfield Moor ( — ), 1848.
B UXB AUMI ACE AE
Buxbaumia aphylla Hedw. cfr. Hollingworth (58), leg. A.W., 1866.
Seligeriaceae
Blindia acuta (Hedw.) B., S. and G. cfr. Snowdon (49), 1852.
Dicranaceae
Oncophorus virens (Hedw.) Brid. cfr.
Dichodontium pellucidum (Hedw.) Schimp. cfr. Early Banks Wood, Stalybridge (58), leg. J.
Tinker, 1828.
( Dicranella crispa (Hedw.) Schimp. cfr. Pilkington (59), leg. J.B.W., 1844.
1 D. crispa (Hedw.) Schimp. cfr. Alderley Edge (58), 1862.
D. heteromalla (Hedw.) Schimp. cfr. Brushes, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1845.
D. palustris (Dicks.) Crundw. ex E. F. Warb. cfr. Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1861.
( D. schreberana (Hedw.) Dix. cfr. Near Warrington (59), leg. W. Wilson, 1854.
ID. schreberana (Hedw.) Dix. Stirrup Wood (58), 1860.
D. subulata (Hedw.) Schimp. Alderley Edge (58), 1863.
D. varia (Hedw.) Schimp. cfr. Hurstheads, Hattersley (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1863.
Dicranum falcatum Hedw. cfr. Ben Nevis (97).
D. scoparium Hedw. cfr. High Green Wood, Near Heptonstall (63), 1848.
D. scoparium Hedw. cfr. Brushes, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1830.
D. scottianum Turn. cfr. Ireland, leg. W. Wilson, 1829.
D. spurium Hedw. without locality, specimen and label probably mixed.
D. undulatum Brid. Wybunbury Bog (58), leg. J.N., 1856.
Campylopus atrovirens De Not. Snowdon (49), 1853.
C. brevipilus B., S. and G. Shipworth Moor, Near Selby ( — ), leg. J. Nowell, 1858.
C. paradoxus Wils. in Hardy cfr. Highgreen Wood, Near Heptonstall (63), 1849.
C. pyriformis (Schultz) Brid. cfr. Knots Wood, Stansfield ( — ), 1849.
Grimmiaceae
Racomitrium aciculare (Hedw.) Brid. cfr. without locality, leg. J. Tinker, 1824.
R. affine (Web. and Mohr.) Lindb. cfr. Snowdon (49), leg. J.N., 1855.
R. aquaticum (Brid.) Brid. Near Llanberis (49), leg. Tinker, 1852.
R. canescens var. ericoides (Hedw.) Hampe cfr. without locality.
R. ellipticum (Turn.) B. and S. cfr. Snowdon (49), leg. J.N., 1855.
R. fasciculare (Hedw.) Brid. cfr. Brushes, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1821.
R. lanuginosum (Hedw.) Brid. cfr. Greenfield (63), leg. J. Tinker, 1821.
The Bryophyte Collections of Jethro Tinker (1788-1871) 115
Disceliaceae
Discelium nudum (Dicks.) Brid. cfr. Rams Clough, Saddleworth (63), leg. J. Tinker, 1862.
Funariaceae
Physcomitrium pyriforme (Hedw.) Brid. cfr. Early Banks, Stalybridge (58), leg. Jethro Tinker,
1853.
Splachnaceae
( Splachnum ampullaceum Hedw. cfr. without locality, 1863.
I Tetraplodon mnioides (Hedw.) B. and S. cfr.
S. sphaericum Hedw. cfr. Ashton Moss (59), leg. J. Tinker, 1821.
S. vasculosum Hedw. Ben Lawers (88), leg. W. Wilson, 1836.
Mniaceae
Mnium hornum Hedw. cfr. Early Banks Wood, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1863.
(M. marginatum (With.) P. Beauv. cfr. Seals-bark, Greenfield (63), leg. J. Tinker, 1832.
I Plagiomnium rostratum (Schrad.) Kop. cfr.
M. thomsonii Schimp. not localized, leg. J. Nowell, 1857.
Rhizomnium pseudopunctatum (Br. Eur.) Kop. cfr. Rams Clough, Saddleworth (63), leg. J.
Tinker, 1853.
R. punctatum (Hedw.) Kop. cfr. Early Banks Wood, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1822.
Plagiomnium rostratum (Schrad.) Kop. cfr. Ashwood, Buxton (57), leg. J. Tinker, 1851.
P. undulatum (Hedw.) Kop. cfr. Ashwood, Nr Buxton (57), leg. J. Tinker, 1851.
Bartramiaceae
Plagiopus oederi (Brid.) Limpr. cfr. Ashwood (57), leg. D. Schofield and J. Tinker, 1851.
P. oederi (Brid.) Limpr. cfr. Ashwood, Buxton (57), leg. J. Tinker, 1845.
P. oederi (Brid.) Limpr. cfr. Ashwood Dale (57), leg. D. Schofield and J. Tinker, 1851.
Bartramia hallerana Hedw. cfr. without locality.
B. ithyphylla Brid. cfr. Gorpley Clough ( — ), 1847.
B. pomiformis Hedw. cfr. Hollins Clough, Stalybridge (58/59), 1822.
Philorotis calcarea (B. and S.) Schimp. cfr. Brushes, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1846.
P. fontana (Hedw.) Brid. cfr. Near Whitfield, Glossop (57), leg. J. Tinker, 1845.
P. rigida Brid. Near Tremadoc (49), leg. W. Wilson, 1863.
Breutelia chrysocoma (Hedw.) Lindb. cfr. without locality, leg. S. Gibson.
Climaciaceae
Climacium dendroides (Hedw.) Web. and Mohr cfr. Carrhouse, Nr Mottram (58), leg. J.
Tinker, 1825.
Neckeraceae
Neckera crispa Hedw. cfr. Todmorden (59/63), leg. J. Nowell.
Thamniaceae
Thamnobryum alopecurum (Hedw.) Nieuwl. Early Banks Wood, Stalybridge (58), leg. J.
Tinker, 1821.
Theliaceae
Myurella julacea (Schwaegr.) B., S. and G. South Ireland.
Leskeaceae
Pseudoleskeella catenulata (Brid.) Kindb. Ingleborough (64), leg. J.N., 1857.
Leskea polycarpa Hedw. Not localized, leg. J. Tinker.
116
The Bryophyte Collections of Jethro Tinker (1788-1871 )
Thuidiaceae
Heterocladium heteropterum (Bruch ex Schwaegr.) B., S. and G. Powersfall Waterfall ( — ), leg.
W.W.
Thuidium tamariscinum (Hedw.) B., S. and G. Marple (58), leg. N.W., 1866.
Helodium blandowii (Web. and Mohr) Warnst. Knutsford (58), leg. W.W., 1851.
Amblystegiaceae
Cratoneuron commutatum (Hedw.) Roth cfr. Limehurst Spring, Ashton-under-Lyne (59), leg.
J. Tinker, 1821.
C. commutatum var. falcatum (Brid.) Monk. cfr. Southport (59), leg. E. Clough, 1863.
Campylium elodes (Lindb.) Kindb. Southport (59), leg. E. Clough, 1863.
C. polygamum (B., S. and G.) J. Lange and C. Jens. cfr. Southport (59), leg. J. Tinker, 1861.
C. stellatum (Hedw.) J. Lange and C. Jens. Marple (58), leg, J. Tinker, 1845.
Amblystegium riparium (Hedw.) Br. Eur. cfr. Near Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1821.
A. varium (Hedw.) Lindb. cfr. Near Liverpool (59).
Drepanocladus exannulatus var. exannulatus (B., S. and G.) Warnst. cfr. Swineshaw,
Stalybridge (58/59), leg. E. Clough, 1863.
D. fluitans var. fluitans (Hedw.) Warnst. cfr. Todmorden (59/63), leg. John Nowell, 1848.
D. fluitans var .fluitans (Hedw.) Warnst. Swineshaw, Stalybridge (58/59), leg. J. Tinker, 1852.
D. lycopodioides (Brid.) Warnst. Southport (59), leg. E. Clough, 1863.
D. revolvens (Turn.) Warnst. cfr. Swineshaw, Stalybridge (58/59), leg. J.W., 1864.
*D. sendtneri (Schimp.) Warnst. Southport (59).
Hygrohypnum luridum (Hedw.) Jenn. cfr. Ashwood Dale (57), leg. J. Tinker, 1850.
H. ochraceum (Turn, ex Wils.) Loeske Near Todmorden (59/63), leg. J. Nowell.
Scorpidium scorpioides (Hedw.) Limpr. cfr. Malham Moor (64), 1849.
Calliergon cordifolium (Hedw.) Kindb. cfr. Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1840.
C. cuspidatum (Hedw.) Kindb. cfr. without locality, leg. J. Tinker, 1823.
C. giganteum (Schimp.) Kindb. Hale Moss (58), leg. J. Whitehead, 1863.
C. sarmentosum (Wahlenb.) Kindb. Snowdon (49), 1857.
C. stramineum (Brid.) Kindb. Swineshaw, Stalybridge (58/59), leg. J. Tinker, 1822.
Brachytheciaceae
Scorpiurium circinatum (Brid.) Fleisch. and Loeske Near Beaumaris (52), leg. T. Rogers, 1863.
Homalothecium lutescens (Hedw.) Robins, cfr. Helks Woods (64), 1850.
H. nitens (Hedw.) Robins. Wybunbury Bog (58), 1855.
( H. sericeum (Hedw.) Br. Eur. cfr. Early Bank Wood, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1822.
1 H. sericeum (Hedw.) Br. Eur. Kettlewell (64), leg. E. Berry.
Brachythecium albicans (Hedw.) B., S. and G. Southport (59), leg. J. Tinker, 1861.
B. albicans (Hedw.) B., S. and G. Southport (59), leg. J. Tinker, 1861.
B. plumosum (Hedw.) B., S. and G. cfr. Lyne Edge, Dukinfield (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1821.
B. plumosum (Hedw.) B., S. & G. cfr. Early Banks Wood, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1853
B. rutabulum (Hedw.) B., S. and G. cfr. Brushes, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1823.
B. velutinum (Hedw.) B., S. and G. cfr. Early Banks Wood Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker,
1853.
B. velutinum (Hedw.) B., S. and G. cfr. Near Todmorden (59/63), 1850.
Scleropodium tourretii (Brid.) L. F. Koch cfr. Orme’s Head, Llandudno (49), leg. F. Pill.
Cirriphyllum crassinervium (Tayl.) Loeske and Fleisch. cfr. Near Killarney (Hl/2), leg. W.
Wilson, 1829.
C. piliferum (Hedw.) Grout cfr. Dan Bank Wood, Marple (58), 1863.
Rhynchostegium confertum (Dicks.) Br. Eur. cfr. Marple (58), leg. A.F., 1864.
R. riparioides (Hedw.) C. Jens. cfr. Nr Stalybridge ( — ), leg. J. Tinker, 1864.
Eurhynchium praelongum (Hedw.) Br. Eur. cfr. Early Banks Wood, Stalybridge (58), leg. J.
Tinker, 1822.
E. striatum (Hedw.) Schimp. Flaxfield, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1823.
E. swartzii (Turn.) Curn. in Rabenh. cfr. Newlyn Cliff, Penzance (1), 1861.
Rhynchostegiella teesdalei (Br. Eur.) Limpr. Chee Tor (57), leg. J.N., 1851.
117
The Bryophyte Collections of Jethro Tinker (1788-1871)
Plagiotheciaceae
* Plagiothecium denticulatum (Hedw.) B., S. and G. cfr. without locality, leg. J. Tinker, 1851.
P. undulatum (Hedw.) B., S. and G. Cockwood, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1863.
* Herzogiella seligeri (Brid.) Iwats. cfr. Helks Wood, Ingleton (64), leg. W. Wilson, 1861.
Isopterygium elegans (Hook.) Lindb. Alderley Edge (58), leg. J. Whitehead, 1860.
Taxiphyllum wissgrillii (Garov.) Wyk and Marg. Hareleywood ( — ), 1848.
Sematophyllaceae
Sematophyllum demissum (Wils.) Mitt. cfr. Near Killarney (Hl/2), leg. W. Wilson, 1829.
Hypnaceae
*Pylaisia polyantha (Hedw.) B., S. and G. cfr. Thorns Broughton Hall ( — ), 1850.
Hypnum lindbergii Mitt. Near Burnley (59), 1853.
Hyocomium flagellar e B., S. and G. cfr. Swineshaw, Stalybridge (58/59), leg. J. Whitehead,
1861.
Rhytidiadelphus loreus (Hedw.) Warnst. cfr. Brushes, Stalybridge (58), leg. J. Tinker, 1822.
R. triquetrus (Hedw.) Warnst. Woolscott Great Piece (38), leg. J. Tinker, 1849.
Hylocomium brevirostre (Brid.) B., S. and G. cfr. Helk’s Wood, Near Ingleton (64), 1850.
H. splendens (Hedw.) B., S. and G. cfr. Ashwood Dale (57), leg. J. Tinker, 1845.
Acknowledgements
In acknowledging the assistance of many people, I particularly wish to thank Mr K. Dyson who
drew my attention to the paper by H. Tinker, Dr J. W. Franks for tracing in the Manchester
Museum two letters from J. Tinker, Dr A. J. Harrington for providing specimens of Wilson’s
handwriting, Mr L. Ellis who kindly searched for further Tinker specimens at the British
Museum, Mr J. Cassidy and Mr F. Roberts. I am also grateful to Mr R. Gregory for
photographic assistance and to Tameside Museum Service for the loan of material.
References
Aikin, J. (1795) A Description of the Country from Thirty to Forty Miles Round Manchester. J.
Stockdale, London.
Bowman, W. M. (1960) England in Ashton-under-Lyne. J. Sherratt and Son, Altrincham.
Bradshaw, A. P. (1945) Jethro Tinker, a Stalybridge naturalist of the 18th— 19th century. NWest.
Nat. 20:229-32.
Branson, F. E. (1967) Bryological meeting at Greenfield, V.C. 63, 17th-18th September, 1966.
Naturalist, Hull 1967:30-2.
Brill, B. (1963) In search of Jethro Tinker. Country Fair 25:37-8.
Butterworth, J. (1823) History and Description of the Town and Parish of Ashton-under-Lyne,
in the County of Lancaster, and the Village of Dukinfield, in the County of Chester. Thomas
Cunningham, Ashton.
Cash, J. (1887) The early botanical work of the late William Wilson. Naturalist, Hull
1887:181-90.
Dennis, N. (Bullard, E. R. and McMillan, N. F. , eds.) (1981) Jethro Tinker (1788-1871) — field
naturalist. Naturalist, Hull 106:109-111.
Hill, S. (1907) Bygone Stalybridge. Samuel Hill, Stalybridge.
Moore, J. (1842) A memoir of Mr Edward Hobson, author of Musci Britannici, etc. Mem. Proc.
Manchr. lit. phil. Soc., 2nd. ser., 6:297-324.
Tinker, H. (1904) Jethro Tinker. In: Stalybridge & District Year Book , Geo. Whittaker,
Stalybridge, p. 13.
Warburg, E. F. (1963) Census Catalogue of British Mosses. British Bryological Society, 3rd.
edn.
Whitehead, J. (1888) Mosses of the District. In: The District Flora compiled by the
Ashton-under-Lyne Linnaean Botanical Society. J. Andrew, Ashton-under-Lyne.
118
YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS’ UNION EXCURSIONS IN 1980
Compiled by
A. HENDERSON and M. R. D. SEAWARD
Painsthorpe and Uncleby (V.C. 61) (21st June)
Painsthorpe and Uncleby lie close together on the western escarpment of the Wolds, just
north of the York to Driffield road, an area comprising two very steep-sided valleys headed
by the Brows. Uncleby Brow was scheduled as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of
the relationship of vegetation cover to extreme steepness.
Members met at the top of Garrowby Hill during a mixture of sunny spells and heavy
clouds with a fresh south-westerly blowing and, after some heavy rain, moved off to South
Wold Dale, Scottendale and Painsthorpe Dale and a variety of habitats.
Ornithology (B. S. Pashby)
An extremely noisy Curlew announced the presence of at least one bird at the head of Pains-
thorpe Dale, the Lapwing being the only other wader seen. Three species, typical of the
partly-wooded Wolds valleys were the Redstart (two pairs and young seen), the Tree Pipit
(heard in many areas) ad the Mistle Thrush (a party of fledged young flying around). Of the
warblers, the Blackcap, Whitethroat and Willow Warbler were noted. A Tawny Owl was
the only bird of prey sighted. Of game birds, the Red-legged Partridge merits a mention.
Forty species were seen, a good total for this part of the County. I am grateful for Mr Upton’s
help in preparing this report.
Mammals and other Vertebrates (E. H. Wear)
As records for this area are extremely scarce, the following provided a useful addition to the
Mammal Atlas of East Yorkshire: three Hares, Mole, Water Vole, ten to fifteen Rabbits, a
live Pygmy Shrew, a dead Common Shrew, a Stoat with young, three decomposed Brown
Rats on a gibbet, a Grey Squirrel, a Hedgehog and a Ferret. It was noticeable that there were
no signs of Fox or Badger. The only amphibians reported were three Frogs.
Mollusca (L. Lloyd -Evans)
The Yorkshire Wolds are rich in mollusca and a representative selection of species was
found. The river limpet Ancylus fluviatilis was common in the unpolluted chalk streams.
Cochlodina laminata is locally distributed in Yorkshire preferring old deciduous woodland
on base-rich soils; it was interesting to find it on an isolated dead tree trunk in a marshy field
at Painsthorpe several hundred metres from the nearest wood.
Entomology (W. A. Ely)
The morning was spent in the valley to the south of Painsthorpe, where the fields bordering
the stream held insects typical of this habitat. In the afternoon the valley north of the village,
east of Admiral Plantation was investigated. The first insect of the afternoon was also the
best, the hoverfly Criorhina floccosa which resembles the carder bees and is uncommon
in the north. The marshes in the valley bottom were then explored. The click beetle Denti-
collis linearis and the rove beetle Philonthus sanguinolentus were found here, Mr Marsh
collected the rove beetle Creophilus maxillosus while Mr Richardson and Mr Kendall
collected the beetle Dascillus cervinus and the rhinoceros beetle (Sinodendron cylindricum)
- the latter under water!
Lepidoptera (J. Payne)
A morning shower, a cool wind and little sun are unpromising conditions for recording
butterflies and moths. The Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip (in egg, larval
and imago stages), Small Copper, Common Blue, Large Skipper, and Small Heath were the
butterflies seen.
Among the moths the Chimney Sweeper was plentiful in the meadows and the Silver-
Ground Carpet was frequent. A small geometrid, the Angle-barred Pug Eupithecia innotata
Yorkshire Naturalists ’ Union Excursions in 1 980 119
Hufn. proved the best capture of the day. The large and striking caterpillar of the Figure of
Eight was the only noctuid noted.
Arachnology (C. J. Smith)
Weather conditions (showers and wind), terrain (dry valleys) and farm management (close
cropped turf) limited the quantity and variety of species recorded.
The following species were noted in Painsthorpe dry valley: Pardosa pullata 9 d,
Pachygnatha clercki 9, Entelecara acuminata 9, Gonatium rubens 9, Pocadicnemis
pumila 9 d, Oedothorax retusus d, Monocephalus fuscipes 9, Araeoncus humilis 9,
Diplostyla concolor d, Stemonyphantes lineatus9 , Lepthyphantes obscurus 9, L. zimmer-
manni 9 d ,L. mengei 9 ,L. flavipes d ,L. pallidus 9 d , Linyphia clathrata 9.
On the roadside and in the dry valley at Uncleby were: Clubiona lutescens 9, Theridion
bimaculatum d, Enoplognatha ovata 9 d , Tetragnatha extensa 9, Pachygnatha clercki 9,
Meta mengei d, M. merianae 9, Araneus cucurbitinus d, Gongylidium rufipes 9,
Dismodicus bifrons 9 d , Maso sundevalli 9, Pocadicnemis pumila 9, Erigone atra d ,
Linyphia clathrata 9.
No species calls for special comment, but many are new records for the 10km. square
SE/85, which has had very little attention from arachnologists in the past.
Other Arthropods (D. T. Richardson)
As there were no records for centipedes or millipedes from 10 km square 44/85 and a
negligible number for V.C. 61 as a whole the meeting provided an opportunity to rectify the
situation. Both areas were visited and the species listed were common to both. New records
for the square are indicated by an asterisk.
Woodlice — Armadillidium vulgare ,* Oniscus asellus, Philoscia muscorum, Porcellio
scaber, Trichoniscus pusillus. Centipedes — Lithobius crassipes* L. forficatus* L.
melanops* L. macilentus* (beneath logs and stones). Millipedes — Brachydesmus
superus ,* and Brachyiulus pusillis* (large numbers in the soil and in sheep dung);
Cylindroiulus punctatus* and Proteroiulus fuscus* beneath bark; Polydesmus angustus*
Glomeris marginata* and Tachypodoiulus niger* (beneath stone and logs). Harvestmen —
Nemastoma bimaculatum* (under stones and logs).
None of the species are particularly uncommon but the presence of large numbers of the
millipedes B. superus and B. pusillis is interesting for there are comparatively few records for
either species, which may be due to their being small true soil animals living relatively deep
down.
Examination of the stream (44/821587) in the fields below Admiral Plantation provided
specimens of the freshwater triclad Crenobia alpina* and the freshwater shrimp Gammarus
pulex. * The water had a pH of 7.90 and contained 182 mg calcium carbonate per litre.
Flowering Plants (E. Crackles)
One party of botanists worked along the road from Painsthorpe towards Kirkby Underdale.
The most notable species here were Carex spicata (Spiked Sedge) in a ditch and the hybrid
grass Festuca pratensis xLolium perenne on the verge.
Hordeum secalinum (Meadow Barley) occurred in some quantity in the pasture traversed
by Kirby Beck whilst species noted in the marshy areas by the stream included: Veronica
beccabunga (Brooklime), Stellaria alsine (Bog Stitchwort), Juncus acutiflorus (Sharp-
flowered Rush), J. inflexus (Hard Rush), J. effusus var. compactus (Soft Rush) and Carex
hirta (Hairy Sedge).
Other parties reported Equisetum telmateia (Great Horsetail), Lychnis floscuculi (Ragged
Robin) and Iris pseudacorus (Yellow Iris) in quantity higher up the beck, with Caltha
palustris (Marsh Marigold), Lotus uliginosus (Marsh Bird’s-foot Trefoil), Pulicaria dysen-
terica (Common Fleabane) and Carex ovalis (Oval Sedge) also present. One bush of
Thelycrania sanguinea (Dogwood) was noted.
In the meadow between Scottendale Farm and Admiral Plantation, Carduus nutans
(Nodding Thistle) was frequent with a few plants of the hybrid with Welted Thistle, Carduus
120 Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Excursions in 1 980
acanthoides x C. nutans. Crepis paludosa (Marsh Hawk’s-beard) was locally frequent in the
damp areas of the wood and there was a very fine show of Conopodium majus (Earthnut)
along the wood edge.
By the spring-fed Uncleby Beck, the marshy ground near the north-eastern corner of the
plantation was of particular interest. Species noted included: Triglochin palustris (Marsh
Arrow-grass), Myosotis discolor (Yellow and Blue Forget-me-not), Mentha aquatica (Water
Mint), Valeriana dioica (Marsh Valerian), Blysmus compressus (Flat Sedge) in some
quantity, Care x echinata (Star Sedge) and C. spicata (Spiked Sedge).
The most notable species on the steep valley slopes of Southwold and Uncleby were:
Helianthemum chamaecistus (Common Rockrose), Arenaria serpyllifolia (Thyme-leaved
Sandwort), Linum catharticum (Purging Flax), Onosis repens (Restharrow), Poterium
sanguisorba (Salad Burnet), and Betonica officinalis (Betony).
Plant Galls (L. Lloyd -Evans)
The following plant galls were noted: Dasyneura ulmariae on Filipendula ulmaria, D.
urticae on Urtica dioica, Diplolepis rosae on Rosa canina, Eriophyes goniothorax typicus on
Alnus glutinosa, E. similis on Prunus spinosa, E. squalidus on Scabiosa columbaria,
Eriosoma ulmi on Ulmus glabra, Jaapiella veronicae on Veronica chamaedrys,
Rhabdophaga rosaria on Salix alba.
Bryology (T. L. Blocked)
Bryologically, the dry chalk banks were rather unproductive. Species found included
Homalothecium lutescens, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus and Weissia microstoma. Elders by a
plantation had quantities of Zygodon viridissimus var. viridissimus and a little Orthotrichum
diaphanum. Seligeria paucifolia was on a stone in the pasture nearby. Other speices from dry
habiats included Barbula hornschuchiana and Cirriphyllum piliferum.
Wet areas around springs added much-needed variety to the flora. Climacium dendroides
was found near Admiral Plantation, and Dicranella schreberana, Physcomitrium pyriforme
and Pottia starkeana ssp. minutula (first confirmed record for V.C. 61) south of
Painsthorpe. In Admiral Plantation Lepidozia reptans was a little surprising, being a
calcifuge species rare in V.C. 61 and one of the few hepatics seen during the day. Forty-nine
species were seen in all.
Scugdale and Snotterdale (V.C. 62) (14th June) (C. Pellant)
Scugdale and its tributary valley, Snotterdale, are cut into the west-facing escarpment of the
Cleveland Hills to the south-east of the village of Swainby. Habitats include deciduous and
coniferous woodland, marshland, old mine workings, open moorland, a narrow gorge with a
waterfall, and farmland. Permission to visit the area was kindly granted by Lord Ingleby,
whose gamekeeper met us and gave helpful advice on routes.
Thirty members, including representatives of thirteen societies, met outside the Queen
Catherine Hotel in Osmotherly. During the short drive from here to the field area the mist
changed to heavy rain which continued throughout the day. The dreadful weather conditions
hampered observing and collecting, and members were glad to find a warm fire at the Queen
Catherine Hotel when they returned there for the tea and meeting.
Dr L. Lloyd-Evans chaired the meeting at which reports were presented, and Mr Ian
Lawrence proposed a vote of thanks to the Divisional Secretary for organizing the meeting.
Ornithology (G. E. Alderson)
Owing to heavy rain most of the day, only twenty-six species were seen or hard.
The Cuckoo was calling and seen flying with the usual Pipits in attendance. No rap tores
were seen, but two Tawny Owls were in a stand of older trees. Occasional agitated Curlews
signified young. Several Pheasants were seen and two dead Grouse lay on a path. The com-
plete list for this atrocious day was Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Red Grouse,
Cuckoo, Carrion Crow, Snipe, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Curlew, Lapwing,
Tawny Owl, Starling, Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Yellow-
hammer, Chaffinch, Whinchat, Redpoll, Willow Warbler, Coal Tit, and Wren.
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1980
121
Lepidoptera (Mrs J. Payne)
Conditions could hardly have been worse The only butterfly recorded was Aglais urticae. The
larvae were found on a stand of nettles.
The following Geometrids were seen in small numbers: Xanthorhoe montanata, Lithina
chlorosata and Eupithecia vulgata. A single specimen of the Small Argent and Sable,
Epirrhoe tristata, was taken. The foliage of Hazel and Willow was fragmented, but the
Erranis sp. usually responsible has already left the trees.
Some larvae collected from Oak were identified as the Hebrew Character, Othosia gothica.
Prunus padus was well eaten by the larvae of the Figure of Eight moth, Episena caeruleo-
cephela. The only imago Noctuid taken was Apamea crenata.
Prunus padus also bore the webs of one of the micro Ermine moths, Yponymeuta sp.
Coleoptera (M. Denton)
The following beetles were collected: Sinodendron cylindricum, Nebria brevicollis, Patrobus
excavatus, Pterostichus madidas, P. niger, Anchomenus assimilis, A. ruficornis,
Rhagonycha lignosa, Denticollis linearis, and Athous haemorrhoidalis.
Vascular Plants (T. F. Medd)
Incesant rain made serious recording almost impossible but nevertheless fourteen new
records for the Atlas were added. An untreated field near the roadside proved to be quite
marshy and here we found Myosotis discolor, Alopercurus geniculatus , Equisetum palustre,
Carex remota, and Crepis paludosa.
Despite worsening weather many members made their way up the hill to the open
moorland recording Trientalis europaea, Drosera rotundifolia, Equisetum sylvaticum,
Hypericum pulchrum and Carex caryophyllea.
The remaining species new to square 45(NZ)/50 were Epilobium parviflorum, Carex
sylvaticum and C. panicea: Equisetum telmateia was growing by the roadside near the car
park along with a good stand of what proved to be no more than a very luxuriant form of
E. arvense.
Bryology (T. L. Blocked)
Only 43 bryophytes were recorded in the attractive Snotterdale valley, and although more
species would have been found in better conditions, the area was fairly well searched and
may not hold any real surprises. Tetradontium brownianum was notably abundant on dark
sandstone rocks at the waterfall towards the head of the valley. Other species occurring by
the stream and on wet rocks were Marsupella emarginata, Nardia compressa and
Solenostoma sphaerocarpum. Barbilophozia attenuata was on dry rocks, and Calliergon
stramineum and Sphagnum squarrosum were among the mosses from wet flushes. The best
find was a small amount of immature Tetraplodon mnioides on a sheep skull, apparently
the first record in V.C. 62 since 1911. It is an elusive moss confined to animal remains in
moorland areas.
Rockley (V.C. 63) (17th and 18th May)
The meeting took place towards the end of the hot, dry spell which we enjoyed during the
first half of May. The area visited on Saturday stretched from Worsbrough Reservoir
westwards to the Ml, most of it within the Worsbrough Country Park. The party walked
along the southern edge of the reservoir, through the Carr where the Rockley Dyke flows in,
then followed the Dyke through a marshy area where new ponds have recently been
excavated and on to a pond and marsh below Rockley Old Hall. The footpath past the Old
Hall and northwards brought us to the other inlet to the reservoir, again surrounded by carr,
and along the reservoir’s western edge to rejoin the path.
Sunday was spent in the Don Frest to the west of the Ml . Old Park Woods consisted of an
eastern fringe of wet woodland running parallel to the motorway, a felled central area which
has recently been replanted with conifers, and a western area of secondary woodland. Broom
Royd Wood was separated from it by the Rockley Dyke and meadows, and again consisted of
122
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1980
secondary woodland with a fringe of old trees lining the track on its southern edge. The tea
and meeting were held in the interpretation centre at the Country Park.
Our thanks are due to the Country Park Authorities, the Forestry Commission and local
landowners for permission to visit the areas under their control, to the Park’s ranger, Mr
Philip Page, and to Mr Godfrey Blunt for their assistance before and during the meeting.
Ornithology (P. Page and A. G. Blunt)
Fifty-eight species were identified over the weekend, of which the environs of Worsbrough
Reservoir produced forty-nine. Water birds were not in any great numbers but included
Little and Great Crested Grebes, Heron and drake Shoveler at the reservoir, and Tufted
Ducks both there and on the ponds at Rockley Abbey. Most of the common passerines were
seen. A small colony of Reed Warblers was present at the reservoir, and Blackcaps were
numerous in all the woodlands visited. Redpolls and Tree Pipits were not uncommon in a
partially cleared area of Old Park Wood, while Chiffchaff and Garden Warbler were found
in the more mature parts of Broom Royd Wood. Both spotted Woodpeckers were seen, the
Lesser in the Willow Carr at Worsbrough Reservoir, where it is known to breed, and the
Greater in similar habitat in the now drained Rockley Dam. A roving Woodcock was heard
over a nearby wood on the Saturday evening. Little direct evidence of breeding was obtained
on the two days, except for a brood of Mallard on the reservoir, Pied Wagtails feeding young
at Rockley Old Hall, and a Chaffinch’s nest with eggs near Rockley Dam.
Mammals and other Vertebrates
The following mammals were seen by different members during the weekend: Rabbit, Grey
Squirrel, Fox, and Water Vole. The amphibians, Great Crested Newts, Common Newts,
Frog and Toad were in residence, and Grass Snakes were the only reptiles seen.
Entomology (W. A. Ely)
Although this meeting was rather early in the year for most insects, the fine weather brought
out the sun -loving hoverflies and bees.
The damp areas bordering the Rockley Dyke between the reservoir and the Ml were
explored on the Saturday, and Mr Denton collected the ground beetles Bembidion
dentellum (Thunb.) (abundant in many places), Badister sodalis (Duft.), Agonum gracile
Sturm and A. micans Nic. and the leaf beetle Prasocuris phellandrii (L.). The empid fly
Rhamphomyia tibialis Mg. was found in the marsh near the new ponds and R. crassirostris
(Fall.) in the marsh below Rockley Old Hall. The rove beetle Philonthus quisquiliarius
(Gyll.) and the beetle Heterocerus fenestratus (Thunb.) were also in this marsh, the latter
walking on the mud surface rather than burrowing beneath it and just below the Hall Mr
Flint collected the ruby-tail wasp Chrysis ignita (L.).
On the Sunday the drier areas west of the Ml again yielded Bembidion dentellum and
Mr. Garland collected the flea beetle Phyllotreta tetrastigma (Com.) on Car dam in e amara L.
and flexuosa With. In Old Park Wood, desite the severe impact of forestry, the beetle
Hylecoetus dermestoides (L.) and the fly Xylophagus ater Mg. were found (the former by
Mr Denton), both indicative of relatively old woodland. The longhorn beetle (Clytus arietis
(L.) was here and Mr Denton found the weevil Magdalis armigera (Four.), while Mr Garland
recorded the craneflies Tipula maxima Poda and Pedicia rivosa (L.). The oak gall caused by
the gall wasp Andricus lignicola (Hartig), a recent addition to the Yorkshire fauna, persisted
from the previous year, and several swarms of male ichneumons (. Diplazon pectoratorius
Grav.) were under the cover of overhanging branches. A brief visit to Broom Wood added the
St Mark’s fly Bibio lanigerus Mg. and the empid Hilara galactoptera Strobl, the latter
uncommon in the vice-county.
Lepidoptera (S. P. Garland)
The warm, dry weather favoured the butterflies with a total of nine species being recorded
including Dingy Skipper, discovered in an area of felled trees in Old Park Wood. Moths were
not numerous and I am grateful to A. G. Blunt for a list of species recorded around
Worsbrough that weekend, at night. Interesting species included Broad-barred White,
Water Carpet and Herald, with daytime records of Mother Shipton and Small Yellow Under-
wing from grassland in Old Park Wood. This wood also produced records of the following
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1980 123
species. Esperia sulphurella (F.), Anthophila fabriciana (L.), Eulia ministrana (L.),
Micropteryx calthella (L.), Ancyclis myrtillana (Tr.) and Epiblema scutulana (D-S).
Arachnology (Clifford J. Smith)
The following species were recorded during the excursion to Worsbrough on 17th May.
Species Col. 1 Col. 2
Dictyna uncinata*
dQ
Segestria senoculata*
9
Micaria pulicaria*
9
Clubiona lutescens
9
Xysticus cristatus
d 9
Philodromus aureolus*
9
Pardosa pullata
9
P. amentata
dQ
9
P. lugubris*
d
Theridion sisyphium
dQ
Tetragnatha extensa*
9
T. montana*
9
Pachygnatha clercki
dQ
Meta mengei*
dQ
M. merianae
9
Araneus cucurbitinus*
9
Walckenaera unicornis *
9
9
Gnathonarium dentatum*
9
Gongylidium rufipes *
dQ
Dismodicus bifrons
d
Hypomma bituberculatum
dQ
Qd
Pocadicnemis pumila
d
Oedothorax gibb /t ub
9
Oe. gibbosus*
d
Oe. tuberosus*
d
Oe. fuscus
d
Savygnya frontata*
9
Diplocephalus permixtus*
9
9
Erigone atra
d
Leptorhoptrum robustum*
9
Porrhomma pygmaeum x
dQ
Centromerita cone inn a
9
Bathyphantes approximatus
9
B. nigrinus
dQ
Kaestneria dorsalis*
dQ
Diplostyla concolor
9
Lepthyphantes mengei*
d
d
Linyphia hortensis*
9
L. montana
9
L. clathrata
dQ
d
L. peltata
d
d
Column 1 — valley above the reservoir.
Column 2 — area around the reservoir.
* Implies a first record for the SE/30 grid square.
None of this list of species calls for special comment, most of them being common in the type
of habitat under consideration. The large number of species new to SE/30 serves to indicate
the few records for this area in the past.
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Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1980
Botany (D. R. Grant and Mrs J. £. Duncan)
On Saturday an investigation was made of the flora of the shore of Worsbrough Reservoir
and the adjoining wet woodland, marshes and rough grassland.
The most interesting plants around the reservoir were Stachys palustris, Phragmites
communis , Cardamine amare, and Salix viminalis. There were several good sized colonies of
Polygonum amphibium in the water together with a little Potamogeton natans. In various
shady, damp places small colonies of Ranunculus auricomus , Adoxa moschatellina and
Impatiens noli-tangere were found. The rough grass fields supported an acid flora typical of
the Coal Measures formation. Plants of interest here were Polygonum bistorta, Lathyrus
montanus, Carex pilulifera, and Galium saxatile.
The marshes near the feeder streams had the following mud-loving Buttercups:
Ranunculus flammula, R. sceleratus and R. lenormandi. Here too, the rarest plant of the
weekend was discovered, this being Scirpus sylvaticus. Three colonies of this plant were
found in this area after a thorough search amongst all the wet areas of the reservoir’s feeder
streams.
A barren old shale heap near the Ml motorway had one area completely covered with the
grass Vulpia bromoides, an unusual grass for this area.
On Sunday the area around Rockley Abbey was visited. The woods around here have a
typical flora of Milium effusum L., Galeobdolon luteum, Festuca gigantea, Holcus mollis
together with Endymion non-scriptus , and Pteridium aquilinum. Several of the woods
have large colonies of naturalized Rhododendron ponticum in them making them
unattractive for botanists. It was noticed that the Rhododendrons have now started to
colonise the motorway embankments. The most interesting plant of the day was the Adder’s
Tongue Fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum). During the whole weekend over 160 species were
seen in the two Tetrads worked.
The rust Puccinia adoxae was found on some specimens of Adoxa moschatellina. There is
only one previous record for this in V.C. 63, for Worsbrough Bridge in 1949.
Bryology (T. L. Blocked)
The marsh near Rockley Old Hall was the best site visited during the meeting. The
handsome Physcomitrium pyriforme is rarely recorded in V.C. 63, but was here in some
quantity, accompanied by another local moss, Calliergon cordifolium. Other species were
Pseudephemerum nitidum, just sufficiently developed to be identified, Pohlia wahlenbergii,
and barren but tuber-bearing material of Leptobryum pyriforme, the slender stems looking
quite unlike the normal fruiting plants.
Concrete of the dam wall produced Schistidium apocarpum , Orthotrichum diaphanum
and Hypnum cupressiforme var. resupinatum . On disturbed ground nearby were found two
of the small tuber-bearing Bryums, B. violaceum and B. klinggraeffii.
Woodland areas were very dry and had little of note. Barbula tophacea was by the stream
in Old Park Wood.
A search was made for the minute moss Ephemerum serratum, which is known from
pastures by the reservoir, but both the weather and the season were highly unsuitable for it.
It normally appears during the autumn and winter.
Beckermonds and Oughtershaw (V.C. 64) (19-20th July) (J. Robertson)
On the Saturday morning, fifty members investigated the steep-sided valley of the Wharfe
between Beckermonds and Oughtershaw Hall with its numerous calcareous flushes and
limestone terraces. After lunch we climbed in heavy rain to the Helks, high meadows and
limestone pavements to the north of Beckermonds Farm. Everyone attended a meeting for tea
and reports at Buckden Institute, when the chairman, Mrs J. Duncan, thanked Mr J.
Roberts, the retiring Divisional Secretary for the vice-county, for organising the meeting and
for his work in the Union.
Sunday was drier. Thirty members, led by Miss H. Lefevre, explored the terrain on the
west bank of Oughtershaw Beck, high acid moorland with some peat bog above, small areas
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1980 125
of Scots Pine and Birch plantation and limestone terraces and water meadows along the beck
sides.
Dr Lloyd-Evans chaired the meeting for reports from the sections, when sixteen affiliated
societies were represented. Miss J. Robertson proposed a vote of thanks to Miss Lefevre and
to the numerous landowners who had given us access.
Ornithology (D. I. Crawshaw)
The morning walk took in the lower part of Oughtershaw Beck. Despite dull, damp
weather a Short-eared Owl was seen, along with a number of Wheatears, including some
young birds, and a single Common Sandpiper. The afternoon began with heavy rain. When
we visited the limestone pavement and meadows above Beckermonds. Curlew were very
evident. Three more Short-eared Owls and Yellow Wagtails were also noted. Near the young
plantation Spotted Flycatcher and Yellowhammer were seen and heard. Many juvenile
Swallows were hawking over the stream. A very wet Sparrowhawk was spotted on the way
back into Buckden.
Sunday produced much better weather and many more birds were seen, Short-eared Owls
again and three Black Grouse beside a plantation, two Ring Ouzels on the moor, and in
the area of old pines near Nethergill, Redpoll, Willow Warbler and Tree Pipit were heard,
and Cuckoo and Kestrel seen. A Grey Heron passed overhead and a Dipper flew down the
stream. All three species of Wagtail were in the meadows beside the stream, and the day was
nicely rounded off when we saw four Oystercatchers near Buckden. In all, forty-seven species
were recorded over the weekend.
Mollusca (L. Lloyd-Evans)
A total of twenty species was recorded of which two were additions to square 34/88 of the
molluscan Atlas. The snails typical of limestone cliffs and walls were much in evidence:
Pyramidula rupestris, Balea perversa and Clausilia dubia. The most interesting find was a
small slug Deroceras agreste, closely related to and hard to distinguish from the garden pest
D. reticulatum. D. agreste is fairly well distributed in Scotland, but in England it has been
found only on the northern Pennines and in the Norfolk Broads. Several specimens were
found near Oughtershaw, one deep in a gryke on the limestone pavement.
Lepidoptera (Joyce Payne)
The only butterflies seen were a Painted Lady at Beckermonds and a good sized group of
Small Tortoiseshell larvae above Oughtershaw.
The Chimney Sweeper and the Sliver-ground Carpet were seen on both days. Chimney
Sweepers were flying in the rain over the high pastures above Beckermonds. Other members
of the Geometridae noted were the Spinach, Lygris mellinata and the Green Carpet,
Colostygia pectinataria. Birch and Willow trees in the wood above Oughtershaw had been
eaten to shreds, but the culprits had left the trees.
The only Noctuid taken was the Flame Shoulder, Ochropleura plecta.
A few webs on Bird Cherry were no doubt the work of Yponomeuta evonymella.
Arachnids (C. J. Smith)
The second half of July is one of the least productive periods of the year for the arachnologist,
and the wet condition of the herbage conspired to provide little of interest. The most unusual
species recorded was Nesticus cellulanus, a spider that is commoner in hilly districts where it
inhabits damp, gloomy habitats. Species recorded were: Oughtershaw SD/8681:
Lepthyphantes tenuis d , Eriogone atra 9 d, Erigonella hiemalis 9, Pocadicnemis pumila 9,
Oedothorax retusus 9; Beckermonds SD/8780 on limestone pavement: Meta merianae 9,
Nesticus cellulanus 9, Lepthyphantes tenuis 9 d, Cryphoeca silvicola 9, and on the
streamside: Oedothorax fuscus 9 d , Bathyphantes gracilis d.
Flowering Plants (W. A. Sledge)
On rocks by the river at Beckermonds Sedum villosum (Hairy Stonecrop) is normally
abundant. It was recorded from here when the Y.N.U. met in Upper Wharfedale in 1904.
This year, both it and Draba muralis (Wall Whitlow Grass), which grows nearby, were in
greatly reduced numbers, due no doubt to the prolonged rainless period during April and
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Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1980
May. Riverside pastures between Beckermonds and Oughtershaw were notable for the
abundance of Primula farinosa (Bird’s-eye Primrose) and Gymnadinia conopsea (Fragrant
Orchid). Other species seen here wer eAquilegia vulgaris (Columbine), Draba incana (Hoary
Whitlow Grass), Anthyllis vulneraria (Kidney Vetch), Salix repens (Creeping Willow), and
Selaginella selaginoides. In the wooded part of the ravine below Oughtershaw Hall,
Geranium sylvaticum (Wood Cranesbill), Crepis paludosa (Marsh Hawksbeard) and
Cirsium heterophyllum (Melancholy Thistle) were plentiful, but no plants were seen of
Pyrola rotundifolia (Round-leaved Wintergreen) as recorded in Woodd’s List ( Naturalist
1889, 275). It was seen here during the 1904 visit of the Union, but has not been reobserved
since. Another species recorded from here is Melampyrum sylvaticum (Small Cow-wheat),
but this record is probably based on a misidentification. No specimens of the true plant, a
much misrecorded species, are known from West Yorkshire.
The disagreeable conditions during the afternoon were compensated for by the interest of
the terrain. The limestone pavements of the Helks above Beckermonds would repay further
investigation. They were too wet and dangerous to receive the undivided attention of the
party. Galium boreale (Northern Bedstraw) was reported as having been seen and an
unidentified Pansy occurred in small numbers. Viola lutea (Mountain Pansy) has been
recorded from here, but the purple-flowered plants seen seemed more like the Colt Park
Wood V. lepida Jord. Above the pavements in the uncut meadows Melancholy Thistle was
abundant and at its best, whilst Trollius europaeus (Globe Flower) was present in numbers
rarely equalled elsewhere in Yorkshire. The piece de resistance was Leucorchis albida (Small
White Orchid) in good flower. The Wharfedale entry for this in Lees’ Flora (1888) reads
‘Oughtershaw in Langstrothdale, one plant’, and it was again a single plant in 1980, for
much searching then and on a return visit by me on the Monday failed to reveal additional
specimens. Several plants of Coeloglossum viride (Frog Orchid) and Platanthera chlorantha
(Greater Butterfly Orchid) were also seen here and Mr Jeremy Roberts found Polygonum
viviparum (Viviparous Bistort). I have failed to refind this in Trevor Basil Woodd’s
Oughtershaw locality ( Naturalist 1894, 285) so its presence in the fields between there and
Beckermonds is a notable addition to its few other Wharfedale stations.
Sunday’s excursion up the river above Oughtershaw was less productive but was carried
out in much pleasanter weather. Much of the higher ground south of and almost down to the
river is acid bog and upland pasture with a poor flora. Sundew and Bog Asphodel were
present here. The sloping banks by the river below the degenerate woodland are more
calcareous and hence provide the most interesting ground botanically. Here Dactylorhiza
purpurella (Northern Marsh Orchid) was in good flower and hybrids with Spotted Orchid
occurred. Blysmus compressus (Flat Sedge) was plentiful by the river and Carex disticha
(Brown Sedge) and Potentilla palustris (Marsh Cinquefoil) were seen. On limestone rocks
near Oughtershaw a few plants of Sedum villosum (Hairy Stonecrop) were reported and
Potentilla crantzii (Alpine Cinquefoil) was seen in the station where Woodd first recorded it
eighty-six years ago.
A number of species seen in the course of the weekend were additions to 34/88 and
brought the total of new species recorded for this square to over fifty.
Plant Galls (F. B. Stubbs)
The small nail-like growths on the upper surface of the leaves of Bird Cherry were ex-
ceptionally abundant; these are mite galls, attributed to Eriophyes padi padi. Among other
galls found were two quite local examples. On the upper stem of a plant of Lady’s Bedstraw
were galls of the midge Geocrypta galii. In the other case, many stems of the Creeping
Willow were thickened and of a dark red colour, suggesting the action of a gall-midge of the
genus Rhabdophaga, members of which are well known on other Salix species, A description
and illustration in Buhr (1965) fit the present specimens, but the author ascribes the gall to
‘ Rhabdophaga , species undetermined’. Unfortunately the growths were probably not
sufficiently developed for the successful breeding out of adults, and further investigation is
indicated.
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Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1980
Mycology (Mervin Nethercoat)
The Saturday having proved disastrous we looked to an improvement on Sunday as the
clouds began to clear.
Collecting began with promise on the acidic eastern side of Oughtershaw Moss where a
fine but immature Agaricus haemorodarius was found. The coprophilous species were
naturally more abundant on the sheep-grazed slopes, but a single Hygrophorus berkleyi
created interest. As we entered the old Scots pine and birch area by the river we were
greeted by legions of Dacrymyces capitatus on pine logs but little else flourished in the coarse
tussocks.
I would like to thank Joyce and Patrick Andrews for sharing the collecting and Willis
Bramley for sorting out a couple of queries.
Bryology (T. L. Blocked)
As might be expected, the area is rich in the typical bryophytes of upland limestone districts,
but some of the more local species were also present. Rocks by the Oughtershaw Beck had
Schistidium alpicola and a second Schistidium which may prove to be a form of S. strictum.
Dry rocks away from the stream produced Reboulia hemisphaerica and Fissidens cristatus,
while Distichium capillaceum was seen in several places on soil overlying the rock. Breutelia
chrysocoma was in the damp grassland.
Among species from shaded rocks were the rather rare Plagiopus oederi and the hepatic
Plagiochila britannica. The latter is a newly described species and is new to V.C. 64. This is
the sixth Yorkshire record, indicating that it will probably prove widespread. It sometimes
occurs, as in the present case, as isolated stems among the common P. asplenioides. Other
records from the same habitat included: Metzgeria pubescens, M. conjugata, Lejeunea
cavifolia, Seligeria pusilla, and Plagiomnium cuspidatum.
The area above the village of Oughtershaw was less productive. Zygodon viridissimus var.
viridissimus was on trees in the village itself, and Blepharostoma trichophyllum on a flushed
bank. In all, 103 species were recorded in spite of the difficult conditions during part of the
meeting.
Garsdale (V.C. 65) (5th July) (F. Stubbs)
For this visit to an upland area, around 300 metres in altitude, the weather was fair but cool
after an early shower. Some thirty members attended and twelve societies were represented.
In addition the party was joined by several naturalists from Dent and Sedbergh with
affiliations in Cumbria.
On the lands adjoining Clough River, to which access had been kindly given by Mr
Calvert, the habitats were acidic in character, whilst in the afternoon the Hell Gill area
provided more limestone sites. In most fields of study little previous work had been done and
many additions were made to the appropriate lists, a few being of considerable interest.
After a most acceptable tea at the Moorcock Inn the President, Mr C. J. Smith, took the
chair for the presentation of reports. It was agreed to draw the attention of the North
Yorkshire County Highways Department to the value of certain sections of roadside verge on
which were growing Bird’s-eye Primrose, several species of orchid and other local plants.
Ornithology (G. E. Alderson)
Neither of the areas covered gave anything exceptional, but many birds had young. In the
Clough River section were Kestrel, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon, Lesser Black-
backed Gull, Common Sandpiper, Grey, Pied and Yellow Wagtails, Dipper, Blackbird,
Spotted Flycatcher, Wheatear, Willow Warbler, Wren, Chaffinch, Redstart (heard), Swift,
Swallow, and Goldfinch.
The Hell Gill area did not produce as many species, but additions were among the typical
birds of higher ground on the edge of moorland. These were Curlew, Lapwing, Golden
Plover, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, and Linnet. Goldcrest was seen in a nearby plantation, and
House Martins were flying near to Aysgill Cottages.
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Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1980
Mollusca (L. Lloyd-Evans)
Nineteen species of mollusca were found including five new to the 10-km square SD/79 in the
molluscan Atlas. The tree slug Limax marginatus was enjoying the rich growth of corticolous
lichens in the unpolluted air and the local Limax cinereoniger was flourishing on the wooded
banks of the Clough River.
Lepidoptera (Mrs J. Payne)
Once again, the weather was not favourable for the lepidopterist. Only four butterflies were
noted, the Large and Green-veined Whites, Small Heath and, as larvae, the Small Tortoise-
shell. Chimney Sweeper, Silver-ground Carpet and Silver-Y Moths wre seen in a hillside
meadow, and the Ghost Moth was photographed by a member. Trees and herbs in the area
were remarkably free of signs of attack by Lepidoptera.
Coleoptera (M. Denton)
The weather was far from ideal for beetles, and collectors had to make do with stone turning
and tree beating. Consequently twenty species of ground beetle were found, and as no
recording has been carried out in this 10-km grid square, a full list is given.
Carabus violaceus, Cychrus rostratus, Notiophilus biguttatus, Nebria gyllenhali, N. brevi-
collis, Loricera pilicornis, Clivina fossor, Bembidion redtenbacheri, Trecus obtusus,
Patrobus excavatus, Abax ater, Cyrtonotus aulicis, Pterostichus madidas, P. diligens,
P. nigrita, Anchomenus assimilis , A. ruficornis, Calathus fuscipes, and Synuchus nivalis.
Most of the species are considered to be common, although S. nivalis is said to be local,
N. gyllenhali very local, and B. redtenbacheri very rare.
Three species of rove beetle were found, including the local Olophrum piceum. The
inspection of sheep dung provided only two species, Aphodius fuscipes and A. ater. Click
beetles were not much in evidence, and only four species were taken, Cryptohypnus riparius,
Agriotes obscurus, Athous haemorrhoidalis , and Selatosomus aeneus. Except for a few
weevils, the only species taken by beating were Hydrothassa marginella, Crepidodera
tranversa and Meligethes aeneus.
Other Arthropods (D. T. Richardson)
In view of the fact that no records exist for grid square 34/79 it is felt that a detailed list of
the findings is not out of place.
The morning was spent examining the river, small streams, riverside verges and a small
patch of woodland below Low Scale (34/7790) where the ground was predominantly acid.
The following species were collected: Woodlice — Androniscus dentiger, Haplophthalmus
mengei, Oniscus asellus, Porcellio scaber, Trichoniscus pusillus; Centipedes — Lithobius
crassipes, L. forficatus, L. variegatus ; Millipedes — Cylindroiulus punctatus, Glomeris
marginata , Isobates varicornis, Proteroiulus fuscus ; Freshwater triclad — Crenobia alpina.
The afternoon was spent in Hell Gill (34/7997) and the adjacent fells where limestone
outcrops were frequent. Woodlice — Haplophthalmus mengei, O. asellus, P. scaber, T.
pusillus', Centipedes — Lamyctes fulvicornis, Lithobius crassipes, L. lapidicola, L. varie-
gatus, Geophilus carpophagus , Strigamia acuminata; Millipedes — Brachydesmus superus,
Glomeris marginata, Polydesmus denticulatus; Harvestmen — Mitopus morio.
A. dentiger and L. forficatus with their synthanthropic habits were, as would be expected,
found in debris alongside a barn. C. punctatus, I. varicornis and P. fuscus under bark of
decaying logs and P. denticulatus and B. superus under stones on calcareous soil. The
presence of the rare Halophthalmus mengei in large numbers beneath stones in wet sandy
gravel on the river bank was unexpected, this being an unusual habitat. Its presence in the
thin soil-grass layer between the limestone flakes which capped the exposures was more in
keeping. It is also considered unusual that only one specimen of freshwater triclad came to
light; they are usually quite abundant in cool high altitude streams.
Flowering Plants and Ferns (W. A. Sledge)
One of the overlays provided with the first edition of the Atlas to the British Flora indicated
those 10-km squares from which the number of records received, at the time the Atlas went
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1 980 129
to the printers, was manifestly incomplete. The Garsdale square in which this meeting was
held was one of those marked as being under-recorded, with less than 250 records submitted.
It is certainly one of the less readily accessible areas, without a single village and with only
one inn — The Moorcock — and that only just within its borders. Over 200 species of
vascular plants were noted in the course of the day, and nearly one in three of these were
additions to the Atlas.
The area adjacent to the Clough River in upper Garsdale was investigated in the morning.
I failed to refind the Pyrola minor (Wintergreen) which I recall seeing under Birch trees on
the Y.N.U. meeting here in 1929, and my impression is that a considerable amount of gill
woodland fringing the river has gone in the intervening years. Beech Fern and Oak Fern were
both seen, though not in the abundance which provoked comment in the report of the earlier
meeting. Oreopteris limbosperma (Lemon-scented Fern) was plentiful, and Asplenium viride
was seen in one place growing on non-calcareous rocks. The presence of calcicolous mosses,
however, was evidence of the outward seepage of lime-impregnated water. In all, fifteen
species of fern were seen, the best find being made by Mrs Payne, who detected several plants
of Ceterach officinarum (Rusty-back Fern) on a wall by the road.
Plantanthera chlorantha (Greater Butterfly Orchid) was found in several fields, and Frog
Orchid, Fragrant Orchid, Twayblade, and Common Spotted Orchid were the other orchids
seen. Cirsium heterophyllum (Melancholy Thistle) was abundant and at its best. Other
typical Dales flowers were Geranium sylvaticum (Wood Cranesbill), Crepis paludosa (Marsh
Hawksbeard), a few plants of Primula farinosa (Bird’s-eye Primrose) by the roadside at
Garsdale Head, Mimulus guttatus (Monkey Flower), Rumex longifolius (Northern Dock),
and Salix pentandra (Bay Willow). A less typical Dales plant was Oenanthe crocata
(Hemlock Water Dropwort) of which several plants were seen by one stream at twice the
upper altitudinal limit attributed to it in Lees’ Flora. Eleven species of Carex were noted, but
these and other flowering plants recorded were all widely distributed species.
At Hell Gill and thereabouts in the afternoon, about a score of species not noted in the
morning were observed; these included Lycopodium selago (Fir Clubmoss), Draba incana
(Hoary Whitlow-grass) and Epilobium nerteroides (New Zealand Willowherb).
Bryophytes (J. Robertson)
There is a rich moss flora in the Garsdale area. About one hundred species were recorded:
only a fraction of those present. On boulders in the River Clough were: Hygrohypnum
luridum, Schistidium alpicola var. rivulare, occasional Fontinalis antipyretica , the hepatics
Solenostema triste and Scapania undulata, and along the banks, Dichodontium pellucidum
and Brachythecium glareosum. On limestone walls and outcrops nearby were: Neckera
crispa, N. complanata, Orthotrichum diaphanum, O. anomalum, Tortula subulata , T.
ruralis, T. muralis, Grimmia pulvinata, Tortella tortuosa, Bryum capillare, Homalothecium
sericeum, and Ctenidium molluscum. On wet, peaty slopes above the river grew
Plagiothecium undulatum , Dicranum majus, D. scoparium and Leuco bryum glaucum, with
occasional Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Calliergon stramineum, and the hepatic Lophozia
ventricosa.
In calcareous flushes above the river were luxuriant masses of Gymnostomum aeruginosum,
Cratoneuron commutatum and Plagiomnium affine and in this area too Bartramia
pomiformis was in fruit on some of the more acid rock ledges. On limestone rocks in a
wooded tributary of the Clough were Thamnobryum alopecurum and the hepatics
Plagiochila britannica and Metzgeria pubescens. On dripping sandstone further up this gill
Hyocomium armoricum and the hepatic Solenostema sphaerocarpa flourished. Nearby, on
bare vertical rock faces Seligeria recurvata fruited abundantly.
Gymnostomum aeruginosum was again a feature of dripping limestone in Hell Gill. The
uncommon Leucodon scuiroides var. scuiroides was here too, on a dry stone wall. In the
stream above the Gill grew Fontinalis squamosa and on the peaty slopes draining down into
it wer e Dicranella palustris, Lophozia incisa, Barbilophozia floerki, and Ptilidium caliare.
Mr T. Blocked has kindly acted as referee for this list.
130
SPRING FUNGUS FORAYS, 197&-1980
Bradford, 18-23 May 1978 V.C. 63
Ingleton, 10-14 May 1979 V.C. 64
Pickering, 1-5 May 1980 V.C. 62
T. F. HERING
In 1978 we welcomed the British Mycological Society for a joint foray, held at Bradford
University. Some forty mycologists attended this event, and added quite a few species to the
Yorkshire list, for which we thank them collectively.
Collation of the records from this joint foray has taken some time, and in the meantime two
more spring forays have been held. In 1979 some twelve members concentrated on the
north-west corner of the old county, using a workroom at Ingleborough Community Centre.
Although unproductive in some ways (there were very few spring agarics) the area produced
interesting finds, including the first British record of the discomycete Pseudophacidium piceae.
In 1980 we returned to the favourite hunting-grounds of Mr W. G. Bramley at Pickering, using a
workroom at the Parish Hall.
Over three years a number of people deserve thanks. I am particularly indebted to Mr B. Ing
(Myxomycetes), Mr M. C. Clark and Mr J. Blunt (Ascomycetes) and Dr R. Watling
(Basidiomycetes).
List of Sites
1978 H
HB
BC
O
= Hare wood, SE/314413
=Hebden Valley, SD/968298
= Black Carr Wood, SE/200322
= Ogden Reservoir, SE/065309
1979 AM =Austwick Moss, SD/765676
N =Needlehouse Gill, SD/732967
D =Dentdale, SD/659899
1980
LD =Low Dalby, SE/856874
G =Gundale, SE/803864
N =Newtondale, SE/8 14857
K =Kingsthorpe, SE/829858
*= new record for Yorkshire
Myxomycetes
Arcyria obvelata (78) H
Calomyxa metallica (78) HB
Cribraria rufa (78) H, HB, O
Didymium iridis* (79) AM
Echinostelium minutum (78) H, HB
Hemitrichia calyculata (78) O
Lamproderma arcyrioides (78) BC
Licea kleis to bolus* (78) HB
L. parasiticus* (78) HB
Ascomycetes
Discomycetes
Acrospermum pallidulum* (80) LD, G, N
Apostemidium torrenticola* (78) HB, BC
Ascobolus brassicae (78) H
A. carbonarius* (80) LD
A. lignatilis* (78) BC
L. variabilis (78) O
Paradiacheopsis fimbriata (78) H, BC
Reticularia intermedia* (78) H
R. jurana* (78) H
R. lobata* (78) H, BC
Stemonitis typhina* (78) HB
Trichia flavicoma* (78) HB
T. floriformis (78) H, HB, BC, O
Ascophanus granuliformis* (78) HB
Cheilymenia raripila* (78) HB
C. stercorea (78) HB
Ciboria amentacea (79) AM
C. betulae* (78) BC; (79) AM
Spring Fungus Forays, 1978-1980
Cyathicula pteridicola (80) N
C. turbinata (78) BC
Dasyscyphus acuum (78) H
D. carneolus var. longipes (79) AM
D. dumorum (78) H
D. fugiens (78) H, BC
Discina perlata* (80) N
Disciotis venosa (78) H; (80) G, N
Geopyxis pulchra* (80) LD
Graddonia coracina* (78) HB
Helotium stellariae* (78) O
Hyaloscypha velenovskyi * (78) H
Hymenoscyphus marchantiae* (79) N
H. vernalis (79) N
Lachnellula subtillissima* (78) H, HB, O
Lophodermium seditiosum * (78) HB
L. xylomoides (80) LD
Mollisia carduorum (80) LD
M. clavata* (78) HB
M. heterospermum* (78) BC
M. juncina* (78) O
M. palustris* (78) HB
M. pastinacae (78) BC
M. rehmii (78) HB
Mollisina rubi * (78) BC
Mollisiopsis dennisii* (80) LD
Morchella elata (80) LD
Loculoascomycetes
Farlowiella carmichaeliana* (78) BC
Gibbera myrtilli* (78) HB
Microthyrium cytisi var. ilicis* (80) N
M. microscopicum* (78) H; (80) LD, N
Pyrenomycetes
Acanthonitschkia fistis* (80) G
Bolinia lutea* (78) H
Ceratocystis piceae (78) O
Chaetosphaerella callimorpha (80) N
C. phaeostroma (78) H
Cordyceps gracilis (78) HB
Diatrype bullata (80) G, N
Hemiascomycetes
Taphrina cerasi * (78) O
Basidiomycetes
Uredinales
Melampsora populnea (78) H
Puccinia adoxae on Adoxa (80) K
P. bistortae (79) D
P. chrysosplenii on C. oppositifolium (79) D
131
Ombrophila violacea (78) BC
Orbilia auricolor (80) K
Paxina acetabulum (78) H; (80) G
Pezicula livida (80) N
Pezizella alniella (78) H
P. amend (79) AM
P. chionea* (78) O
P. fagi* (78) HB
P. gemmarum (80) LD
Phacidiostroma multivalve* (79) N
Ploettnera exigua* (80) K
Pseudophacidium piceae* (79) N
Psilachnum inquilinum* (78) BC
P. tomi* (80) G
Psilopezia babingtonii* (78) H, HB
Pyrenopeziza escharoides (78) BC
P. mercurialis (78) BC
P. petiolaris (80) G
P. plantaginis* (78) H
P. rubi (78) BC
Sarcotrochila alpina* (80) N
Sclerotinia candolleana* (78) HB
Spilopoda melanogramma* (80) D, G, N, K
Stegia dumedi* (79) AM
Trichophaea hemisphaerioides (80) LD, N
Unguicularia cirrhata* (78) HB
M. pinicola* (78) O
M. pinophyllum* (78) H
Stomiopeltis betulae* (80) G, N
S. pinastri* (78) HB
Klasterskya acuum* (78) H
Leptospora rubella* (78) HB
Nectria mammoidea (80) N
Niesslia exilis* (78) H
Plagiostoma pustulata* (78) H
Trichosphaeria abundans* (78) H
Xylaria carpophila (78) H
P. galii-verni on Galium saxadle (78) O
P. obscura on Luzula sylvatica (78) HB
P. maculosa on Mycelis muralis (80) K
Trachyspora intrusa on Alchemilla sp. (79) D; (80) G
Spring Fungus Forays, 1978-1980
132
Heterobasidiomycetes
Calocera glossoides* (78) H
Exidia glandulosa (79) D
Aphyllophorales
Bjerkandera fumosa (80) N
Botryobasidium subcoronatum (78) O
Calyptella capula (80) N, G
Corticium evolvens (78) O
Cristella farinacea* (78) HB, O
Fomes fomentarius (80) N
Hymenochaete corrugata (80) LD, G
Agaricales
Conocybe aporos (78) H; (80) G
C. sp. of. tetraspora Singer* (80) G, N
C. vexans (78) H
Coprinus cinereus (78) BC
C. domesticus (78) H
C. heptemerus (80) LD
C. impatiens* (80) G
C. romagnesianus* (78) H
C. stellatus (78) BC
Crepidotus herbarum (78) H
Entoloma aprile (80) N
Galerina heimansii* (78) HB; (80) N
Hypholoma ericaeoides* (78) BC
Melanoleuca cognata (80) G
Mycena amicta (80) N
Phanerochaete velutina (78) BC
Pistillaria uncialis (78) BC
Radulomyces confluens (78) BC
Rigidoporus sanguinolentus (78) BC
Steccherinum fimbriatum* (80) N
Tyromyces cinerascens* (78) O
M. pudica (78) BC
M. rubromarginata (80) LD
M. tortuosa (78) HB
Nolanea juncina* (78) O
N. sericea (80) N
Panaeolus fimicola (80) LD
P. rickenii (80) N
Psathyrella pennata (78) HB
P. spadiceogrisea (80) S
P. subnuda (80) G
P. vernalis (78) H
Pseudohiatula esculenta (80) N
P. stephanocystis (78) H
P. tenacella (78) H
Tricholoma gambosum (78) H
Fungi Imperfecti
Aphanocladium album* (78) BC
Doratomyces nanus* (78) H
Ramularia aequiroca* (78) BC
R. cardamines* (78) O
Sphaeridium candidum (78) H
Trimmatostroma scutellare* (78) H.
BOOK REVIEW
Philips’ Illustrated Atlas of the World edited by Bernard Stonehouse. Pp. 208, including many
full-colour plates. George Philip. 1980. £14.95.
A team of specialists has contributed informative texts, on a country by country basis, which
highlight such topics as the landscape, climate, agriculture, development, population, and
economy. The text is lavishly illustrated by colour plates and maps. The book has a short
introduction covering the earth’s surface, world climate and vegetation, and the human
population. Additional statistical information is provided separately, and there is a useful
gazetteer to the maps and an index to the text.
This is a most valuable source of geographical and environmental reference material which no
school library should be without.
Suffolk Heritage Coast
Unique Flora
Holiday Cottage in site of special scientific interest.
At the mouth of River Ore in Shingle Street.
50 yards from sea, 300 yards from river.
Low winter terms.
Phone for details to Ipswich 79300.
Yorkshire’s Role in the Origin of some National Societies
The Society for the Bibliography of Natural History’s Conference on the above topic
will be held at Bradford on 21 November 1981. A full day’s activities will include a
morning lecture and discussion session held at the University of Bradford on the
following aspects: Botanical Society of the British Isles (David Allen); British
Conchological Society (Adrian Norris); British Mycological Society (Roy Watling);
and British Ecological Society (Philip Lowe).
Short communications to follow these lectures are invited and participation in the
subsequent discussion is welcomed. An edited version of the proceedings will appear
in The Naturalist. There will also be an opportunity to see the important Herbarium
of the British Pharmacological Society now housed in the University of Bradford,
and during the afternoon a visit will be made to Leeds City Museum to see their
Natural History Collections.
As places are strictly limited, advance payment of the conference fee (£5, to
include morning coffee, sherry and luncheon) is requested as soon as possible.
Cheques made payable to M. R. D. Seaward should be sent to the School of
Environmental Science, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP.
LINCOLNSHIRE NATURALISTS’ UNION
PUBLICATIONS FOR SALE
The Flora of Lincolnshire (E. J. Gibbons) £6, p & p £1.
The Geology of Lincolnshire (H. H. Swinnerton and P. Kent) £5, p & p 50p.
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A Bryophyte Check-list for Lincolnshire (M. R. D. Seaward) £1, p & p 15p.
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Transactions of the Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union Pre-1976 £1 per issue, p & p 25p; 1976
onwards £2 per issue, p & p 25p.
Available from: Mrs V. Pennell, Waddington House, Malt Kiln Lane, Waddington, Lincoln
LN5 9RT
Printed by the Leeds University Printing Service
ISSN 0028-0771
$K®
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FLORA OF THE
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X0 A series of reprints and new books covering the County Flora of the
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ATLAS OF THE BRITISH FLORA
F. H. Perring & S. M. Walters £32
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P.J.O.Trist £22.50
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A leaflet giving details of the above titles is available from:
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OCTOBER - DECEMBER 1981 (no 959)
VOLUME 106
THE
NATURALIST
uarterly Journal of Natural History for the North of England
Edited by M. R. D. SEAWARD, MSc, PhD, FLS, The University, Bradford
PAGE CONTENTS
133
141
147
149
152
153
157
159
139-40, 159-62
162
163
Food Availability and Foraging by Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and
Honeybees ( Apis mellifera) at Strensall Common, Yorkshire —
R. Hewson and S. T. Walsh
James Bolton's Botanical Paintings and Illustrations, and his association
with Georg Ehret — E. Charles Nelson
Entomological Reports for 1979-1980
Botanical Report for 1980
Field Note
A Note on Phytoplankton in the River Hull at Hempholme, North
Humberside — R. Goulder
Autumn Fungus Forays, 1978-1980 — T. F. Hering
Andreaea in the Sheffield District — T. L. Blockeel
Book Reviews
Contributors
Index
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133
FOOD AVAILABILITY AND FORAGING BY BUMBLEBEES
(BOMBUS SPP.) AND HONEYBEES (APIS MELLIFERA)
AT STRENSALL COMMON, YORKSHIRE
R. HEWSON and S. T. WALSH
Lyndhurst, Watson Street, Banchory, Kincardineshire
Introduction
Although heather moorland is an important source of food for both bumblebees (Brian, 1951)
and honeybees (Maurizio, 1973), there appear to be no data on their food preferences on
moorland or the availability of moorland plants to bees. This paper describes the seasonal
distribution of foraging by bumblebees, Bombus lucorum (L.) and B. pascuorum (Scopoli), and
honeybees, Apis mellifera (L.) on cross-leaved heath ( Erica tetralix) and heather ( Calluna
vulgaris).
The Study Area
Strensall Common, about 8 km NNE of York, is one of the two remaining areas of acidic
heathland in the Vale of York. It lies on a complex sequence of aeolian sands, lacustrine sands
and clays, all overlying boulder clay (Ratcliffe, 1977). It has been used by the army since about
1881 as a training area and firing ranges. Earlier drainage had reduced the wetness of the area,
and subsequent management for sheep by periodic burning of heather (which is dominant over
most of the Common) has led to the virtual absence of old or degenerate heather. Heavy grazing
by sheep has reduced flowering in some of the younger heather. Erica tetralix, usually with
Molinia caerulea, is confined to damp hollows 100 m or more across. Certain plants important to
bumblebees on moorland, Vaccinium myrtillus. Erica cinerea, Pedicularis sylvatica and Succisa
pratensis, were not found on the study area. Annual rainfall is about 630 mm. The area sampled
extended to about 24 ha on the north-east side of the Common.
Methods
Three transects, each about 100 m long and about 400 m apart, were set up in 1977 amongst £.
tetralix, and alongside, or nearby, three corresponding parallel transects amongst Calluna. They
were visited at approximately weekly intervals from June to late September in 1977 and 1978.
On each visit flowering was assessed by counting the flowering, non-flowering, or withered
shoots at intervals of five paces, scoring at each interval the flower shoot touching the front of
the observer’s boot. During its long flowering season some shoots of E. tetralix wither before
peak flowering is attained; these were not counted in 1977 but were taken into account in 1978.
The only effect is to reduce the number of flowers, and the data for the duration and peak of
flowering remain comparable between years. The proportion of flowers apparently robbed by
bees was counted on ten representative shoots from each transect in E. tetralix. Bees were
counted along a strip c. 2 m wide on either side of the observer, and a few bees were collected
for identification. Brief notes were made of weather conditions. B. pascuorum was also counted
on E. tetralix and Calluna on three visits in September 1976.
The quantity of flowering shoots available on each transect was measured in September 1977,
using a 625 cm2 quadrat to count flower shoots and a 0.25 m2 quadrat to estimate ground cover.
On each transect, flower shoots of E. tetralix were counted in thirty quadrats, the more
numerous shoots of Calluna in ten, and the height of the vegetation (to the nearest 1 cm) was
measured in thirty quadrats. Ground cover was estimated by eye to the nearest 10 per cent in
twenty quadrats along each transect.
Results
Flowering periods and pattern of foraging
The seasonal patterns of foraging varied from one plant species to another and from year to year
in association with the flowering season. E. tetralix reached a peak of flowering about two weeks
earlier in 1978 than in 1977, and Calluna about one week earlier (Figs 1 and 2).
Naturalist 106 (1981)
134
Food Availability and Foraging by Bumblebees
Number
% Flowering of Bees
Number
of Bees
FIGURE 1
Foraging by bees in relation to the flowering periods of E. tetralix and Calluna vulgaris in 1977,
Food A variability and Foraging by Bumblebees
135
Flowering
Number
of Bees
II
1 1
I I
l I Apis
Number
of Bees
-t 240
FIGURE 2
Foraging by bees in relation to the flowering periods of E. tetralix and Calluna vulgaris in 1978.
136 Food A vailability and Foraging by Bumblebees
Bees foraged earlier and longer in 1978 than 1977, and this was related to the earlier flowering
of E. tetralix. Bumblebees foraged longer in both years (56 and 77 days respectively) than
honeybees (43 and 56 days) because they exploited E. tetralix earlier, but bees (and particularly
honeybees) did not begin to forage on E. tetralix or Calluna until a substantial proportion (over
half in 1977) of the plants were flowering.
The biggest numbers of bumblebees occurred about five days before the peak of flowering of
E. tetralix in 1977 and about sixteen days after the peak in 1978. Male bumblebees were first
seen on 23 August 1978, and they were also not seen until heather was in full flower on
moorland in north-west Scotland (Hewson, unpublished data). The numbers of honeybees
reached a peak at or slightly later than the peak of flowering in Calluna. The big reductions in
the numbers of honeybees from time to time were associated with cloudy weather. Lundberg
(1980) has shown that in a subalpine/alpine area of Sweden the combined effect of light and
temperature was the chief factor regulating bumblebee flight activity, and this was probably the
case at Strensall also, with honeybees more susceptible to cloud, wind and cold.
Available food and food preferences
On all three transects individual flowering shoots of E. tetralix carried about the same number of
flowers, so that differences in the amount of pollen and nectar available were probably related
directly to the number of flowering shoots per m2. Transects A and B had similar ground cover
and numbers of flower shoots (Table 1); C had less ground cover because E. tetralix occurred
TABLE 1
Flower shoots, cover and height of Erica tetralix and Calluna vulgaris at Strensall, September
1977 (means ± S.E.)
Erica tetralix Calluna vulgaris
flower ground flower ground shoot
Transect
shoots
/m2
cover
(%)
height
(cm)
shoots
/m2
cover
(%)
height
(cm)
length
(cm)
A
273 ±35
58±5
15.5±0.6
896 ±242
87±6
21.8±1.0
2.1±0.2
B
298 ±44
56±5
15.5±0.6
664 ±128
73±5
9.0±0.6
2.8±0.3
C
228 ±54
21 ±5
20.4±0.9
1 187 ± 198
93 ±2
20.0±1.0
1.9±0.2
there in dense tall clumps in grassy areas. Although there were rather more flowers per shoot in
1978 than in 1977 (Table 2) the difference between years was not significant (Mann-Whitney
test, U = 37).
Transects A and C on Calluna were on heather in the building phases, i.e. up to about fifteen
years old (Gimingham, 1972) with dense even ground cover and profuse flowering. Transect B
was in the youngest, pioneer phase of more vigorous growth lasting normally up to six years.
TABLE 2
The number of flowers per shoot on E. tetralix throughout the flowering period
(mean of 30 shoots, 10 from each transect) collected at approximately weekly intervals
July
August
September
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
1977
9.3
9.4
9.0
9.8
9.3
9.4
9.8
9.4
9.0
9.9
1978
8.8
10.5
11.1
11.1
9.3
10.5
10.3
10.9
8.7
8.5
Food A vailability and Foraging by Bumblebees 137
Length of flowering shoots varied between transects. A better estimate of the food available to
bees can be obtained by multiplying the length of flowering zone by the number of flowering
shoots per m2. Transect C had more flowers (2255), than A (1882) or B (1859).
Carder bees preferred E. tetralix to Calluna. Of seven carders collected in 1978 all were B.
pascuorum. They were never numerous. Of forty-two carder bees foraging in 1976 when heather
was nearly at its peak of flowering and E. tetralix past its peak, thirty-three were feeding on E.
tetralix (X2 = 7.47, 1 d.f., P<0.01). Only six carder bees were seen on the study area in 1977,
and thirty-four in 1978, of which thirty-one were on E. tetralix and three on Calluna (X2 = 1 1 .97,
1 d.f., P<0.001).
More white-tailed bumblebees (of twenty-seven collected in 1978 all were B. lucorum),
foraged on E. tetralix during the season as a whole, than on Calluna (X2 = 5.28, 1 d.f., P<0.05
for 1977, X2 = 30.4, 1 d.f., P<0.001 for 1978), although they also foraged largely on Calluna
after the peak of E. tetralix flowering.
Honeybees clearly preferred Calluna to E. tetralix in both years (X2 = 17.2, 1 d.f., P<0.001
for 1977, X2 = 21.1, 1 d.f., P<0.001 for 1978). Unlike bumblebees they rarely foraged on E.
tetralix when more than 40 per cent of Calluna shoots were flowering (Figs 1 and 2).
Preferences between transects
More bumblebees foraged on the transect that had most flowers of E. tetralix per m2, and least
on transect C with fewest flowers and least ground cover (Table 3) but the difference was not
significant in 1978 (X2 = 19.1, 2 d.f., P<0.001 for 1977, X2 = 4.16, 2 d.f., 0.20>P>0.10 for
1978). However, the differences in the number of flowering shoots between transects was small
(Table 1). Transect B, on pioneer heather, which was shorter and provided less ground cover,
was the least frequented by bumblebees in both years, but again the difference was not
significant in 1978 (X2 = 51.18, 2 d.f., P<0.001 for 1977, X2 = 5.29, 2 d.f., 0.1 >P> 0.05 for
1978). Honeybees showed no consistency of choice between transects on E. tetralix or on
Calluna.
TABLE 3
Numbers of bumblebees and honeybees on each 100 m transect on E. tetralix and Calluna during
the flowering period
A
Bumblebees
B
C
total
A
Honeybees
B
C
total
1977
38
64
24
E. tetralix
126
30
53
16
99
1978
68
73
51
192
48
46
67
161
Calluna
1977
56
7
15
78
65
18
118
201
1978
29
18
21
68
133
83
85
301
Robbing of E. tetralix
Bumblebees and honeybees both robbed E. tetralix , and many of the flowers had holes near the
base of the corolla tubes (Fig 3). Holes were found before bees were seen on the transects,
although they had been seen elsewhere on Strensall Common. Bumblebees also fed without
robbing, and it was uncertain whether honeybees bit holes in corolla tubes or merely exploited
holes already bitten. It is doubtful whether many bumblebees could reach the nectar of E.
tetralix or bring about pollination (Procter and Yeo, 1973). B. lucorum has a tongue about
7-8 mm long (Brian, 1957) while the corolla tube of E. tetralix measured, on twenty Scottish
specimens, 6.76 ± 0.09 mm (Hewson, unpublished data). Kwak (1977) gives a tongue length of
6.7 mm for B. terrestis (L.) workers, a bee of similar size. However, B. lucorum workers pay
138 Food A vailability and Foraging by Bumblebees
few visits to flowers with a corolla tube of 7 mm and consistently rob E. tetralix , while all species
of bees visit flowers with a corolla tube considerably shorter than their tongue (Brian, 1957).
During 1978 at Strensall 144 white-tailed bumblebees were seen robbing, compared with
forty-eight feeding normally (X2 = 24.54, 1 d.f., P<0.001). Of the bees which were not robbing,
sixty-five were carrying pollen and seventy-nine were not, a proportion not different from the
fifteen out of forty-eight bees foraging normally (X2 = 2.45, 1 d.f., NS).
Robbing began earlier and reached a peak sooner in 1978, when E. tetralix flowered earlier,
than in the previous year. In both years robbing reached a maximum when most E. tetralix
shoots were flowering, and before the greatest number of foraging bees, which was more closely
associated with peak flowering of Calluna. B. pascuorum was not seen to rob E. tetralix.
% of
Flowers Bitten
J
20
JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER
FIGURE 3
Robbing of E. tetralix by bees in 1977 (solid line) and 1978 (broken line).
Discussion
Heather moorland has few species of food plants for bees (although these plants are abundant),
and Strensall Common, which lacked one of the most important plants, E. cinerea, provided an
unusually limited habitat. However, the Common was surrounded by roadside verges and
agricultural land where other plant species may have sustained bees, particularly before E.
tetralix began to flower. There was no early food plant on the study area. The big variation in the
numbers of foraging honeybees accords with good communication within the colony, allowing
abundant food supplies to be rapidly exploited (Free, 1977), and with the marked effect of
cloudy weather. A bumblebee colony relies upon individual initiative (Heinrich, 1979) and
bumblebees forage in inclement weather (Wilson, 1929; Hewson, 1973), so their numbers
should fluctuate less. Bumblebees foraged more selectively on E. tetralix and on Calluna than
honeybees did, and may have assisted honeybees in exploiting E. tetralix by biting holes in the
corolla tubes.
Carder bumblebees are not well adapted to moorland. The main food plants of B. pascuorum
include no moorland species (Alford, 1975), although knapweeds and scabious occur in rough
pasture at the edge of moorland. B. pascuorum also prefers sheltered places, which moorland
seldom provides. As with B. muscorum (L.) on Scottish heaths (Hewson, 1979) it was
uncommon, and varied greatly in numbers between years. Even when Calluna was in full
flower, B. pascuorum foraged on E. tetralix , by then well past its peak.
Food A vailability and Foraging by Bumblebees 1 39
The late appearance of B. lucorum males (and presumably the new queens), coincides with
the greatest abundance of heather flowers, which is the biggest source of food on heather
moorland. The disadvantage of this in the annual cycle of B. lucorum is that bad weather may
restrict foraging at a critical time, and this may partly explain the fluctuations in the numbers of
bumblebees from year to year. B. pascuorum and B. muscorum also forage late in the season,
and vary widely in numbers.
There appears to be an over-abundance of heather in relation to its insect pollinators, but this
is no disadvantage to the plant as it is largely wind-pollinated, although bees, thrips and other
insects are important pollinators (Gimingham, 1960). While honeybee colonies are transported
to exploit the heather harvest, bumblebee colonies on moorland are founded early in the season
and have a limited or variable food supply before the heather flowers, so that numerous or big
colonies are not available to feed from heather.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Dr M. Archer and Dr G. R. Miller for useful comments on drafts of this
paper.
References
Alford, D. V. (1975) Bumblebees. London: Davis Poynter.
Brian, A. D. (1951) The pollen collected by bumblebees. J. anim. Ecol. 20:191-4.
Brian, A. D. (1957) Differences in the species of flowers visited by four species of bumblebee
and their causes. J. anim. Ecol. 26:71-98.
Free, J. B. (1977) The social organization of honeybees. London: Arnold.
Gimingham, C. H. (1960) Biological flora of the British Isles: Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull. J.
Ecol. 48:455-83.
Gimingham, C. H. (1972) Ecology of Heathlands. London: Chapman and Hall.
Heinrich, B. (1979) Bumblebee Economics. London: Harvard University Press.
Hewson, R. (1973) Line transect counts of bees on heather moorland in north-east Scotland.
Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 109:198-201.
Hewson, R. (1979) Foraging by bumblebees Bombus spp. on heathland in north-west Scotland.
Glasg. Nat. 19:489-94.
Kwak, M. (1977) Pollination ecology of five hemiparasitic, large flowered Rhinathoideaxe with
special reference to the pollination behaviour of nectar-thieving, short-tongued bumblebees.
Acta Bot. Neerlo. 26:97-107.
Lundberg, H. (1980) Effects of weather on the foraging flights of bumblebees ( Hymenoptera ,
Apidae) in a subalpine/alpine area. Holarctic Ecol. 3:104-10.
Maurizio, A. (1973) The heather honeys of Europe ( Calluna and Erica). Bee Wld 54:111-16.
Proctor, M. and Yeo, P. (1973) The Pollination of Flowers. London: Collins.
Ratcliffe, D. A. (1977) A Nature Conservation Review. Cambridge: University Press.
Wilson, G. F. (1929) Pollination of hardy fruits: insect visitors to fruit blossoms. Ann. appl.
Biol. 16:602-29.
BOOK REVIEWS
Plants for Shade by Allen Paterson. Pp. x + 214, with 4 plates of colour photographs. Dent.
1981. £7.95.
Allen Paterson firmly rejects the conventional gardening cliche ‘the problem of shade’,
substituting instead ‘the potential of shade’, a concept which is fully explored in this admirable
book. Introductory chapters — one of which, on shade-trees for gardens, is especially
interesting — are followed by a series of lists of plants and shrubs for particular places and
purposes, with informative descriptions. Not only is this a most useful book for anyone
interested in designing a really attractive and restful garden, but the author’s quietly witty style
makes it a pleasure to read as well.
VAH
140 Book Reviews
Collins Guide to the Pests, Diseases and Disorders of Garden Plants by Stefan T. Buczacki and
Keith M. Harris; illustrated by Brian Hargreaves. Pp. 512 + 24 colour plates. Collins. 1981. £15.
A most valuable addition to any gardening bookshelf, price notwithstanding. Every conceivable
pest, disease and plant disorder is described in detail, with the appropriate action needed to
combat it. One can only be thankful that even the unluckiest gardener is unlikely to encounter
more than a fraction of the possible troubles lying in wait to cause havoc and devastation in his
garden! The definition of some of the illustrations is not as sharp as one might wish, and some
are too reduced in size (e.g. plate 18) to be really helpful, which is a pity in an otherwise
excellent reference book.
Nature Watch by Julian Pettifer and Robin Brown. Pp. 208, with numerous colour photographs.
Michael Joseph. 1981. £9.95.
A great many people will have watched the excellent ATV series on which this book is based.
Unlike the earlier rival series by David Attenborough for BBC-TV, it made no attempt to give a
conspectus of the whole field of natural history: instead, a group of people whose lives are
devoted to natural history and its conservation were invited to talk about their particular
interests and enthusiasms, which ranged from the insect life to be found in a suburban
Australian garden to studying the incredibly rich, but alas fast vanishing, wildlife of the
Papua-New Guinea rain-forests.
Enough time has now elapsed for the memory of the TV pictures to fade sufficiently to allow
the accompanying book to be judged on its own merits, and it must be said that the burning
enthusiasm of the people involved, which made for such exhilarating television, does not really
come across in this lightweight, journalistic text. Unlike the book designed to follow-up the
Attenborough series, Life on Earth, this account does not provide much information additional
to that given in the various programmes. The pictures, as one might expect, are superb, but that
is hardly sufficient reason to make the book worth buying except as a reminder of the ATV
series. VAH
All Good Things Around Us. A beautifully illustrated cookbook and guide to the recognition and
uses of over ninety wild plants and herbs, by Pamela Michael; illustrated by Christabel King. Pp.
240, including 87 coloured illustrations. Benn. 1981. £12.95.
Not only is this book a pleasure to the eye, but the many delicious-sounding recipes (over 380 of
them, all personally tried out by the author and her publisher) will doubtless give pleasure to the
inner man as well. Pamela Michael provides a seasonal calendar for plant gathering, and the
eighty-seven full colour botanical paintings show the edible parts of the plants at their best time
for picking.
Recommended, especially for winter reading, to conjure up the delights of summer and plan
one’s countryside forays.
A Millstone Round My Neck, by Norman Thelwell. Pp. 174, including numerous monochrome
illustrations by the author. Eyre Methuen. 1981. £6.95.
This book will undoubtedly appeal to all those — and they must be many — who enjoyed this
author’s previous book on a similar theme, ‘A Plank Bridge by a Pool’ (Naturalist 104:93). This
is very much the mixture as before, but spread much thinner. The rather slight story line —
Thelwell’s struggles to make a derelict mill fit to live in, hampered by all and sundry — has to be
padded out with fishing and other anecdotes to make a full length book, and the result seems a
rather desperate straining to extract every possible ounce of humour from the situation. Not
nearly as good as the earlier book, but nonetheless very readable.
The Ecology of Marine Sediments by John S. Gray. Pp. xi + 185, including numerous line
drawings and tables. Cambridge Studies in Modern Biology 2, Cambridge University Press.
1981. £15 hardback, £6.95 paperback.
An introduction for those specializing in the structure and function of benthic communities, with
emphasis on sampling, measurement (e.g. diversity, distribution, productivity, budgets),
modelling and pollution.
141
JAMES BOLTON’S BOTANICAL PAINTINGS AND ILLUSTRATIONS,
AND HIS ASSOCIATION WITH GEORG EHRET
E. CHARLES NELSON
National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland
Introduction
James Bolton (d. 1799) of Halifax, who is generally described as an amateur naturalist and
artist, was the author of the first monographs on British fungi and ferns, each illustrated with
drawings he prepared and sometimes also engraved. In all, Bolton published three books:
Filices Britannicae; an history of the British proper ferns (1785-90), An history of fungusses,
growing about Halifax (1788-91) and Harmonia ruralis, or an essay towards a natural history of
British song birds (1794-96).
Very little is known about Bolton’s life such information as is available has been reviewed
recently by Watling and Seaward (1981), who note that his date of birth is still unkown.
According to an earlier biographer, Charles Crossland (1910), Bolton was ‘an all-round
naturalist who worked at his hobby in [Halifax] ... for over forty years’. Crossland suggested
that Bolton might have been a schoolmaster, but this cannot be confirmed, and Watling and
Seaward (1981) consider that it is an unlikely profession for Bolton. However, a Mr Bolton was
engaged by Mrs Mary Delany in 1779 as a tutor to her grand-niece, Miss Georgina Port, and it is
probable that this was James Bolton.1 The contemporary botanical collector, George Caley
recorded that Bolton was a weaver by trade, and that for a few years, towards the end of his life,
he ran a small public house (Henrey, 1975).
Bolton’s training as an artist is shrouded, like his life story generally, in mystery. A
contemporary diarist, Mrs John Ralph, wife of the incumbent of Northgate chapel (Watling and
Seaward 1981), wrote that Bolton was a ‘self-taught’ artist and that he taught others to draw.
Redgrave (1878) said that Bolton was a pupil of the mezzotint-engraver, Butler Clowes, but
Watling and Seaward (1981) point out that this cannot be verified. What is certain is that Bolton
spent much of his time collecting natural history specimens and painting them. The evidence
presented in this paper might indicate that Bolton received some instruction in botanical
illustration from Georg Ehret, although there is no direct evidence that these two men ever met.
From the many paintings by Bolton which are extant, it is clear that at the least he supplemented
his income, from whatever trade he pursued, by painting flowers, and that he probably accepted
commissions from patrons of botanical art. Shear (1932) concluded that Bolton ‘gained his
livelihood chiefly as an artist, draughtsman and teacher of drawing’, and it is known that in 1785
Bolton gave his profession as ‘painter’ (see note 9 in Watling and Seaward, 1981).
Bolton’s Extant Paintings and Drawings
These may be grouped into two broad categories. Firstly, there are botanical illustrations,
scientifically orientated drawings, often coloured, intended as the original artwork for
publications. Secondly, there are numerous watercolours of wild and cultivated plants which
were intended to be decorative, although they sometimes retained a scientific aspect. Bolton
stated that his earliest botanical illustrations were done in 1761, but his earliest signed flower
portraits date from about 1782. It is not intended to give a comprehensive catalogue of Bolton’s
surviving paintings, rather I wish to analyse their origins and attempt to assess the influences
which acted in Bolton.
1. Scientific Illustrations
(a) Fungi
Bolton’s monograph on the fungi found growing around Halifax was published in three
volumes, with a supplement, between 1788 and 1791. The printed work was dedicated to the
Earl of Gainsborough, to whom Bolton presented some of the original drawings. Six folio
volumes, which are claimed to constitute the original manuscript and drawings, are now in the
possession of the United States Department of Agriculture (Shear, 1932). These include 244
Naturalist 106(1981)
142 James Bolton's Botanical Paintings and Illustrations
watercolours (the published work contained 182 plates figuring 231 species), dated between
1784 and 1792, so that this collection includes a number of paintings executed after the
completion of the monograph.
There is a second set of drawings of fungi preserved in the Hunt Institute for Botanical
Documentation, Pittsburgh: in two volumes are bound 229 drawings in watercolours and pencil.
The manuscript title describes these as ‘the primary sketches from Nature to Bolton’s History of
Fungusses ... all drawn from Nature and mostly coloured’. This set was sold by Sotheby’s in
May 1939 (Watling and Seaward, 1981) on behalf of Captain F. C. F. Parker of Penrith. A
third set of twenty-five drawings of fungi, with descriptions prepared between 1792 and 1794
(after the publication of An history of fungusses) is in the Botany Library, British Museum
(Natural History). These originally belonged to Mr W. Horne (Crossland, 1910) who sold the
drawings to the Museum in 1892. Only twenty-three of these could be traced by Watling, who
has catalogued and discussed them (see Appendix 2 in Watling and Seaward, 1981).
(b) Ferns
Many of the original drawings of ferns used in Filices Britannicae are housed in the Botany
Library, British Museum (Natural History).2 But as with the illustrations of fungi, there are
other drawings recorded. A volume auctioned by Christie’s in 1977 was inscribed ‘New figures
of all the British Ferns most accurately copied from Nature by James Bolton’. The thirty-nine
drawings executed between September and December 1795 (several years after the publication
of his monograph), and in a manuscript preface Bolton explained that he ‘ . .did not think it
necessary to describe the Plants in this manuscript, that work having already been done in my
Felices [sic] Britannicae . . .’ (Christie’s sale catalogue, 13 July 1977, lot 273). The drawings in
this set are said not to be merely reworkings of those published, but to ‘show a completely new
approach, and [to be] on a much larger scale’.
(c) Mosses
At the same auction in 1977 (lot 272), Christie’s sold a volume titled Genera Muscorum an
illustration of the Families of Mosses in Figures taken from Nature & Magnified. This contained
twelve ‘finely executed handcoloured drawings each with a leaf of description and references’. It
may have been Bolton’s intention to use these drawings in a book on mosses. Among the species
depicted were two, which, according to Bolton’s manuscript notes, had not been found in
Britain at the time of drawing.
2. Flower Paintings
The decorative flower paintings by James Bolton almost invariably are executed in watercolour
on vellum. They cannot be divided easily into taxomonic groups, and for this reason the
following summary of the extant paintings is arranged according to the institutions which now
possess the paintings.
(a) British Museum ( Natural History), London
There is a bound volume of paintings by Bolton in the Botany Library, as well as some loose
examples, in addition to the drawings of fungi and ferns noted above. The volume contains fifty
black-and-white paintings of flowers executed between 1785 and 1787. The volume was
‘inscribed and presented ... to the Right Honourable the Earl of Gainsborough’, but was later
owned by Mr W. Horne who sold it to the museum in 1892. Bolton included a manuscript
‘Advertisement’ which concluded: ‘The Drawing which represents a Flower Truly today will be
a true representation of the same Flower as it will blow [bloom] when the Hand that drew it shall
moulder in the Dust.’ This collection is discussed further below.
(b) Lindley Library, Royal Horticultural Society, London
In March 1978, the Lindley Library received a bequest of an album of paintings by James
Bolton. There are twenty-one watercolours in the collection, and the subjects are all cultivated
plants. Two flower-pieces are included. Among the plants depicted are Dionaea muscipula
James Bolton's Botanical Paintings and Illustrations 143
(Venus fly-trap) and Fuchsia coccinea (= F. magellanica) which was only introduced into
cultivation about 1788. Sixteen of the paintings are signed or initialled but only five are dated.
(c) Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
There is an unkown number of Bolton watercolours in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. These
are dispersed through the plate collection but some were incorporated in the herbarium until
recently. One of the paintings depicts Arbutus uva-ursi fructif era (= Arctostaphylos uva-ursi).
(d) Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
There are seven watercolours attributed to James Bolton in the museum. One of these was
bequeathed by the Rt Hon Henry Broughton, Lord Fairhaven, and depicts Cypripedium
calceolus (Lady’s slipper orchid); it is inscribed ‘Bolton Halifax 1793’. It seems that Bolton
painted this orchid on several occasions for Crossland (1910: 5) noted that he owned a painting
annotated ‘This specimen grew in the garden of the late Rev. John Ralph at Halifax in June
1795’ (Ralph died in April 1795 — see Watling and Seaward, 1981). The other paintings were
given by A. A. Vansittart in 1862. Two ferns are included among these, as well as Taxus baccata
(yew).
(e) Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh
As well as the set of fungi (see above), the Institute possesses eighteen watercolours, one of
which, depicting the ‘Sickle-leaved Crinum’, is reproduced in the catalogue of the library (no.
742).
(f) Pierpont Morgan Library, New York
In a biography of Georg Ehret, Calmann (1977) mentions that there are several flower paintings
by James Bolton in the collection of Mr H. P. Kraus, now in the Pierpont Morgan Library. No
other information is available.
(g) Chester Beatty Library, Dublin
This is the collection best known to the author, and the one which provoked this research. The
single bound volume contains thirty-eight watercolours, fifteen of which are signed by Bolton
and dated between 1782 and 1791. There is one painting of a marine invertebrate, titled ‘The
Purse Mollusc’, which may not be by Bolton; it is not signed and the subject is not one which
Bolton is known to have painted although he had a wide interest in natural history (Watling and
Seaward, 1981). There is also a delightful vignette showing an open book of music lying on a
post-horn and lute, encircled with wreaths of laurels and two garlands of flowers; beneath the
music is a dark theatrical mask (? a death mask).
Three of the Dublin paintings show plants growing in flower-pots — labelled Oxalis purpurea ,
Staphelia hirsuta and Galanthus nivalis ; the Oxalis painting is signed but not dated, whereas the
other two are dated 1784 and 1783 respectively. There are three bouquets, only one of which is
signed. The signed flower-piece includes a martagon lily, summer snowflake (Leucojum) and
sweet pea, tied with a ribbon. There are six studies of Primula species, including cowslip (P.
veris), and named cultivars. Only one, showing the auricula ‘Fordens Defence’ is dated (1784)
and signed. The other auriculas depicted are ‘Smith’s Marquis of Granby’, ‘Potts Duke of
Bridgewater’ and ‘Severns Fame’.
Three of the Dublin watercolours include insects in their composition.3 There is a strange,
seemingly contracted painting of a foxglove ( Digitalis purpurea) with a bee shown on the left. A
painting of a rose includes a Peacock butterfly ( Nymphalis io) resting on the stem of a bud, while
one of a poppy cultivar shows another butterfly (possibly a Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta).
Apart from miscellaneous studies of garden plants, there is also a painting of Arbutus
andrachne (see below) and four studies of lilies; two of these, depicting Lilium chalcedonicum
and Crinum africanum, are unsigned, but the other two are signed. Of most particular interest is
the painting titled Crinum zaylandicum which bears two inscriptions: as well as ‘J. Bolton pinx.'
in the bottom left-hand corner may be read ‘Ehret del:' (see Fig 1).
144
James Bolton 's Botanical Paintings and Illustrations
FIGURE 1
Crinum zaylandicum copied from an Ehret original by James Bolton. (Reproduced by
permission of Chester Beatty Library, Dublin.)
James Bolton's Botanical Paintings and Illustrations
145
Bolton and Ehret
There is no explicit record of any co-operative ventures in botanical illustration or flower
painting undertaken by Georg Dionysius Ehret and James Bolton, although Calmann (1977)
suggests that Bolton was a ‘direct follower’ of Ehret.
Ehret is widely regarded as one of the finest illustrators of eighteenth-century botanical
publications, and as one of the best botanical artists of all time. He was born in Heidelberg on 30
January 1708. After working in various European countries, he settled in England in 1736, and
remained there until his death in 1770. About 1752 he began to teach the young ladies of the
nobility how to paint flowers. According to Calmann (1977) Ehret taught his pupils to keep their
drawings together and to inscribe the pictures with the plants’ correct botanical names. Among
his aristocratic pupils were the Duchesses of Norfolk and of Leeds, two daughters of the
Duchess of Bridgewater and two daughter of the Duchess of Portland. The Duchess of Portland,
whose famous salon included Mrs Mary Delany, provides the probable connection between
Bolton and Ehret.
James Bolton and his brother Thomas enjoyed the patronage of Margaret, Duchess of
Portland; Watling and Seaward (1981) suggest that this arose because Thomas’ friend, the Rev
John Lightfoot, author of Flora Scotica (1777), was also employed by the Duchess as her
chaplain and librarian. It is not improbable that James Bolton met Ehret at Bulstrode, the
Duchess’ residence, and that he learnt some of his artistic techniques directly from Ehret.
However, there is no record that Ehret and Bolton ever met, and it is not known when Bolton
entered the Duchess’ patronage.
The Crinum zaylandicum painting in the Chester Beatty Library does not in itself prove any
direct association between these two men. The inscription ‘Ehret del:' is not in Ehret’s
distinctive handwriting, and probably indicates nothing more than that Bolton copied a drawing
made by Ehret. Bolton admitted copying Ehret’s work in the ‘Advertisement’ in the volume of
black-and-white watercolours in the British Museum (Natural History), where Bolton wrote
that ‘. . . it may not be improper to inform the Peruser of this Book, that all the Drawings
contained in it (except Numbers three & four & 43) are originally Drawn by my own hand from
an immediate and careful inspection of the natural objects’. The third drawing ( Gladiolus tristis )
is annotated ‘This figure taken from a Painting by Ehret’. The fourth painting (Iris ochroleuca )
is inscribed ‘The figure is a copy after ‘G. D. Ehret’. Liriodendron tulipifera, depicted in number
forty-three, annotated ‘Copied from G. D. Ehret’.
However, Bolton was not always so candid in his admission of sources. In the Chester Beatty
Library collection there is a painting of Arbutus andrachne 4 which was certainly copied from a
drawing that Ehret prepared for publication (1767; reproduced in Calmann 1977, Fig 58). The
watercolour of Gardenia in the Chester Beatty Library bears remarkable similarities with the
plate (tab XV) in Plantae et Papiliones selectae (Ehret, 1748; reproduced in Calmann (1977, Fig
83), as does the painting of Crinum africanum (tab X). Even more striking than these is the
watercolour titled Cactus flagelliformis and dated ‘Halifax 1782’ with the signature ‘J. Bolton
pinxit’ which is a copy of one by Ehret published in Plantae et Papiliones selectae (tab II); a
similar engraved painting of this appeared in Trew’s Plantae Selectae (1750: tab XXX
reproduced in Quinby (1958), Fig 4). The copies are not always exact; artistic licence is evident
in slight alterations, but in general the original source is obvious in the Bolton copy.
Not only did Bolton copy Ehret’s work, but he was clearly influenced by Ehret’s technique
and style. This is shown in the Primula studies by Bolton in the Chester Beatty Library, which
are similar in format to those Ehret painted in the earlier part of his career. Ehret also included
butterflies in some of his paintings (see Calmann (1977) for examples).
Bolton as Artist
Bolton was an accomplished draughtsman, artist and engraver — his publications and extant
paintings confirm this. One contemporary reviewer criticized Bolton’s drawings of fungi saying
that there was much of the naturalist and too little of the masterly artist in them (Crossland,
1910). Kraus (1976) considered that Bolton painted in ‘a bold emphatic stlye’. However, his
artwork could equally be described as solid and lifeless. His paintings have a flat appearance;
146
James Bolton's Botanical Paintings and Illustrations
there are no nuances of shade, shadow or texture — even the flower pots have only two
dimensions. This solidity and lack of naturalism in Bolton’s paintings may be due to his copying.
He seems even to have copied his own work, as shown by the two extensive collections of
drawings of fungi.
It is not my intention to denegrate Bolton’s botanical illustrations or flower paintings; both
categories of work include fine examples of the respective genre. Clearly his output of paintings
was substantial, and it may have been in an attempt to keep up a high level of production that
Bolton copied other’s works, especially those of Georg Ehret.
The link between Ehret and Bolton must be the Duchess of Portland, who clearly approved of
Bolton and maintained her patronage of him. Bolton intended dedicating An history of
fungusses to her — ‘the Good Duchess Dowager of Portland’. Ehret had died in 1770 but the
Duchess of Portland retained a vast collection of his drawings and paintings; Calmann (1977)
estimated that 689 paintings by Ehret were sold at the famous sale of the Portland Museum in
May 1786. While enjoying the Duchess’ patronage, Bolton would have had access to these Ehret
paintings, and could have copied some of them, even if he had not been at Bulstrode while
Ehret was alive. Bolton may have been asked to make copies by other patrons, or he may have
copied the paintings for practise, perhaps even for pleasure. There does not appear to have been
any question of deceit nor are any accusations of plagiarism known.
Among these rather speculative statements about James Bolton, one thing is certain: Bolton
did not always paint from living specimens. His rather solid, two-dimensional paintings may
reflect his work as a copyist and engraver, and because of this his paintings do not achieve the
reality of texture and form which such contemporaries as Georg Ehret accomplished.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Dr R. Watling and Dr M. R. D. Seaward for their comments on an early draft of
this paper. My thanks are also due to the Librarian, Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, for access
to the volume of paintings and for permission to publish the photograph of one of them, and to
Dr Gerta Callman, Harold Swann, David Davison (photography) and the staff of the Hunt
Botanical Institute, British Museum (Natural History), Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
Fitzwilliam Museum, Lindley Library, Messrs Christie, Manson and Woods Ltd, and Bernard
Quaritch Ltd.
Notes
1. Mrs Mary Delany would have met James Bolton at Bulstrode as she was a very close friend
of the Duchess of Portland (see p xxx for discussion). The Mr Bolton whom Mrs Delaney
employed as tutor is most probably James Bolton, although it might have been someone else; it
was not Thomas, James’ brother, as he died in 1778 (Crossland, 1910: 23). In a letter dated 27
February 1779 to Georgina Port’s mother, Mrs Delany wrote that ‘. . . Mr Bolton has come
every day, [and] is now with her [Georgina] . . .’. In a postcript she added that her grand-niece
‘wants sadly to write to mama, but Mr. Bolton, who commends her “coming on”, begs a little
longer patience. . .’. On 6 March, Mary Delany wrote that ‘. . . Bolton commends his little
schollar and will soon allow her to write to you, which in her mind she does hourly, as well as
talk to you . . .’. Bolton eventually allowed Georgina to write to her mother on 20 March 1779;
she wrote that ‘. . . I was so happy with your letter that I longed to write to dear mamma, but
Mr. Bolton was cruel, tho’ A.D. [Aunt Delany] is not; I am very happy here.’ (Llanover, 1862:
406-17).
2. Banks ms 36
3. Crossland (1910) noted that Bolton had used butterflies in the composition of some of the
paintings owned by W. Horne.
4. This painting is of particular interest as it was copied not from the engraved version, but
from the original painting. This may be deduced because the Bolton copy is the reverse image of
the engraving.
Entomological Reports for 1979-1980
147
References
Calmann, G. (1977) Ehret, flower painter extraordinary. Oxford.
Crossland, C. (1910) An eighteenth century naturalist: James Bolton , Halifax. Halifax.
Ehret, G. D. (1748-1762) Plantae et papiliones rariores. London.
Ehret, G. D. (1767) On the Arbutus andrachne. Phil. Trans. 57:114 and plate VI.
Henrey, B. (1975) British botanical and horticultural literature before 1800. Oxford.
Kraus, H. P. (1976) Catalogue 142. New York
Llanover, Lady (ed.) (1861-62) The autobiography and correspondence of Mary Granville, Mrs.
Delany. London. (2nd series, vol. 2).
Quinby, J. (ed.) (1958-61) Catalogue of botanical books in the collection of R. M. M. Hunt.
Pittsburgh.
Redgrave, S. (1878) A dictionary of artists of the English school. London.
Shear, C. L. (1932) The manuscript of James Bolton’s leones fungorum circa Halifax sponte
nascentium. Trans. Br. My col. Soc. 17:302-7.
Watling, R. and Seaward M. R. D. (1981) James Bolton: mycological pioneer. Archives Nat.
Hist. 10:89-110.
ENTOMOLOGICAL REPORTS FOR 1979-1980
Hemiptera (R. Crossley)
Interest in Hemiptera continues to grow steadily and it is pleasing to be able to welcome new
contributors to this report. During the two years under review some interesting additions have
been made to the County list, the most important being Anthocoris amplicollis Horv. which is
new to Britain. Full details of the discovery of this species, together with taxonomic notes, are to
be published elsewhere (Crossley, R., Anthocoris amplicollis Horv. (Hem., Anthocoridae) new
to Britain, Entimologist’s mon Mag , in press). D. Horsfield’s record of Hebrus ruficeps (Thoms.) is
interesting because this minute Sphagnum- dwelling bug is easily overlooked, and the discovery
of specimens in a Pennine locality should spur others to search in similar places, records hitherto
having been confined to the lowland heaths at Skipwith, Allerthorpe and Strensall.
Records have been received from Messrs W. A. Ely, J. H. Flint, D. Horsfield, Dr L.
Lloyd-Evans, Messrs K. R. Payne, and P. Q. Winter, to all of whom I express my thanks. In the
lists which follow new county records are indicated thus t and new vice-county records thus *.
Heteroptera
t Temnostethus pusillus (Herr.-Sch.) There are numerous records for this species up to 1945 from
vice-counties 62, 64 and 65 but none thereafter. These must, however, be considered doubtful
following the separation of Temnostethus gracilis (Horv.) from T. pusillus in 1955. Authentic
specimens of T. pusillus have now been taken as follows: (62) Ashberry, 9/8/80; R.C. (64)
Rougemont Wood, Weeton, 5/7/80; R.C.
* Elatophilus nigricornis (Zett.) (64) Timble Ings, Otley, 13/7/80; R.C. Only one previous
Yorkshire record for this conifer species (Sleights (62) 1937).
t Anthocoris amplicollis Horv. (62) Ashberry, 9/7/78 et. seq.\ R.C. Lowna, Kirkbymoorside,
25/8/79; R.C. Pockley, Helmsley, 23/8/80; R.C.
* A. butleri Le Quesne (62) Castle Howard, 8/7/78; L.L-E.
A. minki Dohrn The introduction of A. minki as British in 1954 was incorrect, and true minki is
not known to occur in these islands. The species formerly identified as A. minki is now known to
be A. simulans Reut., ( Antenna 2:21) and references to A. minki in Southwood, T.R.E. and
Leston, D., 1959, Land and Water Bugs of the British Isles, Warne, should be amended
accordingly.
t A. simulans Reut. The following records, originally reported under A. minki, are repeated for
ease of reference. (61) Wauldby, 13/6/71; R.C. (63) Fishlake, 2/8/75; B.S. Nau. (64) Adel,
6/8/60; J.H.F. (65) Thornton Bridge, 23/6/73; J.H.F.
Naturalist 106(1981)
148 Entomological Reports for 1979-1 980
t Amblytylus brevicollis Fieb. (65) Muker Beck, 23/8/80; D.H.
* Psallus luridus Reut. (64) Nettlehome Wood, Skipton, ex Scots Pine, 31/8/80; D.H.
t P. wagneri Oss. (63) Maltby Low Common, 22/6/78; W.A.E. Elsecar, 21/6/79; W.A.E.
t Pachytomella parallela (Meyer-Diir) (65) Crossthwaite Common, 14/7/80; D.H. {teste R.C.). Mr
Horsfield reports that the species was abundant on acid grassland.
Orthotylus virens (Fall.) (64) This species was first reported from near Collingham in 1978
{Naturalist 104:126). In 1979 it was found to be abundant on Bay Willow {Salix pentandra L.) at
Dunsforth, Boroughbridge, 7/7/79; 4/8/79; R.C.
Orthops rubricatus (Fall.) (63) Langsett, ex Scots Pine, 5/9/80; D.H. There are several records
for all five vice-counties but this is the first since 1937.
* Hebrus ruficeps (Thoms.) (64) Barden Fell, 20/7/80; D.H.
The following species are recorded for the first time in the vice-counties indicated but do not
call for special comment:
V.C. 61: Lygus wagneri Rem.
V.C. 62: Psallus perrisi (Mulsant and Rey)
V.C. 63: Megalocoleus molliculus (Fall.); Psallus perrisi (Mulsant and Rey)
Homoptera
Mr J. H. Flint has kindly contributed the following notes and records. A 10 km square mapping
scheme to cover Homoptera Auchenorhyncha has re-awakened interest in this suborder and
there have been many additions to the county records as a result. An unusual number of
additions, ten, has been made to the county list which now stands at 226, just over 60 per cent of
the British total. Some of the additions to the county list are ‘southern’ insects while others,
especially those reported by Mr Payne from the north-west, are ‘northern’ insects known from
only a few, widely-scattered localities. Few of the Auchenorhyncha can be identified in the field;
most require careful examination under the microscope. Closely related congeners frequently
occur together so adequate population sampling is necessary and can produce most interesing
results. Mr Ely’s examination of a population of the common Macrosteles sexnotatus Fall,
revealed the presence also of M. ossiannilssoni and the very rare M. cristatus (see below).
t Oncopsis avellanae Edw. (61) Cowlam Wold, 19/8/80; J.H.F. (64) Hellifield, 6/79; Kettlewell
Bank and Yockenthwaite, 26/6/79; K.R.P.
t O. subangulata Sahl. (64) Askham Bog, 23/7/77; W.A.E. Yockenthwaite, 26/6/79; K.R.P.
* Macropsis scotti Edw. (63) Norwood Lakes, Rotherham, 21/8/78; W.A.E. The only previous
Yorkshire record is from Skipwith Common.
* Aphrodes trifasciatus Fourc. (64) Burn Moor, 31/8/79; K.R.P.
* Arocephalus punctum Flor (61) Huggate, 9/8/80; Kiplingcotes chalk pit, 10/8/80; J.H.F.
* Adarrus multinotatus Boh. (61) Huggate, 9/8/80; J.H.F.
* Psammotettix cephalotes H.-S. (61) Kiplingcotes chalk pit, 10/8/80; J.H.F.
* Paluda adumbrata Sahl. (61) Kiplingcotes, 10/8/80; J.H.F.
t P. flaveola Boh. (64) Great Gap Marsh, 31/8/79; K.R.P.
t Macrosteles cristatus Rib. (63) Blue Man’s Bower, Whiston, 1/9/79; W.A.E. Only known to Le
Quesne (1969) from Kent and Hertfordshire.
t M. ossiannilssoni Le Quesne (62) Fen Bog, Goathland, 2/9/78; Ellerburn Bank, 15/6/80; J.H.F.
(63) Blue Man’s Bower, Whiston, 1/9/79: W.A.E. Brockadale, 9/6/80; J.H.F. (64) Malham
Tarn, 7/56; J.H.F. Whernside, Burn Moor and Easington Fell, 31/8/79; K.R.P. First described
in 1968, records indicated an upland, even montane distribution on acid ground. The Ellerburn
and Brockadale records from calcareous grasslands indicate a wider range of habitats.
t Cixius cambricus China. (64) Oughtershaw Hill, 26/6/79; K.R.P. Montane; other records are
from N. Wales and Scotland.
* Kelisia punctulum Kbm. (62) Ashberry Nature Reserve, 18/9/79; J.H.F. Rossington Bridge over
sixty years ago is the only other Yorkshire record.
t Muellerianella brevipennis Boh. (64) Bowland Forest and Great Gap Marsh, 31/8/79; K.R.P.
Botanical Report for 1980 149
t Tyrphodelphax distincta Flor (64) Helwith Moss, 24/5/80; J.H.F. An inhabitant of upland
Sphaghum bogs.
t Paraliburnia adela Flor (64) Paythorne, 26/6/79; K.R.P.
t Oncodelphax pullula Boh. (64) Malham Tarn, 9/79; K.R.P.
Reference. Le Quesne, W.J. (1969) Handb. Ident. Br. Insects, 2 Pt. 2(b) : 143.
BOTANICAL REPORT FOR 1980
Flowering-Plants and Ferns
The recorders wish to thank all those who have submitted records for the year and have listed in
their reports the more significant species. In each list, names of contributors are given the first
time each occurs and thereafter initials are used. * new vice-county record.
East Yorkshire (V.C. 61) (E. Crackles)
The new vice-county record for Cardamine impatiens may well be an accidental occurrence as the
species is well outside its previously recorded range. The record for Myosurus minimus on
dried-out mud in a gateway at Elvington is of interest as this is the third such record for the
Derwent valley in recent years; the plants apparently develop often in quantity from dormant
seed in certain years but do not persist.
Myosurus minimus L. Elvington 44/74; P. Stuttard.
* Cardamine impatiens L. by chalk stream, Lor.dc"borough 44/84; R. Middleton.
Hypericum maculatum x H. perforatum = H. x desetangsii Lamotte near Broomfleet 44/82;
F. E. Crackles.
Stellaria palustris Retz. Hornsea Mere 54/14, the plants are unusual in not being glaucous;
F.E.C.
Atriplex glabriuscula Edmonston det. P. Taschereau, Barmston 54/15; E. Chicken.
* Atriplex glabriuscula Edmonston x A. prostrata Boucher ex D.C. det. P. Taschereau, Barmston
54/15; E.Ch.
* Atriplex glabriuscula Edmonston x A. longipes Drejer det. P. Taschereau, Barmston 54/15; E.C.
Astragalus glycyphyllos L. North Cave 44/83, two localities; E. Wear and F.E.C.
Lathy rus montanus Bernh. Pocklington 44/74; R. Gulliver.
Potentilla anglica x P. erecta = P. x suberecta Zimmet. Hasholme Carrs 44/83; F.E.C.
* Saxifraga spathularis Brot. x S. hirsuta L. = S. x polita (Haw.) Link Plants in Hunmanby Hall
plantation are probably this hybrid, having arisen locally from the parents, naturalized here for
over fifty years, the S. hirsuta present being an unusual form, det. Prof Webb 54/07; E.C.
Sison amonum L. by drain, Outstray farm, Patrington 54/31; F.E.C.
Humulus lupulus L. North Cave 44/83; E. W. and J. Spencer.
Amsinkia intermedia Fischer and C. A. Meyer Established in a number of places in southern
Derwentland; additional records are; North Cliffe 44/83 and Elloughton 44/92; F.E.C.
Myosotis discolor Pers. Near Admiral Plantation, Uncleby 44/85; YNU Excn.
Echium vulgare L. Barmby on the Marsh 44/62; J.S.
Atropa bella-donna L. Southcoates Lane, Hull 54/13; R. Cracroft.
Pedicularis sylvatica L. Near Lockington 44/94; F.E.C.
Doronicum pardalianches L. Cherry Burton 44/94 and Birdsall 44/86; F.E.C.
Juncus gerardii Lois. Pasture, Hornsea Mere 54/14; F.E.C.
Luzula multiflora (Retz.) Lejeune Disused railway, Great Hatfield 54/14; F.E.C.
Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Sod x D. purpurella (T. and T. A. Stephenson) Sod Buckton 54/17;
F.E.C.
Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Sod Buckton 54/17; F.E.C.
Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Sod x D. purpurella (T. & T. A. Stephenson) Sod Buckton 54/17;
F.E.C.
Carex pilulifera L. King George Dock reservation, Hull 54/12; F.E.C.
Care x pulicaris L. Buckton 54/17; Miss S. Priest.
Naturalist 106 ( 1981)
150 Botanical Report for 1980
Festuca pratensis X Lolium perenne = X Festulolium loliaceum (Huds.) P. Fourn. Near Uncleby
44/85; YNU Excn.
Vulpia bromoides (L.) Gray Barmby on the Marsh 44/62; J.S.
Vulpia myuros (L.) C. C. Gmel. Near Barmby on the Marsh 44/62; J.S.
Puccinellia distans (L.) Pari. Verge at Ml junction roundabout 44/72; N. E. Scott.
Apera spica-venti (L.) Beauv. In three localities near Barmby on the Marsh, including the river
bank 44/62; J.S.
North-East Yorkshire (V.C. 62) (T. F. Medd)
Equisetum sylvaticum L. Scugdale 45/50; YNU Excn.
Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Whitby 45/81; Miss J. E. Wilkinson.
Vaccinium oxycoccus L. Strensall Common 44/65 and 44/66; NCC Survey.
Trientalis europaea L. Scugdale 45/50; YNU Excn.
Gentiana pneumonanthe L. Strensall Common 44/65; NCC Survey.
Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort. River Foss, New Earswick 44/65; Mrs E. Bray.
Veronica polita Fr. Skelton, York 44/55; T. F. Medd.
Utricularia intermedia Hayne Strensall Common 44/65; NCC Survey (not in flower).
Scutellaria minor Huds. Strensall Common, confirmation for 44/66; NCC Survey.
Crepis paludosa (L.) Moench Scugdale 45/50; YNU Excn.
Dactylorhiza traunsteineri (Sauter) Soo 44/88; Mrs A. Wright.
South-West Yorkshire (V.C. 63) (D. R. Grant)
Asplenium adiantum-nigrum L. Canal wall, Mirfield 44/21; E. Thompson; Lumb Bank, Halifax
34/92; F. Murgatroyd.
Ranunculus auricomus L. Worsborough, Barnsley 44/30; D. R. Grant.
Rorippa amphibia (L.) Bess. Battyeford, Mirfield 44/12; T. Schofield.
Saponaria officinalis L. Canal, Kilnhurst 44/40; E.T.
Stellaria palustris Retz. Near Steeton 44/02 D.R.G.
Chenopodium bonus-henricus L. Mitchell Laithes, Dewsbury 44/22; C. Braham.
Gernium lucidum L. Colden Valley, Hebden Bridge 34/92; F.M.
Impatiens parviflora D.C. Dewsbury 44/22; E.T.
Euonymus europaeus L. Near Cawthorne 44/20; Dr L. Lloyd-Evans.
Ulex gallii Planch. Silkstone Common 44/20; D.R.G.
Ononis repens L. Old Brodsworth 44/50; D.R.G.
Trifolium arvense L. Dodworth Bottom 44/30; E.T.
Rubus chamaemorus L. Near Boulsworth Hill 34/93; Miss N. Hirschel.
Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz Worsborough, Barnsley 44/30; A. Blunt (bird sown).
Foeniculum vulgar e Mill. Brampton Bierlow 44/40; E.T.; Askern 44/51; D.R.G.; Dewsbury
44/22; D.R.G.
Pimpinella saxifraga L. Jagger Green, Stainland, 44/01; T.S.
Parietaria diffusa Mert. and Koch Worsborough, Barnsley 44/30; A.B.
Humulus lupulus L. Hunsworth, Cleckheaton 44/12; T.S. ; Little Horton 44/90; D.R.G.
Populus tremula L. Cudworth Common 44/40; D.R.G.
Primula vulgaris Huds. Kelbrook 34/94; T.S.; Hipperholme 44/12; F.M.
Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort. Near Steeton 44/04; D.R.G.
Sambucus ebulus L. Canal, Kilnhurst 44/49; E.T.
Luronium natans (L.) Raf. Canal, Huddersfield 44/11; B. and J. Lucas.
Alisma lanceolatum With. Canal, near Brighouse 44/12; T.S.
Butomus umbellatus L. Canal, Barnoldswick 34/84; D.R.G.
Elodea nuttallii (Planch.) St John Canal, Huddersfield 44/11; B. and J.L.
Potamogeton pectinatus L. Wath on Dearne 44/40; E.T.
Potamogeton obtusifolius Mert. and Koch Old Canal, Brampton Bierlow 44/40; D.R.G.
J uncus tenuis Willd. Cleckheaton 44/12; T.S.
Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soo Mirfield 44/21; E.T.
Acorus calamus L. Battyeford, Mirfield 44/12; T.S.
151
Botanical Report for 1980
Scirpus maritimus L. Worsborough Reservoir 44/30; A.B.
Scirpus sylvaticus L. Worsborough Reservoir 44/30; YNU Excn.
Scirpus tabernaemontani C. C. Gmel. Nostell Priory Lake, Wakefield 44/41; YNU Excn.
Care x laevigata Sm. Long Causeway, Sheffield 44/28; D.R.G.; Denholme 44/03; T.S.
Care x pseudocyperus L. Nostell Priory Lake, Wakefield 44/31; L.L.E.
Carex pallescens L. Near Birdwell 44/30; A.B.; near Earby 34/94; D.R.G.
Carex caryophyllea La Tourr. Near Silkstone 44/20; L.L.E.
Carex spicata Huds. Thornton in Craven 34/94; D.R.G.
Carex otrubae Podp. Northorpe, Dewsbury 44/22; E.T.
Phragmites communis Trin. Wath on Dearne 44/40; E.T.
Vulpia bromoides (L.) Gray Near Worsborough Reservoir 44/30; YNU Excn.
Puccinellia distans (L.) Pari. Cudworth Common 44/40; D.R.G.
Poa compressa L. Thornton in Craven 34/94; D.R.G.
Mid-West Yorkshire (V.C. 64) (J. R. Hickson)
Aquilegia vulgaris L. Near Beckermonds, Buckden 34/88; YNU Excn.
Rorippa amphibia (L.) Bess. Bolton Percy 44/54; D. R. Grant and T. Schofield (1979).
Myriophyllum spicatum L. Chelker Reservoir, Draughton 44/05; L. Magee.
Polygonum viviparum L. Near Beckermonds, Buckden 34/88; YNU Excn. conf of pre-1930
record.
P. mite Schrank Newton Ings, Ledsham 44/42; I. Instone (1979) conf D.R.G.
Atropa bella-donna L. Allerton Mauleverer 44/45; D.R.G. and T.S.
Alisma lanceolatum With. Bolton Percy 44/54; D.R.G. and T.S. 1979.
Butomus umbellatus L. Leeds/Liverpool Canal, Barnoldswick 34/84; D.R.G.
Groenlandia densa (L.) Fourr. R. Wenning, Clapham 34/76; F. J. Roberts.
J uncus tenuis Willd. Near Kex Beck, Hazlewood, near Beamsley 44/05; D.R.G.
Coeloglossum viride (L.) Hartm. Near Beckermonds, Buckden 34/88; YNU Excn.
Leucorchis albida (L.) E. Mey. ex Schur Near Beckermonds, Buckden 34/88; YNU Excn., conf
of pre-1930 record.
Vulpia myuros (L.) C.C. Gmel. Disused airfield, Acaster Selby 44/54; D.R.G. and T.S.
Poa compressa L. Helwith Bridge, Horton in Ribblesdale 34/86; T.S.
North-West Yorkshire (V.C. 65) (T. F. Medd)
Verbascum nigrum L. Kiplin, Great Langton on Swale 44/29; Mrs F. Houseman.
Gagea lutea (L.) Ker-Gawl. By R. Ure, Kilgram Bridge 44/18; F.H.
J uncus filiformis L. Grassholme Reservoir 35/92; R. Hobbs.
Platanthera chlorantha (Custer) Reichb. Swaledale per F. B. Stubbs.
Carex hostiana D.C. Hauxwell Moor 44/19; Mrs D. Hay thorn th waite.
Glyceria plicata Fr. Hipswell 44/19; D.H.
Glyceria declinata Breb. With the above.
Casuals and Adventives (E. Chicken)
Ninety-two records (fifty-one species from seventy-four sites) have been received from ten
observers. Few of these are particularly unexpected, being mostly well-known garden plants or
aliens of frequent occurrence. The following is a list of selected species. Vice-county numbers
are given in parentheses.
Cardaria chalepensis (L.) Hand.-Mazz. (61) R. Humber bank 54/02; E. Chicken.
Iberis umbellata L. (63) Near Broad Canal, Huddersfield 44/11; Mrs J. Lucas.
Arabis caucasica Willd. (64) Forest Moor 44/15; Mrs F. Houseman.
Hypericum xylosteifolium (Speck) N. Robson (64) Monkton Moor 44/36; F.H. det. N. Robson.
AtripleX hortensis L. (62) Roadside near Aldwark 44/46; F.H.
Malva pusilla Sm. (61) By Pocklington Canal 44/74; R. Gulliver.
152 Botanical Report for 1980
Lathyrus latifolius L. (63) By canal, Brighouse 44/12; D.R.G.
Rosa rugosa Thunb. (64) Forest Moor 44/15; F.H.
Spiraea salicifolia L. (61) West bank of R. Derwent, Wheldrake 44/64; Miss J. Lambert.
Spiraea x vanhouttei (Briot) Zabel (64) Fewston Reservoir 44/15; F.H.
Lythrum hyssopifolia L. (61) Garden weed, Hull 54/03; E. Wear per Miss F. E. Crackles.
Epilobium pedunculare A. Cunn. (62) Goathland Moor 44/89; Miss J. E. Wilkinson per T. F.
Medd.
Coriandrum sativum L. (63) Tip at Huddersfield 44/11; J.L.
Ficus carica L. (63) Earlsheaton, Dewsbury 44/22; D.R.G.
Polemonium pauciflorum Watson (61) Garden weed, Hull 54/13; B. Smart comm. F.E.C. det J.
Lewis (1979).
Borago officinalis L. (64) Near Otley 44/25; F.H.
Pulmonaria rubra Schott (64) Woodland near Grantley 44/27; F.H.
Verbascum speciosum Schrad. (62) Near Aldwark 44/46; F.H.
Dipsacus sativus (L.) Honckeny (61) By seed warehouse, High Street, Hull 54/12; F.E.C.
Solidago graminifolia (L.) Salisb. (61) King George Dock Reservation, Hull 54/12; F.E.C.
Egeria densa Planch. (63) Canal at Brighouse 44/12; D.R.G.
Lilium pyrenaicum Gouan (65) Woodland by stream to Semmerwater 34/98; F.H.
Triticum aestivum L. (63) Tip, Huddersfield 44/11; J.L.
Hordeum distichon L. (63) Tip, Huddersfield 44/11; J.L.
Avena sativa L. (63) Tip, Huddersfield 44/11; J.L.
Setaria verticillata (L.) Beauv. (61) High Street, Hull 54/12; F.E.C.
Setaria lutescens (Weigel) Hubbard (61) High Street, Hull 54/12; F.E.C.
FIELD NOTE
A remarkable assemblage of Hover-flies
On 18 April 1981 I visited the southern edge of the woodland at Timble Ings, about six miles
north-west of Otley, to search for early hover-flies (Diptera: Syrphidae). The afternoon was
warm and sunny and a group of four or five sallow bushes in a marshy corner of a recently
clear-felled area looked a likely place for specimens. On closer inspection, one bush in
particular, which was heavy with flowering male catkins, was found to be attracting large
numbers of flies, and during the course of about three hours I collected from it nine species of
Syrphidae. The most abundant were Eristalis pertinax (Scop.) and Melangyna lasiophthalma
(Zett.), and the remaining species included a single Cheilosia grossa (Fall.) and several
Melangyna quadrimaculata (Verr.), both of which only occur in early spring and are often
missed by collectors; also Platycheirus discimanus Loew, an uncommon and locally distributed
spring species.
Other syrphids taken were Syrphus torvus Osten-Sacken, Platycheirus albimanus (Fab.),
Eristalis intricarius (L.) and Criorhina ranunculi (Panz.). C. ranunculi is a large, hairy bee-like
hover-fly which was described by G. H. Verrall eighty years ago as, ‘perhaps the grandest of all
our British Syrphidae’. The species is rare in Yorkshire (or, perhaps I should say ‘rarely found’),
and until recently there were only two records for the county, these being Hovingham in the
1860s and Pateley in 1924. Since 1972 it has been recorded from the Sheffield district and at
Ashberry. The Timble Ings specimen is a male of the ‘white tailed’ form.
In the north of England it is rare to experience in early spring such a perfect combination of
circumstances as I have described; certainly I have never before been so fortunate in more than
twenty years of collecting. I am obliged to Mr P. Skidmore for information on the Yorkshire
records of C. ranunculi.
Roy Crossley
153
A NOTE ON PHYTOPLANKTON IN THE RIVER HULL AT HEMPHOLME,
NORTH HUMBERSIDE
R. GOULDER
Department of Plant Biology, The University, Hull HU6 7RX
Introduction
A substantial community of truly-planktonic algae (i.e. having originated by cell division in the
water column) is sometimes present in major lowland English rivers; e.g. the Lee (Swale, 1964),
Stour, lower Severn (Swale, 1969), Thames (Lack, 1971), and Avon (Moore, 1976; Aykulu,
1978). This community is frequently dominated by centric diatoms and is most successful during
the spring to autumn period (when light conditions are favourable) at times when discharge is
low and there is, therefore, a high retention time of water within the river system.
In contrast, in smaller fast-flowing waters the phytoplankton consists mainly of pennate
diatoms which have been detached from surfaces within the river; e.g. Belle Grange Beck,
Cumbria (Douglas, 1958), the Bere Stream and the R. Frome, Dorset (Marker and Gunn,
1977). Here any seasonal variation in abundance depends on variation in the rate of release
from the attached community. Substantial truly-planktonic populations do not develop,
probably because the retention time is too short to allow sufficient cell division.
There are also rivers which appear to be intermediate between the two above extremes; e.g.
the upper Severn (Swale, 1969) and the Kennet (Lack, 1971). In these, pennate and centric
diatoms may be successively dominant in the phytoplankton, depending on whether release
from surfaces, or cell division in the water column, is the current most important source of
recruitment.
The purpose of this present note is to record the results of observations made throughout 1975
and 1976 on phytoplankton in the R. Hull at Hempholme, North Humberside. The
phytoplankton at this site is potentially of interest because although the R. Hull here is
apparently a typical lowland river it forms the downstream end of a short and largely
fast-flowing system with short retention time.
Description of Site
The R. Hull is spring fed from beneath the eastern slopes of the Upper-Cretaceous chalk of the
Yorkshire Wolds. Driffield Beck and Driffield Trout Stream flow for c. 3.5 km and 5 km from
their respective sources, and receive several minor tributaries, before merging near Great
Driffield to form the R. Hull (or West Beck). The river then flows for c. 13 km to its tidal limit at
Hempholme Weir. A major tributary, Frodingham Beck, joins 2 km upstream of the weir. The
Driffield canal, which flows slowly for 7.5 km, joins Frodingham Beck c. 1 km upstream of its
junction with the R. Hull. The upper R. Hull is typically a shallow, fast-flowing, chalk stream
with a macrophyte vegetation dominated by Ranunculus peltatus ssp. pseudofluitans (Syme) C.
Cook; only for c. 1 km upstream of Hempholme Weir is the river deeper, embanked and more
slow flowing.
The site sampled was Bethell’s Bridge (Grid Ref. TA 079 511), 1.1 km upstream of
Hempholme Weir. The river here is c. 20 m wide and 2 m deep; average discharge over
1975-1976 was 2.75 x 105 m3 day-1 with a range of 0.39 to 8.15 x 105 m3 day-1. Water quality
here is typical of a calcareous river; the mean (and range) of pH over 1975-1976 was 7.6 (7.3 to
8.3) and that of conductivity was 408 (326 to 544) |xmhos cm-1 (Goulder, 1980). Chemical data,
supplied by the Yorkshire Water Authority for samples from Hempholme Weir, indicate that
the inorganic nutrients needed by phytoplankton are in good supply; e.g. during 1975-1976 the
mean (and range) for silica was 5.4 (2.0 to 9.0) mg l-1, for nitrate-N 5.8 (0.1 to 15.4) mg l -1, and
for phosphate-P 0.20 (<0.01 to 6.5) mg l-1.
The macrophyte vegetation at Bethell’s Bridge is typical of a lowland river. There are reed
margins of Glyceria maxima (Hartm.) Holmberg, and a rich submerged vegetation of mainly
Potamogeton lucens L., P. crispus L., the submerged form of Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm., Elodea
Naturalist 106 ( 1981)
154 A note on Phytoplankton in the River Hull at Hempholme
canadensis Michx., Ceratophyllum demersum L., Callitriche sp., and R. peltatus. Macrophytes
which remain submerged in normal years ( Nuphar and Potamogeton ) reached the surface in the
dry summer of 1976 and formed a dense cover which persisted throughout July and August.
Methods
Samples of surface water were collected at Bethell’s Bridge at about fortnightly intervals from
January 1975 to December 1976.
To measure the concentration of phytoplankton chlorophyll a, two replicate 2-1 sub-samples
were filtered, using Whatman GF/C glass-fibre filters. Any obvious macrophyte fragments or
macroscopic algal filaments were removed and pigments were then extracted overnight into 90
per cent methanol at 1-3°C. Chlorophyll a was then determined spectrophotometrically
(Tailing, 1969). There was no separation of chlorophyll a from its degradation product,
phaeophytin, hence the values obtained may be overestimates of the true chlorophyll a
concentration.
To determine the concentration of microscopic algal cells, or colonies, the phytoplankton was
concentrated 100 x by sedimentation with Lugol’s iodine solution. Cells or colonies were then
counted in a Fuchs-Rosenthal haemacytometer. The accuracy of each estimate of cell concentra-
tion depends on the number counted; in the work reported here, for example, the 95 per cent
confidence interval around an estimate of 200 cells ml1 is 154 to 248 cells ml-1 while that
around an estimate of 20 cells m_l is 9 to 38 cells ml-1.
To determine the concentration of large Oscillatoria filaments, 0.05 ml of the 100 x
concentrate was transferred to a microscope slide and covered by a cover-slip; the entire
preparation was then scanned and filaments were counted.
Discharge at Bethell’s Bridge was calculated from data on abstraction and discharge at
Hempholme Weir provided by the Yorkshire Water Authority.
Results and Discussion
Concentrations of chlorophyll a are given in Fig la; peak values occurred in May and September
1975 and in June, August and October 1976. The absolute concentrations recorded were low in
comparison with those in larger lowland rivers. The highest value obtained at Bethell’s Bridge
(10.2 mg m“3 on 8 June 1976) contrasts markedly, for example, with chlorophyll a maxima (not
including phaeophytin) of 219 mg m 3 in 1968 and 197 mg m-3 in 1970 in the R. Thames (at
Reading, 150 km downstream of the source) and of 38 mg m“3 in 1968 and 62 mg m-3 in 1970 in
the R. Rennet (Kowalczewski and Lack, 1971; Lack and Berrie, 1976). The low concentration
of chlorophyll a accounts for the extreme clarity of the water at Bethell’s Bridge where
throughout 1975-1976, apart from exceptions during times of high discharge, detail of the river
bed was clearly distinguishable at 2 m below the water surface.
Concentrations of pennate and centric diatoms are given in Fig lb, and those of flagellate cells
(Chlorophyta and Cryptophyta) and non-motile Chlorophyta in Fig lc. In the case of this last
group a single cell or a colony was counted as one unit. The results show that pennate diatoms
(maximum 359 cells ml-1 on 26 October 1976) were the most important component of the
phytoplankton. The chlorophyll a peaks (except for that in June 1976) appear to be a result of a
raised concentration of pennate diatoms. At these times many species of pennate diatoms were
observed. The most conspicuous were as follows: Synedra ulna (Nitzsch.) Ehr. in May 1975;
Cocconeis placentula Ehr. and Rhoicosphenia curvata Grun. in September 1975; Nitzchia sp., C.
placentula and Navicula cryptocephala Kiitz. in August 1976; S. ulna in October 1976. Centric
diatoms (mainly Cyclotella meneghiniana Kiitz.) were much less important than pennate
diatoms, being present only at low concentrations in both 1975 and 1976. Flagellate cells and
non-motile Chlorophyta (e.g. Ankistrodesmus sp., Scenedesmus quadricauda (Turp.) Breb.)
appear to have been largely responsible for the June 1976 chlorophyll a peak and they also
contributed to the peak in August 1976.
A notable feature at Bethell’s Bridge on 8 June 1976 was the presence of floating masses of
brownish-green flocculent material which occupied perhaps 2 to 5 per cent of the river surface.
These proved to be made up of the filaments of a large Oscillatoria species (trichome diameter c.
15 pm), possibly O. limosa (Roth) Agardh. Examination of the 100 x concentrates from around
this period (25 May to 30 June 1976) showed that these filaments were also present in the water
A note on Phytoplankton in the River Hull at Hempholme
155
1975 1976
FIGURE 1
Phytoplankton in the R. Hull at Bethell’s Bridge, Hempholme, 1975-76. (a) Concentration of
chlorophyll a\ (b) concentration of pennate diatoms (solid line) and centric diatoms (dashed
line); (c) concentration of flagellate cells (solid line) and non-motile Chlorophyta (dashed line);
(d) discharge.
column, reaching a maximum of c. 3000 filaments l-1 on 8 June. Hence a proportion of the
chlorophyll a peak recorded in June 1976 was due to this Oscillatoria species.
In absolute terms the algal-cell concentrations found at Bethell’s Bridge were, like the
156
A note on Phytoplankton in the River Hull at Hempholme
chlorophyll a concentrations, generally less than reported for larger lowland rivers. The R. Hull
concentrations were only marginally less than those found by Swale (1969) in the upper R.
Severn where total algal-cell concentration rarely exceeded 1000 cells ml-1. They were,
however, notably less than in Lee (Swale, 1964), Stour and lower Severn (Swale, 1969), Thames
(Lack, 1971) and Avon (Moore, 1976) where concentrations markedly greater than 10,000 cells
ml-1 have been recorded.
The preponderance of pennate diatoms in the R. Hull, and the unimportance of centric
diatoms, suggests that the phytoplankton consists mainly of algae which have been released from
surfaces within the river. The lack of a substantial community of truly-planktonic algae in what
is in many ways a typical lowland river may be a result of the Hull being a short river (Bethell’s
Bridge is only c. 17 km downstream of the source) which is largely fast flowing and hence has
too short a retention time to allow significant cell division within the plankton. It is unlikely that
shortage of inorganic nutrients inhibits the development of phytoplankton because adjacent
reservoirs, which are filled from the river, develop, abundant phytoplankton typical of
eutrophic waters, including dense blooms of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (L.) Ralfs.
The peak levels of pennate diatoms (Fig lb) did not necessarily coincide with high discharge
(Fig Id). In particular the peaks in September 1975 and August 1976 occurred when discharge
was low, hence enhanced release of cells to the phytoplankton presumably depended on the
state of the attached community rather than on increased erosion brought about by increase in
water flow. The pennate diatom peaks of May 1975 and October 1976 did, however, coincide
with high or increasing discharge and it is interesting that the same species was most abundant
on both occasions (i.e. S. ulna). In summer 1976 raised concentrations of flagellate cells
and non-motile Chlorophyta, and modest increases in centric diatoms, were observed (Fig lb,
c). These coincided with the exceptionally low levels of discharge which were found in that very
dry summer (Fig Id). It is possible that these algae were truly planktonic and were able to
develop during this period because the retention time was unusually prolonged.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Erica Swale and Hilary Belcher for identifying diatoms, to Sheila Fidling for
technical assistance, and to the Yorkshire Water Authority for supplying analytical results and
discharge data.
References
Aykulu, G. (1978) A quantitative study of the phytoplankton of the River Avon, Bristol, Br.
phycol. J. 13:91-102.
Douglas, B. (1958) The ecology of the attached diatoms and other algae in a small stony stream.
J. Ecol. 46:295-322.
Goulder, R. (1980) Seasonal variation in heterotrophic activity and population density of
planktonic bacteria in a clean river. J. Ecol. 68:349-63.
Kowalczewski, A. and Lack, T. J. (1971) Primary production and respiration of the
phytoplankton of the Rivers Thames and Kennet at Reading. Freshwat. Biol. 1:197-212.
Lack, T. J. (1971) Quantitative studies on the phytoplankton of the Rivers Thames and Kennet at
Reading. Freshwat. Biol. 1:213-224.
Lack, T. J. and Berrie, A. D. (1976) Phytoplankton production in the Rivers Thames and
Kennet at Reading during 1970. In Light as an Ecological Factor : 2 (G. C. Evans, R. Bainbridge
and O. Rackham, eds.). Pp 43-62. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
Marker, A. F. H. and Gunn, R. J. M. (1977) The benthic algae of some streams in Southern
England. 3. Seasonal variations in chlorophyll a in the seston. J. Ecol. 65:223-34.
Moore. J. W. (1976) Seasonal succession of algae in rivers. 1. Examples from the Avon, a large
slow-moving river. J. Phycol. 12:342-9.
Swale, E. M. F. (1964) A study of the phytoplankton of a calcareous river. J. Ecol. 52:433-46.
Swale, E. M. F. (1969) Phytoplankton in two English rivers. J. Ecol. 57:1-23.
Tailing, J. F. (1969) Sampling techniques and methods for estimating quantity and quality of
biomass. Phytoplankton. Photosynthetic pigments. In A Manual on Methods for Measuring
Primary Production in Aquatic Environments (R. A. Vollenweider, ed.) Pp 22-5. Blackwell
Scientific Publications, Oxford.
157
AUTUMN FUNGUS FORAYS, 1978-1980
Ilkley, 14-18 September 1978 V.C. 64
Hull, 13-17 September 1979 V.C. 61
Sedbergh, 11-15 September 1980 V.C. 64 and 65
T. F. HERING
In 1978 we used a workroom at Ilkley College of Education, and worked over ground previously
visited in spring 1977. Including local colleagues, the total attendance was twenty-five. For the
other two forays, the territory was less familiar and accessible, and each had an attendance of
about fifteen. The 1979 foray was based at Hull University, and included a visit to Spurn Point.
Predictably, this site produced a small fungal list, but it included two very interesting small
basidiomycetes with Ammophila; an unnamed Campanella, the first British find of this genus,
and Cellypha goldbrachii, also new to Yorkshire. At Sedbergh we used a workroom in Sedbergh
School; the sites included some visited in spring 1979. They were on both limestone and acidic
soils, and produced an interesting selection of fungi in spite of thin soil and often exposed sites.
In compiling the lists below I am indebted to Mr W. G. Bramley, Mr J. P. Blunt and Dr M.
Storey.
List of Sites
1978
F
=Farnley, SE/227478
M
= Middleton Woods, SE/120485
B
= Bolton Woods, SE/077553
HG
=Hawksworth Gill, SE/158411
1979
H =
Houghton Woods, SE/887367
B =
Burton Bushes, TA/013397
K =
Kiplingcotes, SE/9 15434
S =
Spurn Point, TA/419149
R =
Risby, T A/013353
1980
HG =
= Hebblethwaite Gill, SD/692933
DG =
= Dovecote Gill, SD/693918
D =
Dentdale, SD/658898
N =
Needlehouse Gill, SD/731966
R =
Ravenstonedale Common, SD/717985
I =
Ingleton Waterfall, SD/692733
* = new record for Yorkshire
Myxomycetes
Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa (79) R
Lachnobolus congestus (78) M
Ascomycetes
Cheilymenia crucipila* (78) F
C. theleboloides (79) B
Dasyscyphus controversus (79) S
D. corticalis (78) B
D. fascicularis (78) B
D. minutissimus (78) M
Diplocarpon rosae (79) B
Endodothella junci (80) N
Fabraea ranunculi (80) N
Gymnoascus californiense* (79) S
G. vinaceus* (79) S
Hymenoscyphus phyllophilus * (79) B
Hypocrea citrina (78) M
Hypomyces ochraceus (78) B
H. rosellus (79) R
Leucoscypha leucotricha (79) H
Naturalist 106 ( 1981)
158
Autumn Fungus Forays , 1978-1980
Mollisia ramealis (80) R
Nectria magnusiana (79) B
N. peziza (79) B
Onygena equina (80) N
Orbilia comma * (78) B
O. xanthostigma (79) H
Otidea alutacea (80) D
Peziza petersii (78) M
Pezizella chrysostigma (79) R
Taphrina betulae (79) B
Basidiomycetes
Uredinales and Ustilaginales
Puccinia arenariae on Silene dioica (78) B
Urocystis anemones on Ranunculus repens (78) B
Heterobasidiomycetes
Calocera glossoides (78) B
C. pallidospathulata (78) F, M, B; (79) R; (80) D, N, I
Tremella foliacea (80) N
Aphyllophorales
Calyptella capula (79) B
Cellypha goldbrachii* (79) S
Clavaria helvola (80) DG
C. vermicularis (80) I
Fistulina hepatica (79) B
Hydnum rufescens (78) B
Hymenochaete corrugata (80) D
Agaricales
Agaricus xanthodermus (79) S
Amanita crocea* (78) M; (80) D
A. excelsa (80) N
A. inaurata (80) HG
A. phalloides (78) B, HG
Campanella sp.*(79) S
Colly bia erythropus (78) M; (79) B
Entoloma nidorosum (80) HG
Hygrophorus citrinovirens (80) R
H. calyptraeformis (78) F
H. langei (79) K
H. miniatus (79) K
H. nitratus (80) R
H. psittacinus (78) F; (80) R
H. real (80) R
H. substrangulatus (78) HG
Hypholoma elongatum (80) N
Inocybe grammata (79) H
I. hystrix (78) B
I. petiginosa (80) N
Lactarius hepaticus (79) H; (80) N
Leptotrimitus semipileatus* (80) D
Oxyporus populinus (78) H
Peniophora pubera (80) D
Phellinus robustus f. hippophaes (79) S
Tyromyces caesius (79) R
T. lacteus (79) R
Leccinum roseofractum* (80) D
Leptonia incana (79) K
Marasmius hudsonii (79) B
Mycena amicta (80) N
M. filopes (78) M, B
M. tortuosa (80) DG
M. vitilis (80) I «
Molanea versatilis (80) D
Paxillus atrotomentosus (79) H
P. panuoides (79) H
P. rubicundulus (80) N
Psathyrella candolleana (79) B
Russula claroflava (80) HG, N
R. farinipes (78) F
R. lutea (80) DG
R. nitida (79) H
R. sororia (80) D
R. xerampelina (78) F, M
Tricholoma fulvum (80) D
Tylopilus felleus (79) H
Gasteromycetes
Lycoperdon foetidum (78) M, HG
Mutinus caninus (78) M; (80) I
Sphaerobolus stellatus (78) M; (79) H, B
159
ANDREAEA IN THE SHEFFIELD DISTRICT
T. L. BLOCKEEL
In a recent note (Blocked, 1979), I described the occurrence of the moss Andreaea crassinervia
in the Hebden Valley, noting that this was the only site in South-West Yorkshire (VC 63), from
which the genus Andreaea had been reported during the present century. I was not aware at the
time of Adams’ report of A. rupestris in the Sheffield district, ‘on rocks of Millstone Grit; in
streams in woodland below about 1,500 ft. Very local’ (Adams, 1956). Unfortunately, Adams
gave no specific localities, and his area of study included the extensive moorlands in the Peak
District of Derbyshire. I have been unable to locate any sites for A. rupestris in South-West
Yorkshire, and it remains unconfirmed in the vice-county during the present century. However,
I am able to report two new sites for Andreaea rothii agg. in the Sheffield district.
In the first site, the Andreaea occupies a habitat very similar to that in the Hebden Valley,
though less sheltered, and it also agrees with that described by Adams. It was observed in the
River Rivelin between Rivelin Dams and Hollow Meadows, on one boulder only, covering
several square feet of the more or less horizontal surface of the rock. Some of the patches were
embedded in sand. The river at this point has the characteristic bryophyte communities of
millstone grit streams, with Marsupella emarginata, Scapania undulata, Racomitrium aciculare
and Hyocomium armoricum in the flood zone, Fontinalis squamosa on submerged rock, and
Atrichum crispum on the banks. The Andreaea was clearly within the flood zone, though
normally above water. The colony is referable to A. crassinervia.
The second site is near Strines Reservoir, again in a wooded dough, but it offers additional
features of interest. There is a greater quantity of material than in the Hebden and Rivelin
valleys, and much of it is above the reach of any flood water, though all the colonies are on
boulders in the stream bed. Further, some of the colonies are clearly referable to A. rothii rather
than A. crassinervia. These two taxa are not separated by some bryologists, and it is notable that
at Strines the A. crassinervia forms grow in the flood zone and are almost completely black in
colour, while the A. rothii forms grow higher up the boulders, in association with Diplophyllum
albicans, Racomitrium heterostichum and Pohlia nutans. They are slightly less black, at least
when moist, showing some reddish coloration. It seems possible that, in South Yorkshire at
least, A. crassinervia is an expression of A. rothii induced in habitats subject to inundation.
References
Adams, F. W. (1956) The Bryophytes of the Sheffield District. In: D. L. Linton (ed.), Sheffield
and its region, pp. 322-334. British Association, Sheffield.
Blocked, T. L. (1979) The Andreaea of Hebden Bridge. Naturalist, 104, 109.
BOOK REVIEWS
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Trees of the World, edited by Bayard Hora. Pp. 288, with numerous
coloured illustrations. Oxford University Press. 1981. £12.50.
An attractive and authoritative reference work prepared by numerous authors, which describes
the principal trees of the world. Details of structure, distribution, history, ecology, cultivation,
diseases and economic uses of the major species, varieties and cultivars of 149 genera are
provided, 66 of which are illustrated with distribution maps and with composite artwork panels
showing the main characteristics of more than 350 species. Introductory matter is given on the
form, structure and growth of trees, and on their ecology, management and diseases. Finally, a
section on the commercial, local and ornamental value of native trees of Asia, Africa and
America, keys to families and the genera described, a glossary, bibliography and indexes are
provided.
Naturalist 106 ( 1981)
160 Book Reviews
Jungles, edited by Edward S. Ayensu. Pp. 200, with numerous coloured illustrations. Jonathan
Cape. 1980. £16.
More than half the world’s plant and animal species live in the jungle, which is the provider of
food, drugs, fibres, rubber and timber, as well as being a vast storehouse of genetic potential.
Alas, jungle rain forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. This book (recommended by the
World Wildlife Fund) effectively displays the richness of the ecosystem, and reinforces the need
for launching the campaign by international conservation organizations in 1980 to save one of
our most important natural assets.
Tundra Ecosystems: a Comparative Analysis, edited by L. C. Bliss, O. W. Heal and J. J. Moore.
Pp. xxxvii + 813, with numerous line drawings and tables. Cambridge University Press. 1981.
£55.
The latest volume (no. 25) in the International Biological Programme’s detailed treatment of
ecosystems deals with the evolution of tundra, the estimation of its plant and animal production,
the decomposer cycle and flow of nutrients, the effects of man, and a consideration of
conservation.
Thonner’s Analytical Key to the Families of Flowering Plants by R. Geesink, A. J. M.
Leeuwenberg, C. E. Ridsdale, and J. F. Veldkamp. Pp. xxvi -I- 231. Leiden University Press,
The Hague. 1981. $37 cloth, $21 paper.
Franz Thonner (1863-1928) was an Austrian about whom very little is known; indeed in the
brief sketch of his life in this work he is said to have ‘remained virtually unknown both in life and
death’. He had both a predilection for, and an expertise in, the construction of keys for the
identification of flowering plants. These included keys to European genera and to African
genera. In 1891, when only twenty-eight, he published (at his own expense) a key to the families
of flowering plants of the world. This was an achievement so daunting in its execution that no
one previously had attempted such a task, and even today the number of comparable treatises
can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
The present volume is a translation of the second edition of Thonner’s key, published in
Berlin in 1917, wherein the deficiencies of the original issue were largely corrected and to which
families newly recognized since 1917 have been added. There are in all over 2100 couplets and
though it may not be necessary to progress through more than a fraction of these in order to
reach one’s goal, these are still a formidable number of steps to take, any one of which if
wrongly taken will lead to disaster. But such is the way with dichotomous keys and we are at
least warned at crucial steps in this key to ‘ read very carefully!'
This is not a work for amateur botanists. No pronouncement upon its merits could be made
without prolonged testing with a wide range of specimens. The best recommendation would
seem to lie in the fact that extensive use has for a long time been made of it in Dutch universities
and experience there is said to have shown it to be the most reliable work of its kind in existence.
WAS
Fungi by Roderic Cooke. Pp. 159 (including line drawings), plus 16 pp. of b/w photographic
plates. Collins Countryside Series. 1980. £4.95.
Only a brave man would attempt to follow in the footsteps of John Ramsbottom, whose
excellent Mushrooms and Toadstools (Collins’ New Naturalist series, 1963) provided a popular
and authoritative account of these fascinating plants. It is to Roderic Cooke’s credit that his
book will provide a worthy companion to its predecessor. The present work presents an
interesting text, supported by clear line drawings and photography, which gives a stimulating
introduction to the subject; no attempt has been made, however, to cross-reference the
information to published sources, and only a short, highly selective reading list is appended.
Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape by Oliver Rackham. Pp. 204 including line
drawings, plus 8 pp. of b/w photographic plates. Dent. 1981. £4.95, paperback.
A very welcome paperback edition of a lively and authoritative account of the role of trees in the
British landscape since prehistoric times. Highly recommended to a wide audience.
Book Reviews 161
The Shaping of Cambridge Botany by S. M. Walters. Pp. xv + 121 (including 84 b/w
illustrations, bibliography and index), plus coloured frontispiece. Cambridge University Press.
1981. £17.50.
Max Walters gives an entertaining account, suitably laced with anecdotal material, that traces
with the aid of new data from the University’s archives, the development of the study of botany,
and particularly of the Botanic Garden, at Cambridge. It is a fascinating subject area, but
unfortunately the potential is not fully achieved. The book provides only a brief history of
botanical and horticultural science at Cambridge, and post-1945 developments occupy no more
than five pages.
The text is complemented by numerous interesting illustrations. However, since many of
these have been relegated to the wide margins of the text pages the definition and impact have
been lost: the luxuriance of a tree, or the detail of a laboratory or rock garden cannot be fully
appreciated from a 2" x 2" picture.
A delightful, but expensive introduction, which leaves plenty of scope for a more definitive
work on the subject.
MRDS
A Handbook for Naturalists, edited by Mark R. D. Seaward, assisted by Susan Joy and Frank H.
Brightman. Foreword by the Duke of Edinburgh. Pp. 202, including numerous monochrome
photographs. Constable. 1981. £4.95.
A really invaluable reference book for the budding naturalist, whether young or old, being
specifically intended to assist not only the youngster, but also the older novice perhaps taking up
a new interest in retirement. It provides a wealth of useful information in a handy small format,
which even the more experienced naturalist may well find helpful to have so conveniently
collected together. Chapters on many aspects of natural history include practical advice on
methods and equipment, supplemented by extensive and well-chosen bibliographies and
information on relevant societies. Strongly recommended to anyone taking up the study of
natural history for the first time.
YAH
Energy and the Fate of Ecosystems: Supporting Paper Number 8 of the Study of Nuclear and
Alternative Energy Systems, by the Ecosystem Impacts Resource Group Risk and Impact Panel
of the Committee on Nuclear and Alternative Energy Systems. Pp. xvii + 399. National
Academy Press, Washington D.C. 1980. $9:75.
This volume contains thirteen papers which explore the likely environmental effects arising from
the development of various types of energy supply, together with a useful introduction and
concluding section. A broad approach is taken, with sections covering hydroelectric power,
geothermal developments, opencast mining for coal and shale oil, restoration of opencast
workings in dry temperate environments, and solar power developments. All the work is firmly
set in the North American context. Besides the impact of mining, dangers arising from the
transportation of oil are covered and there are two sections dealing with the effects of
combustion and other air pollutants on vegetation and forest ecosystems. The tundra is singled
out as a particularly vulnerable ecosystem and the dangers posed to it by a range of
developments are presented. In the final sections, the possible effects of enhanced energy usage
in agriculture, transportation and other uses are discussed.
Though the various papers have different approaches, they all spell out each consideration in
a lengthy fashion, usually at a level which could be readily understood by the non-specialist.
There are abundant references to relevant papers, though most refer to the period 1970-75.
Some papers contain a great deal of valuable information, but overall it is not concisely
presented and often there is little attempt to discriminate between major and what are likely to
be fairly minor effects. However, the papers will provide the ardent conservationist with a
wealth of examples of potential dangers to the environment which may arise if various energy
policy options are adopted.
DEC
Book Reviews
162
Other publications received:
A Key to the Caseless Caddis Larvae of the British Isles with Notes on their Ecology by J. M.
Edington and A. G. Hildrew. Pp. 92 (including 152 figures) + 4 plates. Freshwater Biological
Association, Scientific Publication No. 43. 1981. £3. Available from: Freshwater Biological
Association, The Ferry House, Far Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 OLP.
Birds Around Wakefield 1974-1979 by Richard L. Brook and Peter Smith. Pp. ii + 186.
Wakefield Naturalists’ Society. 1981. £2.50 (including postage) from: Richard L. Brook, 48
Blacker Lane, Crigglestone, Wakefield WF4 3EW.
The Sorby Record, edited by Derek Whiteley. Pp. 94, illustrated. Sorby Natural History Society,
Sheffield. No. 18, 1980. £1.10 (including postage) from: Derek Whiteley, do Sheffield Museum,
Weston Park, Sheffield S10 2TP.
Nature Stored Nature Studied. Collections, conservation and allied research at the British
Museum (Natural History). Pp. 64, including numerous sepia and b/w plates. 1981, £2.75
(including postage) from: Publications, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road,
London SW7 5BD.
Hebridean Naturalist. Magazine of the Western Isles Natural History Society edited by Janet A.
Crummy. Pp. 75, including b/w plates and line drawings. No. 5, 1981. Unpriced, from: Janet A.
Crummy, 17 Tolsta Chaolais, Isle of Lewis, Scotland.
The Magpie. Sheffield Bird Study Group. Edited by D. Herringshaw and K. V. Tayles. Pp. ii +
69, including many line drawings, tables, etc. No. 2, 1981. £1.50 (including postage) from:
Kenneth R. Crooks, 44 Peterborough Road, Lodge Moor, Sheffield S10 4JE.
CONTRIBUTORS
Alderson, G. E., 120, 127
Archer, M. E., 87
Armitage, J. S., 79-81
Davis, P., 67-73
Delany, A. V., 42, 87
Delany, M.J.,42, 87
Densley, M., 14
Denton, M., 121, 128
Disney, R. H. L., 53-66
Duncan, J. E., 124
Beaumont, H. E., 83-4
Blocked, T. L„ 76-8, 120, 121, 124, 127,
159
Blunt, A. G., 122
Brightman, F. H., 43, 66, 85, 86-7, 96
Bullard, E. R., 109-11
Butterfield, J., 53-66
Ely, W. A., 118-22
Fitter, A. H., 3-14
Fussey, G. D., 83
Chicken, E., 151-2
Cotton, D. E., 40, 161
Coulson, J. C., 53-66
Crackles, E., 31-2, 35-6, 119-20, 149-50
Crawley, M. J., 41
Crawshaw, D. I., 125
Crossley, R., 147-9, 152
Cudworth, J., 96
Cur rail, J. E. P.,87
Garland, S. P., 122-3
Goulder, R., 153-6
Grant, D. R., 37-8, 124, 150-1
Harding, J.P.C., 15-31
Henderson, A., 118-29
Hering, T. F., 130-2, 157-8
Hewson, R., 133-9
163
Hickson, J. R., 33-4, 38, 151
Hinton, V. A., 139, 140
Holmes, N.J. H., 97-107
Horsfield, D., 73
Houseman, F., 34—5, 39
Limbert, M., 75-6
Lloyd-Evans, L., 118, 120, 125, 128
McMillan, N.F., 109-11
Martin, J., 78
Mather, J. R., 41, 107
Medd, T. F., 32-3, 34, 36-7, 38-9, 121,
150, 151
Nelson, E.C., 141-7
Nethercoat, M., 127
Newton, M. E., 111-17
Norris, A., 40, 42
Page, P., 122
Pashby, B. S., 118
Payne, J., 118-19, 121, 125, 128
Pellant, C., 120
Richardson, D. T., 83, 119, 128
Robertson, J., 124—5, 129
Say, P. J., 15-31
Seaward, M. R. D., 43, 86, 89-95, 108,
118-29, 161
Sledge, W. A., 66, 125-6, 128-9, 160
Smith, C. J., 45-52, 81-2, 119, 123, 125
Stonehouse, B., 108
Stubbs, F.B., 126, 127
Thompson, M. J. A., 84-5
Tucker, J. J., 3-14
Walsh, S.T., 133-9
Wear, E. H., 118
Whiteley, D., 39-40
Whitton, B. A., 15-31, 97-107
INDEX
Compiled by Christine Shaddick
Arachnida
Spiders in Yorkshire, 45-52
Trogulus tricarinatus (L), a harvestman
(Opilliones) found for the first time
in northern England, 73
Askham Bog
Ecological studies at Askham Bog Nature
Reserve — 2. The tree population of
the wood, 3-14
Book Reviews
14, 40-4, 66, 74, 82, 85-7, 107-8, 132,
139-40, 159-62
Botany (Flowering Plants and Ferns)
Ecological studies at Askham Bog: the tree
population, 3-14
Botanical Reports for 1978 and 1979 —
Flowering plants and ferns, 31-9
Stephen Robson’s Hortus siccus, 67—73
Artemesia annua L., an alien plant new to
Yorkshire, 78
Plants of the River Tyne system before the
Kielder Water Scheme, 97-107
James Bolton’s botanical paintings and
illustrations, and his association with
Georg Ehret, 141-7
Botanical report for 1980, 149-52
Bryophyta
Y.N.U. Bryological Section: Annual
Report 1980, 76-8
The Bryophyte Collection of Jethro Tinker
(1788-1871), 111-17
Andreaea in the Sheffield district, 159
Diptera
Eriozona syrphoides (Fallen) (Dipt.
Syrphidae) at Wharncliffe Wood, 39-
40
164
A survey of Scuttle Flies (Diptera:
Phoridae) of upland habitats in
Northern England, 53-66
A remarkable assemblage of Hover-flies,
152
Ecology
Ecological studies at Askham Bog — 2.
The tree population, 3-14
River Etherow: plants and animals of a
river recovering from pollution, 15-31
Plants of the River Tyne system before the
Kielder Water Scheme, 97-107
A note on the phytoplankton in the River
Hull at Hempholme, N. Humberside,
153-6
Entomology
Entomological Records for 1979-1980,
147-9
Hymenoptera
Food availability and foraging by Bumble-
bees (Bom bus spp.) and Honeybees
(Apis mellifera ) at Strensall Common,
Yorkshire, 133-9
Isopoda
Some new vice-county records for
Woodlice in Yorkshire, 83
Lepidoptera
The discovery of Microlepidoptera from
the H. H. Corbett Collection, 83-4
Lichens
Lichen flora of the West Yorkshire conur-
bation — Supplement II (1978-1980),
89-95
Mammalia
A new Leislers Bat (Nyctalus leisleri)
record from Yorkshire, 84-5
Mollusca
Notes on Yorkshire Mollusca — 3. Patella
intermedia Jeffries: its status in York-
shire, 40
Mycology
Spring Fungus Forays, 1978-1980, 130-2
Autumn Fungus Forays, 1978-1980,
157-8
Naturalists
Jethro Tinker (1788-1871) — Field
naturalist by the late Rev N. Dennis,
S.J., 109-11
Obituaries
Dr E. Wilfred Taylor, 81-2
G. H. Ainsworth, 96
Ornithology
British records of the Northern Willow
Tits, 75-6
Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) at
Carlton Marsh Nature Reserve during
the winter of 1978-1979, 79-81
Phytoplankton
A note on phytoplankton in the River Hull
at Hempholme, N. Humberside, 153-6
Society Reports
1981 Royal Society Conversazione, 96
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union
Y.N.U. Excursions in 1980, 118-29
Suffolk Heritage Coast
Unique Flora
Holiday Cottage in site of special scientific interest.
At the mouth of River Ore in Shingle Street.
50 yards from sea, 300 yards from river.
Low winter terms.
Phone for details to Ipswich 79300.
BIRD PROTECTION
Members of the Union cannot fail to be aware that there is a special Y.N .U . committee dealing with
bird protection, but few, I suspect, know of it as more than a name on the members’ card. Yet for
ninety years, it has been, and continues to be , one of the most vital bodies within the Union. It grew
out of the bird protection work initiated in Yorkshire in 1868 (some twenty years before the
beginnings of the R.S.P.B.) and was formally established in 1891. Before the turn of the century
funds were being collected to pay watchers and to protect rare species in the county. Minute books
are extant continuously from 1906.
Even since the setting up of a regional representation network of the R.S.P.B., with whom it
works very closely, the role of the Y.N.U. Protection of Birds Committee and the need for it have
not lessened. Much of its work goes unsung and indeed some of it cannot be divulged without
reducing its effectiveness. Although not taking legal action itself, the committee’s investigations
have frequently been preliminaries to proceedings taken by the police, R.S.P.C.A. and R.S.P.B.
Some indication of the amount of work involved can be gauged from the fact that the most recent
committee meeting lasted no less than 33/4 hours — and it was all devoted to uninterrupted and vital
discussions. Most of the work takes place outside committee meetings, much in the field.
My purpose in writing is twofold. Firstly to make members aware that the Protection of Birds
Committee is still a vital and (quietly) active part of the Union and secondly to appeal to both
individual members and affiliated societies for their support. The help we need is again twofold. If
you know or suspect any illegal activities relative to wild birds , their nests or eggs , please contact the
secretary or other member of the committee immediately. Additionally, the committee needs the
sort of financial support which individuals and societies used to contribute annually towards the
protection of Yorkshire’s birds. Old copies of The Naturalist show that as long ago as 1908, no fewer
than seventeen societies were making generous contributions showing the value they placed on this
work.
No appeal for such support has been made since 1967. With the appointment of Clive Varty as
secretary of the Protection of Birds Committee the work is being tackled with renewed vigour, and
inevitably also costing more. In 1980 expenditure ran to £33.42; in the first three months of 1981 it
had already reached£18.23 . The contribution which is made in time , energy , and travel , postage and
phone expenses by both officers and ordinary members is considerable and for the most part is borne
by them. Many individuals also give freely of their time and travel to act as watchers at important
sites. Individual members of the Union who are willing to make some contribution to the funds of the
Protection of Birds Committee should send it to the treasurer. Miss Margaret Sanderson, 7 Stray
Walk , Harrogate HG2 8HU . If a member of an affiliated society, can you please also persuade your
society to send a donation towards the cost of active bird protection measures.
R. F. Dickens
Printed by the Leeds University Printing Service
ISSN 0028-0771
The Oxford Companion
to Animal Behaviour
Edited by David McFarland
'Opening it anywhere, you come upon entries that lure you
on . . . Oxford can be congratulated on producing another
volume that opens a specialist subject to the general reader/
J. Z. Young in The London Review of Books.
'An excellent handbook for the layman The writing is
clear, avoiding unnecessary scientific jargon, and the book is
illustrated with numerous line drawings by Tim Halliday which
not only decorate the text in a felicitous style but also clearly
and accurately portray examples of animal behaviour/
The T.L.S.
'Splendid book . . . providing the biological background
indispensable for understanding how and why animals do
such fascinating things The editor and the publishers are
to be congratulated on making available to us this really
outstanding introduction to the scientific study of behaviour/
The T.E.S.
'Every page is the opening to a mine of information/
Birmingham Post.
'This is an excellent book ... it is possible to open the volume
at random at almost any page and read an entry purely for
pleasure It is not simply a book for professionals and
specialists — anyone interested in animals can enjoy it/
Desmond Morris in The Sunday Times.
Illustrated £17.50
Oxford University Press
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