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THE IRISH NATURALIST

^ l^l0utlTllT Stoiivual

OF

GENERAL IRISH NATUIiAL HISTORY

ORGAN OF THE

Royal Zoological Society of Irelatid ; Dublin Microscopical Club ;

Belfast Naturalisis'' Field Club ; Dublin Naturalists' Field Club ;

Cor/: Naturalists' Field Club ; Limerick Field Club ;

Tyrone Naturalists' Field Club,

EDITED BV

GEORGE H. CARPENTER, B.Sc.Lond., M.RJ.A.,
R. LLOYD PRAEGER, B.A., B.E., M.R.I. A.,

AND

ROBERT PATTERSON, F.LS., M.R.LA.

VOL. XVI I L

DUBLIN : EASON & SON, Limited,
ho MIDDLE ABBEY STREET, AND 40 LOWER SACKVILLE STREET,

BELFAST : 17 DONEGALL STREET.
LONDON : SIMPKIN, MARSHALL HAINIILTON, KENT & Co., Ltd.

1909.

Printed by Albx. Thom & Co, (Limited) 87 8^, A S'j, abbey-street, Dublik

CONTRIBUTORS

TO THE P R K S K N T V O L U M IC

:o:

Adams, J., m.a., Royal College of vScience for Irelaud.
AiviyiNOHAM, Hugh, Ballyslianuou.
BagxaLvI/, Richard S., F.E.S., Winlaloii-on-Tyne.
Barrett-Hamii^TOx, Major G. K. H., f.z.s., m.r.i.a., Kilmanock

House, via Waterford.
Barrington, Richard M., i,l b., f.i..s., m.r.i.a., Fassaroe, Bray.
Bather, F. A., d.sc, f.r.s., British Museum.
Benxis, Ernest H., Limerick.

ICKHAM, Spencer C, Underdown, Ledbury.
Britten, James, f.i,.s., 41, Bostou Road, Brentford.
Campbei.1., David C, j.p., m.b.o.u., Londonderry.
Carpenter, Prop\ G. H., b.sc, m.r.i.a., Royal College ol Science

for Ireland.
Carruthers, R. G., Geological Survey Office, Edinburgh.
Ci^ark, R., Geological Survey of Ireland.
CoGHiivi., H. E., Athboy, Co. Meath.
C01.E, Prof. G. A. J., f.g.s.. m.r.i.a., Royal College of vScience for

Ireland.
Coi<GAN, N., m.r.i.a., 15, Breffni-terrace, vSandycove.
Crawford, E., Stonewold, Ballyshannon.
Davies, J. H., Lenaderg, Co. Down.
DeIvAP, Rev. Ai^exander H., m.a., Strabane.
DeIvAP, Miss M. J., Valeutia.
Dewar, Dougi<as, B.A., Datchet.
Druce, G. Ci^aridge, m.a., F.I..S., Oxford.
F'ORBES, A. C, Forestr}' Station, Avondale, Co. Wicklow.
FogerTy, Harry, Limerick,

Foster, Nevin H., m.b.o.u., Hillsborough, Co. Down.
GalIvWAY, W. H., Bangor, Co. Down.
Hammond, Egerton, Ballytore, Co. Kildare.
Hart, W. E., Kilderry, Co. Donegal.
Harti^ev, Rev. T., m.a., Borris, Co. Carlow.
Henderson, J., Clifton House, Ashborue, Derbyshire.
Hinch, J. DE W., National Library of Ireland.
JEFFERS, B. R., Rockabill Lighthouse, Co. Dublin.
Johnson, Rev. W. F., m.a., fe.s., Poyntzpass, Co. Armagh.
JoURDAiN, F. C. R., Clifton, Ashborne, Derbyshire.
Kemp, S W., b.a., Fisheries Office, Dublin.
Kendai., C. E. Y., Leicester.
Kew, H. Wallis, Wandsworth, London.
Knowi^eS, Mi.ss M. C, National Museum.

A 2

iv List of Contributors.

LangTrv, Ross L., Bryansford, Co. Down.

Lett, Rev. Canon H. W., m.a., m.r.i.a., Ivoughbrickland, Co

Down.
LkvingE, ISIiss Noraii v., Violetstown, Mullin^ar.
Lewis, Francis J., k.i,.S., Liverpool University.
Linton, Rev. Kdward F., m.a., e.i,.s., Fklniondsham Vicarage,

Salisbury.
M'Ardle, David, Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin.
Marshat^i., Rev. EdwardS., m.a., f.i,s.. West Monkton Rectory,

Taunton.
Moffat, C. B , -si a., 36, Ilardwicke-street, Dublin.
Muff, H. B., b.a., F.G.S., Geological Survey Office, Edinburgh.
O'Brien, R.D., Parteenalax, Limerick.
Orr, H. L., Garfield-street, Belfast.
Pack-BerESFord, D. R.. b.a., m.r.i.a,, Fenagli House, Bagenals-

town.
Patten, Prof. C. J., m.a., m.d., The University, vSheffield.
Patterson, Robert, f.i..s., m.r.i.a., Glenbank, Holywood, Co.

Down.
Pethybridge, G. H., PH.D., B.sc, Royal College of Science for

Ireland.
PhilIvIPS, R. a., Ashburton, Cork.
Praeger, R. Li^oyd, B.A., B.E., M.R.i-A-, National Library of

Ireland.
Regan, C. Tate, m.a., British Mu.seuni.
RiDDELL, W., Belfast.
RoHU, F. R., Grand Parade, Cork.

ScHARFF, R. F., PH.D., B.SC, M.R.I.A., National ^Museum.
ScovELTy, R. H., Shaukill, Co. Dublin.
Shaw, Lady, Bushy Park, Terenure, Dublin.
vSmith, Rev. W. S., Antrim.

Southern, Rowi^and, b.sc, National Museum.
Stelfox, Arthur W., Delamere, Chlorine Gardens, Belfast.
Swain, Prof. Isaac, b.a.. University College, Cork.
ToMiviNSON, W. J. C, Midland Railway, Belfast.
TreveIvYAN, Major Herbert, Army and Navy Club, Loudon.
Trumbuli., J., M.D., Malahide.

UssheR. R. J., D.I,., J.P., M.R.I.A., Cappagh House, Co. Waterford.
Waddei.To Rev. C. H., b.d., Saintfield, Co. Down.
Weixh, Robert, m.r.i.a., 49, I^onsdale-street, Belfast.
Westei.Iv, W. Percival, f.i^.s., Letch worth, Herts.
W'livEiAMS, Ai.EXANDER, R.H.A., Hatch-stieet, Dublin.
Wii^ijAMS, W. J., Dame-street, Dublin.

INDEX

Actaeonia corrugata, 97.

Adams, Jolm : Biological sul)-
division of Ireland, i ; Blackbird
eating ivy berries, 207 ; Botanical
analysis of a feeding stnff, 204 ;
Chenopodinm polysperinuni

Linn., on the shore of Lough
Neagh, 120 ; Cluster cups on
barberry, 253 ; Fnsicladiuni
dendriticuni on wild crab, 253 ;
Helleborine longifolia in Co.
Derry, 53 ; Occurrence of Allium
oleraceum Linn, in Ireland, iii;
Possibility of distinguishing
between native and alien species
of plants in Ireland, 123 ; West
and West's '* oNIonograph of the
British Desmidiacese" (reviewed),

Agrostis nigra not in Ireland, 53.

AUingham, H. : Freshwater Cray-
fish in Munster and Ulster, 24.

Allium oleraceum in Ireland, 52,
III.

Arber, E. A. Newell : " Fossil
Plants" (reviewed), 182

Archidium alternifolium in County
Down, 23.

Armadillidium nasatum and A.
pictum, 54.

Armadillidium pictum — a correc-
tion, 54.

Arum maculatum and rabbits, 157,
203.

Ascidicola rosea in Belfast Lough,

140.

Asparagus officinalis in Co. London-
derry, 254.

Astacus, 24.

Bagnall, Richard S. : Arma-
dillidium nasatum and A. pictum
54 ; Cryptothrips dentipes (a
genus and species of Thysanoptera
new to the British Isles), 41 ;
Some terrestrial Isopods from
the Glasnevin Botanic Gardens,
Dublin, 42.

Barberry, cluster-cups on, 253.

Barbula horuschuchiana in Coun-
ties Down and Armagh, 23.

Barrett-Hamilton, G. E. H. : Former
occurrence of Goshawk in Ireland,
244 ; Irish Otter, 208 ; Long-tailed
Field-mice, 207 ; Number of
young of Stoat, 208'

Barrington, Richard M. : Do

Rabbits eat Arum maculatum.'

157 ; Little Gull, 183 ; Little Gull

in Co. Meath , 99.
Bartsia viscosa in Connemara, 253.
Bather, F. A. : Lankester's

" Treatise on Zoology," 158.
Beetles in birds' nests, 255.
Belfast Naturalists' Field Club,

17, 139, 160, 178, 214, 225, 251.
Bennis, Ernest H. : Late abundance

of Pyrameis atalanta, 55.
Bickham, vSpencer C. : Do Rabbits

eat Arum maculatum ? 203.
Biological sub division of Ireland,

.1, 52-
Birds : Bird notes. Mayo, 243 ;

Birds' nests, beetles in, 255 ; Birds

of pre}', some unrecorded, 100 ;

Birds seen from the " Helga " off

the South-west coast, 80 ; Food

of birds, 243 ; Land birds' nests in

holes on marine islands, 159 ;

Migration of birds in Sligo, 79 ;

IVIortality during migration, 78 ;

Records of Irish birds, 79, 224 ;

Skerries, Co. Dublin, birds, 244 ;

Weight of birds' eggs, 216.
Blackbird eating ivy berries, 207.
Booming of Lough Neagh, 27.
Botanical analysis of a feeding

stuff, 204.
Botanical notes, chiefl}^ from Lough

Mask and Kilkee, 32.
Botanical tour in the islands of the

Fergus estuary and adjacent

mainland, 57.
British Vegetation Committee, 53,

156.
Britten, James : Scrophularia

umbrosa in Limerick, 222.
Bryological notes from Counties

Down and Louth, 12.
Butterfly, late , 55.

Campbell, D. C : Irish fossil mol-
luscs, 25; Ruff at Inch, Co.
Donegal, 243 ; Turtle-dove near
Londonderry, 56 ; W^ood-wren at
Londonderry, 207.

Campylopus brevipilus in fruit,
203.

Carpenter, G. H. : Conwentz's
" Care of Natural Monuments'
(reviewed), iio; Escherich's"Die

\ '

VI

hidex.

Terniiten oder weissen Aineisen.''
reviewed, 109 ; Kearton's "British
Birds' Nests" (reviewed), 16: Obi-
tuar}' Notice of Daniel John
Cunningham, 229 ; Pigott's
'• Changeling," reviewed, 15 ;
Theobald's " Insect and other
allied pests of orchard, bush and
hothouse fruits,'' reviewed. 153 ;
*' Ulster Nature Notes " reviewed,
51 ; Westell's " Animals and their
Story" (reviewed), 236 ; Westell's
"Young Naturalist," reviewed.
223.

Carruthers, R. G., and H. B. Muff :
Lower Palaeozoic rocks around
Killary Harbour, 7.

Catharinea rhystophylke, 120.

Char of Lough Currane, 206.

Char of Ireland, 3.

Cheuopodium polyspermum on
Lough Neagli, 120.

Cherry-laurel leaves, " Shot-holes"
.in, 75-

Cichorium Intvbus in Co. Armagh,
24.

Clare Island Survey, 245.

Clark, R. : Obituary Notice of
George Henry Kin ah an, 29.

Clay, late Glacial, at Templeogue,
232.

Cluster-cups on Barberry, 253.

Coghill, H. E. : Mice devouring
Snails, 27.

Cole, Professor Grenville A. J. :
Late glacial clay at Templeogue,
Co. Dublin, 232 ; Murchison
luedal awarded to, 68.

Coleoptera, Irish : additional re-
cords, 213.

Colgan, Nathaniel : Doris flammea
from the Clare coast, 99 ; Dublin
Marine Biological Committee re-
port for 1908, with special notes
on the Mollusca, 166.

Conwentz, H. : " Care of Natural
Monuments" (reviewed), no. •

Cooper, C. S., & W. Percival
Westell : " Trees and vShrubs of
the British Isles " (reviewed),
loS.

Crab-apple, Fusicladium dendriti-
cuui on.

Crawford, E. : Freshwater Crayfish
in Munster and Ulster, 24.

Crayfish, Freshwater, in Munster
and IHster, 24.

Cristatella mucedo, 138.

Cristatella mucedo and Pectinella
niagnifica, statoblasts of, 22.

Crossbills near Dublin, 26, 244.

Cryj)tothrips dentipes, 41.

Cuckoo-spittle, supposed poison-
ing by, 243.

Cunningham, Daniel John : 0))i-
tuary Notice, 229.

Davies, J, H. : Archidium alterni-
folium in Co. Down, 23 ; Barbula
hornschuchiana in Counties
Down and Armagh, 23 ; Bryo-
logical notes from Counties
Down and Louth, 12 ; Obituary
notice of, 235.

Delap, Alex, H. : Freshwater Cray-
fish in Munster and Ulster, 24,

Delap, M. J. : Early appearance of
Macraglossa stellatarum, 140.

Dewar, Douglas : Use of domed
nests, 223.

Dewar. Douglas, and Frank Finn :
'* Making of Species " (reviewed),

237-
Didvmium from Cruagh Woods,

.45-
Diplodiua salicis, 44.

Domed nests, 161, 223.

Doris flammea from the Clare

coast, 99.
Dragon- flies in Co. Kerry, 55,
Drosera pygmoea, 138.
Druce, G. Claridge : INIontia lani-

prosperma Cham, in Co. Down,

99 ; Notes on Irish Plants, 209 ;

Some additions to my paper on

the Irish flora, 250.
Dublin Marine Biological Com,-

luittee Report, 1908. 166.
Dublin Microscopical Club : 22, 44,

75, 97. ITS, 138, 251.
Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, 23.

46, 76, 97. 140, 22S.

Eggs, weights of birds', 216.

Elysia viridis. 97.

Entomological notes during I9f^8,

69.
Erica Mackaii on I'rrisbeg, 53.
Escherich, K. : " DieTermiten oder
weissen Ameisen" (reviewed) 109.
Exogone gemmifera Pagenstecher,

45-

P'alse-Scorpions, Irish, in National
Museum, 249.

Forbes, A. C. : Cooper and Wes-
tell's " Trees and shrubs of the
British Isles " reviewed, 108.

Feeding stuff, botanical analysis of,
204.

Index*

Vll

Fieldfare, vSummer, in Co. Down,
207.

Finn, Frank, and Doui^las Dewar:

"Making of Species" reviewed,

237-
Flora, Irish : Additions to Druce's

paper on, 250.
Fogerty, Harry : Viviparns vivi-

parus in Co. Limerick, 159.
Food of birds, 243.
Foraminifera, fossil, 254.
Fossil foraminifera, 254.
Foster, Neviu H. : Armadilli-

dium pictuni — a correction, 54;

Weight of birds' eggs, 216.
Foster, Nevin H., and D. R. Pack-

Beresford : Distribution of

Woodlice in Ireland as known

at the end of 1908, 92.
Freshwater Crayfish in Munster

and Ulster, 24.
Fry, vSir Edward : " British Mosses"

(reviewed), 95.
Fusicladium dendriticum on Wild

Crab, 253.

Gallway, W. H. : Pleurophyllida
Loveni — a correction, 56.

Glacial clay, late, at Templeogue,
232.

Gordii of Ireland, 115.

Goshawk in Ireland, 244.

Gull. Little, 183 ; in Co. Meath, 99.

Habenaria intacta in West Gal-
way, 156.

Hammond, Egerton : Truffles in
Co. Kildare, 203.

Hart, W, E. : Food of Birds, 243.

Hartley, T. : Sirex gigas in Co,
Carlow, 255.

Hawk records, 244.

Hawkweeds , Irish, 149 ; Some Irish
Hawkweed and Pondweed re-
cords, 81.

Helix hortensis in Co, Down, 205.

Helix nemoralis in N, W. Donegal,
242.

Helleboriue longifolia in County
Derry, 53.

Henderson, J. : Occurrence of
Osprey in Sligo, 244.

Herrings at Killala Bay, 99

Hiesemann Martin: "How to at-
tract and protect Wild Birds, "
(reviewed), 16.

Hindi, J. de W. ; Obituary notice
of Thomas Mellard Reade, 221.

H^-grophorus intermedins in Ire-
land, 241.

Hymenoptera from Cos. Antrim
and Down, 25 ; Hymenoptera in
Ulster andConiiaught, 242 ; Irish
Hymenoptera, 255.

Irish Field Club l^nion, 48.
Isopods, terrestrial, from Glasnevin

Botanic Garden, Dublin, 44.
Ivy berries. Blackbird eating, 207.

JefFers, B. R. : Extracts from a
lighthouse diar}-, 78.

Johnson, W. F. ; "'a late butterfly,
55 ; Additional records of Irish
Coleoptera, 213 ; Cichorium Inty-
bus and Mimulus guttatus in Co.
Armagh, 242 ; Entomological
notes during 1908, 69 ; Rhagium
bifasciatum in Co. Leitrim, 55.

Jourdain, F. C. R. : Primrose blos-
soms eaten by sparrows. 243.

Kearton, Richard : " British Birds'
Nests " (reviewed), 16.

Kemp, S. W. : Dragon-flies in Co.
Kerr\', 55 ; Lacerta vivipara on
Scariff Island, Co. Kerrv, 26.

Kendal, C. E. Y. : Freshwater
Crayfish in Munster and Ulster,
24.

Kew, H. Wallis: Irish False-Scor-
pions in the National Museum of
Ireland, 249.

Kilroe, J. R., S. B. Wilkinson, A.
M'Henry, and H. J. Seymour :
" Geology of the country around
Londonderry " (reviewed), 136.

Kinahan, George Henry : Obituary
Notice, 29.

Knowles, M. C, and R. D. O'Brien :
Botanical tour in the islands of
the Fergus estuary and adjacent
mainland, 57.

Lacerta vivipara on vScariff Island,
26.

Land-birds' nests in holes on
marine islands, 159.

Land-shell rain-wash at HornHead,
Co. Donegal, IT3,

Langtry, Ross L. : Summer Field-
fare in Co. Down, 207.

Lauice conchilega (Gall.)

Lankester, Sir Ray : " Treatise on
Zoology" (reviewed), 94, 133, 158,
i8r.

Larus minutus, 99, 183.

Lastrea remota in Ireland, 151,

Lepidoptera in Co. Westmeath. 25.

VI 11

Index

Lett. H. W. : New Irish Moss, 120;

Obituary Notice of Jolm Henry

Davies, 235.
Levinge, Norah V. : Lepidoptera in

Co. Westnieath, 25.
I<e\vis, F. J. : Fry's " British

Mosses" (reviewed), 95.
Lighthouse Diarv, extracts from,

78.
Liniapontia nigra, 97
Limerick Field Club, 47.
Limntea involuta in Co. Cork, 205.
Linton. Rev. E. F. : New Thymiis

for Ireland, 215.
Liverwoits and Mosses of Co. Fer-
managh and Slieve League, 144.
Locomotion and use of slime

threads in Irish marine Mollusca

206.
Lower Pakeozcic rocks, Killar}'

Harbour, 7.

M'Ardle, David : Mosses and liver-
worts from Co. Fermanagh and
Slieve League, Donegal, 144.

M'Henry,A., S. B. Wilkinson, J. R.
Kilroe, and H.J. Seymour: "Ge-
olog}' of the countr}- around Lon-
donderry " (reviewed), 136.

Macroglossa stellatarum, early ap-
pearance of, 140.

Marshall, Edward vS. : Praeger's
" Tourists' Flora of the West of
Ireland " (reviewed), 154.

Melanospora leucotricha, Corda

251.

Mice devouring Snails, 27.

Mice, Long-tailed Field, 207.

^Migration of bird.s. Mortality dur-
ing, 7S ; in Sligo, 79.

Micropeplus coelatus in Ireland,

254.
Mimulus guttatus in Co. Armagh.

242.

INIoffat, C. B. : Dewar and Finn's
'• Making of vSpecies '' (reviewed),
237 ; Obituar}- notice of Frances
^Margaret More, 132 ; Orthetrum
cserulescens in Co. Wexford, 24 ;
Sedgwick's " Birds' nests and
eggs — how to identity them "
(reviewed), 135 ; Use of domed
nests, 161 ; T"'ssher's *' I^ist of
Irish Birds" (reviewed). 49;
Wright's "Saint Crilbert" (re-
viewed), 51.

-Mollusca: Dublin INIarine Biologi-
cal Committee report, 1908, 166 ;
Irish fossil molluscs, :>55 ; Irish
Marine, locomotion and use of
.slime threads in, 206 ; Land and

freshwater mollusca of North-
west Donegal, 86 ; Opi.stho-

branch mollusca, 97.
Montia lamprosperma, Cham., in

Co. Down, 99.
More, Frances ^largaret : Obituarv

Notice, 132.
^Nlorlej', Frank : " Guide to the

Natural History of the Isle of

Wight" (reviewed). 219.
Mosses : New Irish ]\Ioss, 120 ; of

Fermanagh County and Slieve

League, 144.
Muff, H. B., and R. G. Carruthers :

Lower Palaeozoic rocks around

Killar}' Harbour. 7.
INIyxomycete on dead pine twigs

at Cruagh Woods, 45.

Nabis lativentris, 252.
Napicladium Brimandii on cherry-
laurel leaves, 75,
Nests, domed, i6t, 223.

O'Brien, R. D. : Freshwater Cray-
fish in Munster and Leister, 24.

O Brien, R. D., and Miss I\L C.
Knowles : Botanical tour in the
islands of the Fergus estuary and
adjacent mainland. 57.

Obituary : — Cunningham, Daniel
John, 229 ; Davies, John Henry,
235 ; Kinahan, George Henry,
29 ; INIore. Frances Margaret,
132 : Reade. Thomas Mellard,
221.

Opisthobranch Mollusca, 97.

Oriole, Golden, Co. Cork, 183.

Ornithology of Skerries, Co.
Dublin 185.

Orr, Hugh L. : Hymenoptera from
Count}- Antrim and Down, 25 ;
Hymenoptera in Ulster and
Connaught, 242.

Orthetrum ccerulescens in Co.
Wexford, 24.

Osprey in Sligo, 244.

Otter,'lrish, 208 ; Speckled Otter in
Ireland, 141..

Owl, Snowy, 160.

Oxyuropoda ligioides, 45.

Pack-Beresford, D. R, and Nevin
H. Foster : Distribution of Wood-
lice in Ireland as known at the
end of 1908, 92.

Palaeozoic rocks of Killary
harbour, 7.

Paludestrinu confusa, P'rauenfeld,
143, 242.

Index

IX

Patleu, Professor C.J. : Ornithology
of Skerries, Co. Dublin, 185.

Patterson, Robert; Hiesemaiins
'' Plow to attract and protect wild
birds '■ (translated Ijy Emma
S. Buchlieim), (reviewed), 16:
" Ulster Nature Notes " (Series
I.) edited by Robert Patterson,
(reviewed), 51 ; White Wagtail
on the P^ast Coast, 183.

Pectinella magnifica and Cristatella
mucedo, statoblasts of, 22.

Pericouia byssoides, Pers., 22.

Pethybridge, George H. : Do rabbits
eat Arum maculatum .^ 157 ;
]Morley's '• Guide to the Natural
History of the Isle of Wight '' re-
viewed, 219.

Phillips, R. A. : Limucea involuta
in Co. Cork ; Paludestrina con-
fusa, Frauenteld, 143 ; Paludes-
trina confusa in Kilkenny and
Clare, 242 ; Vertigo moulinsiana
iu Queen's County, 205.

Plioma grossularicC, 22.

Phyllosticta atrozonata, Voss, on
Helleborus niger, 97.

Pigott, Sir Digby : "The change-
ling " (^reviewed), 15.

Pisidium personatuni, 56, 120.

Pleurocrypta microbranchiata,

G O. Sars, 45.

Pleurophyllida Loveni — a correc-
tion, 56.

Plover, Ringed, 700 miles from land,
27.

Poisoning by Cuckoo spittle, 243.

Pondweeds : vSome Irish hawk weed
and pond weed records, St.

Praeger, R. Lloyd : Agrostis nigra
not in Ireland, 53 ; Asparagus
officinalis in Co, Londonderry,
254 ; Bartsia viscosa in Conne-
mara, 253 ; Botanical Notes,
chiefly from Lough INIask and

Kilkee, X2

Erica Mackaii on

Urrisbeg, 53 ; Lastrea remota in
Ireland, 151 ; Scrophularia
umbrosa in Limerick. 222 ;
Scrophularia vernalis in Ireland,
254 ; Sisyrinchium angustifolium
in Donegal. 222 ; Some Irish
hawkweed and pondweed records,
81 ; Spiranthes Roman zoffiana
not in Devonshire, 241 ; vSurvey
of Clare Island. 245; '■ Tourist's
flora of the West of Ireland " (re-
viewed), 154 ; Trifolium glomera-
tum at Brittas Bay, Co. V/icklow,
241.

Primrose blossoms eaten by

sparrows, 243.
Ptilidium ciliare, Hampe, in Co.

Antrim, 119.
Pyrameis atalanta, late abundance

of. 35-

Rabbits and Arum maculatum,
157. 203.

Reade, Thomas Mellard : Obituary
notice, 221.

Redstarts, Black, in Co. Waterford,
26.

Regan, C. Tate: Char of Ireland,
3 ; Char of Lough Currane, 206.

Reviews : Arber's " Fossil Plants,"
1S2 : Conwentz's " Care of Natural
Monuments," Jio; Cooper and
Westell's "Trees and vShrubs of
the British Isles, native and
acclimatised," 108; Dewar and
Finn's '• Making of Species," 237 ;
Escherich's '' Die Termiteu oder
weissen Ameisen," 109 ; Frv's
" British Mosses," 95 ; Hiese-
mann's " How to attract and
protect Wild Birds." (translated
by Emma S. Buchheim), j6 ;
Kearton's " British Birds' Nests,"
16 ; Laukester's " Treatise on
Zoology," 94, 133, iSi ; Morley's
'• Guide to the Natural Historv
of the Jsle of Weight," 219';
Pigott's "Changeling,' 15 ;
Praegers "Tourist's Flora of the
West of Ireland," 154; Sedg-
wick's Birds' Nests and Eggs,
and how to identify them,' 135;
Theobald's "Insect and other
allied pests of orchard, bush and
hothouse fruits," 153 ; " Ulster
Nature Notes." (edited by Pat-
terson), 51; Ussher's "List of
Irish Birds," 49 ; West and West's
" Monograph of the British
Desmidiacese," 134; Westell's
" Animals and their Story,'' 236 ;
Westell's "Young Naturalist,"
220; Wilkinson, M'Henry,

Kilroe and vSeymour's •' Geology
of the Country around Lon-
donderrv "136; Wright's 'Saint
Gilbert," 51.

Rhagium bifasciatum in Count\-
Lei trim, 55.

Rhytisma salicinum on leaves of
Salix repens, 76.

Riddell, W., Ascidicola rosea in
Belfast Lough, 140 ; vSpinther
oniscoides, Johnston, loi.

Index.

Rocks, Lower Palaeozoic, arouud

Killary Harbour, 7.
Rohii, F. R., Golden Oriole iu Co.

Cork, 1S3; Little Gull, 183.
Royal Zoological vSociety, 17, 44,

72, 96, 117, 138, 160, 177'', 208, 225,

240.
Runcina Hancocki, 97.
RufFat lucli, Co. Donegal, 243,

Scapania intermedia, Husnot, 76.

Scharff, R. F. :— Biological sub-
division of Ireland, 52 ; Irish
Stoat with nine young, 160 ; Lan-
kester's '• Treatfse on Zoology "
(reviewed), 94, 135, 181 ; Occur-
rence of a vSpeckled Otter in Ire-
land, 14] ; vSwiney lecturer on
Geology, 68.

vScovell, R. H.: Mortality of birds
during migration, 78.

Scrojihularia umbrosa in Limerick,
222.

Scrophularia vernalis in Ireland,

254-
Sedgwick, Rev. S. X.: "Birds'

nests and eggs and how to

identify them " Creviewed), 125.
Seymour, H. J., S. B. Wilkinson,

J. R. Kilroe and A. M' Henry,

" Geology of the Country arouud

Londonderry " (reviewed), 136.
Shaw, Lady : vSupposed poisoning

b}' cuckoo-spittle, 243.
Sirex gigas in Co. Carlow, 255.
vSisyrinchium angustifolium in

rjonegal, 222.
vSligo Mollusca, 55
Smith, W. vS. : Booming of Lough

Xeagh, 27.
vSouthern, Rowland : Gordii of

Ireland, 115.
Sparrows and primrose blossoms,

243-

Spiranthes Romanzoffiana not in
Devonshire, 241.

Splachnum vasculosum L. not an
Irish plant, 156.

vSpongospora subterranea (Wallr.)
de Lagerh., 118.

Spumaria alba, D C, 22.

Stelfox, A. '.V. : Additional localities
for tlie new Irish Vitrina, 204 ;
Additional Notes on the land and
freshwater Mollusca of north-
west Donegal, 86.

Stelis pubescens, 97.

Stemanitis ferruginea, 252.

Stoat, number of young, 160, 208.

Survey of Clare Island, 245.

Swain, Isaac : Arber's " Fossil
Plants "(reviewed), 192; Wilkin-
son, M 'Henry, Kilroe and Sey-
mour's "Geology of the Country
around Londonderry " (re-
viewed), 136.

vSwallow, late stay of, 56.

Theobald, Fred V.: "Insect and
other allied pests of orchard,
bush, and hothouse fruits," (re-
viewed), 153.

Tln-mes, Irish, 215, 241.

Tococa formicaria, 45.

Tomlinson, W. J. C. : Habenaria
intacta in West Galway, 156.

Trevelyan, Herbert: Hygrophorus
intermedins in Ireland, 241.

Trifolium glomeratum at Brittas
Bay, Co. \X"icklow, 241.

Truffles in Co. Kildare, 203.

Trumbull, J. : Ringed Plover 700
miles from land, 27.

Tubercularia .F)sculi on .^sculus
Pavia, 76

Turtle Dove near Londonderr}',
56; in Co. Waterford, 184.

ITssher, R.J. : Birds seen from the
'•Helga" off the south-west
coast, 80 ; Black Redstarts in Co.
Waterford, 26 ; List of Irish Birds,
(reviewed), 49 :Nests of land-birds
in holes on marine islands, 159 ;
Snowy Owl — a correction, ibo ;
vSonie unrecorded birds of prey,
100 ; Turtle-doves in Co. Water-
ford, 184; L^se of domed nests,
22^.

Vertebrates, Irish, 26.
Verticilium alboatrum, Reinke et

Berlhold, 252.
Vertigo moulinsiaua in Oueen's

County, 205.
Vitrina, new Irish, additional

localities for, 204.
Viviparus viviparus in Co. Limerick,

159-

Waddell, C H. : Ptilidium ciliare,
Hampcin Co. Antrim, 119 : vSome
Irish Hawkweeds, 149; vSplach-
num vasculosum, L., notau Irish
plant, 156.

Wagtail, White : Dublin County,
121 ; Fast coast, 183.

Index.

XI

Water-beetles in Armagh, 254.

Welch, R. : Helix horteusis in Co.
Down, 205 ; Land-shell rainwash
at Horn Head, Co. Donegal, 113 ;
Pisidiuni personatum — a correc-
tion. 120,

Westell. W. Percival : Do rabbits
eat Arum maculatum .- 203 ; "The
Animals and their story," (re-
viewed], 236; "Young Natura-
list," (reviewed), 220.

Westell, W. Percival, and C. S.
Cooper : " Trees and Shrubs of
the British Isles " (reviewed), loS.

West, W., and G. S. West : '' Mono-
graph of the British Desmidia-
cese," (reviewed), 134,

Wilkinson, S. B., A. M'Henry, J
R. Kilroe, and H. J. Seyn\our :
" Geology of the Country around
Londonderry," (reviewed), 136.

Williams, Alexander : White Wag-
tail in Co Dublin, 121.

Williams, W. J. : Birds of Skerries,
Co. Dublin, 244 ; Crossbills near
Dublin, 244; Late stay of the
Swallow, 56 ; Records of Hawks,
244.

Wood-wren at Londonderry, 207.

Wright, J. C. : " Saint Gilbert : The
vStory of Gilbert White and Sel-
borne," (reviewed), 51.

PLATES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

Heads of Salvelinus obtusus and S.

Trevelyani,
Anterior branchial arches of Salvelinus

Colli and S. fimbriatus, .
George Henry Kinahan, .
Section of Devenish, Lough Mask,
Wind-moulded wood on a Lough

Mask Island,
Spinther oniscoides, S. miniaceus,

S. citrinus,
Speckled form of the Common Otter,
Daniel John Cunningham, .

(Plate i).
(Plate 2).

p. 6

To face p. 26

P- 34

P" 35

To face p. loi
To face p 141
To face p. 229

ERRATUM.

page 75, line 5 from bottom, for " Primus'' read ^^Pmnus.*^

^Ije Itrt^ij Jlrtturalt^t.

VOLUME XVIII.

THE BIOLOGICAL vSUBDIVISION OF IRELAND :

SUPPI.EMKNTARY NOTR.
BY JOHN ADAMvS, M. A.

Whii,e no adverse criticisnivS seem to have been made
respecting the twelve-fold division of Ireland which I pro-
posed in the Irish Naturalist for August, 1908, in regard to its
applicability to the distribution of land and fresh-water species,
it has been suggested to me that it is not well adapted for
indicating the distribution of marine species, as the boundar}^
line between two adjacent sub-provinces in most cases lies
along the middle of a baj-. There is, it must be admitted,
much force in this objection. It would certainly' be preferable
that any given Bay or Lough should belong to one division
only, and in order to meet the views of marine zoologists and
botanists, I have attempted to recast slight!}- the divisions of
the coast-line, thus getting over the difficulty mentioned.

Strictly speaking, the area under water is not, I suppose, a
part of Ireland, and, in consequence, a certain amount of
liberty may be claimed in fixing the boundary between two
sub-provinces — provided that it does not deviate too farfrom the
actual count}^ limits. At the same time I have tried to preserve
the same proportion between the actual length of coast line
belonging to each division as existed in the former scheme.
It might be as well to add that where a boundar}^ line runs
along the shore of a ba}- before turning out to sea, low-water
mark is the line which it follows ; in other words, species
obtained b}' shore-collecting belong (naturally enough) to the
county on whose shores they are collected.

A

2 The Irish Nafuralist. January,

The new limits of the sub-provinces are as follows : —
M I. — Extending from Preghane Point at the east side of
the entrraice of K4nsale Harbour to Kerry Head ;
including therefore Kinsale Harbour.
M 3. — From Kerry Head to Black Head; including the

whole estuar}' of the vShannon.
C I. — From Black Head to the northern entrance of
Killary Bay, opposite Inishbarna and therefore includ-
ing Galway Bay and Killar}- Bay.
C 2. — From the northern entrance of Killary to Lenadoon

Point in Sligo, and including Killala Bay.
C 3 — From Lenadoon Point to Carrickgarve at northern end

of Mullaghmore peninsula.
U 3— From Carrickgarve to Inishowen Head: including

Donegal Bay.
U 2. — From Inishowen Head to Black Head ; including

Lough Foyle.
U I. — From Black Head to Ballagan Point in Louth ; in-
cluding Belfast Lough and Carlingford Lough.
L 3. — From Ballagan Point to boundary line between

Counties Dublin and Meath.
L 2. — From boundary line between Counties Dublin and
Meath to boundary line ])etween Counties Wicklow and
Wexford.
\, 1. -From boundary line between Counties \Vicklo\v and

Wexford to Hook Head.
^L 2. — PVom Hook Head to Preghane Point ; including

Waterford Harbour.
It w^ould, I think, be advisa])le to have some limit seawards
to the above divisions, as they aie apt to have little meaning
when one gets out of sight of land.

With regard to the order adopted in writing the provinces,
it has been mentioned that Con naught has most affinitj' with
Munster as regards its flora and fauna, and consequently, I
think, M C L U is therefore preferable to M L C IT, and in
the former method of writing them the sub-provinces follow
each other in a more natural sequence, first up the west side
and then up the east.

Roval College of vSclence, Dublin.

I909-

THE CHAR OF IRELAND.

BY C. TATE REGAN, M.A.
Assistant in the British Museum (Natural History).

In September last^ I gave an account of the Irish Char, and
it has been suggested to me that a short paper on the same
subject might have some interest for readers of the Irish
Naturalist.

Char are salmonoid fishes of the genus Salvelinus, which
differs from Salmo- (Salmon and Trout) in having the vome-
rine teeth present only as a group on the head of the bone,
which is raised and has a boat- shaped depression behind it.
Within the Arctic Circle and a little to the south of it
migratory char are found, which descend to the sea in the
spring and towards the winter enter the rivers to spawn.
Further south all the char are non-migratory and are princi-
pally restricted to deep cold lakes ; on the Continent the}' are
found in Scandinavia and the alpine region of Central
Europe, and in the British Isles they occur in the lakes of
Scotland, the Lake District, North Wales, and Ireland. There
can be little doubt that when the temperature of the Northern
Hemisphere was lower, as during the glacial epoch, migratory
char were to be found much further south than at the present
day, and that the char of the British Isles, Scandinavia, and
Central Europe represent a number of lacustrine colonies of
one or a few migratory ancestral forms. The char of each
lake or each system of lakes have been isolated for a consi-
derable time and have become differentiated to a greater or
less extent ; it seems best for the present to term the different
forms which are recognisable ard definable ''species/' although
it is quite clear that they are not species in the same sense as
is the Pike (^Esox liicius) or the Roach {Leusisais 7'utilus), which
have probably persisted unchanged during the whole of the
time that the evolution of the Salvelini has been taking place.

' Annals and Magazine of N^atural History (dec. 8), vol. ii., pp. 225-234.

' Some authors iuchide SalveHnus in Salmo, but the convenience of
having distinct generic names for two natural groups so rich in species
as char and trout is obvious.

A 2

4 TJic his/i A^afiiralist. Janunry,

Char may be distinguished from trout by the coloration ;
the back is usually bluish grey or bluish black, although in
some forms it has been described as lilac, lead-colored,
greenish, or brownish; this color.r descends on to the sides and
shades below into a silver}* white, or into an orange or crimson
of greater or less intensit}^ according to the locality, sex, and
season ; pink, orange, or red spots are often present on the
sides and sometimes on the back also ; the dorsal and caudal
fins are greyish or blackish, and the lower fins partake of the
hue of the adjacent parts of the body. Char usually differ
from trout in having the scales smaller and more numerous,
but in the case of some examples of the Lough Melvin Char
this difference is not ver\' apparent.

Probably the most generalised of the Irish char is Salve
Imns Coin, described by Dr. Giintlier in 1863. This is
known from Loughs Kask and Derg in Donegal, Conn in
Mayo, and Mask and Inagh in Galwa}'. It has the bodj'
moderately elongate (the greatest depth contained four to five
times in the length of the fish, without the caudal fin) : the
snout .sub-conical, decurved, with the jaws equal anteriorly; the
teeth feeble or moderatel}^ strong; the interorbital region a
little convex and broad (its width hr the length of the head
in the adult fish), the pectoral fins of moderate length, extend-
ing "5 to I of the distance from their base to the origin of the
pelvic fins, and the scales comparatively large, 138 to 168 in a
longitudinal series. In Donegal and Connemara Salvelhms
Co/n grows to a length of about eight inches, buc in the larger
lakes of Galway specimens a foot long are to be met with.

The "fresh -water herring" of Lough Melvin, in Fermanagh,
Salv€/J7iys Grayi of G nther, has an average length of 10 or i r
inches, and differs from ►S. Colli in having the body usualh'
deeper (depth 3:^ to 4 in the length), the pectoral fin usually
longer (extending H to -j-'u of the distance fiom its base to the
pelvics), the scales often larger (128 to 162 in a longitudinal
series), and the vertebrae fewer (59 or 60 instead of 62 or 63).

In many species of char the females are distinguished from
the males by the less brilliant coloration, the smaller head,
blunter siiout, shorter maxillary and weaker lower jaw, and
by the lesser development of the fins ; in some of the English
and Scotch char these sexual differences are very marked. In

1909.

Rkgan.— 77/^ Char of It eland.

the Lough Melvin char, however, it is ahnost impossible to
distinguish the sexes from external characters/ as was recog-
nised so long ago as 1841 by Thompson, who wrote "some
of the largest-finned are females." Thompson also noted that
this form differed from other char in its dull coloration, pale
flesh and insipid taste.

A single specimen, eight inches in length, from Lough
Finn, in Donegal, differs so notably from S. Colii as to war-
rant me in describing it as a new species, which I have named
after the donor. Major H. Trevelyan. Salvelimis Trevelyani
is especially distinguished from 5. Colii by the produced
pointed snout and strong dentition.

Figure t.

Heads oi Salvelimis obtiisiis (a) and .S'. 7>'<?£'d/;'a;// (/^), natural size, from
male specimens measuring eight inches in total length.

A second new vSpecies from Lough Owel, in Westmeath,
named after Dr. R. F. Scharff, is known from a single speci-
men, nearly a foot long, in the collection of the Dublin
Museum. The scales, which number 186 in a longitudinal
series, are considerably smaller than in 6*. Colii, from which
Salvelimis Scha7[ffi differs also in the conical snout, oblique
mouth, &c.

1 In a recent article on Irish char in the Field, ^Ir. G. A. Boulenger
states that in S. Grayi the males have the pectoral fins longer than the
females. This is contrary to the observations of Thompson (1841) and
Giinther {P.Z.S., 1863, p.12) ; the female specimen mentioned by the
latter is still the only one of that sex in the British Museum collection,
and has a longer pectoral fin than several of the males. The measure-
ments given b)^ Mr. Boulenger, in order to show the supposed difference
between the sexes, appear actually to be taken from GUnther's two
tvpe specimens, both of which are males.

The h'ish Natuyalist,

Jauuary,

Anuther new species described from a single specimen,
only six inches long, inhabits Lough Coomasaharn, in Kerry.
It agrees in most respects with 5. Colii, but has the interor-
bital space flatter and narrower (width 3-^ in the length of
head instead of 3 J in 5 O/// of this size) and the gill-rakers
longer and more numerous, the latter feature suggesting the
specific \\2i\\\^ fimbtiains. In other Irish char I count from
12 to 16 gill-rakers on the lower limb of the anterior branchial
arch, but in Salvelhms fimbriahcs there are 18 or 19.

A fourth new species, Salvelimis obtusus^ is known from
Loughs Luggala and Dan in Wicklow, and Killarney and
Acoose in Kerry. It is distinguished by the short, blunt snout
and the rounded lower jaw% which is included within the
upper when the mouth is closed. In most other characters it
resembles S. Colli, but it has the narrow, flat interorbital
region of S. fiinbriatus, the interorbital width being contained
3J times (adult) to 35 times (young) in the length of the head.
This form attains a length of eight inches.

o.

FiGURK 2.

Aulerior brauchial arches of SalvcUnus Colii (a) aud S. Jif/ibriafn$ {b)
showiug the gill-rakers.

Our knowledge of the Irish char is verj' incomplete, and no
satisfactory account will be possible until several examples
from each lake which contains these fish are available for
description. I have examined good series of specimens from
only three lakes, viz., Eask, Melvin, and Luggala, and I have
seen none at all from several lakes in which char are known
to occur, so the provisional character of my revision will be
evident. It was thought worth while, however, to publish a
preliminary account, in the hope that interest might be aroused
and further material for study result.

British Museum (Natural History), I.oudou, S.W,

I909-

THE LOWER PA^L.^OZOIC ROCKS AROUND
KILLARY HARBOUR.'

BY R. G. CARRUTHKRvS AND H. B. MUFF.

The Lower Palaeozoic rocks of the Killary Harbour region,
whicli comprises some of the most mountainous countr}* in
the West of Ireland, are of interest for several reasons. Far
removed from the typical areas of Shropshire and North
Wales, these rocks present the most westerly development of
the Ordovician and Silurian S3\stems to be found in Europe.
They lie widely apart from the rocks of similar age to be found
in the north and east of Ireland, from which they differ greath'
in lithological character. Moreover, they furnish definite'
evidence of the relation of the Lower Palccozoic rocks to the
Crystalline Schists, information which is difficult to obtain in
any other portion of the British Isles.

- Although the geological structure is simple, and is clearh'
seen in such a hilly tract, the scarcity of fossils only
permitted former observers to lay down various broad
divisions of the strata, and a true comparison of the
fauna with those of other areas was hardly practicable.
In the maps and memoirs of the Geological Survey, pub-
lished between 1874 and 187S, the main divisions of the
strata and their structural relations were laid down.
These divisions were distinct lithologically, and on palaeonto-
logical evidence, were assigned to various members of the
Silurian and Ordovician Systems (grouped at that time as
Upper Silurian and Lower Silurian respectively).
They were, in descending order : —

(. Salrock Slates (Ludlow)
UDDer Silurian \ ^^eelrea Beds (including Leenane Grits)
\ , I (Wenlock)

. Owen duff Series (Llandovery)

Lower Silurian. Doolough Series (including Rossroe Grits)

(Bala and ? Llandeilo).

■I- Read before the British Associatioii, Sectioii C (Geology), DubHu,
September, 1908.

Lower Silurian

^ 7 lie Irish yatjij-alist. January,

111 1893-4 the district was revised for the Geological Survey
In- Mr. Kilroe. Save that he correlated the Leeiiane Grits
with those of Rossroe, and removed the lower third of the
Mweelrea Beds to the Doolough Series, the old grouping was
retained by him, but important alterations were made regard-
ing the geological i^ge of the various divisions.

The table of strata, as revised b}' him,^ is given below.
c Salrock Slates (Ludlow)
Upper Silurian \ Owenduff Series (Wenlock)

I Mweelrea Grits (restricted) (Llandovery)
Doolough Series (Bala)

Leenane Grits and Rossroe Grits (Llandeilo)
, Black Slate at Bencraff (Arenig).

An important discovery of a band of black slates and cherts
at the base of the Leenane grits was made by him. These
yielded graptolites regarded as of probably Arenig age.

We agree with the separation of these divisions according to
lithological characters, but the palaeontological evidence on
which the several ages of the rock-groups was originally deter-
mined was in more than one case too scanty to justify the
inferences drawn. This, and the incorrect determination of
fOvSsils, appears to have misled the field-men, and been the
chief cause of the anomalies in the published map, point'.dout
by Mr. Kilroe in the paper already referred to.

Structurally the strata are arranged in a gentle east and
west syncline, with its axis running a short distance north of
Killary Harbour. The highest beds, however, do not lie in
the centre of the syncline, as a great reversed fault runs along
the south side of the Harbour, hading to the north, and bring-
ing up Ordovician rocks on to the Silurian. The axis of the
main syncline is shifted at the east end of Killary Harbour a
mile or more to the south by an important wrench-fault,
coming from the Maam valley and running in a north-westerly
direction.

All the rocks are more or less cleaved, but the folding is on
the whole quite gentle, although in the northern part of the
district the Doolough Slates show a considerable compression
and packing from the north against the great mass of the

' rroi. Royal Irish Aiadcniy, vol. xxvi , sect. B., pp. 129-160, 1907.

I909- CarpuTHERS <S: ^l\i¥V.--Pa/rco.::ou'RocksofK-i//arv. 9

Mweelrea Grits. At the same time the slates show an appre-
ciable development of sericitic mica, and sometimes their
cleavage is crossed by a later strain-slip-cleavage.

The oldest fossiliferous rocks of the district are of Arenig
age. Sonth of Killnry Harbour these comprise the Leenane
Grits, coarse conglomeratic grits, with very few shale partings,
the whole series being 2,500 feet thick. About 1,000 feet from
the base of the grits occurs a curious lenticular bed of brec-
ciated limestone, exposures of which are seen on Derryna-
clough Hill and near Dernasliggaun Lodge. Under the grits on
the southern flank of Bencraff is found a band of black shales
and cherts about 60 feet thick, which yield a rich graptolitic
fauna of Middle Arenig age. We found here four species of
Teh-agrapfns, Dichoo7-aptus octobracJiiatiis, Didymograptiis ex-
tensns and other forms, including two species of Diphgraphis
new to the British Isles, but known in N. America. A new
species of Ghssograplns (to be described in the forthcoming
part of the Palaeontographical Society's Monograph on British
Graptolites) was also discovered.

The overlying grits }ield few fossils, shale bands being rare.
Diplographis dcniatns and Didyvwgraptns cxtensns, however,
were found. Further to the west, the shale partings increase
considerably, as seen on Rossroe peninsula. The same brec-
ciated limestone is found here, and the shaly partings in the
grits have yielded a considerable number of graptolites,
amongst others Diplograptus daitatits, Phyllograpius, Didyvio-
graptns extensns^ and D. fascicnlatiis.

The Leenane and Rossroe Grits we therefore regard as of
similar age, both belonging to the Upper Arenig.

The Upper Arenig conglomerates enclose pebbles of chert,
granite, quartz-felsite and quartzose schist, the last named
rock being identical with some of the quartzose schists of
Connemara. Dr. Callawa}-^ has noted the resemblance of the
granite and quartz-felsite pebbles to the Galway granite and
associated felsites, which are intruded into the crystalline
schists. Hence we may conclude that the schists of Conne-
mara were alread}^ metamorphosed before Arenig times.
General considerations lead to the conclusion that they are
actuall}" of Archaean age.

^ Quart. Joiini. Gcol. Soc, vol. xHii., pp. 5 [7-524. 1.S87,

A

s5

lo The Irish Naturalist. Jauuary,

The Areiiig grits are replaced north of the harbour by a
wide spreading mass of highly cleaved, green slates (the
Doolough vSlates) with subordinate grit bands. Only where
the cleavage coincides with the bedding can identifiable
fossils be obtained. These slates, at the north end of
Doolough, have yielded Diplograpliis dentatus, Phyllograptus
(4 species), Logaiwgraptus, Tctragraptus^ Trigonograptus^ and
other forms, the majorit}" of which are now found in Ireland
for the first time. At other localities along the shores of
Doolough, Phytlograpths and Didymogi-aptus extensus were
obtained. The Doolough Slate group seems therefore to be
of Upper Arenig age, and on the same general horizon as the
Leenane and Rossroe Grits.

Following on the Doolough Slates in conformable succession
are the Mweelrea Grits. These current-bedded, red, and
greyish-green, felspathic grits form a remarkable feature of
the district. The lower 3,000 feet contain bands of green
shale, yielding abundant fossils locally. Graptolites are
absent, but brachiopods are plentiful, and at one spot the
characteristic IJandeilo trilobite Ogygia was found. Kast of
Killar}' Harbour these grits attain an enormous development on
the Formnamore plateau. Here they seem to be upwards of
12,000 feet thick, the upper 9,000 feet being one monotonous
mass of felspathic grit, without a single parting of shale, and
quite destitute of fossils. In view of their thickness, these
grits may, perhaps, include strata of Bala age. We have no
definite evidence of the existence of Bala beds in the district,
since the Silurian rocks do not rest on the Mweelrea Grits,
but on the Cryf-talline Schists.

The suggestion is made that a considerable part of the
Mweelrea Grits, containing as they do an abundance of angular
grains of fresh, pink felspar, and exhibiting a conspicuous
false-bedding and lenticular pebble-beds, were accumulated
on a land-surface under arid continental conditions. In any
case their deposition was followed by a period of prolonged
erosion, during which a great thickness of Ordovician rocks
was removed from the Connemara Crystalline Schists, so that
the Silurian rocks now rest unconformably on the schists along
a line running eastwards from Gowlaun on the coast along
the south side of I,ough Fee to the head of the Maam valley.
At the base is an irregular breccia, consisting of fragments

1909. CarruThers & Muff. — Palcsozoic Rocks of Killaiy. 11

of schist and augular lumps of vein-quartz, overlain by a
small thickness of red mudstones and barren green grits. The
latter are succeeded by calcareous shell\- grits, which have been
tracedfrom the Maam valley westward to a point south of Lough
Muck. The fauna is essentially a brachiopod one, RhyncJio-
nclla llandoveriana being the most abundant species. Although
no characteristic Llandovery fossil has been found in the
shell-beds of this district, it should be noted that the Survey
fossil lists record Peiifai/ienis oblongjcs from this horizon at
several points to the eastward, and we have obtained this fossil
from another outcrop of these shelh^ grits near Cregganbaun,
some miles N.N.W. of Doolough.

The shell-beds are succeeded bv a massive conq-lomerate
composed of large well-rolled boulders of quartzite mixed with
a few of igneous rocks, generally porphyrite, but the granite
boulders which are so abundant in the Aienig grits are absent
here. The overlying beds, completing the Owendnff Series,
are a thick series of coarse, grey wacke grits, alternating with
green, sandy slates. On the north side of Lough Fee a thin
dark band in the slates yields numerous specimens of HIoiiO'
graptus riccartonensis, and a higher band about 300 feet below
the top of the group contains Monogi'aptus vomerinus. It is
evident therefore that the upper part of the Owenduff Series
represents the Wenlock stage.

The overlying group, the Salrock Slates, is the highest in
the district. It presents throughout a monotonous succession
of dull Indian- red and pale green slates upwards 013.000 feet
in thickness. Fossils are extremely scarce, but those found
are characteristic of the Ludlow group — Lingula Davisi, L.
Syniondsi, and Modiolopsis complanata.

The succession of the various rock groups is summarised in
descending order, in the following table : —

r Salrock Slates. (Ludlow).
Silurian. { Owenduff vSeries. (Wenlock and Upper

^ Llandovery).

r Mweelrea Grits {sc7is2i originalc). (Bala (?)
and Llandeilo).
Doolough Slates, Leenane and Rossroe

Grits. (Upper Arenig).
Black slates and cherts at Bencraff. (Middle
Arenig).
33 George Square, Ediubiugb.

Ordovician.

t2 The Irish A^aturalisf, January,

BRVOLOGICAI. NOTES FROM COUNTIES DOWN

AND LOUTH.

BY J. li. DAVIKS.

In the expectation that the names and localities of some
mosses which have come nnder observation during recent
months, will not be without interest to Irish bryophilists, the}'
are hereto subjoined. A few of them, by reason of their rarity
in Ireland, and other considerations, seem to merit special
mention. Of those from County Down, one of the most inte-
resting (taking them in order of classification) is Ditrichwn
tcniiifolinvi, which had been met with in Ireland only once
before, and that so long ago as 1830, when it w^as discovered
by T. Drummond at Belfast, that being the first notice of its
occurrence in the British Isles. The plant, which may easily
be overlooked, has not since been seen there. At Lenaderg,
where it has now been found, only very little of it could be
detected, but having been once recognized in the field, it may
be expected that on further close scrutiny more will be
revealed.

The finding of Fissidens cnusipcs in the River Bann is also
not without interest, inasmucli as this seems to be the only
definite Irish locality for this pretty aquatic Fissidens. Pre-
viously its only claim for admission to the Irish list appears to
rest on a note in Dr. Braithwaite's British Moss Flora (vol i.
p. 71), "Ireland (Turner 1S09),' without indication of any
sj^ecial locality ; and no mention of the moss can be found in
Irish botanical writings.

Another species, singularly rare in Ireland, is Aulacomniiun
androgymuH, which it was exceedingly gratifying to meet with
in the valley of the Bann. Once before the moss was found in
County Down by Drummond, as mentioned by Templeton,
but since its name is not recorded in Moore's Synopsis it was
not admitted in the Flo) a af the North-east of Ireland.

In the near neighbourhood was gathered a little Fhilonotis,
slender, with bright red stems, and leaves of vivid green,
narrowly lanceolate-subulate, which can be referred only to
P. capillaris — a moss which has not been reported as Irish —
bui being without male inflorescence, which affords a mark

■'1909. Daviks. — Bryologlcal Notes from Down and Louth, i

o

of some value, a slight doubt attaches to the identification.
Mr. Dixon, to whom specimens were sent, says ''^ P. capillaris
in all probability," and Mr. W. E. Nicholson, who has also
obligingly examined specimens, while finding it somewhat
difficult, in the absence of male flowers, to pronounce a posi-
tive judgment, writes : -" Probably P. capillaris. Your speci-
mens are slightly more robust than I find in Sussex, on damp
sandy earth, but it agrees substantiall}^ in other respects."

In August a brief sojourn was made at Greenore in County
Louth. Though any attempt at extended walks or hill-
climbing had then been forbidden me, yet in I'ambling about
here and there, a few noteworthy mosses were observed. Per-
haps the most interesting, and that the gathering of which
afforded keenest pleasure, is ^7;2(5/y<7^(:7;^ dealbatiis. It occurs
in a damp sand}' hollow near the shore of Carlingford Lough,
not far from Greenore. M3' attention was drawn to the spot
by a growth of Eleocharis 2iniglitmis, Lepturus filiformis, and
other plants, and it was when gathering some of these for in-
terested friends, that the distinctive form of the capsules of
our moss caught my eye. In County Down, one of the five
Irish counties for which it has been recorded, it is believed to
be now extinct. Discovered there byTempleton more than a
century ago, it has frequently been sought by subsequent
botanists, but has never been refound. Bryimi inttrmediiim^
which seems to be equally rare with us, was also gathered in
close proximity to the Amblyodon.

It was not until my return that it was ascertained from the
serviceable and ably edited Census Catalogue of British Mosses,
recently published, that some of the commonest species have
not been recorded for Louth (31), such, for example, as Brytwi
capilla7'e and B. argenteum. Being unprovided with a list,
unrecorded common species were not sought, else the few in
number that were observed might, doubtless, have been in-
creased. Other species more or less infrequent were also
noticed, but only those which are first records for the county
are here specified. New records for either county are indi-
cated b}^ an asterisk.

To Mr. H. N. Dixon, Mr. W. E. Nicholson, and Mr. W.
Ingham best thanks are rendered for their kind examination
of specimens submitted and for much valued information.

A 4

14 The hish Natufalist, January,

Co. Down.

♦DItrlchum tenuifollum, Lindb.— Very sparingly amongst Weisia.
-ciridula, at Leuaderg. Kxtremely rare in Ireland.

•Flssldcns crasslpes, Wils.— On stump in an overfall in the River
Rann at Lenaderg. The only localised Irish station.

♦Tortula nnarg-lnata, Spruce.— Shady brick wall, Lenaderg^
Reported elsewhere in Ireland only from Co. Antrim.

Barbula lurida, Lindb. — On brick by a stream, Lenaderg. Rare.

Aulacomnium androgrynuni, Schwseg. — Damp earth on rock by
side of stream flowing into Eann, Lenaderg. Verj' rare in Ireland.

*PliIIonotis capillariSf Lindb.— On garden soil and at side of a road-
way, Lenaderg. Male flowers not found, as stated above.

Ambrystegiuin Juratzkanum, Schp. — Previously reported from
Lenaderg, has since been found in other places in the neighbour-
hood. The specimens which IMr. Dixon considers well marked and
characteristic of the t3'pe are those which were gathered in a
distinctly wet situation — on stones under dripping water. Very rare
in Ireland, but likel}- overlooked.

A* fiuviatile, B. & S. — Rocks in River Lagan below Dromore. Also
a rare plant in Ireland. In this county reported only from River
Bann, in which it is found to be very abundant.

A. fiiiclnum, De Not. var. trichodcs, Brid. — Bj- a disused water-
wheel on the River Lagan below Dromore.

Hypnum exannulatuin, Gunib— A form which Mr. Ingham, who
has given much study to the harpidivid Hypna, refers to var./mwa///;;;.

H. ochraceuni. Turn. — A curious form with short, ver}- obtusely
pointed leaves, not, or hardly at all secund, approaching var.
flaaidum. On wood, mostly unier water on weir, R. Bann, Lenaderg.

H. stratnineum, Dicks. — Drumnagalley Bog.

H. Patientlae, Lindb. — Side of field-roadway, Lenaderg.

Co. Louth.
* Barbula convoIuta,':Hedw.— Frequent.
*B. unguiculata, Hedw.— Common.
♦Amblyodon dealbatus» P. Beauv. — Damp sandy hollow, Mullagh-

tee near Greenore. Very rare in Ireland.
*Bryum pendulum, vSchp. — Top of wall by the sea near Greenore.
*B. intermedium, Brid. — Damp sandy places by the sea, Mullaghtee,

near Greenore.
*B. capillare. L.— Common.
*B. argenteum, L. — Common.
*IVInium undulatum, L. — Frequent.
*Eurhynchlum praeIongum,Hobk. — Common.
*E. tenellum, Milde. — Walls at Carlingford.
♦Hypnum polygamum, Schp. — Damp sandy places, Mullaghtee,

near Grtenore. Rare iu Ireland.

Lenaderg, Co. Down.

1909. 15

REVIEWS.

A NATURE FAIRY STORY.

The Chang'eling'. What a Bo}-, whose eyes had been opened, saw of
the real Life of the Wild Creatures round his Home. By vSir DiGBV
PiGOTT, C.B., IM.B.O.U., with many illustrations by the author and
Charles Tresidder. Pp. 1S7. London: Witherby and Co., 1908
Price, 2s. 6/. net.

This little book is a charming mixture of natural history and fairj'
fancies ; it is worth}' of comparison with Charles Kingsley's immortal
"Water Babies." The hero, a delicate little boy named Tommy, makes
the acquaintance of a "Johnny Fair}-," who successively changes both
himself and Tommy into a long series of different wild creatures, con-
siderately sending another fairy to take Tommy's place in nursery or
schoolroom. Thus Tommy learns by experience the ways of insect,
beast and bird. As a Dormouse, he is pursued by Owl and Weasel ; as a
Weasel he himself hunts and kills Rabbits; as a Fox he is hunted by a
Leicestershire pack ; as a Wild Goose he migrates to the vSiberian tundras ;
narrowly escapes slaughter in a samoyed " goose- drive," and being con-
veniently changed into a Short-eared Owl, survives to see foxes and bears
feed on mammoth flesh and to return to England once again.

If space permitted we should like to quote extensively ; perhaps the
following from the story of Tommy's experience as a young Weasel will
give as true an impression of the tone and spirit of the book as would
lengthy extracts : —

" The old weasel came up only just in time to prevent him running
headlong into one of old Bates' steel traps. , . Later in the run he
actually did put his head into a wire noose, and it was not until the others
had bitten through the string to which it was fastened, and cleverly
loosened the slip-knot, that he could even squeak. Old Footy [the
nurse] next morning could not think how he had chafed his neck,
which was quite red. She had looked at the collar of his shirt, she told
his mother, and had found nothing wrong with it.

" . . Tommy had never enjoyed his morning bread and milk so
much as he enjoyed the long drink he had when at last he sprang onto
the neck of a young rabbit, which gave one shriek and lay dead on the
grass before it had time even to feel frightened.

" He felt a little queer next day when he thought what it was he must
have been drinking. He had always afterwards a sneaking fondness for
weasels; but none the less when he grew up, and would not allow an
owl or a kestrel to be touched, he told his keeper there was not to be
oi^e weasel left about the place."

In such manner is nature study blended with imagination and humour
throughout the book. All parents should get it for their children and
rejoice in it themselves.

G. H. C.

'r6 The Irish Naturalist. Januarj,

THE SCIENTIFie PROTECTION OF BIRDS.

How to Attract and Protect Wild Birds. By Martin Hiese-
MANN. Trrnslated by l{ninia S. Buchheim. Pp. 86. With many
illustrations. London : Witherby & Co,, 190S. Price \s. 6iL net..

This is the most elaborate treatise that'has yet appeared upon nesting-
boxes for birds, and it embodies the result of many years' experience of
that ^Yell-knovvn German authority, the Baron von Berlepsch, whose ex-
perimental station at vSeebach promises to be the training-ground for
future avi-culturalists. The Baron has discovered that the usual nesting-
boxes, sold so largely on the Continent, are made on a wrong plan, and
do not attract birds at all. After years of experiment he has now de-
vised a nesting-box which is so natural in shape and size that on the
average 50 percent, of his boxes are occupied at once. But the Baron
does more ; he has worked out a scheme for growing shelter-woods and
making undergrowths for those birds that do not nest m holes, and he
has been as successful with them as with his boxes. In addition, there
are described many ingenious methods for feeding birds in winter, so
that there is no waste in food, and it is always accessible. The Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds, 3, Hanover-square, London. W.,
sells the Berlepsch nesting-boxes, which are quite cheap (from i^. 6d.
each, or is. each for 20 or more). We wish this book a large
circulation.

R. P.

FOR BIRD LOVERS.

British Birds' Nests: How. Where and When to find and identify
them. By Richard Kearton, F.Z.S. Illustrated from photo-
graphs by Cherry and Richard Kearton. New Edition. London :
Cassell and Co., 190S. Pp. 520. Price, 21s. net.

We have received from the publishers the new edition of Mr. Kearton's
well-known and valuable work, which they have issued in sixteen fort-
nightly parts at is. net each. The result is a volume that must prove a
source of delight to all naturalists, and especially to lovers of birds.
The species are arranged alphabetically under their P^nglish name, so
that the work is somewhat of a dictionary. We cannot but think that a
systematic arrangement would have been quite as convenient and of
mere educational value; the "order" and family aie, however, men-
tioned in each case. Under every species Mr. Kearton gives first a
short descripticu of the parent birds; then an account of the situation
and locality of the nest and the materials of which it is made ; then a
description of the eggs, and finally some general information which
includes a list of local names. The numerous beautilul photographs
have been excellently reproduced, and the coloured plates of eggs are

admirable.

G. H. C.

1909. r;

IRISH SOCIETIES.

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Recent gifts include a Kestrel from Mr. J. C. Gardiner, a vSiamese Cat
from Lady Constance Butler, a Badger from Sir Anthony Weldon, a
Wood Pigeon from Mr. W. \V. Despard, and a Red and Yellow Macaw
from ]Mr. R. Casement.

Among animals lately acquired by exchange are a young Llama, a
Tibetan Yak, two North American Yulpine Squirrels, and two Canadian
Black Bear cubs. The latter are both well-grown, and one is of the
'•cinnamon " variety. The Yak, a most valuable addition to the collection,
is temporarily lodged in the Elephant House. A most interesting feature
in the Gardens at present is the new location of the pair of Otters in one
end of the large seal pond, where they enjoy a great degree of liberty.

Dkckmbkr 9. — A public meeting was held in the Lecture Theatre,
Leinster House (by kind permission of the Council of the Royal Dublin
vSociety"), W. K. PeebIvES (Yice-Presideut) in the chair. Prof. G. H.
Carpenter lectured to a large audience on " Our P'riends in the Monkey
House," indicating the main divisions of the Primates and their pastand
present representatives in Phoenix Park. The lecture was illustrated by
a large series of lantern slides.

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

Octobf:r 28. — The annual conversazione was held in the People's
Palace, Donegall-road. Over 300 Club members and friends assembled
in the large central hall, where tea was served.

In the Patterson INIuseum and the minor hall was shown a fine display
of scientific exhibits, mainly illustrative of the Club's work for the past
year. The value of the exhibits was much enhanced by the fact that
the exhibitors gave informal lecturettes to groups of visitors during the
evening.

In the zoological section, F. BAI.FOUR Browne had a representative
collection of British and Irish water beetles ; N. H. FOSTER .showed
some rare Irish woodlice, including four species not known in Ireland
till the present year; J. Hamilton displayed an interesting case of
insects, and the Rev. W. F. Johnson had a fine exhibit of British insects.
X. Carrothers showed a clutch of night-jar's eggs, found by him in
County Down. James Orr exhibited a collection of the eggs of
domestic fowls, showing variation in size, shape, colour, &c. Among
the most popular exhibits was W. H. GalIvWAY's collection of living
marine animals, which were collected by him locally, and included fine
specimens of actinia, echinodermata, Crustacea, &c.

1 8 The hish Natiirahst. January,

Three really excellent collections of land and fresh-water shells were
shown by T- N- Mri.NK, R. Wkixh, and A. \V. vStki^fox, the latter
exhibit showing fine variation of one of our common laud shells W. V.
M'KiNNEv'S exhibit included leaf insects from Ceylon, showing pro-
tective resemblance. H. Tv. Orr had an interesting displa}- of local
wasps and wild bees. The President of the Club (Rorkrt Patterson,
P.L.S.) showed the eggs and 5-oung of the Common vScoter, taken by him
in Ireland this year and a young tern in curious intermediate plumage.
Prof. Symington, F.R.vS.. excited much interest with his skiagrams
of developing teeth, as did also Prof. Gregg Wii.son with his illustra-
tions of vertebrate teeth.

In botany the following were among the mure noteworthy exhibits; —
N. Carrothers, plants from the Isle of Wight. &c. : Rev. Canon IvETT,
some mosses under cultivation : W. H. Phiujps. choice varieties of
British ferns and some growing specimens of new ferns : W. Porter,
fronds of Atliyrium raised from spores, varieties Q>i Blcchnum spicant from
the IMourne INIountains ; R. IvI.OYD PraEGEr. varieties of ferns recently
found in Ireland : W. H. Robinson, plants from P'rench Guinea ;
W. J. C. TOMIJNSON. flowering plants collected recently in the P'olk-
stone district ; Rev. C. H. AVaddei^t., mosses, lichens, and fungi.

The geological section included a very instructive local exhibit on the
geology of Cave Hill by W:\r. Gray. Among other exhibits might be
mentioned; — Miss M. K. Andrp:ws, the very rare mineral Andrewsite
frouj Cornwall : microscopic section of dolerite dyke, vScawt Hill ;
R. BKivry, minerals from the basaltic rocks of Antrim and Deny ;
C. Bui^i.a, fossil fish remains ; T. Deavhurst, specimens to illustrate
certain physical and optical properties of minerals : the use of heavy
liquids for the separation of mineral particles : W. J, Ff:nneIvL, fossil
plants ; Mrs. W. A. GrEEN, prize set of I.ias.sic fossils ; J. Strachan,
photomicrographs of dendritic growths of copper oxide in paper ;
series of quartz specimens showing variety of form, and specimen
illustrating the opal deposits of Sandy Braes, County Antrim.

The miscellaneous section was well represented, and included : — \V, A.
Green, natural history photographs moui:ted as "passe-partouts";
]Mrs, HOBSON, rubbings from and drawings and photographs of the
great burial mounds. Loughcrew, County jNIeath ; Robert May, I'lster
rushlight-holders and iron-candlesticks, showing evolution of form ;
A. B, Morris, photographs of wild flowers, birds' nests. &c. ; George
Raphaei., arrowheads (a very fine collection) ; J, Vinycomb, framed
drawings and photographs of illuminated pages : R, WELCH, photo-
graphs of places visited on Club excursions, 190S. Distinctly educative
in character were the microscopic demonstrations given by various
members. Joseph Wruvht exhibited some recent foraminifera
from the coasts of Antrim and Dublin ; T. Dewhurst, microscopic
.sections of some rocks of economic importance ; vSyi.vanus Wear,
microscopic sections of wheat, brans, 6cc. Among so much that was
excellentit was difficult to particularise, but special mention must be
• Mven to J. INIaxweij.'s splendid exhibit of microscopic pond life, Sic.

1909. Ptocecdings of I) ish Societies. 19

At 9.15 the entire company met again in the large central hall, where
a short business meeting was held — the President (RoBiCRT PATTERSON,
F.LvS.) in the chair. After welcoming the members, the Chairman
referred to the success of the summer excursions, and made special
reference to the recent meeting of the Britii^h Association in Dublin.

Immediately afterwards a lantern display was given of views mainly
taken on the summer excursions of the Club by Messrs. Haddon, Hogg,
Gra}', Green, Marsh, Welch, and others. This concluded a most success-
ful and enjoyable evening.

November 17. — The President (Robert Patterson. F.I^.S.) lectured
on " The Economic Value of Birds to the vState." A lai-ge audience
listened to his discourse, of which we give a full summary : —

Can we arrive at any idea as to the number of birds that live in Ireland
for six months of the year— April to vSeptember .- There are, roughly.
20,500,000 acres in Ireland. If we take the average number of pairs of
breeding birds as three to the acre, it will, I think, be below the actual
figure. I consulted both ornithologists and farmers on this point, and
the estimates varied from three to twenty per acre, but by means of a
carefvil calculation I have come to the conclusion that three per acre is
a fair number to take. On the one hand, we have to think of the num-
berless large colonies of birds, such as Rooks, Jackdaws, Gulls, the
Swallow family, &c. where the average number per acre would be im-
mensely higher (at Rashwood, County Tyrone, the rookery has been
computed at 10,000 nests), and, on the other hand, we must remember the
barren mountain or bog, though even on the barest mountain Curlews,
(joklen Plover, vSnipe, Grouse, an<l Meadow Pipits will probably make
up the low average I have taken. This low figure gives us the number
of 61,000,000 pairs of breeding birds in Ireland during the summer
months, Kach nest will contain on an average four young, and thus we
get the enormous number of 246,000,000 bird mouths to be fed in this
country. Let us allow liberally for the loss of eggs and young that we
know goes on, and let us take 200,000,000 of mouths as our figure. This
may be taken roughly as the summer land-bird population of Ireland,
without counting at all on the numberless hordes of sea-colonies which
take their food from the sea alone. Many of these summer inhabitants
leave us in the autumn, but their place is taken by immense numbers of
winter birds, which live with us for the other six mouths of the year.
I'nless one is a close student of migration, one has little idea of the
enormous stream of birds that comes to us every autumn and w'inter —
for if the weather in England and vScotland is ver}' severe we receive
large numbers of their statving birds in December and Januar}'. vSurely
such a huge population must require a correspondingly huge amount of
food. The activities of birds are immense. Life fevers through their
veins, their temperature being from tw^o degrees to fourteen degrees
higher than that of mammals. To support this vitality a relatively
enormous amount of food is required by the adults, while the nestling
young require proportionately more. A pair of tits will consume over

20 The hish Naturalist, January,

2,000 caterp'llars in one day, and a robin has been known to eat fourteen
feet of earthworms in a day. Take our 62,000,000 pairs of breeding birds.
Say that one-third of them have young at any one time ; let the parents
visit the nest with food everv five minutes, for onlv ten hours rer dav,
and this low basis means that over 2,500,000,000 meals are furnished !o
our infant birds each day during the breeding season. We may there-
fore reasonably ask how do these birds affect us r Do they cost us any-
thing or save us anything ': Speaking in general terms, and of our birds
as a whole, the mortifying confession must be made that we do not
know. This want of knowledge was clearly admitted l)y the third Inter-
national Ornithological Congress which met at Paris in 1900, and which
passed a resolution requesting the different nations to institute resear-
ches into the feeding of birds. Owing to this lack of knowledge very
diverse views are held by different classes of people, but in this case
the issues at stake are so important that we must use neither the rose-
tinted glasses of the sentimentalist nor the smoked glasses of the farmer
or gardener. We must rely upon the glasses of the microscope in the
hands of a properly qualified investigator, who must be a botanist and
entomologist as well as an ornithologist. The examination of the
stomach contents of the dead ))ird has been well called the " Court
of Final Appeal,'" and it is the one that should be employed by the vState
to ascertain its friends and its foes amongst the birds. The only careful
detailed and prolonged investigation into the food of three common
British birds that was known to the lecturer was that carried out by Sir
John Gilmour in iMfeshire in 1894, when he investigated the food of
Wood- pigeons, Rooks, and vStarlings for twelve consecutive months. A
fairlv large and regular number of birds was obtained, the actual num-
bers being 265 Wood-pigeons, 355 Rooks, and 190 Starlings. It was
shown that the Wood-pigeon is a most expensive and dangerous bird,
as he attacks and uses the very best of all our crops, the grains of all
our cereals^ and the leaves of all our clovers. Even though grain be
left entirely out of court, the Wood-pigeon stands condemned by the
heavy score standing against him for root-crop and clover leaf destruc-
tion. The details of the Rook"s food showed that 58 per cent, of this
bird's food is grain, and that the insects and grubs consumed would not
nearly compensate the farmer for the enormous loss of grain The con-
clusion arrived at is that Rooks in the enormous quantities in which we
have them in some counties do an immense amount of damage, and
entail an unsuspected and severe loss to the farmers. Their numbers
should certainly be kept within reasonable limits. The Starling, on the
other hand, is the undoubted friend of the farmer, and this bird should
be encouraged and protected The Starling, while using a very small
amount of grain, is responsible for an immense destruction of injurious
insects. INIost interesting details were given of the food of Kestrels and
Owls, and it was shown beyond any doubt that these birds are the true
friends of the farmer, and should be most carefully preserved and pro-
tected because of the huge numbers of mice and rats which they destroy.

i9t^. Proceedings of Irish Societies. 21

, One Baru Owl has been known to kill twenty rats in one night, and
this silent and unpaid worker would save the farmers many hundreds
of pounds every year if only it received a little protection and
encouragement. Our forefathers were wiser than we are, because they
always left a hole in every baru so that owls could come out and in as
they liked, and so rid the barns of the mice which live there at the expense
of the owner. The only other bird we know anything about is the
House Sparrow, which is known in America as the English Sparrow.
No bird ever had a fairer or more impartial trial both here and America ;
the verdict is guilty, wuth scarcely one extenuating circumstance. It is
hard for us to realise the cost of this bird in figures, but a large
farmer near Chester told his audience that sparrows did the country
;/r77o,094 worth of damage in a year, reckoning one bushel per sown
acre all over the country. It is now ktiown that this measure is too low.
The result of an examination of 694 stomachs of adult sparrows at
various times and places in Great Britain for over twelve months should
make the farmer pause. It shows that about 80 per cent, of an adult
sparrow's food is cultivated grain of some sort, chiefly corn, while only 10
percent, consists of the seeds of w-eeds. In nestling sparrows not more
than 40 per cent, is insect, while 40 per cent consists of corn, but the
insects are only taken in this quantity till the yoimg sparrow is sixteen
days old. After that he feeds chiefly on corn. Admirable publications
on the .subject of the food of birds are issued by the American Bureau of
Biological Survey, and these he held up as a model to the authorities
in this country. Owing to the importance of this question to our
farmers, and the country generally, it should be taken up by the English
and Irish Departments of Agriculture. The money spent on such an
investigation would be repaid many times over, and its importance is
such that no more time should be lost before economic ornithology is
established as a regular branch of our Agricultural Department.

The address was discussed by Messrs. N. H. Foster, William Gra}', and
W. J. C. Tomliuson. The election of three new members concluded a
most successful meeting.

December, 9: — ZoologicaIv Sec i ion. The first meeting of the
winter session was held in the Museum, the President (Robert Patter-
son , F.L S.,)in the chair. The Vice-President (W. H. Gai^eway) brought
before the meeting a summary of the dredging operations carried on by
the Ulster Fisheries and Biology Association in Belfast.Lough during the
summer. He said that the Association having decided in the spring of
1908 to transfer their Laboratory from Larne Harbour to Bangor, he had
been appointed honorar}' naturalist. It was part of his duties to take
out the Association's steam launch " Mysis," and dredge for material to
supply the members who took up the study of the various groups.
The best find was a specimen of that exceedingly rare marine slug,
PleurophylUdia Loveni. Only two or three specimens have been taken in
Great Britain, and this specimen was the first recorded from Irish
waters. Miss Clara Patterson, the daughter of the President, kindiy
painted the animal's portrait — a most difficult task. The little animal

22 The h'lsh Naturalist. Januan%

was dredged in Smelt Mill Bay, a small bay at the foot of Carnalea golf
liuks, on the 21st July. It spawned on the I7tli August, and died on the
29th vSeptember. The eggs did not come to maturity. A specimen of
the Plumose Anemone which he got measured 12 inches from base to
crown, 9 inches across the tentacles, and the diameter of the column was
5 inches. He had not been able to trace the record of so large a speci-
men having been taken before.

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB.

XOVKMBKR 11.— The Club met at Leinster House Dr. G. H.
I'KTHVBRIDGK (President) in the chair.

A. R. NiCHOi^s exhibited statoblasts of the freshwater Polyzoa, Cn'sta-
tella mticedo and Pcctinatella magiiifica. These statoblasts have the form of
more or less circular discs, each surrounded with a ring of air cells. In
C. jtiucedo a row of anchor-shaped hooks springs from each side of the
statoblast and radiates outwards for some distance be5-ond the margin, but
in P. ))iagiiifxca there is only a single row of these hooks, springing directly
from the margin. /'. magnifua is confined to North America, except as
introduced at Hamburg, Germany. 6'. niucedo, in addition to having
been found in several localities in Ireland, including the Grand Canal
near Dublin, has also been recorded from other parts of the British
Islands, from the Continent of Europe, and froma few places in North
America.

D. M'ArdIvH exhibited specimens and drawings of a minute fungus
Pcriconia byssoides, Pers., which he had detected on a shoot of Gooseberry
-sent from Co. Down. It formed small black patches on the shoot, the
septate fertile liyplue with erect stems, composed of threads, bearing
compact globose heads ; conidia subglobose, dark brown. Mr. Massee,
to whom specimens were sent, says that the spores of this species are
rough and usually somewhat larger than they are stated to be in books.
vSaccardo gives the distribution of the plant as follows ;— Sweden,
Britain, Belgium, Italy, N. America.

F. \V. MooRK showed Pko)na g)ossula)Uc, a fungus which does not
seem to have been previously recorded from Ireland, although recently
it has been very prevalent on gooseberry bushes. It is not parasitic, and
grows on the decaying cortex of the branches.

Dr. G. H. Pethvbridge exhibited a series of specimens of the slime-
fungus Spumaria alba, DC , together with photographs of the ri^x;
sporangial stage, with its white calcareous covering, taken in situ in the
habitat in which the organism was found, viz, among the saud-duues of
the North Bull. The microscojDic characters of the calcareous covering^
the spores, and the capillitium were those of Spumaria alba, DC, but
instead of being opaque white, as is usually the case in this species, the
])lasmodium was yellow. A note on this point will shortly be published
in the Irish Naturalist.

19U9

Proceedings of Irish Societies* 23

DUBLIN NATURALISTS FIELD CLUB.

OcToBKR 24. — Excursion to Cruagh Wood.— About twenty
members and visitors left Terenure at 2.0 on cars and bicycles for Rock-
brook, from whence they walked to Cruagh Wood. Here the conductor
(D. Houston, F.L-S.) collected the party and gave an interesting
account of the structure of the different types of Fungi and distributed
an illustrated list of those likely to be found in the locality. The Club
had also the advantage of the presence of Dr. K. J. M'Weeue}-, whose
knowledge of the specific differences of most of the Fungi collected,
added greatly to the interest. A considerable number of the larger
forms of Fungi were collected, and at dusk the members returned to
town after a most interesting outing.

NOTES.

BOTANY.

Barbula Hornschuchiana in Counties Down and Armagh.

Often looked for, as a moss that might reasonably enough be expected
in County Down, Barbula Hornschuchiana has at length been detected
not only there, but also in the conterminous County of Armagh. In the
former county it occurs— with immature fruit in November— scattered
amongst congeneric and other small mosses on garden paths at Lenaderg,
and in the latter on stones at Drumlin. Widely distributed, though not
by any means common, in Great Britain, it is remarkably rare in Ireland,
having previously been recorded from only two localities :—Inchiquin,
County Cork (Carroll), and walls of Carrickfergus Castle, County Antrim
(Moore).

J. H. DaviES.

Leuaderg. Co. Down.

Archidium alternifolium in County Down. — A correction.

The moss from County Down adjudged to be Archidium alter nifoliuui
and recorded as such {Irish Naturalist, 1907, vol. xvi., p. 215), has since
been found not to belong there. The record must therefore be with-
drawn. From their examination of further specimens, recently gathered,
Mr. H. N. Dixon and Mr. W. E. Nicholson agree in the opinion that the
plant is probably some species of Dicranella, that opinion being sup-
ported by the presence of radicular tubercles, but, for the present, it is
indeterminable. It has appeared for several consecutive years on culti-
vated soil, and hitherto has been always sterile. It will, however, be
kept under observation in the hope that more light may yet be given.

J. H. Davies.
Lenaderg, Co. Down.

24 'J he Irish Nahualisi. Jauuary,

ZOOLOGY.

Freshwater Crayfish in Munster and Ulster.

It is perhaps tweuty-five years siuce I was engaged iu deepening
the Sleivnaun stream, a tributary of the Diel in County Limerick.
One of the workmen took a Crayfish from the mud, and showed it to
me. I understood that they got a good many.

R. D. O'Brien.

Parteenalax, Limerick.

I see note on the occurrence of the Crayfish in the Shannon. It
occurs abundantly in the Suir, Co. Tipperary, and Co. Waterford, and
tributaries I kept them for years in an aquarium ; the largest I saw
was nearly 4 inches. They occur also near vStrabane, in Co. Tyrone.

Ai.Kx. H. Dicr.AP.
Strabane.

I noticed in last year's Irish Natui alist {\o\. xvii., p. 205) that Crayfish
have only been recorded from a few counties. The}- may be met with iu
fair numbers in the River Erne, about a mile from Ballyshaunon.

E. Crawford.
Stouenold, Ballyshaunon.

Noticing that Mr. R. A. Phillips records the freshwater Crayfish for
Co. Limerick and Co. Clare in the October number of the Irish Naturalist,
I should like to add to the list of records Co. Tipperary. I remember
some years ago now finding them in numbers in a stream near Borriso-
kane, Co. Tipperary.

C. _E. Y.KEXDAI.L.

Leicester. "

Referring to Mr. Phillips's note in October number of the Irish
Naturalist, I may state that the Crayfish is plentiful iu this locality, both
in the River Erne and in the Pullaus River at Ballintra, in both of which
they are often found.

H. Al^lvINGHAM.

Ballyshaunon.

Orthetrum cserulescens in Co. Wexford.

This dragonfly is not at all uncommon in peaty bogs in the north,
western part of Co. Wexford, towards the Blackstairs range. In the
valley of the small River Urrin, a tributary of thevSlaney, it is, in suitable
spots, often quite abundant. From Mr. Halbert's article on Dublin and
Wicklow Neuroptera in the British Association Handbook (p. 170) I
gather that all the recent records for this insect are from the province,
of Munster. Its occurrence in AVexford therefore seems to be worth
recording.

C. B. MOKFAT.
iVallylixlnnd, P^nniscorthy.

1909- Notes. 25

Lepidoptera in Co. Westmeath.

I captured two females oi Dasychira fascelina in this county on or about
the Sth July last. They were sitting on the top of the heather in the act
of laying their eggs, so I broke off the twig, eggs and all, and shut both
moths up to finish laying. The eggs hatched out on the 28th July and
the larvce are now about i-inch long. They had not upon vSeptember
i6th begun to hibernate but were still feeding. I caught one other in
1904 before I started my own collection. It was also sitting on heather,
and I did not realize at the time that it, too, was probably in the act of
laying. It is in the collection of Dr. B. L. Midleton. I have some
otlier captures that have not previously been reported from this county
— three imagines of Scotosia dubitata, and one female Spilosoma itundica
(1903) two Biipahis pitiiarias (1906) ; one V^ancssa tirliaB var. 3 in
Newman. Also I do not think Nonagria annidiiiis has been reported before.
It occurs at Slevin's Lake, Westmeath, where I have seen the chrysalids
in bulrushes and imagines have been bred from them b}' Dr. B. L.
]\Iidleton, who discovered them near here.

I have to record the capture by myself on Sunday evening, 4th
October, of a male Achejvnlia atropos which flew into the house here
through an open window. It measures 5J inches across the wings.

NORAH V. Levinge.
Violetstowm, Mullingar.

Hymenoptera from County Antrim and Down.

Having collected some Bees and Wasps in Antrim and Down this
summer, I was anxious to know if I had got any new county records.

Taking J. N. Halbert's list compiled for the Belfast '' British Association
Guide,'' 1902, and adding those recorded in the " Irish Naturalist," since
that date they total fifteen species for Antrim, and fifteen for Down.

They are as follows: — Ponipiliis gihbiis, Down; Saliiis ftisctis^ K.\i\x\m.;
Tachyles fectijiipes, Down ; Spdomena troglodytes, Down ; Passaloectis vionili-
cornis, Antrim ; Gorytes mystiecits, Down ; Mellinus arvensis, Down ; Crabro
tibialis, Down ; C.leiicostoma, Down ; C. palmipeSf Antrmi ; Oxybeliis tntiglumis,
Down ; Vespa rtifa, Antrim ; Sphecodes dimidatus^ Down ; Halticus riibiciindus,
Antrim, Down ; //. alhipes, Antrim, Down ; Andrena timmerana^ Antrim ;

A. cinerea, Antrim, Down ; A. nigrocenea, Antrim ; Notnada ruficornis,
Antrim ; Bonibus lapidarius, Antrim, Down : B. agroru»i, Antrim, Down ;

B. terrestris, Antrim, Down ; B. sylvariim^ Antrim ; B. soroensis, Antrim.

I have taken the following which are not in the above list : — Vespa

vulgaris, Antrim, Down ; V. norvegica, Antrim, Down ; V. sylvestris, Antrim.

Down ; Andj-ma roscr, Antrim, Down ; A. albicaus, Antrim, Down ;

Nomada alternata, Down ; Psithyrus vestalis, Antrim ; P. campestris, Antrim ;

Bombiis hortortun, Antrim, Down ; B. laterWellns, Down : B. derhamellus,

Antrim ; B. cidlumanus, Down ; B. smithiamcs, Antrim ; Megachile ceu-

tuncnlaris, Down.

Hugh L. Orr.
Clear wood Avenue, Belfast.

26 The Irish Natufalist. January.

Lacerta vivipara on Scariff Island. Co. Kerry.

Two specimens of the Common Viviparous Lizani were found on
July i2th, under a stone on ScarifF Island. The species is of course
abundant on the neighbouring mainland, but its occurrence on the
islands is perhaps worthy of note.

S. W. Kkmp.

Dublin.

The Irish Vertebrate Fauna.

In an article in the Zoologist for September Mr. H. E. Forrest draws
attention to the absence from Ireland of many vertebrates found in
Wales, and puts forward the theory so familiar to Irish workers througli
the writings of Wallace, Scharff, Carpenter, and others, that the facts
cited are to be accounted for by Ireland having become an island before
Great Britain did.

Crossbill breeding in Co. Dublin.

To British Birds for November, R. Hamilton Hunter sends a note
recording the breeding of the Crossbill last spring near the Scalp.

Black Redstarts in Co. Waterford.

I had in my hand to-day (4th November) a female or immature male
Black Redstart caught in this house. I liberated it, but before I did so
I saw another on my window sill.

This day twelvemonths I caught a Black Redstart in my bedroom, and
on 2nd November I saw another outside the window ; while on 29th
October and 2nd November, 1S95, two were caught in this house. The
only observation I have made in spring was on 28th March, 1888, when
I .saw one of these birds outside the hall door.

Black Redstarts have been obtained or seen in six successive seasons
from 1880, usually in November, on or near the coast of this county.

This is not the only foreign .summer migrant that visits the south or
south-east coast of Ireland in autumn. Examples have been obtained
from lighthouses of the Lesser Whitethroat, Barred Warbler, Yellow-
browed Warbler, Rufous Warbler. Melodious Warbler, Aquatic Warbler,
Tied Flycatcher, and Red-breasted Flycatcher, besides other rarities
which Mr. Barrington has announced recently.

To speak of these occurrences as taking place " on migration" does not
explain the strange fact that summer visitants to the continents of
Europe and Asia should .so often reach Ireland on their southward

journey in autumn.

R. J. USSHER.

Cappagh Hou.se, Co. Waterford.

1909. iVotes. 27

Ringed Plover 700 Miles from Land.

It may be interesting to note that a Ringed Plover {.^gialitis hiaticitla
Liun.) settled on board R.M.S. " Virginian '" at 1.30 p.m., on loth June
last, Avhen we were 708 miles off the Irish coast. It kept with us flying
about and resting at times till 10 p.m.. when it was caught and given to
me. It was an adult bird in summer plumage. I placed it in a cage,
and it fed freely on bread and milk. There is every probability that
this bird was on its way to Greenland, where it occurs annually along
with its American representative A semipahnala. The latter may have
possibly visited this country. It is distinguished from our bird by
having a web between the inner and middle toes.

J. Trumbui^i.,

Malahide.

Mice devouring Snails.

We are in the habit of putting bread crumbs and seeds on the window
sills for the wild birds, and any number of mice come up through the ivy
to eat the crumbs. If the weather is damp we get crowds of snails on the
window sill. One day my brother said he saw a mouse carry off a snail
'in its mouth. I hardly believed it at the time, but since then I have
noticed broken snail shells and half eaten snails quite close up to where
the mice come up through the ivy.

Another curious fact I have noticed is that the snails will actually eat
the bread placed on the window.

I shall be interested to hear whether these facts have been noticed by

others.

H. K. COGHIIJ,.
Athboy, Co. Meath. .

[We believe that the preying of mice on snails is familiar to many field
naturalists.— Eds.]

GEOLOGY

Booming of Lough Neagh.

Although the fishermen of Lough Neagli for an indefinite period have
been acquainted with the boomings proceeding from this lake, it is only
within the last twenty-five years, so far as I am aware, that they have
been specially noted, and some attention paid to them. Before the
time stated, the inhabitants of the neighbourhood were not aware that
such sounds occurred. If heard and thought of, they were regarded as
of no concern to them Many natural phenomena are mysterious, the
ignorance as to their cause adding to the mystery, but these boomings of
Lough Neagli seem marvellous as well as mysterious. I have heard
them— dull, heavy, explosive sounds — so far as I can remember, in all
kinds of weather, fine and rainy in summer, and cold, fine, and frosty in
winter. I have heard them in spring and autumn also. Sometimes

28 'I Ju Irish Nairn alist. January, 1909.

these sounds have appeared to orit^inate near the T3 rone shore, sonie^
times in the southern jiortion of the Uike^ sometimes apparently in
Toome Bay, and sometimes close to the shore near Antrim. When the
hike ^^as covered with ice, as it was in February, 1S95, on a very calm
sunny afternoon, there were regular boomings at distant intervals, and
lasting perhaps a couple of hours, apparently far away in the south-west,
the writer being engaged skating near the Massereene and Shane's
Castle demesnes at the time. On another occasion, but during the same
protracted frost, and when the ice was about breaking up, there were
terrific boomings, apparently about half-a-mile, or less, from the shore
nearest Antrim. Skaters were momentarily alarmed, and stepped to
look round to see what had happened ; but there were no visible effects.
On a fine spring day, a golfer was much startled by one of these dull,
explosive sounds, which appeared to have originated about a hundred
yards from the mouth of the Six-Mill water. The fishermen denominate
them " lough shootings." But the mystery attaching to them has not yet
been fully stated. The}- are, I believe, never heard at night. I think I
have heard them at almost all hours during the day, and this, fishermen
have done : but I have met with none, fishermen or shore-residents, who
can say they have heard these boomings during daikness. This seem
to me one of the strangest things about them. If the boomings origin-
ated within the lough itself, there would surely be some local disturbance
of the water ; but none is ever seen. Therefore, I conclude that they
proceed from the atmosphere above ; and yet, if there were aerial
explosions, would they not be attended by flashes of some kind "i But
no flashes are ever seen accompanying the sounds. The fishermen
regard them as ordinary occurrences, and never trouble their heads
about the cause. Whether any superstition attaches to them I do not
really know; but these people appear to me as though they would
rather not speak of them.

Sounds of a similar nature to those I have attempted to describe, are
heard at intervals in different parts of the world, and according to Mr.
G. H. Pentland, thej' are heard off the eastern coast of Ireland, from
Wicklow to Carlingford. Are they, I wonder, heard there in various
kinds of weather, though bright and sunny seems to be regarded as most
probable ; and at all seasons of the year as at Lough Neagh ? Are they
heard during darkness .-' It would be interesting to know as fully as
possible the circumstances under which the sounds occur. If I under,
stand Professor Grenville Cole aright, he thinks they may possibly, only
possibly, be caused by seismic movements of some kind. But do such
earth movements never take place during the night .^ And do they
always make a dull, muffled, explosive sound ? And would the}' not be
heard coming from the land as well as from water ? I fear we are yet a
long way from knowing the cause. So far as I am aware, the I.ough
Xeagh reports have not yet been properly investigated.

W. vS. SMFTif.

Antrim.

'1

Irish Naturalist, Vol. XVIII.]

GEORGE HENRY KINAHAN.
Septe?nber, 1908.

To face page 29.]

H. J. Seymour^ photo.

February, 1909. The Irish Natumlist. 29

GEORGE HENRY KINAHAN.

GkorGK Henry KiNAHAN, son of Daniel Kinahan, barrister-
at-law, a member of the well-known Dublin family of that
name, was born in Dublin 19th December, 1829, and died at
Woodlands, Clontarf, 5th December, 1908.

At an early age he entered Trinit}' College, from which he
received his diploma of Engineering in 1853, and immediately
started in his profession as assistant, under Sir John M'Neile
and Mr. James Barton, at the construction of the Boyne
Viaduct, Drogheda. In August, 1854, Kinahan was appointed
to the Geological Survey, then under the directorship of
J. Beete Jukes, and his first field-work was commenced under
the guidance of G. V. Du Noyer and Wyley, in the south-
w^estern districts of Cork and Kerry, where he carried on his
work with that enthusiasm and zeal which distinguished his
entire official life. Eater he removed to Limerick cit}^ where
interesting volcanic problems afforded him full scope for
theor}' and research. Proceeding to Galwa}^ Kinahan took
up the survey of the complicated w^estern area, with which
his name is most intimately connected, and it was while here
that, in conjunction with the Rev. Maxwell Close, he published
his important papers upon the glaciation of that district.

In 1869, upon Du Noyer's death, he was appointed District
Surve3^or of the Geological Survey. In the earlier years of the
Surve^-'s existence, field operations and mapping were pushed
on so rapidly that little time was afibrded the limited staff to
write memoirs on the districts the}^ had traversed, and
Kinahan was detailed to remedy this want, so far as the
districts of County Wexford and portion of County Wicklow
were concerned. This portion of the countr}^ however,
having been one of the first surveyed, and the science of
geology having meantime made rapid advances, a re-survey of
the groiind was found necessary, and in this essential his great
experience proved invaluable. No feature of the countrv,
however small, from Carnsore Point to the Vale of Ovoca
escaped his examination and description. Upon the comple-
tion of his work in the south-east, he took up the survey
of the Kilmacrennan district of County Donegal, the
intricate structure of which was just such a problem as he
delighted to unravel. Here he pursued his field labours until

4

30 TJic Jrish N^atnralist. February,

the conipleLion of the One-inch Geological Map of Ireland
— a work in which he had played a conspicuons part, his
portion extending over at least one-eighth of the whole island.
Kinahan's investigations and researches were not confined to
geology. Archaeology and natural history claimed his attention
•—interest in the latter doubtless derived from his eminent
brother, the late Dr. John Robert Kinahan, whose early
death was such a grievous loss to natural science in Ireland.
No more interesting companion than Kinahan could one
have on an "outing;" and whether along the sand-dunes
of the Wexford coast, the rugged slopes of the Mount Leinster
range, or the dreary quartzite peaks of the Donegal Mountains,
the writer has pleasant and vivid recollections of the in-
structive and interesting hours spent in his compan}-.

He was the last survivor of that band of enthusiastic Irish
geologists, which numbered within its ranks Grifhth, Jukes,
Mallet, Haughton, Close, and other notable men, whose
brilliant discourses attracted crowded audiences to the theatre
of the Engineering School in Trinity College in the flourish-
ing days of the Dublin Geological Societ}^ — the lack of interest
taken in the subject of geolog}' in later times presenting a sad
contrast.

In 1 880-8 1 Kinahan was President of the Royal Geological
Society of Ireland, and his annual address upon the subject
of waste lands of Ireland created much commenr from an
economic standpoint, both at the time of delivery and subse-
quentl3\ In 1884 the meeting of the British Association (of
which he was a member of the General Committe) in
Montreal, gave him an opportunity of visiting the Western
Continent, and he availed himself of the facilities afforded
to examine many localities of interest, his impressions being
subsequently recorded in various papers.

It has not been found possible to compile anything like a
complete list of Kinahan's writings, which comprised con-
tributions to most of the scientific bodies in the Kingdom,
prominent amongst which may be mentioned our own
Geological Society, to whose Proceedings he largely contri-
buted from 1S60 until its extinction in the late eighties.
The kindred society of I^ondon also afforded a medium for
ventilating his ideas, which he frequently availed of. A
reference to the Catalogue of Scientific Papers published by

J909- George Henry KinahaU' 31

the Royal Societ}^ the Index by Dr. and Mrs. Woodward of

the papers published in the Geological Magazine, 1 864-1903,

and a similar list of papers read before the Royal Geological

Society of Ireland, compiled b}^ Mr. Hugh Leonard, and

Praeger's Glacial and Post-Glacial Bibliography, will afford

much information ; but in addition to these, his papers before

other societies were extremely numerous. Indeed, it may be

said that in this respect he was indefatigable. From his first

start in the geological world he never ceased to record his

observations and opinions, and at the very time of his death

he had just completed a paper he intended to have read at the

Royal Irish Acadeni}'. Besides his papers to learned societies,

he published several works in geology, prominent amongst

which were his excellent '• Manual of the Geology of Ireland,"

" Valle3\s, Fissures, Fractures, and Faults," " A Handy Book

of Rock-XameS;" "Reclamation of Waste Lands in Ireland,"

'' Irish Peat, its Utility and Possibilities," "Economic Geology

of Ireland " (which is wddely availed of in connection with

economic developments), and, within the past few months

'• The Superficial and Agricultural Geolog)^ of Ireland." His

knowledge of Ireland was b}' no means confined to geolog3^

A recent writer describes it as encyclopaedic, and a perusal

of the evidence he gave before many Royal Commissions

to which he was summoned, more especiall}^ the " Industries

(Ireland) Commission," in 1885, will show his intimate

acquaintance with the social and industrial conditions of

Ireland.

A man of strikingly imposing physique — he was generally

termed by the country folk "the big miner" — no trouble

nor fatigue could deter him from carrying out the work he so

keenl}^ revelled in, and he would walk through a river up to

his waist to examine a section on the opposite bank as

calmly as if he were in a road cutting. He now rests in the

picturesquely situated churchyard of Ovoca, overlooking his

former residence in the famous lovely vale. Fittingly, his

remains were carried to the grave by a squad of the miners

attached to the now almost deserted, but once prosperous,

Ovoca mines, to most of whom he had been a familiar figure

in da^^s gone by.

R. C1.ARK.
Geological Survey, Dublin.

A 2

-32 The IrisJi Natujalisl. I^ebruary,

o-

liOTAXICAL NOTES, CHIEFLY FROM LOUGH MASK

AND KH.KEE.

\\\ r. ij.ovd prakokr.

Lough Mask.

Although it ivS one of the largest of Irish lakes, Lough
Mask has been but little explored botanically. The lake lies 62
feet above Ordnance datum. It measures about nine miles
from north to south, and two to five from east to west — not
including the tw^o long narrow arms which run westward into
the mountains from the south-west corner. The eastern shore,
formed entirely of low Carboniferous limestone, belongs to
East Mayo, while the w^estern side, stretching along the foot
of the bare slopes of the Partry Mountains, consists of Silurian
slates and Carboniferous sandstone, and lies half in West
Galway, half in West Mayo. The only systematic botanizing
carried out within the region is that of Marshall and ShoolbredT
along the southern shore of the lake, with Clonbur as centre.
Long before, in the sixties, F.J. Foot had collected desultorily
on the shores, as recorded by More"; and a herbarium com-
posed largely of plants from the east shore, in the neighbour-
hood of Ballinrobe, made by Mrs. D. D. PerSvSe in 1892-4,
helped me materially when compiling East Mayo records for
'' Irish Topographical Botany.*' A recent attempt to write a
brief note on the botany of Lough Mask proved such a failure,
owing to lack of information, that I included that lake in the
itinerar}^ of a hurried tour in the West last Jul}^ designed for
the gathering in of gleanings in several districts.

Reaching Ballinrobe on July 17, daylight allowed of a brief
reconnoitering of the ground, from the mouth of the Robe
River northward. Next da}^ was devoted to the islands. A
high wind rendered operations difficult, and compelled a run
for shelter in the evening, but not before a sufficient sampling

^ E. S. Marshai.Iv aud W. A. SHOOi^BRiiD : Irish Tlauts observed in
July, 1895. /^//r;^. /)V., xxxiv., 250-258. 1896. E. S. Marshai^i, ; Irish
Plants collected in June, 1896. Ibid,^ 496-500.

-A. G. More: Recent Additions to the Flora of Ireland, /ourn, Boi.
xi., 115-119, 142-148. 1S73.

1909- Prap:gkk. — Botanical Notes from Lough Mask, etc. 33

had been accomplislied to allow of generalization. On the
third daj' I worked round the north half of the lake from
Tourmakeady to Ballinrobe. As the island expedition ex-
tended from Aughinish near I^ough Carra, to Lusteen in the
south-west, and included a walk thence to Tourmakead}^ it
will be seen that, when Marshall and Shoolbred's results are in-
cluded, materials were now available for a tolerably satisfactor}^
general view of the vegetation of the lake. In the present
notes I need only deal with my ov;n observations.

To take the limestone shore first. This extends from
Knocknagool, in the north-east, southward and then westward
to beyond Clonbur (Fairhill). It is of the usual low, irregular
and much indented type, with man}- outlying reefs. The
shore is usually bare and stony, only here and there covered
with drift. Where demesnes occur and cattle have been kept
off, as below Ballinrobe, it is wooded with native scrub — chiefly
Hazel and Hawthorn, with Ash, Birch, Spindle-tree, the two
Buckthorns, much Rtibus ccesius, and a little Pynis Aria. The
limestone shores proved on the whole unproductive. The
characteristic plants include Viola caimia, Hype7'icinn perfora-
tum, Pamassia pahistris, Galiuvi boreale, Carliiia vvAgaris.^
A?iagallis tenella, Chlora pe^'foliata., Samolns Valerandi, Thymus
Serpyllum. A tract of bare crag-land occupies the shore
.south of Carrowaneeragh — a desolate area of slabs and blocks
of limestone. Neoti7iea intacta occurs here, amid much Plaji-
fago mariti^na \ but the characteristic pavement flora is almost
absent, even the species of the adjoining crag-lands of lyougli
Carra, such as Aquilegia vulgaris, Riibiapercgrina, and Scsleria
cceriilea, being rare or wanting. Sesleria, indeed, an almost
invariable concomitant of bare limestone in western Ireland,
was seen on Lough Mask only on a low range of rocks that fronts
the lake near Knocknagool, with Hieraciuni a^iglicum. -^ Many
of the plants which brighten the shores and islands of Lough
Carra bj' their abundance, such as Thalictruui collinuvi, Riibiis
saxatilis, Lcontodon hispidus, Orchis pyramidalis., Epipactis
paltistris. are also either absent from or rare bj' Lough Mask,
though at the southern end of the former lake they approach

3 For the identification of Hieracia my thanks arc due to Rev. E. V.
Linton.

34 Ihc Irish Naturalist. February

to within a half-mile of the latter. Among the miscellaneous
plants of the eastern lake-shore were Trifoliuni mcdiuvi and
Solanuvi Dulcamara.

Islands are rather numerous alono- the eastern side of the
lake, and it might have been expected that here the limestone
flora would have attained a striking development, as on the
adjoining Lough Carra. This proved to be not the case. The
weather did not permit of an examination of all the islands,
but a number, extending from Castle Hag, at the mouth of the
Robe River, to Carrigeennasassonagh, oif Devenish, were
visited, and ma}^ be taken as a sample of the whole. These
islands are ridges of drift, their long axes lying N.E. and S.W.
This drift has been derived not so much from the limestone
as from the sandstones and slates lying to the north and
west. The matrix is not highl}' calcareous, and limestone
figures only sparingly in the blocks on the shore. On the larger
islands the central portion is occupied by a plateau of Boulder-
cla}^ tree-covered or cultivated, with a steep scarp descending
to a broad shelf, clothed with trees or bushes, sloping to the
water, mostl}^ thickl}^ strewn with blocks of the afore-men-
tioned rocks (fig. i). On the smaller islets the waves have
swept right across, and only a ridge of stones and blocks, the
wreck of the drift, remains.

— --T"*--' ~>

^.o--..,

Fig. I.— Section of Deveuish, Lough Mask, showing Boulder-clay
core, with ruined church, and old beach invaded by wood.

Knowing that drainage operations had been in progress
around Lough Mask and Lough Corrib about 1840 or 1S50, 1 at
first put down this old water-level to pre-drainage denudation.
But the Ordnance maps, and also information obtained locally,
show that the effect of the engineering operations (which con-
sisted chiefly of the cutting of that lunatic canal across the
limestone, v.liich naturally has a bottom like a sieve) was to
lower the water-level only two feet. Now the old beach is
from ID to 15 feet above present storm level. The drainage
from the lake is still, as it has always been, subterranean.

1909- pRAEGKR. — Bota7iical Notes from Lough Mask, etc. 35

The bold Boulder-clay scarps on the drift islands show a long
period of higher water-level, and the condition of the woods
on the broad foreshore on which the scarps look down points
to a considerable period during which the water has not
transgressed its present limits. So that all the evidence points
to a lowering of a long-persistent water level by natural causes,
probably some centuries ago, and to an extent of some 15 feet.
The lowering was, no doubt, caused by solution-enlargement
of water-passages through the limestone between L- Mask and
L- Corrib, allowing the drainage to proceed at a level lower
than before. The feature is a very interesting one^ and would
well repay study by a geologist. I am not aware of any simi-
lar feature among the other limestone lakes of Ireland.

To return to the flora of the islands. On those that are
wooded, the line of the tree-tops rises at a small angle from the
windward to the leeward side, where the trees, 20 to 30 feet
in height, overhang the water (see fig. 2) — a feature very
characteristic of the island-flora of lakes in western Ireland.

■l-^i^*. ■ • -

Fig. 2. — Wind-moulded wood ou a Lough Mask island, seeu from the
north.

The native trees consist chiefly of Ash, Oak, Birch, Holl}^
Alder — the last colonizing the foreshore, and assisting the
bush-vegetation formed by Rhamnus catharticus and wallows,
with occasionally Ulex eitropcEus. Rhavinus Frangula is also
widespread ; it grows usually quite prostrate, with Riibus
ccesius, and more rarely R. saxatilis. Pimis sylvestris has been
planted on many islands, and sows itself in hundreds on the
.foreshores, not only of the planted islands, but of others also
both to east and west (leeward and windv/ard) of possible
parents. The undergrowth of the woods consists largely of
Geranium Robetiianuui and Circeea tutetiana, and sometimes of
Rubi, running down to the water's edge on the eastern sides.
The exposed western sides have a broadish, grassy, bushy,
block-strewn foreshore. Here Galium boreale, Eupatorium
ca7niabi7ium, Campanula rotu7idifolia, Solidago Virgaurea,

36 7 he Irish Nahualist. February,

Carluia vulgayis, Chlora pcyfoliata occur, the first three in
beautiful profusion. Amid this rather calcicole assemblage
(in which many of the species of the Lough Carra islands are
nevertheless missing), it was interesting to find a colonj^ of
heaths on the foreshore of Shangorman. These occupied a
narrow zone between the bushy beach vegetation and the
arboreal zone, where possibly winter storms had b}^ degrees
formed a substratum of vegetable debris. Calluna was here,
and more sparingl}' Erica ciiierea, E. Tetralix^ and Dabeocia
polifolia. Ulcx curopcciis is confined to the same zone. The
occurrence of Dabeocia is interesting. Mrs. Persse reported
a single plant on Martyn's Island (the same station) in 1891,
which on the evidence I was inclined to consider introduced
or casual : but it is clear that the record should stand, this
being the only instance, so far as 1 am aware, of the plant's
occurrence within the limestone area. On the same island
good Cnictis pratmsis x palusf7'is was seen, with both parents.
On a small islet south-west of Devenish, Ra^iunculus scoticns
was in fine condition. On Shangorman, Ca7'ex strigosa was
gathered, and also Hieracium iricuni. On the windward shore
of some of the islands weeds of cultivation were abundant,
their seeds evidently blown or washed across from the slopes
on the western side of the lake.

The mountain shore of the lake is much more regular than
the eastern, and runs south-west, with few indentations or
islets, from the north end of the lake to the two long arms
which have been already mentioned. Trie ground slopes
downward from the Silurian uplands to the water, and is
mostl}^ cultivated. Where it is rough, the calcifuge Conne-
mara flora, including Dabeocia polifolia, descends to the
water's edge. The shore is stony and bare, without rocks.
In the north delightful sandy bays occur, backed by mounds
of sand. Here Filaoo minima and Anthemis nobilis <rrow.
The numerous rocky islets which occur at the north end of
the lake, formed of Carboniferous sandstone, have a vegetation
of stunted native trees and heather. Rhammis catharticus and
R. Frangtda are abundant, also Dabeocia polifolia and Solaniim
Dulcamara. On a sandy bottom in the shelter of the islets
%xo\\ Potomageton filiformis, P. luce?is, Sparganium 7iatans, and
commoner plants. At the opposite end of the lake, the

1909. Praeger. — Botanical Notes from Lough Mask, etc. 37

Lusteen islands were explored. They are exactly like the
islets of the Connemara lakes, glaciated rocks — in this case
altered Silurian — rising out of deep water, and capped with
peat and heath. Here again the old 15-foot beach is finely
developed, even to the extent of rock platforms. Pijuis
sylvestris has been planted. The two Buckthorns are common
on the rock}' beach, with Galiu7n boreale, Hie^'achun umbellatimi,
Solamim D2ilcainara, and in the water Lobelia Dortvianna.
Dabeocia is abundant on the raised central heath area. Listera
cordafa occurs (elevation 70 feet) and Seiitellaria minor. On the
northern slopes of Knocknamuck, on the adjoining mainland,
an area of fine natural wood occurs, composed mainly of Oak,
Ash, and Birch. The scenery around here is as good as the
best chat Connemara can offer. Nearby on the north-v»^est the
lake is filled with sand brought down by the Owenbrin River,
and at low water great yellow expanses are laid bare, backed
by flat sand}^ meadows. Here again Potamogeton fjli/o7mis was
gathered. Further north, at Tourmakead}', Ag7-imonia odorata
grew in abundance.

Of the plants mentioned above, Rhamjuis Frangtila and
Filago miniina are hitherto unrecorded from Mayo West, and
Ranuncnlus scotic7is, Hieracium angliciim, H. iricitm, and Carex
strigosa frcm Ma3'o East. Potamogeton filiformis was pre-
viousl}' known from West Galway and from Lough Mask
onh^ through a fragment floating loose near Clonbur, found
by Rev. E- S. Marshall.

Bai^i^inrobe to Kii^kee

From Ballinrobe I went to Cong, and had a half-day's
exploring to the south-east, along that portion of the Lough
Corrib shore where Dr. Moore discovered the second known
station for Neothica intacta, and whence Miss Jackson contri-
buted some important records to the second edition of " Cybele
Hibernica." The boundar}' between the limestone and the
metamorphic rocks runs here along the irregular shore of the
lake. The outlying points and islets are formed of the older
rocks, between which and the limestone, patches of Carboni-
ferous sandstone intervene. It was interesting to find that
Dabeocia polifolia penetrates to all these last outposts of the
calcifuge flora. It was seen half a mile eastward of the

A 3

38 The Irish Naturalists Februar}-,

steamboat quay, and thence occasionalh^ to Cordroon, be3'ond
Ballymacgibbon Ba}', where these rocks reach their eastern
limit. I see by reference to the six-inch map that this range
constitutes merely an expansion of Miss Jackson's Cybele
station, " between Lislouglny and I^ackafinna." Potentilla
fruiicosa was found on the shore opposite the wooded Island
Morris at Castletown. This is near, but apparently not
identical with, Miss Jackson's station in '' Cybele," and may
be Moore's old station. The two Scutellarias and the two
Buckthorns erew on the shore a little to the north. Ranun-
cvlus scotiais was seen by the lake nearer to Cong. At Cong
itself Enphro.sia Salisburgcnsis grows on the rocks right up
to the houses of the village, and a fruit-stem of Neotinca intacta
was seen a short distance to the north-west.

Pushing on to Maam that evening (where Potamogdon
Kirkii was still in its old station), I crossed the Maam Turk
ridge next morning to Recess. On the wa}' up to Corco Gap
a thick bed of primitive limestone — a grey cr3'stalline rock
like coarse sugar — crops out at intervals for half a mile, beau-
tifull}" carved and fluted in places by the weather, and
producing by solution strange cavernous recesses. Asplcimim
Rnta-muraiia is the sole floral indication of the nature of the
rock, and it was interesting to find members of the prevailing
calcifuge flora — Saxifraga nmhrosa, Athyriinn Filix-fcsmina,
Blcchnum Spicant — growing in dr}^ soil-less crevices of the
limestone. I followed the mountain-ridge for a couple of
miles, including the loftiest peak of Maam Turk (2,307 feet);
but the higher grounds of these hills are bare and desolate
in the extreme, as long ago described b}' Mr. Hart.^

Thence to Recess, where I joined Mr. Welch on a photo-
graphic raid on the rare western plants. At Roundstone, our
first halt, three fruiting stems oi Neotinca intacta^ found by the
roadside where the Dog's Ba}^ lane turns off, strengthened the
position of that rare plant in this district ; Sagina S7ibulata
grew hard by.

Near Woodford, our next stop, Plantago 7naritima\\2iS seen
covering the old road where it crosses the Old Red Sand-
stone ridge (560 feet) north of the village — a characteristic

"* Report ou the Flora of the Mountains of INIayo and Gahvay. Piot,
R.I.A. (2), Science, iii., 694-768. i<S83.

1909. pRAKGKR. — Botanical Notes from Lough Mask, etc. 39

plant of the low limestone crags and lake-shores, but which

I have not seen before on inland non-calcareous nun-alpine
rocks. B}' Lough Derg we had the luck to hit off Inula
salichia in full flower. At Portumna, on the Tipperary side
of the bridge, Inula Helenhwi (new to division 10) was
established, and Eleocharis acicularis was seen in Mackay's
old station (1806). At Limerick we got good j^hotographs of
Scripus triqueter, growing in abundance, with Nasturtium
sylvestre and Potamogeto7i dens^is, on the tidal foreshore of the
Shannon, w^here it is half or wholl}^ submerged at each tide.
Typha angtistifoiia grows likewise on the tidal foreshore a little
below Limerick Docks, with Scripus mar itimus, erv. — a plant
hitherto unrecorded from Limerick, and for which I know of
no other station in tidal waters, unless the former Dublin ones
were such. The plant is extremely robust here, bearing leaves

II feet in length, and Mr. R. D. O'Brien suggests that it ma}*
be the North American form T. elatior.

Dr. George Fogerty, Mr. O'Brien, and I went to Foynes, and
rowed up to Trummera Big, where the former photographed
Glyceria festuccBformis for me. Then he and I went via
Tarbert and Kilrush to Kilkee, where a few days were spent
examining the country from Doonbeg and Monmor down to
Loop Head.

SOUTH-WKST Cl,ARK.

This is a little- known region. As long a^^'o as 1845, it was
visited by Charles Carter,^ who records from it, among other
plants, Eriocaulon septangulare and Elatine hexaiidra. The
latter was found in this area by Dr. Moore also some years
subsequently, but neither has been since reported from Clare.
We had the good fortune to refind both in the neighbourhood
of Monmor bog, in spite of the great alterations to which the
surface has been subject owing to half a century of turf-
cutting. Mr. P. B. O'Kelly has since given me a second
station for the Pipewort in this neighbourhood. Other plants
found at Monmor included Isoetes echinospora (previously
known in Ireland only from Kerry, and from one station each
in Galwa}^ and Mayo), Scutellaria viinor^ Vaccinium Oxycoccus,
Rhynchospora fusca. Drosera intermedia was unusually
abundant, Carcx limosa and C. filijonnis frequent. Silene

^ Botanical Ramble iu Irelaud Phytologist^ ii... pp. 512-14, 1856.

40 The Irish Naturalist. February,

viariti))ia grtw on the railway here, five miles from the sea.
The form of Juncus cffusus with spreading stems occurs all
over the district.

There are low^ sand-dunes just north of Doonbeg, and exten-
sive ones a couple of miles to the north-east. Viola lutea
and Aspcrula cyiianchica are abundant on both, and Eryngium
maritiimim and Convolvulus Soldanclla occur more sparingly
on the latter. All these are local or rare in Clare.

*

The cliffs, on account of the horizontal stratification of the
rocks and their rapid denudation, are vertical or even over-
hanging, almost devoid of vegetation, and in appearance verj-
black, bare and forbidding.

An inlet of the Shannon approaches from the east to within
two miles of the Atlantic at Kilkee. The peninsula thus cut
off runs down south-westward for sixteen miles to lyoop Head,
presenting to the ocean an almost unbroken wall of cliffs,
with softer lines on the river side. This is an extremely wind-
swept region, formed of bleak undulations of Coal-measure
shales. The ground is occupied by rushy pasture or b}^ poor
meadow land, brilliant with Ragweed and Purple I^oosestrife.
The vegetation above the cliffs is closely shorn. Aster Tripo-
liuvi and Glaux maritima grow by the roadside a qtiarter of a
mile inland, at 300 feet elevation. Asplcniuui viarimirn was
seen on rocks in a little glen the same distance from the sea.
Loop Head is surrounded by cliffs 150-200 feet high. The
ground above the western cliffs^ up to the light-hotise (233
feet), over many acres is covered with a close smooth sward of
Armeria viaritima — pure except for a little Glaux viaritiina,
Plantago inaritivia. P. Co?'onop2cs, and Festuca ovina. Elsewhere
good Plantago sward is developed in places, and higher up
shorn Calluna heath comes in. On spray-swept stony slopes
Suceda viarilima grows 100 feet above the sea, with the three
Spergularias, Staticc occidentalis and Cochlearia danica.

Of miscellaneous plants noted in this district I may men-
tion—^///z<^^ officinalis (near houses) and Myosotis rcpens
(frequent) ; Sagina subulata south of Kilkee ; Brassica nigra
and funcus diffusus at Cross and Carrigahoit ; and Dipsaais
sylvestris on the beach at Rinevella Bay. The majority of
these are on record previously from the northern part of
Clare only — mostly from the Burren area.

CRVPTOTHRIPS DENTIPES,

A Genus and Species of Thysanoptera new to the

British Isi.es.

by richard s. bagnael, f.k.s.

Family PHLGEOTHRIPID^, Uzel.

Genus CRVPTOTHRIPS, Uzel.
Cryptothrlps dentipes Reuter^.
iSSo. P/i/ceo^/ifips de/i^i/>es, Renter, Bidrag till Kannedom af Fintands och

Folk, xl. , p. 12.
1S95. Cryptothrips dentipes Uzel, Monographie der Orditiing Thysanoptera

pi. iv.. figs. 31 ^ZZ- pi vii., fig. J27,

p. 234.
1S99. Cryptothrips dentipes Reuter, Acta Soc.pro Fauna et Flora Fennica^

xvii.. No. 2, p. 23.

On September the 4th and 6tli of last 3'ear, I was very-
pleased to find Cryptothrips de^itipes (Rent.) at Portmarnock,
where it occurred, in all stageSj on a spiky rush {[tincus
7naritimus) v/hich grows profusely at the edges of the salt-
marsh. My attention was first attracted by a red tubuliferous
larva which, living as it did on the Juncus, I considered could
not be that oi Anthothrips statices (Hal,), but it was only after
an hour's hard work, during which my hands and arms were
torn most fearfully, that I found the perfect insect. It is the
largest species of the genus, and also one of the largest
European forms, my specimens measuring from 2*4 to 3-0
millimetres. When further attention is given to the stud^^ of
this interesting order of insects, other species of Cryptothrips
will, without doubt, be added to our fauna. The known species
occur in various flowers, on grasses, under bark of certain
trees, and in moss and turf.

Ireeand. — Both sexes of the apterous forms, as well as the
different larv^al and pupal stages, on Juncus maritimus, Port-
marnock saltmarsh, near Dublin, September, 1908 C.
dentipes also occurs in moss and turf, and is recorded b}^
Reuter from Tanacetum, Ervum, Elymus, Calamagrostis, etc.

Previous Distribution. — Finland {Reuter) and Bohemia
( Uzel).

Wiulaton-on-Tyne.

/ A 4

42 The Irish NaJu?alist. February,

ON SOME TERRESTRIAL ISOPODS FROM THE
GLASNEV^IN BOTANIC GARDENS, DUBLIN.

BY RICHARD S. BAGNALL, FES.

On the occasion of the visit of the British Association to
Dublin last year, I had the opportunity of doing a little
collecting in the neighbourhood of that city, and on Monday,
September 6tli, spent an hour with Mr. Pack-Beresford in the
Glasnevin Botanic Gardens searching for woodlice. Owing
to the kindness of the keeper, Mr. Moore, in giving us^every
possible help, we were able to find a number of good species,
though the time at our disposal was short. It is quite evident
that further and more systematic search will bring to light
other interesting woodlice, but as four of the species, Tricho-
717SCUS sp., Tricho7iiscus Stebbingi, Patience, Haplophthabnus
danicus, B.-L-, and Armadillidiiim nasaium^ B -L^-, do not
appear to have been recorded from Ireland, I think it desir-
able to record them here.

TRICHONISCID^«
Genus Trichonlscus, BraiuU.

Trichonlscus sp. nov. (?).

I took possession of a very minute and distinct form, which I had the
opportunity of examining closely at the Museum. Unfortunately the
specimen was afterwards lost, owing to my own carelessness. It was
found with //. danicus and H. Mengii in the fern-house, and I hope that
local naturalists will pay special attention to the Trichoniscidae of the
Glasnevin Gardens, and again find this interesting form, so that it may
be described.

It resembles T, linearis, Patience, superficially.but has each eye composed
of three visual elements instead of one. It is, moreover, exceptionally
narrow, being nearly live times the length of its greatest width. The
lateral parts of the segments of the mesosome are armed with a few (five)
very strong, downwardly curved spines. The extreme length of the
body, the linear form, the shape of the terminal expansion of mesosome;
which closely approaches that in T. linearis, and the prominence ami
number of the spines found on the lateral edge of each segment of the
mesosome at ouce separate the species from T^ pygin<eus.

The colour is white, semi-pellucid, and with ramifications of minium-
red across the segments, similar to the coloration of the male of T.
linearis. The specimen seemed to me to be sexually mature.

[' See notes on pp. 54-5 of this number.— Ed.s,]

1909. Bagnaix. — Isopods fro?n G!as7ievin. 43

Triclioniscus pygrmaeus, G. O. Sars.

Ttichonisius pygmctus, G. O. Sars, Crustacea of Norxvay^ ii., p. 162, pi.
Ixxii., fig. 2, 1897. Bagnall, Amu and Mag. Nat, Hist., ser. 7^ xviii.;'
p> 474, Dec. 1906 : Ann. de la Soc. Roy. ZooL et Malacol. de Belgique,
xJii., pp> 263-266, 1907.

Not uncommon under stones iu the open gardens, but not seen in the
hot-houses. One can generally recognise T. pygmceus iu the field by its
small size, coloration, and its rhythmic, almost worm-like movements.
Mr. N. H. Foster has latel}- recorded this species from Ireland (Co.
Jiown) {Irish Naturalist, vol. xvii., p. 56.) I have taken it in the open
country on the Greater Cumbrae (Cl^yde), near A3-r, and Gibside and
near Winlatoii, in the County of Durham. In gardens and hothouses,
large and small, it occurs more or less profusely in the Clyde area,
Edinburgh, Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire (by the roadside,
Romaldkirk), London, Antwerp, aud Brussels.

Trichonlscus Stebblngri, Patience.

Trichoniscus StfMingi, Patience, [ourn. Linn. Soc. (ZooL), xxx., pp. 42-44,
pi. 7, 1907 ; Bagnall, Ann. de la .Soc. Royale Zool. et Malacol. Belg.y xliii.,
pp. 127-129, 1908.

One specimen in one of the hotter houses ; it will, no doubt, be found
again if the roots of potted plants are examined. I saw a second
specimen, but it escaped in the crevices of a piece of damp rotten wood.
It is easily recognised by the usually dark colour of the body and the
colourless antennae, uropoda and legs. From a structural point of view,
it is one of our most distinct forms.

First taken by my friend Mr. Patience in the open, and later in various
liouses in the Clyde area, where I first had the pleasure of seeing it alive.
I have since found it in more or less numbers at Alnwick, Wylam and
Newcastle, in the County of Xorthumberlaud ; Kew Gardens, London,
and Brussels.

Trichonlscus pusillus, Brandt. — Not uncommon in the gardens.

Trichonlscus roseus, Koch.— Common in the houses and in the
open. The specimens found in hothouses, conservatories, etc., are
almost invariably more beautifully and richly coloured than those found

outside.

Genus Haplophthalmus, Schobl.
Haplophthalmus lYIcngil, Zaddoch.
This very distinct little creature was found not uncommonly iu one of
the cooler fern-houses, as well as under stones on a rubbish heap in the
open. I have taken it in Scotland, the North of England, London,
Antwerp (Belgium), and in the Westphaliau hills at Grune, near Letmathe
(Germany). Mr. Beresford tells me he found it not uncommonly in the
open at Howth, under a couple of old logs, quite away from any green-
houses.

44 The Irish Naiuralist. February,

Haplopthalmus danlcus, Eudde-Lund.
Rather coininon in a fern-honse, and more sparingly in the open,
lioth species of this genus are much slower and more deliberate in their
movements than the species of other Trichoniscid genera. I have
taken this species in Scotland, the North of England, London and
Brussels.

ONISCIDi2E.

Onlscus asellus, Linn^. — Common.

Forcellio scabcr,, Latr. — Common.

Porcellio dilatatus, Brandt — A few.

IVlctoponorthus pruinosus, Brandt. — \Ve only saw one or two
specimens of this pretty woodlouse. though, as a rule, M. pruiuosus and
J\ dilatatus are found in profusion in or near hothouses.

ARIVIADILLIDIID>E.

Artnadillidiuin nasatum, Budde-Lund.

Rather common in one of the hotter houses. This species will, no
doubt, be found in hothouses throughout Europe. It is usually found
amongst the pebbles used in many greenhouses to stand the plants
upon, and is also found at the roots of the different plants. It occurs
in hothouses in the Clyde area, Northumberland, Durham, Kew Gardens,
Antwerp, and Brussels ; in fact, in such situations I have found A. nasaiian
Avherever I have searched for it.

Winlaton-on-Tvne.

IRISH SOCIETIES.

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Recent gifts include four Pigeons from Mrs. Downs, three Barbary
Doves from Mrs. Dent, a Yellow-cheeked Amazon from Mrs. Pater, two
Meadow-pipits and two Corn Buntings from Mr. "W. F. Williams.

The newly-arrived Yak Irom Tibet has now been placed in one of the
cattle -paddocks, and his characteristic points ma}- be readily compared
with those of the Indian Zebu bull andthe Anoa from Celebes, which are
in adjoining enclosures. The Yak is in good health, and very lively.

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB.

Drckmber 9.— The Club met at Leinster House, Dr. G. H. I'RTHV-
BRiDGE (President) exhibited the fungus Diplodina salids^ West, growing
on the bark of a willow, probably Salix iriandra, from near Limerick.
The fungus is new to Ireland, and appears to have been recorded only
twice previously, namely, from Kew (^Grevillfa, xiv., 1S85-6, p. 64), and

i9o9' Pi ocecdings of bis h Societies. 45

from Courtrai in Belgium (Sacc. Syll. iii., p. 411), lu both these
instances the willow on w-hich it was growing was Salix hahylonica.

\V. F. GuNX exhibited a myxomycetous fungus found on dead pine
twigs at Cruagh woods, Co. Dublin. It belonged to the genus Didymium,
but the species was not determined. Though resembling D. farinacciiin
in most characteristics it differed from that species in having smooth
spores, and in the capillitium threads being flexuose.

Prof. G. H. Carpenter showed Oxyuropoda ligioides, a new genus and
species of fossil isopod from the Devonian sandstone of Kiltorcau, Co.
Kilkenny. The fossil was discovered by I. Swain, who in collaboration
with the exhibitor has recently described and figured it {Proc. R. I. Acad.,
vol. xxvii., B., No. 3 The crustacean is 66 mm. in length, and shows
striking superficial likeness to such a "slater" as Ligia.

F. W. Moore showed a section through the peculiar cavities at the
base of the leaf of Tococa formicaria. This plant is a native of Brazil, and
belongs to the interesting group of plants of various natural orders,
in which certain ants take up their abode, living in various specialised
parts of the plants, and in return for shelter affording protection to the
host plant. In Tococa formicaria the ants find their abode in peculiar
hollow chambers at the very base of the leaf, These chambers appear
to be formed by the infolding of the leaf-blade, the edges adhering to
the midrib. The ants gain access by miniite apertures betw'een the
i:)rominent veins of the leaf

R. Southern exhibited the small Polychset worm Exogone genuiiifei-a,
Pagenstecher, belonging to the family Syllidse. Numerous examples of
this species were dredged in two fathoms, in Malahide Inlet, Co. Dublin.
This species is remarkable for the fact that the developing embryos are
attached near the parapodia of the female till they have reached a
high state of development. Several specimens showing this feature
were obtained. This species has not previously been recorded from
Ireland.

N. C01.GAN exhibited a male and a female specimen of a parastic Isopod
dredged in lo fathoms off Skerries on the 23rd July last during one of
the dredging trips of the Dublin Marine Biological Committee. The
parasites, together with a numerous progeny of upwards of 150 minute
yet well developed young, w'ere found lodged in the branchial cavity
of a small Galathea, the carapace of the host being swollen into a
hemispherical protuberance at the point of lodgment. The parasite is
probably Pleurocrypta mici obranchiaia, G. O. vSars, as the male agrees
perfectly and the female very closely with the description and figures of
that species in "Account of the Crustacea of Norway," vol. ii., 1899.
The Galathea which served as host measured 16 mm. in length. It was
too much injured to admit of certain identification, but so far as can be
made out agrees fairly with G. intermedia, Lilljeborg. The female
parasite was 4.5 mm. long with a maximum breadth of 3 mm. ; the male,
1.5 mm. long with a maximum breadth of .5 mm. Further examination
will, it is hoped, lead to a positive identification of this interesting
Isopod, which is probably new to Ireland.

46 The Irish KatUiahst, Februat-y,

DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

XovKMBKR 14.— Excursion to Kicixv's Gi.kn.— A number of
members and visitors left Terenure on cars and bicycles at 2.15 for
Kelly's Glen for the purpose of collecting Fungi. On arrival they were
joined by a section which had started earlier, and who were already at
work. The remainder of the afternoon was si3ent, under the conductor-
ship of J. Bayley Butler, M.A. {^Hon. Set.), in studying the flora of the
glen. The party returned home at dusk, having obtained a number of
interesting species.

NovKMBER 17. — The President (G. H. Pethybridge), in the chair. A
lecture on the Geology of County Dublin was given by I. Swain, B.A.
The lecturer dealt at length with the significance of the Leinster Chain
in the geological history of the county, and then discussed the Ordoviciau
series of Portrane, finishing with an account of the Glacial deposits. A
large series of lantern slides were shown, those dealing with Portrane
being original. The lecture was discussed by the President, Mr. Willcox
and J. de \V. Hindi. The following were proposed as members: —
Mrs. Harford, Mrs. Tatlow, Mr. Tatlow, Mi.ss Kelly, B.A. ; Mr. Stafford
Johnson, Mr. Irvine.

December 5.— Excursion to the Botanic Gardens, Gi^asnevin.
— Thirty members and visitors assembled at 2.15 at the entrance gate,
and under the guidance of C. F. Ball, Assistant Keeper, saw many plants
of interest during a sta}' of two-and-a-half hours. Owing to heavy
rain, the greater portion of the tour was confined to the glass-houses.

December 8. — The President in the chair. The President announced
the resignation of the Vice-Presidenc}' by A. R. Nichols, M.A., M.R.I. A.
and of the vSecretaryship by J. de W. Hindi. R. M. Barrington, LL.B.
gave an account of the following birds obtained during the autumn of
1908 at Rockabill lighthouse : — Locustella certhiola (Pallas's Grasshopper
Warbler), a bird new to the British Isles ; Einberiza pusilla (the Little
Bunting) and Acroccphaliis strepcnis (the Reed Warbler). The specimen.s
were exhibited. The paper was discussed by the President, J. Bayley
Butler, M.A., and J. de W. Hinch.

J. Bayley BuTi.E-R then read a paper communicated by Ai^EXANDer
Wii,ijAMS, R.H.A., "On the occurrence of the White Wagtail (^Motacilla
alba) in County Dublin.'' This paper will be published in a future
number of the li-ish Naturalist.

The President made his report as delegate to the Corresponding
Societies Committee, British Association, 1908. in which he dealt
at length with the papers which had been brought before the Cc>m-
mittee.

W. F. Gunn asked some questions with reference to the proposed
natural history survey of the North Bull, and after some discussion the
President announced that he would deal with the subject in an address
at the annual meeting. The following were elected members ;— Mrs.
Harford, Mrs. Tatlow, Mr. Tatlow, Miss Kelly, B.A. ; Mr. Stafford
Johnson, Mr. Irvine.

T909. Froceed77ios of Irish Socieiics. 47

LIMERICK FIELD CLUB

AxxrAi. Meeting.— Rev. T. F. Abbott was moved to the chair, and
ill the course of his observations, .'■aid the Societ}' was originalh' intended
to encourage the study of natural history, and allied subjects. vSubse-
quently an Archoeological vSection was added to it, and now the latter had
decided to start a vSociet}' on their own account. Lord Dunraven had
consented to be its first president. The Archaeological Society would run
the Journal, and the expense connected therewith would be taken off the
Field Club. The subscription to the latter would in consequence be
lowered, but it would be open to them to join the Archaeological
Society and to contribute to the Journal. He hoped the new Society
would not take from the membership of the old Limerick Field Club
which had done excellent work in this city and neighbourhood in
encouraging the study of natural history generally, and he expressed
the hope that there would be more workers in the different subjects
connected therewith.

Dr. George Fogerty read the annual report.

The report for the i6tli year of the Club's existence is one differing but
little from those that have preceded it. Again we have to report a great
want of workers in the natural history branch of the Club. A wide field
for work is open in this direction, and members of other Field Clubs
in Ireland are constantly coming to our city and county and finding
within our district treasures in natural history passed over by our
members.

The botanical survey of the Fergus Islands has been completed this
year, and we hope to see a full report of the work in a number of the
Irish Natitralis!. The work begun in August, 1907, and sadly hindered by
inclement weather, was continued in July, 1908, under more favourable
conditions.

The Archaeological vSection, whose property we may consider the Field
Club Journal to be, has been doing good work in a quiet way, and have
produced a Journal, the 12th in succession, deserving of all praise.
Your Committee have to report that at a meeting held on the 16th
October it was decided to help forward the formation of an independent
Archyeological Society, and with that object the following resolutions
were adopted ; —

I. It is the opinion of the L. F. C. Committee that the Archaeological
Section be formed into an independent society, with separate executive
and finance, and it be affiliated to the F. C.

II. The members of each to have the privilege of attending the
public meetings and excursions held by each societ}'.

III. Each societ}' to elect its own officers, two of the committee of
each to be members of both societies.

IV. That the obligation and expense of continuing the Journal be
undertaken by the Archaeological Section, and that it circulate among its
members only (free).

48

The Irish Naturalist.

r'ebiuary,

The last annual meeting was held on the 9th November, 1907. vSubsc-
quent to the business, Dr. Atkinson delivered a most instructive lecture
on "The New Photography,"' concluding with some beautiful lantern
slides on auto-chrome plates.

The report then proceeded to enumerate the indoor and outdoor work
of the vsession— lectures and excursions.

It is the intention of the North Munster Arch ecological Societ}- to con-
tinue the Club's Journal in its present form, and so to form an unbroken
series, thereby facilitating the binding and preservation of the numbers.
The financial condition of the Club, the report pointed out, was very
satisfactory.

The Report was adopted.

In consequence of the formation of the new Archaeological Society it
became necessary to make some alterations in the Field Club Rules,
which were adopted.

The following were elected officers for the ensuing year : — President,
Frank Neale ; Vice-Presidents, E. H. Bennis and T. F. Abbott.

J. Stewart was nominated as Treasurer, Dr. George Fogerty as
Secretar}', and the Committee as follows :— P. J. Lynch, B. Barrington,
Dr. W. A. Fogerty, Miss Alice Doyle, Mrs. Dodds, H. V. IVIorony. H.
Fogerty.

IRISH FIELD CLUB UNION.

ACCOUNTS, 1908.

Rkckipts.

£ .f. d.
To Balance, .it 4 5

Affiliation Fees —

D.N.F.C., 1907, .110

B.N.F.C., 1907-8, .22c

L.F.C., 1908, . o 19 o

;^I5 6 5
Audited and found correct.

Expenses.

£ s. d.

P. E. Dal linger, Lecture
in Dublin, . . i 14 7

Prof Cole, Lecture in
Omagh, . , I 14 7

By Balance,

. II 17 3

;^I5 6 5

J. DE W. HiNCH,

Hon. Sec. D.N.F.C.

R. Lloyd Pr.\eger,

Hou. Sec. LF.C.U

1909. 49

REVIEWS.

THE LIST OF IRISH BIRDS.

A List of Irish Birds, showing the Species coutaiued in the Natioual
Collection. By Richard J. Ussher, M.R.I.A., M.B.O.U. General
Gnide to the Natural History Collections (Museum of vScience and
Art). Dublin ; (Official), 190S. Price ^d.

The National Museum is to be warmly congratulated on the publica-
tion of the new '' List of Irish Birds," drawn up with all the care and
minute knowledge that invariably distinguish any work to which Mr.
Ussher puts his hand. Though following to a great extent the familiar
lines of the old List drawn up by the late A. G. More in 1885, and revised
by him in 1889, Mr. Ussher has gone to the utmost pains to ensure that
the largest amount of new information which the limits of space would
permit shall be accessible to those who make use — as we hope that a very
large number will do — of the new publication. Thus the subjects of dis-
tribution and migration are much more fully dealt with in the 1908 list
than was possible in either of the two previous editions. Mr. Ussher
also gives, for the benefit of beginners in ornithology, some practical hints
as to the marks by which certain species may be recognised — a distinctly
new departure in a list of this character. The order followed is that used
in the late Howard Saunders's well-known "Manual of British Birds."
As Mr. More, in the two editions of his list, followed the order of the
4th edition (by Newton and Saunders) of Yarrell's '* British Birds," the
bringing out of Mr. Ussher's list has necessitated a re-arrangement of
the collection of Irish birds in the Museum — a change which, happily,
the Museum authorities were able to carry out before the week fixed for
the meeting of the British Association.

In addition to the newer arrangement and the fuller information, Mr.
Ussher's list has, of course, the merit of including a considerable number
of new species added to the birds of Ireland between the close of 1889 and
the autumn of 1908. Had the publication been delayed a few months
later, however, the list would have been enriched by as man}' as three
additional species— two completely new, while the other had been pre-
viously bracketed as doubtful — which struck the Rockabill lighthouse
during the late foggy autumn, and were shortly afterwards announced
by Mr. Barringtou : — The Reed-Warbler {Acrocephalus streperus)^ Pallas's
Grasshopper- Warbler {Locusfella certhiold), and Little Bunting {Embensa
pusilla).

The number of new species added to the Irish list since Mr. More's
publication was issued is set down by Dr. Scharif in the "Preface' as
twenty-six. Mr. Ussher, in his " Introduction," which follows the
Preface, enumerates twenty-eight, of which, however, five are bracketed
as not, in the author's judgment, entitled to a full place. This would
reduce the total number to twenty-three, which, however, is raised to
twentj'-six again by the three lighthouse occurrences enumerated above.

50 The Irish NaUiralist. iFebruary,

It must, however, be noted that among the twenty-three (not bracketed)
species wliich Mr. Ussher enumerates in his Introduction are two which,
in the body of the list, are not accorded by him specific dignity. These
are the Greenland Redpoll {Linota rostrald) and Holboell's Redpoll (Z
Holhcelli), which appear in the list merely as forms oi Linota linaria, the
Mealy Redpoll. The occasional if not annual occurrence of the Green-
land Redpoll on some of our western islands is of so much interest, not
merely in itself but for its general suggestiveness, that it is much to be
wished that the question of its status as a permanent form with a distinct
distribution could be freed from all ambiguity or doubt.

Besides the additions there are the subtraheuda, wliich, as compared
with the list of 1890, are not inconsiderable, amounting altogether to
fourteen. Those who are familiar with Mr. Ussher's well-known work,
"The Birds of Ireland," will not need to be told what most of these
withdrawals are. In general, the author follows the late ^Ir. Howard
Saunders in refusing admission to all American birds not sufficiently
aquatic in their habits to render it likely that they could have crossed
the Atlantic without aid from vessels. Mr. Usslier has, however, fol-
lowed a more severe rule in his present list than he did in the " Birds of
Ireland" as regards those species whose place in the British list is
beyond challenge, but which have hitherto figured in the Irish only on
the strength of occurrences not very conclusively attested. The species
which in the present list are relegated to brackets after having in the
" Birds of Ireland " enjoyed the honour of full admission, are eight in
number, and of these one only — the Noddy Tern — belongs to the category
of birds withdrawn from the Britannic-aswellas from the Irish list. The
remaining seven are the Marsh Titmouse, Crested Lark, Lesser Spotted
Woodpecker, Goshawk, Kite, Little Egret, and Collared Pratincole. In
bracketing these seven species, I\Ir. L^ssher does not commit himself to
the opinion that they were all erroneously recorded as Irish, but he
recognises that the evidence in their favour is less complete than a
cautious investigator of data would desire.

The withdrawal of the eight species above named practicall}' counter-
balances the additions made to our list since the publication of the
" Birds of Ireland " in 1900. The number of species then included was
288. It IS now, according to Mr. Ussher's text, 2S6, or, counting the
three recent additions announced by Mr. Barrington, 289. In future it
seems probable that all the changes will be in the nature of additions,
since-no one will accuse I\Ir. T.'ssher of having, in the present list, ad-
mitted, any species on evidence that had not been sufficiently well
weighed.

Two. slight- errors may be noted: there are 28 records of the Rose-
coloured Starling in the '' Birds of Ireland,'' not 20 as stated (p. 21); the
Antrim specimen of the American Black-billed Cuckoo is not the
property of Mr. II. Blake-Knox (p. 25), but is in the possession of Miss
Rea of Belfast, the sister of the late Dr. Rea, who shot it.,

C. B^M.

1909 . " Proceedings of his h Societies. 51

NATURALISTS IN ULSTER.

Ulster Nature Notes (Series 1). Edited by Robert PaTTKRSON.
F.L.S., M.R.I.A. Pp. 96 + iv. Belfast : W. Miillan and Son, 1908.
Price 25. 6d.

In this readable little book the editor and his colleagues— including
D. C. Campbell, N. H. Foster, H. L. Orr, W. H. Phillips, Rev. W. S. Smith
R. Welch, and others known to readers of the Irish Naturalist — have
reprinted notes and comments extending over five years in the columns
of the Northern Whig. One correspondent starts a subject, another takes
it up, and in glancing through the pages one seems to be overhearing
the cheerful talk of a party of Northern naturalists. Discussions on birds
occupy most of the space. That depredator of orchards, the Bullfinch
is strongly attacked by " \V. S. S.," but finds redoubtable defenders in
" R. P." and " N. H. F." There are many interesting notes on migration,
including several records of exceptionall}' hibernating Corncrakes.
Varied remarks on nesting habits are illustrated by several good photo-
graphs. An observation by " W. S. S." suggests that the slimy secretion
of Frogs is a very imperfect protection against the attacks of Ducks ; the
same writer is not sure that Frogs do not eat, or at least damage,, straw-
berries. *' R, W." contributes several interesting notes on Mollusca, but
why does he apply the name " Arion " to the common Cellar Slug {Liniax
flavus) ?

Could not a similar " Nature Notes " column be established in one of
our Dublin daily papers ? If good for Ulster why not for Leinster also .'

G. H. C.
SELBORNIANA.

Saint Gilbert : the Story of Gilbert White and Selborne,

with eight illustrations. By J. C. Wright. Pp. 90. London:
Elliot Stock. Price 2s. 6d.

This pleasantly written appreciation of Gilbert White contains little
that is original, but need not on that account be condemned as a super-
fluous publication. It was never more true of anj'one than it is of
Gilbert White, that to know him, as he deserves to be known, one must
have a knowledge of his environment. Mr. Wright's little book, and its
eight illustrations, show us as much of Selborne as of the man who has
made that " out-of-the-way Hampshire village " consecrated ground for
all time to lovers of the study of nature. There is room for a larger and
fuller book on similar lines ; but in the meantime Mr. Wright's modest
contribution is not unwelcome. . V: *.\.-. Jc £.1: ...

- '" '^ "c. R'lvir

5? The Irish NaUualisi* Februan-,

NOTES.

The Biological Subdivisions of Ireland.

I have only now found an opportunity of critically examining the last
few numbers of the IrisJi NatiiniUsi. Mr. Adams's scheme of the division
of Ireland into biological sub-provinces in last August's number aroused
my particular interest, and I wish to associate myself with Mr. Praeger
in its praise. I often felt the want of something of the kind. There
are many groups of invertebrates whose distribution is so little known
that the four provinces are just sufficient to enable us to indicate roughly
where these animals are found. Of others we have acquired a little
more knowledge. We may thus possibly be able to publish a list giving
their range in the more detailed manner suggested by Mr. Adams. There
are certain groups, such as the Rotifers, which are so difficult to deter-
mine and collect that, unless a specialist visits Ireland, not a single
species may be recorded for a long series of years. Yet it is important
that we should have some general idea of the existing knowledge of the
distribution of these groups, at least as far as the four provinces are
concerned.

The subdivisions of the provinces proposed by Mr. Adams, however,
do not appear to me all so useful as Mr, Babington's from a zoological
point of view. For instance, the fauna of Wexford more nearly ap-
proaches that of Wicklow than that of Kilkenny. In the old scheme
the first two are linked together. Mr. Adams now proposes to unite
Wexford with Kilkenny, and Wicklow with Dublin, Kildare, and other
counties.

Nevertheless, the only serious flaw in Mr. Adams's original scheme was
that already noticed by him and corrected in a supplementary note in
the Irish NatutaUst (pi, supra). The marine districts, as first proposed,
could not stand. The new ones are far better. I think it would be
desirable now to refer the whole scheme to some such body as the Royal
Irish Academy Fauna and Flora Committee. Once the active biologists
of Ireland have adopted a good scheme, future lists of species should be
issued in accordance with it as far as possible.

R. F. SCHARFF.

National Museum, Dublin.

BOTANY.

Allium oleraceum in Ireland.

In the Journal of Botany for January, Mr. J. Adams states that the
Antrim records of Allium vincalc are referable to A» okraceiim, and that
he proposes to discuss the matter shortly in these pages.

1909. A'c?/^^ 53

Agrostis nigra not in Ireland.

An Agrostis which is abuudaut on islands in Lough Carra, which I
took to be a form of A. alba, I labelled by inadvertence A- nigra, a species
not yet recorded from Ireland. The specimens went with others to a
specialist, who, curiously enough, passed the name as correct, and the
plant was referred to as /?. nigra in my paper on the flora of Lough Carra
{Irish Nainralist, xv., 210, 1906). Only lately I noticed the discrepancy,
and, for safety's sake, submitted the specimens to Mr. Druce, whose
verdict is A. alba var, coarctata (Hoffm.).

R. Lr.OYD Prakger.

Dublin.

Helleborine longifolia in Co. Derry.

Last August I found this species (formerly known as Epipactis pahtstris

Crantz) growing in a damp meadow between Magilligan Station and the

sea coast. It has never been discovered previous!}^ in Co. Derry, and was

thought to be extinct in the North-East. The only previous records for

that region were one for Co. Down made by Templeton in 1820, and one

for Co. Antrim b}^ Dr. David Moore in the ist edition of •' Cybele Hiber-

nica," 1S66.

J. Adams.
Dublin.

Erica Mackaii on TJrrisbeg.

In view of the limited range of this Heath, it may be worth recording
that, in company with the members of the Central Committee for the
Survey and Study of British Vegetation, at the end of August last I
found a small colony of it on L^rrisbeg, about a quarter of a mile N.E. of
the summit, at about 600 feet elevation. Its former stations do not exceed
200 feet in elevation. The locality furnishes some confirmation of
Ogilbj-'s Letterdife record of 1845, where the plant has not been found
since. This station lies about a mile east of the Urrisbeg one, both
being situated about three miles south of the plant's headquarters at
Craigga More.

R. Li<OYD Praegek.

British Vegetation Committee.

The autumn meeting of the Central Committee for the Survey and
Study of British Vegetation was held at Manchester University on
December 12-13. Thirteen out of the fourteen members attended. The
chair was occupied by A. G. Tausley, M.A. ; also present— W. B. Crump ;
O. V. Darbishire, Ph.D. ; F.J. Lewis, F.L.S. ; C. E. Moss, M.Sc ; Prof.
F. W Oliver, D.Sc, F.R.S. ; G. H. Pethybridge, Ph.D., B.Sc. ; R. LI.
Praeger, B.K. ; V/. M. Rankin ; W. G. Smith, B.Sc, Ph.D. ; Prof. F. E.
Weiss, D.Sc; T. W. Woodhead M.A.: Prof R. H. Yapp. Arrangements were

54 The Irish Natutalist. February,

completed relative to the publication by the Board of Agriciilture of
maps and memoirs sent forward by the Committee, these arrangements
including the adoption of a colour scheme and a symbols scheme, and
the appointment of a Publication Committee. The following communi-
cations were made, most of them being illustrated by maps, lantern slides,
or specimens : — Prof. Oliver: Notes from an Idle Holiday ; Prof. Yapp :
The relation of Vegetation to Evaporation ; Dr. Pethybridge : Preli-
minar}' Observations on the Vegetation of the North Bull ; Dr. Smith :
Occurrence of Pine in Peat on Yorkshire moors; W. M. Rankin : Notes
on Some Plant Associations : R. lyl. Praeger : Photographs of West of
Ireland Plarits.

ZOOLOGY.

Armadillidium pictum — a Correction.

In the Irish Naturalist, vol. xvii., p. 135, I announced the finding of
Armadilliditini pictum, Brandt, at Hillsborough and Belvoir Park, Co.
Down, and at Glasnevin, Co. Dublin. Since then I have had oppor-
tunity of overhauling a considerable number of tj'pe specimens of Wood-
lice in the Museum in Dublin, amongst them being specimens of
A. pictum and A. nasatum, and not being satisfied about the identity of
the specimens I had taken here, I asked Dr. Scharff to re-examine them.
Dr. Scharff says that he much regrets having wrongly identified
A. nasatum as A. pictum, and he is now fully satisfied that the Irish
specimens in the Museum, originally named as A. pictum, belong to
A. nasatum, Budde-Lund. The record of A. pictum, must, therefore, be
withdrawn, and A. nasatum substituted, this being the first discovery of
the species in Ireland. Mr. H. L. Orr has since given me specimens of
A. ttasatutn, taken by him in a greenhouse in Belfast, Co. Antrim.

Nevin H. Foster.

Hillsborough, Co. Down.

Armadillidium nasatum and A. pictum.

Reference to Dollfuss's paper, " Le Genre Armadillidium,''' in the Feuille
des Jnines Naturalisles, 1892, will at once .show how different these two
species are. In Armadillidium pictum the central cephalic lobe is rather
prominent, but not narrowed and produced as in nasatum, and the side
lobes are smaller than in that species. The form of telson is different
{jiasatum having the lateral margin incurved), and also the type of colour-
ation. The relative lengths of the joints of the antennal flagellum is
another good character of differentiation, whilst in nasatum the endopo-
dite (inner ramus) does not reach to the tip of the exopodite (outer
ramus), as in pictum. In pictum the form of the copulative appendage of
the first pair of pleopoda in the male, which are extremely long,

1909. Nofcs, 55

slender towards tip, and. abruptly curved outwards in the form of a liook

is a very striking and valuable character. AyDiaditlidiiim piclu/n, too, is a

smaller creature than nassatuni, and most of Mr. Foster's captures, referred

to above, were doubtless not fully grown. A. piclitm is a common

European form, and there is no reason why it should not be found in

our hill districts.

Richard S. B.^gnat^i,.
Winlaton-on-Tyne.

Dragon Flies in Co. Kerry.

The following eight vSpecies of Odonata were observed during the
month of July, at Darrynane, Co. Kerry. Although records are very
scarce, all are doubtless common Irish forms : — Sywpetntm striolaiinn,
Libeilula quadriniaciilata, Ortheirum caendesccns, Aeschna jtincea (not caught),
Calopteiyx virgo, PyTrhosoiia nymphula^ Ischnuj-a elegans^ EnaUag7na cyathi-
geriun.

S. W. Kemp.

Dublin.

Rhagium bifasciatum in Co. Leitrim,

In May, 1907, my friend Mr. W. A. Hamilton, J.P., sent me a nice

example of this Longicorn, which he had captured on the wooded shore

of Lough Gill, near Shriff". This is the first record of the beetle for

Count)' Leitrim.

W. F. Johnson.
Poyntzpass.

A Late Butterfly.

When driving home on the morning of November 3rd, I saw a speci-
men of the small Tortoiseshell Butterfly ( Vanessa urticce) on the wing
between my house and Poyntzpass, In 1899 I saw Pyravieis alalanta on
wing on October 31. and in 1901, V. iirticce on wing on November i. The
day was very mild with general sunshine.

W. F. Johnson
Poyntzpass.

Late Abundance of Pyrameis atalanta.

During the first eight or ten days of October, I noticed Red Admiral
Butterflies very plentiful ; one afternoon there were seven perfect ones
hovering about in a space of three or four yards.

Ernrst H. Bennis,
Limerick.

Sligo Mollusca.

In the Journal of Conchology^ October, 1908, B. R. Lucas gives the results
of six hours' collecting in the Sligo district, which he designates "a
conchologist's paradise."

56 The Inih NatH)alist. February, 1909.

Pisidium personatum, Malen, an addition to the Irish fauna.

In tlie Frocecdings of the Malacological Society of London ^ Vol. viii., October,
1908, p. 124, Mr. B. B. Woodward records the above species, which had
liitherto been grouped under Pisidium nitidum Jcnyns. He does not
state the characters in which it differs from /*. ;/?V/f/«w, but states that
lie had seen examples from Glenshesk (Antrim), Enagh Lough (Derry),
MacDara's Island (Oalway), Brown's Bay (Sligo), and Portmarnock
(Dublin). It seems therefore widely distributed over Ireland.

Pleurophyllidia Loveni — a Correction.

In a short paper read before the Zoological Section of the Belfast
Naturalists' Field Club on the 9th December, giving the results of m}-
last summer's dredging in Belfast Lough on behalf of the Ulster
Fisheries and Biologj' Association, I announced the discovery of a
specimen of that rare marine slug, P.Lo7jeni, in a small bay outside Bangor.
I was under the impression at the time that my specimen was the first
one taken in Irish waters. My attention, however, has been called to a
note in the Irish Naturalist for 1893, p. 176, where the animal is recorded
as being taken in Bantr}- Bay; it is also mentioned, I find, in Nichols*
"Marine Mollusca cf Ireland." I hasten, therefore, to correct my mis-
take, which was quite inadvertently made, as I have no desire to deprive
the first discoverer of his laurels. I ma)' add that I was indebted to
Professor Gregg Wilson. INI.R.I.A., of Queen's University, Belfast, for the
animaVs identification ; Dr. Wilson also kindly hunted up the literature
on the species.

\\'. II. Gat. T. WAY.

Bangor. Co. Down.

Late Stay of the Swallow.

A Swallow was seen and, I much regret to say, shot near Clondalkin,
County Dublin, on the 9th December. It was an immature bird, but not
one of a late brood, judging by the length of the outer tail-feathers.

W. J. WlI.TJAMS.

Dublin.

Turtle Dove near Londonderry.

C'- /

On ist December a Turtle Dove {7u?'tur commufiis) was brought to me.
It was shot on 30th November at Derry vane, near Muff, Co. Donegal,
about five miles from Derry, by Mr. Robt. Wylie. It had frequented
the neighbourhood for some days in company with Wood Pigeon.s, and
was very wild. It was a male, and in fine adult plumage.

Londonderry. 1>. C. Campbki,!,,

Marcli, 1909 The Irish Nat iD'alht, 57

A BOTANICAL TOUR IN THE ISLANDS OF THE
FERGUS ESTUARY AND ADJACENT MAINLAND.

BY ]MISS M. C. KNOWLES AND R. D. O'bRIRN.

The Shannon tide runs fast at flood between Tarbet and
Kilkerin Point, thence it finds a clear channel as far as Foynes,
about a mile in average width, between bluff banks of the
grits and shales of the Coal-measures. At this point the lime-
stone is uncovered, and at once the scene changes ; the hills
on the Litnerick shore recede towards the south ; alluvial
lands reclaimed from the river alternate with low limestone
crags.

We had, as the Irish Naittralist has recorded C), searched
these crags in the vain expectation of finding the plants
characteristic of Burren, for the Burren limestone extends into
the Limerick Barony of Shanid.

Disappointed there, we noted that the islands in the Fergus
are of the same formation, and as their botany seemed never
to have been critically examined, we arranged an expedition
to explore them for August, 1907, and a detestable wet time it
proved.

The Fergus discharges into the Shannon by a great estuary
guarded at the mouth by a double rampart of limestone
islands. The more southern group, lying in the opening of
the stormy river, which is here some five miles wide, may be
fancied the outl3'ing fortifications of the citadel. Its principal
islands are Inishcorker, Inishtubbrid or O'Grady's Island,
Inishmacowney, also called Horse Island, Canon Island and
Inishloe.

The true bar 01 the Fergus, however, is formed by the
northern group — Deer Island, Coney Island, Rat Island,
Feenish, Deenish and Inishmacnaghtan.

BcA'ond these lies a huge tract of the finest slobland. the
reclamation of which is an enticing engineer's question.
Untold Treasury money has been thrown into the river in
attacking a corner of the problem in the wrong way.

The strike of the strata in these limestone islands is north-
east and south-west, so that their cliff-faces, where there are

(^) /. N., vol. xvi., pp. 185-201.

^8 The I) ish NatiiralisL March,

any, look to the south. As the islands are so difficult to reach,
we had hoped to find much wild land upon them ; the}' proved
for the most part to be good upland limestone grazings,
thoroughly worked and trimmed.

Canon Island, the largest of the southern group, is divided
almost into two parts at the middle. The Augustinian Abbe}'
on the northern portion, whr)se square tower is a well-known
land-mark for sailors on the river, was founded by King
Donald O'Brien towards the end of the 12th century. The
church lies amidst a maze of dry walling and scrub. On the
walls of the ruins the Parsley (^Pctiosclirium sativum) is
abundant, and with it Sisymbrium Thalianum and Saxifraga
tridadylites. At Orlin Point, Mentha rotimdifolia and Cala-
7}ii7itha officinalis grow on a grassy bank, and on the shore
below, the Mullein, Vervain, Artemisia maritima, Teasel,
Mallow, Vicia hii'siita and Caucalis nodosa. Rubia pe7-egrina
was abundant among the scrub and on the rocks. We also
noted A7'abis hirsnta, Poly oa la inilgaris, Sagina nodosa^ Carlina
vulgaris^ Pimpinclla 7nao7ia^ Gentiana campestris and Rosa
7'2ibigi7iosa. Viola hi7'ta and V. ca7ii7ia, which grew on the
crag-land, are now recorded for the first time from South
Clare.

In a pool near the isthmus, we collected Ruppia 7'ostellala,
Za7i7iichellia palnst7'is, and Zostera 77iari7ia. We did not find
time to explore the southern half of the island. Neither did
we manage to land on Inishmacowney, or Horse Island, as it
seems to be called, an omission much regretted, as it shows a
long and promising range of cliffs to the southern aspect.

Doon Island is a fragment cut from the shales of the western
shore. Inishoul and another unnamed islet adjacent are
similar. Flat and grassy, their shores are spread with Statice
rariflora^ while the Sea Aster and Scurvy-grass grow in the
rougher margins of the turf, of which the Sea Plantain, the
Stag's-horn Plantain, and Thrift are the main constituents.

Inishtubbrid is known as O'Grady's Island. Rising from a
gravel shore on the north to a cliff facing south, it reproduced
many of the features ofBurren and belongs to the same for-
mation, the dark blue Upper Carboniferous limestone. We
searched the cliff and rough ground. Spindle-tree, Sloe,
White-Thorn, Viola hirta, Asperula odorata, Rubia pereg7i7ia,

1909. Knowi.es & O'Bripcn. — Botany of Fergus Est2ia7y. 59

Circcea iMtetiana, Ivy, Carlina vulgaris^ Anfennaiia dioica,
Verbasaim Thapsus, Marjoram, Orobanchc Hedercs^ Orchis pyra-
midalis, Parietaria, Kceleria crisiata and Ceterach were the chief
plants found. Brassica alba and Hop grew near the houses
on the low shore.

As the aspect of O'Grady's Island is like that of Inish-
macowney, which we were unable to visit, we may perhaps
infer that their floras are similar.

The large island of Inishcorker is rolling grass and
reclaimed corcass, rich land, and quite uninteresting. Scirpiis
rnaritimvs and Triticuvi p^nigens were noted on the muddy
foreshores.

Inishloe or Low Island is flat, and the most populous of
the group. On it is a school, and the master, Mr. Lecky, took
an oar in the boat to show us the intricacies of the passages
among the outljnng islets. Malva sylvest?is grows in great
quantities on the rocky shore, as it does on all the larger
islands. Lavatera was noticed near houses ; Papaver so77i7ii-
fefuvi, Ftimaria officinalis, and Sfachys arvensis in a potato
field.

Sand Island is the most southern outlier of the Fergus
islands, and is exposed to the full sweep of the crossing
tides and waves, a long chine of stones, the haunt of seabirds.
On its highest point a soil of gravel, broken shells, deca3dng
seaweed, and the wreck and drift of the river has formed a
fertile and unvisited seed-bed for many of the characteristic
plants of the district. Having found Glyceria pesHicceformis
on Trummera Big, on the Limerick side of the river, we
were on the look-out for it here. It is one of the most
abundant plants on this island. Other species noted on the
beach were Cochleaiia anglica, Spergniaria rnpestris, Aster,
and Statice rarifio7'a. The broken sward consisted of Glaux,
Thrift and Plantago, while on the crest of the island grew a
tall fringe of Atrip/ex deltoidea (most of the plants near 3
feet high), So7ichus arvefisis, l\Iairicaria inodora^ Rttmex cyispus^
and Triticuvi pungens.

Tine Island is similar, and ungrazed. We were unable to
land, which we much regretted, as we could distinguish the
same tall growth of Atriplex, and, we fancied, Glyceria festu-
ccsfofmis on its shore.

A 2

6o The h'hh Naturalist, March,

Blackthorn and Berger Islands are grazed by sheep and
cattle. The shore is thickly grown with Artemisia maritima,
with occasional clumps of Glycerin fcstuccsforinis spared by
the animals.

Killadj'sert pier is only serviceable for small boats. In the
fields beside the steep road dropping to it, and along the
shore, grow Althaea, Scandix Pecten- Veneris, Lyciimt barbar^cm,
Festiica Myu?'os, and Ho7'de2im. secaliiuuu. The ebb tide carried
us past rushy shores, on which we noted CEnanthe crocata
and CE. Lachenalii, to the lower qua}^ where the steamer calls
at the top of the tide that rushes to and fro between Inish-
murry and the land. Inishmurry is a flat shale island,
thoroughly grazed, on which we noted nothing of interest.

Two days were given to the mainland. The countrj^ west
from Killadysert is hill3^ chiefly wet rush}' pasture, with a
poor flora ; nevertheless it yielded several plants new to the
county — Lepidiinn Sviithii, Lin^wi angtistifolinm^ AgrimoJiia
odorata, Lyciiwi barbaiiim and /J07'deum secaHnum, besides
many others that had onl}' one previous record, as listed
below.

Close to Killad3'sert is Ballyleaan Lake. A cliff of flags forms
its southern margin, and supports the deep wind-ruflled water
and its surrounding marsh. Potaviogeton obtusifolins, P. pit-
sillicsj P. Incens^ Lcmna trisiilca, and Sparganiimi simplex
were collected here.

At Gortgloss Lake, where the heather grows, we found
Utiiciilaria minor^ Typha lati/oiia, Glyceria plicata, and Bidcns
cermia, of which Mr. Stewart's note from Lough Senan is the
only record hitherto for Co. Clare. The spikes of Lobelia
Dortmaiina broke the surface, and on the gravelly shore
Achillcra Ptarmica^ Alisma raniinciiloides, and a prostrate form
of Ranunculus Flamnnda were in flower. Betula verrucosa and
Ophioglossum vulgatum were gathered near.

Approaching Clonderlaw Bay the land is better. The thick
hedges of Hawthorn are laced with Plum, Crab, Pruntis
Ce7'asns, and Holly.

Kilkerin, on which are some interesting ecclesiastical ruins,
is a dry grassy promontory sheltering Labasheeda from the
up-river winds. The road returns along the river-bank b}^
gravel shore and low shale cliffs to Cahiracon. A large patch

1909. KnowlEvS & O'Brien". — Botany of Fergus Estuary. 61

of Vinca major grew b}' the roadside, between Clonderlaw
House and Labasheeda. At lyabasheeda I^avatera grows near
cottages.

The flora of the gravel shore is ver\' similar to that on the
Limerick side of the river. Ranunculus sceleratus, Cochlearia
anglica, Apiitm graveolens, (Enanthe cvocata, CE. Lachenalii, Arte-
misia maritima, Sonchus arvensis, Aster, Glaux, Statice rarifloray
Beet, Junciis mavitimus, J. Gerardi, Cavex extcnsa, C. vulpina,
and Glyceria maritima were all noted. Linum angustifolium
grows plentifulh- on the verges of the cliffs, and with it Chlora
perfoliata, the Bee Orchis, and others. Vicia angustifolia,
whose title to a place in the county list has hitherto rested on
a record from the Aran Islands, is common ever3'where along
the shore, both here and also on the islands. Althcea officinalis
grows in several spots, generally near houses. On a high
bank at Aillroe Beg, Filago germanica and Senecio sylvaticus
were growing together, and nearer Killadysert Clematis
Vitalba, Efipactis latifolia, Veronica montana, and Peplis Portula,
all hitherto considered rare in South Clare.

In Effernan Bog we got Hypericum elodes, Drosera anglica,
D. intermedia, Myosotis repens, Pinguicula liisitanica, and Utri-
cularici minor.

On walls by the roadside, near Paradise House, Cystopteris
jragilis and Polystichmn aculeatum grow luxuriantly. At
Graggykerrivan we saw Sisymbrium Alliaria, another plant
whose only previous Clare record is the Aran islands. Verbena
officinalis and Convolvulus arvensis.

The crag-land between the road and Killone Lake gave us
Arabis hirsuta, Geranium columbiniim, G. lucidum, Poterium
Sanguisorba, Rubia peregrina, Euphrasia Salisbiirgensis, and
Orobanche HedercB. We had little more than half an hour b}^
the lake, yet it yielded Myriophyllum spicatum, Lysimachia
vulgaris, Solanum Dulcamara, Riimex Hydrolapathum, Hydro-
cluiris Morsus-rancB, Lemna trisulca, and Potamogeton dccipicns,
enough to make us wish for time to explore further.

This completed our work in 1907. The weather had been
very unsatisfactory, and as August was too late in the season
for the plants we were seeking, we planned a further expe-
dition for the following June, which fortunately we were able
to carry out.

62 The Irish Naturalist. March,

From June 22 to June 30, 1908, was a time of glorious sun-
shine. Newmarket-on-Fergus is rather far from the river, but
is a good centre for exploring the prettiest and most interesting
district in South Clare, the country drained by the Sixmile-
bridge river — the " Owenogarney " of the maps, which has its
outfall at Bunratty Castle. The uplands are limestone crag,
excellent pasturage, or else bush crag quite overgrown with
Hazel and other scrub, often as impenetrable as a tropical
jungle. The bottoms are chains of lakes, interesting homes
of Pondweeds, Reeds, and Sedges.

Unfortunately that capable County Surveyor, antiquary and
engineer, Hill, took them in hand about fifty years ago and
lowered the levels of all of them by an intricate drainage
scheme which cannot at all have repaid its cost. The boggy
swamps laid bare have little natural value, and the disturbance
of the conditions of wet and dr}- has spoiled the landscapes,
and probably caused the destruction of interesting plants and
animals. Another effect, and one that has not been investi-
gated, is that the work has laid bare the sites of crannoges, of
which we noticed some indications. There are still old men
who remember the remains disclosed by the drainage, and we
hope the attention of some active 3'oung antiquary on abicjxle
ma3^ be called to this enquiry while it is yet time.

Rat Island is on the top of a flat reef of rock which lies imme-
diately north-east of the high Coney Island, and guides the flood
tide of the Fergus into its main channel. It is a bank of gravel
like Sand Island or Trummera Big, on the Limerick shore,
and nourishes a similar vegetation ; Glyceria festticcrformis
was the first plant to greet us. Aster Tripolium, Artemisia
maritima and Statice rariflora grew with it. The centre
was all high tussocks of Festuca arimdinacea (some specimens
5 feet high) and R^imex crispiis, among which grew Anthdscus
sylvestris and Sonchits arvensis.

Landing on the steep beach, where the current scours the
eastern side of the hill, which is Coney Island, we noticed
instantly the imposing Atropa Belladojina. This interesting
plant has naturalised itself all round the island in the interval
between the beaches and the pasture land. It is surprising
that it has not established itself in the neighbouring Deer
Island, where the conditions are quite similar. Coney Island

1909- KNOWI.KS & O'Briex. — Botany of fergiis Estuary, 63

is closelj' grazed and much cut up with walls, but the low cliffs
along the shore carr\' what appears to be some original copse,
in which we particularly noticed the large size attained by the
Spindle-tree. Teasel, Vervain, Mullein and Malva sylvestrls,
with the Atropa, formed an interesting group below the ruins
of the old churches, of which there are two, one founded by
St. Brendan, 550 A.D. Amongst other plants which we noted
on this island are Papaver sormiiferum and Carex divutsa, new
Clare records; Ai'adis hhsuta, Poly gala vulgaris, Are?iaria
serpyllifolia, Hypej'icum AndroscBmumy a few small plants of
H. humifusum, Vicia augustifolia^ V. hirsuta, Rosa rubigijiosa^
Caucalis nodosa, Rubia peregrina^ Valcria,7iella olitorla, Anten-
jiai'ia dioica, Carlina vulgai'is, Leontodon hirtus. Primula acaiilis,
Chlora ptJ'foliata, Arum mac2ilattcm, Ophiys api/era, Habenaria
conopsea, Bromus sferilis, and Polypodium vulga7-e, var. serratum.

We had landed on Deer Island in August, 1907, but it was a
terribl}^ wet day, and the state of the tide only left us a short
time for exploration. Sloping from the hilltop to the southern
shore is a rich crag pasture very like the best grazings in
Burren, but we found little on it — Arabis hirsuta, Sedum acre^
Carlina vulgaris^ and Parietaria officinalis were the onlj^ species
noted. In the swamps, Carex cxtensa, C. distans and Hoideum
sccaliimm grew abundant!}'.

By the shore we collected CEnaiithc LacJienalii, Riippia ros-
t el lata, and Atropis Foucaudi.

A long row brought us to Coonagh Islands, which are un-
grazed, but not in the tide-way. The higher centre carried a
Qxo"^ oi Arrhenatherum avenaceum^ Lotus corniculatus, Silver-
weed, Cow-parsnep, Anthriscus sylvestris, Rumex crispus, and
Tfitieum pungens. On the shore. Cochlearia a^iglica, Aster,
Statice rarijlora, Glaux, Artemisia maritima, Plantain, Glyceria
sp ?, and Festuca rubra.

The neighbouring Brechinish is reached by cattle at low
water, and produced nothing distinctive.

Landing on Ing Point, a long hot walk over the sloblands
yielded only Ativpis Foucaudi, which occurs everywhere on
these salt marshes and most abundantly on the salt meadows
outside the embankment at Inishmacnaghtan.

Inishmacnaghtan is islanded merely by narrow creeks. Its
western end is a hill, but the bulk of it is corcass. Not to

64 'fh<^ Irish Natinalisl. :Maicli;

have photographed the Atropis Foiicaiidi, which was in fine
flower here, was a serious omission. Our photographer (Dr.
Fogert}), and R. A. Phillips, who had joined us for a couple
of da3'S, marooned us on Feenish and went on to Coney Island
to photograph the i\tropa.

Feenish is rocky, with a ruined castle upon it, which perhaps
accounts for the Cardmis Maria7ius and the Maha sylvcstris.
It also has other plants of interest, as our list shows, the Dog-
wood being the most important. We did not notice this shrub
on any of the other islands.

When the tides did not suit for the islands we spent the
days exploring the mainland. hS. Rineanna Point, the flat
but rocky promontor}' which defines the eastern side of the
Fergus estuary, we collected Ai'abis Inrsuta, Spindle-tree,
Gejanmm cohwibimim, Rosa imwluta var. Doniaiia (a new
C'lare record), and Eicp/wasia Salisburgensis. On the shore,
Carex extensa and Lcpturits filifoimis, neither previousl}^ noted
from the Clare side of the Shannon estuar}'. Near some
cottages we found Marmbium viilgare, and on a bank by the
roadside Scdum albuvi was thoroughl}^ established. In a pond
at Ballycally we got CallUiiche platycarpa and Chara hispida.
Ginanthe Phellandrhim, growing in the water, with a group of
rocks for a background, made us regret the camera left
behind.

Cragbrue, near Lough Cullane, gave us Euphrasia Salis-
burge7isis. At Magh Adliar we gathered Ranunculus Auricojnus
in the crevices of the rocks, and on the hoary cahir at Cahir-
calla, Saxi/?'aga hypnoides. At Ballycar station, Diplotaxis
imiralis, Liimm angiisfi/o/ium, and Linaria viscida were grow-
ing on the line.

Ballycar Lake is an uninteresting sheet of water, but near
it we got Galium uliginosum^ a new Clare plant, and Rhamnus
cathartictis grows in a lane hard by.

After a vain attempt to penetrate the marsh left by the
drainage on the shores of lyough Fin, we climbed the craggy
hill above it, finding Galium sylvestre, EupJu-asia Salisburgensis,
Epipaciis alro-7-ubens, E. latifolia, Ophrys apifcra^ and Seslcria
co'rulca. Lunch hour found us on the banks of the charming
ArdsoUus River. The nooks secluded between the willows
and the bubbling stream shone with flag flowers rising from

19^. Knowi.es & O'ERJ-E^.—Bofanj' of Fergus Estuary. 65

the June greenness of the untouched grasses. The only
plants we gathered here were Prmnts Cerasus, Qinanthe fistn-
losa, and Ca?-ex 7mu-icata^ all three rare in the count}'.

Dromoland we reserved for another day. Entering at
lyOngough gate we reached the huge old fort, whose outlines,
through ruin, restoration and timber can no longer be traced.
The ground vegetation is eaten away b}' rabbits, Except
Epipaciis latifolia^ little of interest was found until we reached
the lower level of the lake, which is one of the \^xy few that
have escaped the drainage Here on the further side of the
marsh grow Carex pa j-adoxa^ C. filifonuis, C. riparia, C.Pseudo-
cype7'us, C. tcretmsaUa, and C strida, surely a notable group
of sedges. The only previous Irish records for Cai'ex
paiadoxa are from Co. Westmeath. We noticed also Aquilegia
vulgarh^ Lysimachia Nnmm2ilaria^Solamim Dulcamara., Lastira
Thclypteris^ and several others found here by Mr. W. F. de V.
Kane.

On the shores of I,ough Gash, close to Newmarket, we got
ThaHct7'U7n flavum, Rajiuncuhcs Flammula van radicans,
A^asturiium amphibiiwi, Rubus ccsmts and Biiens tripartita^
and in the stream Ranunculus trichophyllus and Elodca cana-
densis. Matricai'ia Chainoniilla, Inula Hete^iiu/n, SisymbritDn
Tliatianuifi, and Convolviilus arve^isis grew by the roadsides,
and the cultivated fields were yellow with Brassica alba^ which
seems to take the place of Charlock in this locality.

One other day's driving from Limerick completed our
investigations. Our aim was the picturesque castle and
Lough Craggaunowen, where Mr. H. Fogerty lately found
Aiiodonta cygnea. The bush-crag north of the lake fairly
baffled our efforts to penetrate it, and we retired much
scratched and torn, with little to console us. Rubus saxatilis
and Melampyruni prateiisc, gathered on the crags north of
L. Cullaunyheeda, which we stopped to look at on our way
home, were all our booty for the day.

To sum up the results of these tv/o expeditions : — though
our list contains 17 plants new to the County (one of which,
Carex pajadoxa, is an interesting addition to the flora of the
South), four that had only a previous mention from the Aran
Islands, and over 50 rare in or new to South Clare, yet we
were disappointed in the main object of our search, viz., the

A3

66 The Irish Naturalist, March

finding of the characteristic Barren plants on the Fergus
Islands. We found no member of this group on these islands
or vSouth of Newmarket on the mainland thar is not also found
on the Ivimerick crags.

In the following list of the more interesting plants observed,
species which had not been recorded from the count}^ previous
to our visit are distinguished b\- the letter C prefixed : —

Clematis Vitalba. -On a liis^h bank near Aillroe Beg.

Thalictrutn flavum. — vSliores of Lough Gash, Newniarket-on-
Fergus.

Ranunculus trichophyllus. — Stream, Newmarket-on- Fergus.

R. Flammula, var. radicans. — Shores of Lough Gash, New-
market- on-Fergus.

R, Auricomus. — In crevices ot limestone rocks at Magh Adhar.
C Papaver somnifcrum.-Low Island ; Coney Island.

Fumaria officinalis.— Inishloe.

Cochlearia anglica.— Shore, Killad3'sert ; Inishtubbrid ; Sand
Island ; Rat Island, &c.

Sisymbrium Alliaria.— Craggykerrivan.

Diplotaxis muralis. —Railway at Ballycar.
C Lcpidium Smithii. -Roadside near Kilfiddane church.

Viola hirta. — Canon Lsland ; Liishtubbrid.

V. canina. — Canon Island.

Polygala vulgaris.— Canon Island; Coney Lsland ; P'eenish.

Althaaa officinaiis.— Killadysert ; Shannon shore west of Killa-
(lysert ; generally near houses.

Lavatcra arborca. — Labasheeda ; Low Island.
C Linum angustifolium.— Frequent along the shore l)ct\veen
Labasheeda and Killady'sert ; railway at Ballycar,

Geranium columblnum. — Limestone rocks, Rineanna Point and
ne.'.r Killone Lake

Vicia angustifolia.— Canon Island; Coney Island; frequent by the
Shannon west of Killadysert.

Prunus Ccrasus.— Bank of the river, Ardsollus Bridge.

Potentilla procumbens. — Roadside west of Killadj-sert.
C Agrimonia odorata.— Old roads west of Killadysert.
C Rosa involuta, var. Doniana. — Crevices of limestone crags at
Rineanna Point.

R. rubiginosa. — Several places on the crag by the shore on Coney
Island and Canon Island.

Saxifragra hypnoides.— On rough ground, Cahircalla.

Sedum album, — Thoroughly established by the roadside near Rine-
anna Point.

lYlyriophylium spicatum. — »SmalllakeN. of Dromoland; Killone
Lake.

1909- KxowLHS & O'Brien. — Botany of Fergus Esluary. 67

Callitriche platycarpa,— Ballycally lake-shore.

Peplis Portula. — Frequent in moist hilh- places west of Killadysert.

Pctroselinum sativum.— Well established and plentiful on the

ruins of the abbey and church on Canon Island.
ChaBrophylluin temulum,— Roadside south of Newmarket-on-

Fergus.
CEnanthe f istulosa.— By the river above Ardsollus Bridge.
PeuccdanuiYi sativum.— Near the pier, Killadysert.
Caucalis nodosa.— Canon Island; Coney Island; Feenish.
C Galium uliginosum,— Marshy meadow near Ballvcar Lake.
Valerianella olitorla. — Coney Island.

Filago gcrmanica.— Roadside, Aillroe Beg ; near Killadysert.
Inula Helenium. — Roadside S. of Newmarket-on-Fergus.
BIdens ccrnua.— Gortgloss Lake.
C IVIatricaria Chamomilla.— Rineauua Point, and comtuou on

bare places by the roadside between Newmarket and Ballycally.
C Crepis biennis. — Fields near Finlough.
Staticc rarif lora. — Common on most of the islands in the Fergus

estuary and along the Shannon shore.
Primula veris. — Feenish.
C Lycium barbarum. — A few plants near the pier, Killadj-sert. and

on the shore west of Plilladysert.
C Atropa Belladonna. — Thoroughly established on the rocky shore
all round Coney Island.
Linaria viscida. — Railway at Ballycar station.
Veronica montana. — Cahiracon ; Dromoland,
Verbena officinalis. — Canon Island, Deer Island, Coney Island,
and Feenish ; frequent on the mainland about Killadysert and
Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Mentha rotundifolia. — Canon Island, on a bank near the abbey.
Calami ntha officinalis. — With the above.
IVIarrubium vulgarc.— Near Rineanna Point.
Stachys arvensis.— Cultivated field, Inishloe.
Lamium amplexicaule. — Fields, Newmarket-on-F'ergus.
Humulus Lupulus. -Deer Island; Inishtubbrid, near the houses

on the low shore.
Betula verrucosa.— Shores of Gortgloss Lake.
Hydrocharis Morsus-ranae.— Killone Lake.
Epipactis latifolia.— Cahiracon; crag above Finlough.
E, palustris.— Damp meadow, Caherkiue Lake.
Orchis pyramidalis.— Common on all the larger islands, and on

the mainland about Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Ophrys apifera.— Coney Island; Finlough; .shore west of Killa-
dysert.
Allium vineale.— Meadows at Parteen.
Potamogeton obtusifolius, — Ballyleaan Lake.
C P. decipiens. — Killone Lake.

Rupp'ia rostellata.— Pools, Canon Island ; Deer Island.

68 The Irish NaluralisL March,

Zannichellia palustris.— Pools, Canon Island.
Carcx extcnsa.— Abundant in a salt marsh, Deer Island; shore,
Rmeanna Point.
C C. divulsa.— Coney Island; Feenish.

C C. paradoxa.— On the marshy southern shore of the lake at
Dromoland.

C. teretiuscula. — Finlough.

C. Hudsonii.— Dromoland ; Ballycar Lake.

C. filiformis.— Dromoland; Ballycar^ &c.

C. muricata.— Banks of the ArdsoUus River.

Sesleria cosrulea. — Crags above Finlough.

Koelcria cristata.— Deer Island; Coney Island? Feenish ; Inish-
tubbrid, tSic.

Clyceria plicata. — Near Derrj'geena Lake : Gortgloss Lake.
C C. festucaeforinis. — Sand Island ; Rat Island.

C Atropis Foucaud I.— Abundant in flower on Inishmacnaghtan out-
side the embankment : Ing Point and Deer Island.

Fcstuca IVIyuros. — Walls near the pier, Killadysert.

Bromus sterilis. — Coney Island.
C Triticum pung:ens. — Inishloe; Sand Island; Rat Island ; Coonagh
Islands; Inishcorker; Inishmacnaghtan.

Lepturus filiforiTiis. — Shore, Rineanna Point.
C Hordeutn secali num. -Marshy meadows, Deer Island; west of
Killadysert, and near the pier, Killadysert.

Cystoptcris fragilis. — Walls of the park at Paradise.

Polystichutn aculcatu in.— Frequent near Killadysert.

Polypodium vulgare, var. serratum. — Coney Island.

Ophiogrlossum vulg^atum. — Near Gortgloss Lake.

Chara polyacantha. — Ballycar Lake.

National Museum. Dublin.

NEWS GLEANINGS.

G-eological Honours for Dublin Naturalists.

Our heartiest congratulations to Professor G. A. J. Cole, who at the
anniversary meeting of the Geological Society, on P'ebruary 19th, was
awarded the Murchison Medal for his valuable researches in Irish
geology.

We are also delighted to record that Dr. R. F. ScharfF, of our National
Museum, was for the second time chosen to deliver the Swiney Lectures
on Geology in London. His course, given in November to large
audiences, dealt with the history of the American Fauna.

1909. ^9

ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES DURING 1908.

BY KKV. \V. F. JOHNSON, M.A., V.H-S.

My earliest note for 1908 is on Februar\' 3rd, when I took a
specimen of the early moth Hibe^iiia mpicapraiia, Schiff., in
my house. In a storm at the end of the month a large branch
was blown off a fine Phucs sylvestris which stands in front
of the house ; under the bark I took Dromms qtiadriyiotahis,
Panz., with some commoner things, I took no insects of any
interest till May, when I captured Hister carbonan^cs^ 111., on
the road between i\cton and Poyntzpass.

I spent the month of June at Coolmore, Co. Donegal, but
not with the success from an entomological point of view that
I had looked forward to when going there. The earl}' part of
the month was cold and damp with a consequent lack of insect
life, and when it did become warm and fine m}' time was
drawing to a close. I did not see a single Dyschirius, though
on former visits I had met with three species. Carabidse, in
fact, were not very plentiful, and the only capture among
them that needs mention is Amara apiicaria, Pa^^k. The onl}'
w^ater-beetle that I met with was a single specimen of Hydro-
poms iiigrita, F. I had no opportunity^, however, of working
at them. Staphylinidse were fairly numerous. I took several
species of Bledii, among them being B. pallipes, Grav., B.
lo7igtilics^ Er., and B. erraticus. Er. ; this last was in fair
numbers on the golf links. I was fortunate enough to turn
up a couple of examples of Xantholimcs cribripennis, Fauvel.
I was very pleased to meet with it again. I also took Creo-
pliiius viaxillosus^'ax. ciliaris, Steph., Philoiithtis venialis, Grav.,
and Ste7ius a-assus^ Steph. A dead gull supplied me with a
number of Choleva ch?ysomeloides, Panz., a single specimen of
A^iisotoma diibia, Kug., for the determination of which I am
indebted to the kindness of Mr. G. C Champion, F.Z.S.,
Saprbuis nitidiiliis^ Payk., and S. csne7is, F.

As soon as the fine weather came in swarms of Phyllopertha
horticola, L., appeared on the sandhills, attracting numbers of
gulls. Other captures of coleoptera comprised Afeligethes
viduatns, Sturm., Eniamis inhniiiisi^ L., Limnius tubcrailatus^
Miill., Aphodins scybala?'ms, F., A. pimcfato-sulcatiis, Sturm.,
Coryinbites tesselatus^ F., C. querais, V. ocJuvptcrus^ Steph.,

70 The Irish Naturalist, March,

Chrysomcla Banksi, F., Longitarsus ater^ F., Liophkvus nubilus,
F., Hylobius abictis^ L-

On June 28th my friend Mr. W. A. Hamilton drove me
over to St. Ernans, which is about a mile from Donegal and is
practically an island. Here we took Lepidoptera — Lomaspilis
marghiata and Cabera pusaria ; Coleoptera — Scaphisoma boleii,
Panz., Anaspis riificollis, F., A. viaailata, Fourc, Phyllobius
oblongJiSi Irv Dorytoinus viaailatiis, Marsh., and Balaninus
pyr7iioce?'as, Marsh. ; Hemiptera, Lyons pratensis, F., var.
campestris. F., L. cervimis, H. S., Cixiiis pilosus, 01., Phileiius
spumarius L-? P- pjretista, F., and P. popiili, F.

I went to Carlingford with the Belfast Field Naturalists'
Club on August 8th, but with poor results. A boggy pool on
the mountain yielded only Hydivponis tristis, Paj^k., and H.
obsairus, Sturm., and a few Coremia didvmata and Crambus
cuhucllics were picked up when descending.

On Ausrust r^th Mr. F. Balfour Browne, F.Z S.. came here
to explore the localit}- for water-beetles. We tried the canal
and the adjoining drain on the Co. Armagh side first; here
the most interesting capture was Laccophilns interruptu^, Panz.
Besides this we obtained Noteriis clavicotjiis, De G., Deroiiectes
assimi/is, Pa^k., Ilybius at a. De G., and Scirtes heviisphceriais, L-
In Lough Shark and some adjoining drains on the Co. Down
side we took Pclophila borcalis, Paj^k., Anchomemis gracilis,
G)dl., Dcronectes assimilis^V^y)^.^ Hydroporus discrel2is, Fairm.,
Sie7ius pallitarsis, Steph., and Galeruaila nymphcece, L.

Mr. Balfour Browne being anxious to tr}- some of the
Armagh localities for water-beetles, we travelled there on
October 20th, and, taking the Loughgall road, walked out to
the quarries near Grange. Here we were very successful ;
one of Mr. Browne's first captures being Dyfisciis circumcinctiis,
Ahr. : another very pleasing capture was Acilins fasciatus,
De G.J of which he obtained several examples. In a pond by
the railway to Portadown was Gyjinns miiiutus^ F., the same
place as I first took it twenty years ago. The remarkable
thing is that this pond is the only place in that district where
it has been found. Walking on into Mullinure a number of
Brydmis elevatns, Panz., were met with in a stream. Other
captures were Haliphis obliqicns, F., H. co7ifinis, Steph.,
Hyphydrus ovatus, L.. Hydroporus 7imbros7is, GyW., H. a7iq7istat7is,

1909. Johnson. — Entomological Notes durino; 1908. 71

Sturm., H. vittula, Er., H. memnonius^ Nic, Agabtis tmgui-
ciilaris, Thorns., A. chalconotus, Panz., Ilybms. ater, De G.,
/. obscurus, Marsh., Rha7itus exoletns, Forst., R. notattts, Berg.,
Gyj'hms elo7igat7is, Aube., Hydrobms piclaiis, Thorns., Phil-
hydrus testacetis, F., Limnebius 7iitidtis, IMarsh, Octhebms
pyg}7imis, F., and Cyclo7iot7i77i o7'biculare^ F. We captured
altogether sixt}- species of water-beetles, a conclusive proof
of the richness of the localit}'. There is one species whose
capture I have not yet mentioned, but which was about the
most interesting of all wx took. This is Hyd?opor2is dorsalis,
F., a species which I had never met with anywhere about
Armagh when I was there, and the first record of which for
Ireland is to be found in the Supplement to the List of Irish
Beetles b}^ Mr. Halbert and myself, where it is noted as having
been taken by the late Mr. B uckle in the Lagan Canal near Moira.
Mr. W. H. Patterson, M R.I. A., took it next on November 17th,
1903, in a quany at Gilnahirk, near Knock, Co. Down, as
recorded by me in the Irish Natu) allst ^ vol. xiii. (1904), p. 93.
He took it again in the following August in the same place.
I have seen a specimen captured b}" Mr. J. N. Halbert,
M.R.I. A., at Tonabrocky, Co. Galway, in September, 1905, so
that it has now been found in the extreme west and in the
north-east of Ireland. There is but one record for Scotland,
'' Raehills, Rev. W. Little," which is given with reserve by
Canon Fowler,^ and Mr. Balfour Browne tells me that he knows
of no recent capture yet in that countr}^ In England it is
widelv distributed and occurs in the Northumberland district.
Dr. Sharp- gives its range as " Northern Europe and Siberia
(Sweden ; Finland to 68^ 10' North; Sahlberg; Britain, France,
Germany)." The remarkable thing about this beetle is that
thirteen years ago it was most certainly not to be found about
Armagh, yet now it is present in profusion, for we took it in
the quarries, in the drains, and in the ponds plentifully. The
point to be elucidated now is. from whence is H. dorsalis
advancing ?

I did nothing at Lepidoptera during the autumn, but a ver}'
fine specimen of the Death's Head Moth {Achero7itia atropos)
was brought to me in October, which had been found lying

1 British Coleoptera, vol. i., p. 178,
- Dytiscidte, Set. Trans, R.D.S., 1882.

72 The Irish Naturalisl. March,

dead in Newry, on the footpath near the Corry Monument.
It is a very perfect specimen, so that it is impossible to surmise
what could have killed it.

Before concluding this note I should like to draw the atten-
tion of Irish entomologists to the small amount of knowledge
we possess of the insects of the centre of Ireland. There is a
stretch of country from Fermanagh to Waterford of which we
know practicalh' nothing as far as beetles are concerned. It
would be well if our home naturalists would endeavour to
reduce this gap in our knowledge of the fauna of our country.

Poyntzpass.

IRISH SOCIETIES.

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

January 26. — A.nnuaJv Meeting was held in the lecture theatre of
the Royal Dublin Society, the President (Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hogg) in
the chair. There was a large attendance of members and the general
public.

The Hon. Secretary (R. F. vScharff, Ph. D.) read the report of the
Council for 1908. The admissions to the Gardens durinu the year were
185,735 and the receipts, ^2,259 17^^. 3(/., as compared with 260,666 and
;/r4,074 during 1907. The year 1907, when the International Exhibition
was held in Dublin, was, of course, exceptional, but the receipts have not
been so low as this since 1901.

Nevertheless, no efforts have been spared b}' the Council to keep the
Zoological Gardens in the high state of efficiency which they had
acquired during previous years, and to attract visitors by giving them
greater facilities for visiting the collection of animals The receipts from
Sunday admissions during 1908 are the most satisfactory part of the
income, showing that the Gardens are as popular as ever with the work-
ing classes, for whom these exceptionally low fees were specially
intended. The Council issued during the year, for the first time, books
containing six Sunday tickets for adults and twelve for children at one
shilling each.

During the autumn the British Association held its annual meeting in
Dublin. The attendance was large, and many members visited the
Gardens on this occasion. The Council invited all the zoologists
present to a special breakfast, while the Local Reception Committee
entertained the Members of the Association and their families at a
Garden Party in the Zoological Gardens.

At the last general meeting Dr. Cosgrave was elected to succeed Dr.
Dixon as Treasurer. During the past year a general revision of the wages

1909- Proceedings of I fish Societies^ 73

of the staff was decided 011. The staff had passed through a particularly
strenuous time, and it was felt that the keepers and labourers deserved
to be placed on a better footing. A considerable increase in their wages
was therefore sanctioned by the Council.

It has long ago been the intention to revive the old custom of deliver-
ing lectures in the Gardens. Yet, on reconsidering the proposal, the
Council Avere of opinion that the gain to the vSociety might be even
greater if the lectures could take place in a more central building and
were illustrated by lantern slides. It was finally agreed, with the kind
permission of the Council of the Royal Dublin Society, to hold them in
Leinster House, and Professor Carpenter delivered the first of the series.
To judge from the number alone who attended — there were about 600
present— the first lecture was a great success. It is hoped that Canon
Carmichael will give the next lecture.

Baud performances were again tried in the Gardens on Saturdays
during the month of August. The Dublin Tramways Company not onl}'
gave facilities for carrying the band free of charge to and from the
Gardens, but also contributed handsomely towards the cost of the per-
formances.

The new Seal enclosure was formalh- opened in April for the Easter
holidays. Two Seals were transferred to it, and later on two Californian
Sea-lions, which had, meanwhile, been bought. Finall}-, after some
slight structural alterations had been completed in one of the partitions,
the young Otters were also housed there. The Society now possesses
therefore, a very attractive collection of aquatic carnivora.

It had been proposed to rebuild the old part of the Lion-house during
the past year, the roof of the building having been found to be beyond
repair, but it was considered advisable to defer these building opera-
tions. The plans were verv carefully considered, and various improve-
ments were devised in the cages and the lighting and heating arrange-
ments. The estimated cost of the new building, which will be commenced
next April, will be about ^3,000.

A division of the Goat enclosure is now kept entirel}- for the Vultures,
which have been pmioued. A suitable shelter has been provided for
them on the top of the rockery. A shed for the young Rheas was
erected, and the water-pipes in the garden have been overhauled, involv-
ing an expenditure of over £.'^0. A new partition was fouud desirable
and has been constructed in the large outdoor Lion-den. Repairs in the
aquarium, tanks, bird cages, concreting the outdoor carnivora dens, as
well as extensive re-paintingj especially of the wire-work, also entailed
considerable expense.

The refreshment department has been carried on with continued
success during the year, and with an increase in the gross receipts of
about ^'100. Lunches of a more substantial nature than were hitherto
provided are now to be obtained, and Members of the Society who have
the privilege of using the Members' Room for entertaining their friends
have irequentl}' availed themselves of this opportunity in showing the
Gardens to visitors.

74 The Irish NaturalisL March.

Inquiries about the Societj-'s Lions have been received from manv
parts of the world, and actual offers of purchase were made from Eng-
land, Spain, India, Burma, and Australia.

No less than nine cubs were born and reared during the past year.
Unfortunately eight of these were females and only one a male. A
feature of particular interest was that the Lion " Niger '' and the
Lioness "Nigeria" from West Africa deposited by H.M. the King, gave
birth to three cubs. It is ver}- unusual for forest-bred Lions to rear their
first litter in captivity. Special attention and care was devoted by the
keeper, Christopher Flood, to the cubs, and it is mainly due to his
excellent management that they survived. They were ver}- deeply
spotted. "Conn ''and '-Vesta," which are in the outdoor den, had a
litter of three cubs. This is, therefore, the third occasion on which cubs
have been born and reared entirely in an unheated outdoor den. Inci-
dentally it may be mentioned that the Persian Lioness deposited by His
Majesty the King many years ago, which was then ver}- light in colour,
has uow in her old age assumed a much darker hue.

There are quite as many Lions and Lionesses now in the Gardens as
last year. Altogether there are twent}', of which fifteen are Irish-born
animals. But never in the historv of he Gardens have such a lar£re
number of cubs (ii) been exhibited before.

For many years no Pumas had been born in the Gardens. Since the
construction of outdoor dens enabled their transfer to them, three male
cubs were born on the 3rd September, two of which subsequentl}- died.
A Zebra foal was born on the 20th Jul)', but it also unfortunately died.
A young Mongoose Lemur was successfully reared.

By far the most interesting event occurred in the summer, when
several of the Rheas (South American Ostriches), which are accustomed
to roam freely about the grounds, laid a large number of eggs between
the Sth and 24th June. There were altogether twent3-three of them, far
too many to be hatched by a single male bird, for among these creatures
the cock alone undertakes the duty of sitting on the eggs. Onl}' one of
the two cocks in the Gardens was inclined to have anything to do witJi
the hatching business. Eleven eggs were therefore placed under it on
the 25th July, and ten of these were successfully hatched after thirt}--
eight days' sitting. Six of the chicks were weakly and died. The
remainder are now strong and healthy. Under these circumstances
Professor Scott volunteered his assistance in hatching the remainder of
the eggs by incubatiou.

It was hoped by the Council that some generous donor might possibly
offer the Society a gift of an Elephant. vSo far the generous donor has
not come forward. Nevertheless, as an Elephant had to be obtained
for the summer months, a young female was hired and was actually
trained in the Gardens to carry children, which she did successfully,
after some practice with dummies.

A most unfortunate loss was that of the young Zebra foal, shortly after
its birth. Several animals, notably a young Ostrich, and a Lioness, died
from a disease to which many human beings succumb, viz., tubercu-

1909. P} occcdings of Irish Societies. 75

losis. Among other deaths ma}' be mentioned a Tasmanian Devil, two
Puma cubs, two Rears, several Kangaroos, and a Sea Lion.

The Society's Silver Medal for the best set of pictures was awarded to
Mr. William N. Allen ; the Bronze Medal for competitors under 18 years
of age to Mr, M, K. Nolan, on the recommendation of the Council's
Photographic Committee.

The rules for this annual Photographic Competition can be had on
application to the Secretar\'.

The Statement of Accounts shovvs an expenditure during the year of
^3,735, and a balance in hand of over ^^2,054. There are, however, out-
standing liabilities of ^3,000, including the projected repairs to the Lion
House mentioned above.

Prof J. A. Scott, M.D., showed an admirable series of lantern slides
b}- himself and Dr. E. MacDowell Cosgrave illustrating the events at the
Gardens during the year.

On a ballot, the Hon. Officers were elected, and General Sir Neville
L^'ttelton, vSir J3hu Ross of Bladensburg, and Mr. G. Stephenson were
chosen to vacant places on the Council.

Recent gifts include a Brent Goose, nineteen Bramblings, three
Chaffinches, and seven Snow Buntings, from Mr. R. ]NL Barrington, an
Otter from Mr. Mansfield, three Zebu Bulls (two of them Pigmies) from
Lord Lilford, five Greenfinches and two Chaffinches from Mr. \V. W.
Despard, and a Red Grouse from Mr. E. L. Storey. Miss Ber)l Nichols
has presented a rocking-horse to the Chimpanzees ; at present it seems
to terrif}' rather than to amuse the apes. " Barney " and "Jenny '" climb
to the top of the house and hang on by the ventilator when it is placed
in their compartment. "Jane" is less timid, but runs away whenever
the horse moves.

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB.

January 13. — The Club met at Leinster House. Dr. G. H. Pethy-
BRIDGE (President) exhibited shoots of the Cherry Laurel in which the
leaves were badly disfigured and injured by the loss of portions of their
blades, which, in many instances, took the form of what are commonly
known as " shot-holes." The fungi commonl}' supposed to be re-
sponsible for injuries of this nature in other plants, viz.: — species of
Phyllosticta and Septoria, were not present in this instance, and, indeed,
fungus mycelium and spores were rather conspicuous by their absence.
In the case of one shot-hole, however, a fungus — probably a species of
Hormodendrum— was found, and in three other cases spores and
mycelium of the fungus Napicladiiun Brunaudii-, Sacc. were obtained.
This species is stated in Saccardo's " Sylloge " (vol. iv., p. 482, 1886) to
have been found in St. Gaul on still living leaves of Prinms Laiirocerasus ;
but it has not hitherto been recorded for Ireland. The leaves in some
cases also exhibited, when hehl up to the light, large numbers of
minute rather translucent dots, and investigation of these showed that
small groups of cells in the leaf were dead and were choked with

^6 The Irish Naturalist. March,

bacteria. Whether these represent the beginniiii^^s of the shot-holes
or not must be decided b}- further observations The specimens came
from uearEuuiskillen.

C. F. Bai^I, exhibited a parasitical fungus, J\.hytii)iia salidnnni, growiug
upon the leaves oi Salix repots. It was found near Portmarnock, and has
previously been recorded for Ireland only from Munster. This
Rhytisma forms a thick., shining, black, crust-like stroma on the surface
of the leaf. A transverse section showed the fructification, consisting
of asci crowded together with paraphyses on a disc similarly to the
Sycamore Leaf Blotch {Rhytisma accrinum) ; the leaves of the host with
fungus attached fall to the ground in autumn and there remain until
.spring, when the asci develop spores which continue the life of the
fungus.

F. ^\^ Moore showed Tuhe)-cularia ^-Esadi, found growing on a
species of ^-Esculus (Pavia). This fungus, said to grow on decaying
bark, seemed to extend to the sound bark beneath the diseased portion.
It is very prevalent on species of .5j^sculus and Pavia in the Botanic
Gardens, Glasnevin, and spreads rapidly over considerable patches of
bark.

Dr. McArdle exhibited Scapania intermedia, Husuot, a minute liver-
wort which partakes of the characters of S. purpurea. Hook., anci of S.
iimbrosa, Schrad. Though rose-coloured and a pretty object, it never
assumes the high colour of the former, from which it differs in the acute
antical lobe of the leaf, and from S. nmbrosa it is separated at once by
the rotund postical lobe. In cell structure it much resembles S. purpurea.
It always grows on dry rocks, while the latter is found in wet places, and
frequently on rocks which are often submerged. Its distribution in
Ireland is rather restricted ; it is recorded from Co. Tipperar}-, Co.
Donegal, and Co. Antrim. In England it has been foTind at Eskdale in
Yorkshire by Mr. Slater, and the Abbe Lamy gathered it in ravines about
Mont-Dore in France. The specimens exhibited were collected on cliffs
at \Vindy Gap near Castlebar, Co. Mayo, by Dr. W. Lang of the
Glasgow University in September, 1902.

DUBLIN NATURALISTS FIELD CLUB.

January 16.— ExcuksiONTO Lakelands Park (Terenure College).—
A number of members and visitors assembled at 2 o'clock at Terenure,
they walked at Lakelands, where, under the conductorship of A. H.
TopriN, they studied the natural history of the district. The Park con-
tains fine specimens of many trees, which were carefully examined. The
Rev. Father Dunne, who has for several years past been stocking the
lake with trout, gave a demonstration of the methods in use for hatch-
ing the eggs and rearing the young fish until large enough to be set free.
The party returned to town at 4.30.

January 19. -Annual General Meeting.— The chair was taken by
the President (Dr. G. H. Pethybridge). The Honorary Secretary
(J. do \V. HiNCii) then read the Report for 190S, which .showed that,

1909- Procecdinos of hi^li Societies. 77

except for a slight decrease in membership, the year had been most
satisfactor}-. The Report referred to the recent visit of the British
Association, and in particular to the success of the photographic surve}'
of the district, which was undertaken by certain members of the CUib,
and which was exhibited at the Association meeting in September.
The Honorary Treasurer's Report was read, and both Reports were
adopted. The Chairman then read the names of the officers and com-
mittee for 1909, which were as follows : —

President— Geo. H. Pethybridge, Ph.D., B.Sc. Vice-President —
Miss M. C. Knowles. Hon. Treasurer — H. K. Gore Cuthbert. Hon.
Secretaries — ^J. Bayley Butler, M.A.; Stafford Johnson. Committee — C. F.
Ball, W. B. Bruce, Prof. G. H. Carpenter, B.Sc ; Miss F. Elmes, B.A. ; Miss
Garner, W. F. Guun, J. de W. Hinch, Miss M'Intosh, B.A. ; C. B. Moffat,
B.A. ; A. R. Nichols, M.A., M.R.I.A. ; R. \^. Praeger, B.A, B.R.;
Rowland Southern, B.Sc.

A special vote of thanks was passed to the outgoing Secretary, J. deW.
Hinch, for his valuable services to the Club during his six years of
office. Votes of thanks were also passed to the outgoing Officers,
the Royal Irish Academy and the Dublin Press. Messrs. Sherrard,
MacSwene}', O'Hanlon and Pollock were elected Associate Members.
Two candidates were proposed for membership. The President then
delivered his Inaugural Address, illustrated by lantern slides "On the
North Bull and its Proposed Natural History Survey." He proposed to
form a Committee to carry out this work, which would be of great
scientific importance. R. Lloyd Praeger, J. N. Halbert, D. McArdle and
A. Williams spoke in support of this proposal, which was adopted.

February 6.— Geoi^ogicai. Excursion to the Dodder Vai,i,ey
AND GlenasmoIvE. a few members and visitors took part in this
excursion, during which the Conductor, C. Murray, B.A., gave a series
of demonstrations of the geological processes at work in nature, showing
how, by the action of water and atmospheric conditions, the various
geological changes were brought about. The members returned by the
5.20 steam tram.

February 9. — The third Business Meeting was held in the Royal
Irish Academy House. In the absence of the President, C. B. Moffat,
M.A. (Ex-President) took the Chair. H. W. Dunlop raised a question
regarding the discontinuance of the tea at the evening Meetings, which
was referred to the Committee for further consideration. R. Byrne and
W. W. Smith were elected and one candidate was proposed for member-
ship. The Chairman then referred, in feeling terms, to the great loss to
botanical science entailed by the death of Miss More. J. Adams, M.A.,
read his paper " On the possibility of distinguishing between native and
introduced species of plants in Ireland " ; a discussion followed, in which
R. Lloyd Praeger, C. B. Moffat, W. F. Gunn and H. W. Dunlop took part.

78 The Insh Naluyalist, March,

NOTES.

ZOOLOGY.

Mortality of Birds during Migration.

The following notes were copied by the Principal Keeper of Rocka-
bill Lighthouse for nie. out of his private fliary, as I told him I was
interested in the migration of biids. Its chief interest is the inference
from this one lighthouse record what the total mortality duritijj misfra-
tion must be. In a gale of wind if over 200 birds are found dead on this
small rock, how many hundred are blown clear off the rock into the sea .-
One can also see in the notes the curious double migration of Black-
birds.

R. H. SCOVEI.T,.

Shankill, Co. Dublin.

Extracts from a Lighthouse Diary.

Nov. 10, 1906. — Our larder was replenished lavSt night to the tune of
a brace of Woodcock, a pair of lady Blackbirds, a couple of Fieldfare,
a Thrush, and a Starling. Nov. 14.— 19 Blackbirds, 4 Thrushes, 2 Red-
wing, 4 Starling, and a few Larks came to grief last night. Dec. 24. —
Early part of the morning a lot of birds about Lantern, 5 Blackbirds and
6 Thrushes, also one carrier Pigeon (No. 102, Louviere, ringed in 1906,
very nicely marked) came to grief, they will make a nice pie for
Xmas, whilst oui comrade enjoys a turkey or goose ashore. Feb. 8,
1907.— We had rain last night, and snow and rain during the small hours
of the morning ; a few Redwing and Thrushes paid their respects to the
light about 3 a.m. March 15. — A number of vStarling, Redwing, and
Blackbirds about light from 7 to 9 p.m. Aprie 14.— Over a score of
birds killed last night. Aprie 25.— A Redstart, Goldfinch, Willow
Wren, and Wren caught. INIay 6.— A lot of birds struck during night,
10 Corncrakes killed and a number alive on Rock during day, 9 Willow-
wrens, and several other birds killed also. May 9 — A great number
of small birds struck during night, many were caught and let go in the
morning, amongst them were a Swift and Whinchat, Wheatears &c. ;
the following were killed ; — 8 Corncrakes, 28 Whitethroats, i Garden
Warbler, 146 Warblers (assorted), 4 Wheatears, i Blackstart, i Whinchat ;
about 200 killed altogether. There were a lot of crakes about the
Rock during day, also a couple of Redstarts ; i was caught. . . .
Corncrakes make very good soup, and also look well when stuffed.
May 9. — Eleven Corncrakes have been stuffed by keepers during past
few days. June 12. — A Spotted Flycatcher (.-) got . . and a Manx Shear-
water on Friday night. AUGUST 19. — Hawk attacked Charlie and Dick
(the Goldfinches) in their cage, Dick was stretched l)ut came to after the
Hawk was driven off. OCTOBER 5. — vSome Blackbirds and Thrushes were
killed during night. October 8. — Some ?31ackbirds, Thrushes and Larks
struck lantern this morning. October 9. — Blackbirds, Thrushes and

1909. A^o/es, yg

Larks killed during the night. October 10. — A few Blackbirds,
Thrushes, Redwing, and Larks, also a Missel Thrush and Ring Ouzel
killed during the night. October 15. — A large number of birds, chiefly
Blackbirds, struck lantern during night, over a score being killed, in-
cluding a Missel Thrush, a few Thrushes and Redwing, and several Larks.
Wind, north, 5 to 6, showery. October 18. — A great number of Black-
birds flew against the lantern last night — or rather this morning from
12 to 5, also a few Thrushes, a Missel Thrush, and some Starlings. Only
about a dozen birds were killed by striking. OCTOBER 29. — Plucked a
number of birds and had a grand dinner ; 261 all told killed at lantern
last night, including 3 Woodcock, 2 Lapwing, 84 Blackbirds, 58 Fieldfare,
II Chaffinches and 103 Redwing, and apparently a few rare ones, i Black

Redstart. Nov. i A number of birds striking, but carried away

b)' the storm, i Woodcock found turned inside out. Nov. 2. —
About 285 birds killed at lantern last night, i Woodcock, 2 Lapwing, the
remainder Blackbirds, Redwing. Thrushes and Fieldfare. January i,
1908. — A couple of Blackbirds, three Thrushes, a Starling and a Snipe,
came to grief last night. March 13. — Kittiwakes arrived this morning.
Aprie 24. — Two handsome Duck or Geese flew around the Rock
several times and landed on the " Bill," then flew straight for the islands.
Probably they are tame — black head and neck with a dark red band
around breast and back, back white, tips of wings black, and bill red.
Sheldrake probably. May 3. — A number of .«:mall birds struck
during r.ight, but only a few killed — 3 Corncrakes on Rock; 2 Redstarts.
May 4. - A male Redstart caught in the gashouse, but died in the
afternoon A Spotted Flycatcher (?) also found disabled. May 5. —
A Turtle Dove paid us a visit to-day. occasionally finding his way into
the garden. May 6. — The Turtle Dove still cruises round the Rock
together with a carrier and another Pigeon.

B. R. JEFFERS.

Rockabill Lighthouse, Co. Dublin.

Migration of Birds in Sligo.

To the Zoologist for November, Mr. Robert Warren contributes a note
on migration of small birds observed during the autumn about Moy
View, Ballina.

Records of Irish Birds.

To British Birds for December R. M. Barrington contributes a short
article, with illustration, on Loriistella cerihioia, and a note ou Emberiza
pusilla, both recently obtained at Rockabill lighthouse.

In British Birds for January, H. F. Witherby and W. J. Williams con-
tribute some records of Irish birds.

go * TJic Irish NaliiralisL Marcli, 1909.

Birds seen from the ' • Helga " off the south-west Coast.

Since my previous communications {Irish Naturalist, 1907, pp. 163, 184),
I have received a series of notes, through the kindness of Mr. G. P.
Farran, of the birds observed off the coasts of western Cork and Kerry
when from twenty to eighty miles from land. From these I take the
following particulars :—
Great Skuas. — August and November, 1907, November, 1908.
Pomatorhine Skuas — August and September, 1907 ; and in October,

1907, aff Carlingford.
Buffon's Skua.— September, 1907.

Great Shearwaters.— In 1907, February and May (none), August (many)..

September (a few), November (several).
In 1908, January and Februar}- (none), August
(two), November (many).
Fulmars. — In 1907, "May (a few, scarcer than usual and nearer to

shore, e.g. |-mile off the Great Skellig)
August (many) September (a few), No-
vember (many).
In 1908. — ^January and February (a few), August (many),
November (a few).
Taking the whole series of notes, including 1906. we find that : —
Great Skuas have been noticed in February, May, August, and in two

Novembers (that is, in November^in
different years).
Pomatorhine Skuas ,, in May, August, September, October,

and November.
Buffon's Skuas ,, in August and vSeptember.

Great Shearwaters ,, from August to November in three suc-

cessive years, but not in January,
Februar}-, or INlay.
P'nlmars ,, in January, two P'ebruaries, two Mays,

three Augusts, one September, and in

three Novembers ; in short whenever

the Helga cruised off the S. W. coast,

and sufficiently far from land. The

birds were quite tame, and have come

within a couple of yards of the ship,

picking at scraps which were thrown

to them.

These facts go to show that, while the Great Shearwater visits the part

of the Atlantic near Munster from August to November, the Fulmar may

be met with there at all seasons.

Information as to the months not mentioned above is wanting, as the
Helga does not then appear to have been off the coast.

R. J. T'SSHRR.
Gappagh, Water ford.

April. 1909= The Irish Natural ht. 81

ON SOME IRIvSH HAWKWEED AND POXDWEED

RECORDS.

BY R. TJ.OYD PRARGER.

It may be of interest to report the results of iiiquir}' into
the soiirce of one or two Irish records recenth' published.

HIeracium hibernicum, 1". J. Hanb. — " ^Muckanaght, Maumeen,
Galwa}' " (W. R. Linton : An Account of the British Hieracia, 1905,
p. 33\ This and the following record did not come under my notice
till after Mr. Linton's lamented death. In the present case the
author has transferred these well-known records of II. C. Hart's
from //. argentcuvi to the above allied species. H. ar^enteitm was first
recorded from Muckanaght, in the Twelve Bens, and Maumeen, on
the Maani Turk ^Mountains, h\ Y\^\-\.\\\\\\q [ournal of FJotauy, yifiw.,
p. 48, 1886, on the authority of James Backhouse, the specimens
having been collected by him in his survey- of the Mayo and Gal way
mountains four years earlier. Along with them, and under the same
name, he recorded the INIoynalt (Co. Donegal) and Broughnamaddy
(Co. Down) plants which subsequently formed the type specimens for
Hanbury's H. hiheniicuw. described in /ounial of Bolaiiy, xxx., p. 25S,
1892. //. argcutcum has not, so far as I know, been collected in Gal way
since, but the record has not been questioned. On what grounds, then,
have these stations been transferred to H. Jiibeniicnm i Mr. E. F.
Linton, appealed to, can throw no light on the question. He says
that in his brother's notes the records so appear without comment ;
and while he is sure the change must have been based on specimens
examined, no specimens are forthcoming. INIr. Ilanbiiry has assisted
by going through liis set of H. hibcniicuiii. without result. Hart's
original specimens are in the National Herbarium. Tliey lack the
leafy stem of Iiihcynicmn, and IMr. K. V . Linton, who has kindly
examined them, pronounces them rightly named argoiteum. Hart
usually collected very sparingly, and the fact that the two sheets in
the National Herbarium bearMvS. notes b\' Backhouse and Babington
strengthens the view that the six specimens thereon preserved repre-
sent the whole of Hart's collecting.

It is ilifliciilt in these circumstances either to accept or to reject
the record, but in view of the fact that the original specimens belong
to //. argenteum, and that no other specimens are known to exist, one
feels tempted to suggest— and I put forward the suggestion with all
deference — that the insertion of these Galway stations under H.
hibcnn'cin/i was a slip of the pen.

HIeracium hypochaeroides, Gibs.— '• Clare ; Sligo""(W. R. Linton.
/. c, p. 28). T. H. Corry was the discoverer of this species in Ireland.
He gathered it on the cliffs of the Ragle Rock on .Slieve Carran, Co,

A

82 The Irish Naturalist, April,

Claie, ill 1879,' and 1 saw it there last year. Without (loiil>t Linton's
Clare record refers to Corry's find. The same botanist definitely
recorded the plant from the Ben Bulbcn range (" t,ioo, 1,200 feet ") in
his notes made there in 1882, while preparing a report on thebotan\'
of these hills for the Royal Irish Academy, which notes were edited
after his death h\ A. G. jNIore and published by the Acadenn' in 1883.=
Barrington and Vowell. who took up and finished Corry's work on
Ben Bulbeii. state in their report '' that "there seems to be some
doubt about the identification" of Corry's specimens; Init INIr.
Barrington cannot now say what that dou1:)t was. vS. A. vStewart col-
lected on Ben Bulben a plant of which Backhouse reported, '• //.
Gibsflin appareiith' ; agrees with my specimens."^ And now \V. R.
Linton has definitely included Co. Sligo in the localities for this
species.

Corry's plants are preserved in Queen's College, Belfast. In reply
to a queiy, Prof, (rregg Wilson kindh' reports : — " We have no speci-
mens of Corry's labelled //. Jiypocharoidcs or H. Gibsoni. We have other
Iliciacui named by him, but none from Sligo."' The Cambridge Herba-
rium, where Corry worked under Babington, and where plants of his
might be expected, was also tried; but Dr. C. E. INIoss reports : —
'• There are several of his (Corry's) Irish gatherings in the Herbarium,
but there is no Hieracium of his from Co. vSligo." I\Ir. Hanbury's
report as to his herbarium is also in the negative. I cannot find,
then, where Linton got his information, though there can be little
doubt that some information was forthcoming ; in the absence of
definite evidence against the plant's occurrence on Ben Bulben, and
in view of the confirmatory notes of Corry and of Stewart, I think
that it would not be justifiable to doubt the record of so able and
accurate a worker as the author of the '-Handbook of the British
Hieracia," and I think the record ought to stand, pending further
information.

Hieracium cuprcpes, V.]. Ilanb.— " :Mourne]Mountains, Co Down."
(Linton, /.r., j). 56). This is a new reconl for the county. I have not
discovered its origin, but have little doubt that the record rests on
one or other of many Hawkweeds collected bv ^Ir. vStewart and
myself in 1889-90, and sent to England for identification.

Hieracium ciliatum, Almq. — In the course of the fruitless hunt for
Ben Bulben specimens of //. hypocliaroidcs, the Hawkweeds collected

' Xotes of a Botanical Ramble in the County of Clare, Ireland. Pyoc.
Belfast Nat. Hist, and Phil. Soc, 1879-80. p. 192.
-On the Ileiglits attained by Plants on Ben Bulben. /"m. R.I.A. (2),

Science, iv., 73-77-

" Report on the Mora of Ben Bulben, cS:c. Proc. R.I.A. (2), Science iv.
p. 508. 1885.

* S. A. Stewart ?// ////. See also Corry's ])aper, loc. cit.

1909- Pr\icgkr. — Irhh Haivkzveeds and Poiuhveeds. 83

there by Barringtoii and Vowell were kindly submitted to Rev. K. F.
Liuton by Miss Knowles. One plant, labelled H. casiiini var. Smithii,
from Ben Rulben, ]\Ir. Linton identifies as //. ciliatnm var. rcpandii»i
Ley. In Barrington and Vowell's report, //. ccesiiin: var. Sviithii is
recorded from Ben Bnlben and from Goat Island, Lough (xill. The
Lough Gill specimen is not forthcoming, but as the same specialist
named both, it would seem that both stations had better l)c trans,
ferred. //• (■i/ia/ii/u has not been recorded from Ireland hitherto.

Hieracium Schmldtii, Tausch. — The only specimen of Barrington
and X'owell's H. palUduui {H. Schniidtii), which they collected in three
stations, INIr. Linton refers to i¥. aiigliciini\ so it appears doubtful if
this plant grows in the Ben Bulben district.

Potamogcton Kirkii, vSyme.— /V^rw^^'t-Av/ /wV/vV has long been known
as growing in the Bealanabrack River, close to the bridge at INIaam,
and has been frequently collected there. The Bealanabrack River
flows into the long north-western arm of Lough Corrib. It sinks to
lake-level above INIaam, and thence flows with a slow deep course,
some 50 feet wide, for a distance of a mile, when it] suddenly widens
into the lake. Up to Maam the river is navigable, and a small
steamer periodical!}' ascends to the plant's habitat to discharge
passengers and goods. Two other localities which appear in Fryer's
" Potamogetons of the British Isles,"' p. 18, 1898, invite discussion.
The paragraph dealing with the distribution of this supposed
In'brid, in the work referred to, reads as follows ; —

"Localities: At present this hybrid-species is only known from
Ireland, where it was " found by Mr. Thomas Kirk, in the Ballina -
brack River at Maam, co. Gal way' (Syme), ' Loch Xeagh by Dr. I).
IMoore." Lough Corrib, Galwa}', T. Kirk, Sept. 7th, J854.''

Correspondence with ^Nlr. Fryer elicited the facts that the Lough
Xeagh record was based on a specimen in the Edinburgh Herbarium, and
the Lough torrib record on two specimens in Mr. Charles Bailey's Her-
barium, Professor Balfour and ^Nlr. Bailey both kindly acceded to my
request to send their sets of P. Kirkii to Mr. I'ryer for re-examination,
and at the same tmie Miss Knowles assisted by forwarding the contents
of the P. Kirkii cover in the National Herbarium. Professor Balfour was
so good as to send the Kdinburgh sheets to me in the first place. ]Mr.
Fryer has now critically examined the whole series of plants, and both
he and I have paid particular attention to the labels which accompany
them.

As to the Maam station there is no doubt, but it comes into the question
in this way. Thomas Kirk, the discover of the plant, on all the labels
written by him which have been examined (namely, two in Bailey's
Herbarium, two at I\dinburgh, and three in Dublin), quotes the station
as simply *■ Lough Corrib." Maam is not mentioned, though it was
certainly intended in at least some cases, as Kirk is well known to have
been the finder of the plant in its classical Maam station. {See £/;^/7s/i
Botany, 3rd ed., vol. ix.. p. 32, 1869; Cybeic Hibernica^ ed. i, 1866, &c.) The

4 '>

84 The Irish Naturalist. April,

dates are 1853, 1S54, or 1858. But did Kirk collect it also in J.ougli
Corrib .' Or were all his specimeiis from Maaiii .-

Evidence on the question as to Avhether there were one or two stations
may be sought in the specimens of Dr. David IMoores gathering which
are preserved at Kdinburgh and Dublin (two in the former collection,
three in the latter). On all these sheets the locality is again simply
"Lough Corrib,'" though on two of the Dublin sheets (More Herbarium),
" Maam " and " River Bealnabrack, near Maam .-" have been added — in
the latter case in Miss F. INI. More's handwriting. One of the Edinburgh
labels bears the legend " growing in deep water, Lough Corrib, Co.
Galway," which suggests the lake rather than the river. Only two of
Moore's labels (most of which are in his own handwriting) are daterl :
these are dated Sept., 1853, the same month and year as several of Kirk's
gatherings.

But though the labels do not help us much as regards locality, Mr.
Frj'er adduces important evidence from the specimens : —

"The Edinburgh specimens support the view that I had formed from
your Dublin set. That is, that the Lough Corrib specimens i:;rriV in /wo
distinct locatitics." "In the genus roiamogcton the individuals are .so sus-
ceptible to local conditions that in the greater part of the .species every
ditch and pool has its local form.'" And, later, he writes:— "After a
final look I am inclined to think that the 4 sheets in Dr. Moore's .set
probably grew in a different station from that which furnished the recent
gatherings of the plant. All I have seen or possess from Maam have a
different look about the floating leaves." ]\Ir. Frver oroes on to suqfo-est
that quite possil)ly a separate patch of the plant, not more than a hun-
dred yards distant, n)ight account for the differences observed ; but in
view of all the evidence he urges the retention of Lough Corrib as a
separate station until further information is forthcoming.

The Lough Xeagli record in Mr. Fryer's work rests, as already stated,
on a specimen in the Edinburgh Herbarium. The label, in Dr. INIoore's
handwriting, runs: — " Potamogeton .species nearest P. hetenophyllus .-
but different apparently. Growing in rather deep water in IvOugh Xeagh,
Co. Antrim. — D.M." INIr. Fryers re-examination of this .specimen
CO!: firms his opinion that it is /'. AVr/vV— an opinion shared by Dr.
Bo.swell, as witnessed by the pencil note " sparganiifolius Laest. J.B.vS."
on the label, and 1)y the following sentence by him in i\\e /oiirnal of
Botany, 1S75, p. 376 :— " In looking over the Edinburgh Herbarinm I saw
a fine specimen of the P, sj^arganiifoliits similar to the INIaam plant, with
a label stating that it was gathered in Loch Neagh bv Dr. D. Moore, of
Glassnevin," a record which, by the way, is not referred to in Stewart
and Corry's '-Flora of the North-ea.st of Ireland."' Mr. Fryer has
submitted this specimen to a searching examination and comparison
with the other .sheets, and his conclusion is that there is grave susj^icion
of some transfer of labels having taken place. Comparing it with the
Edinburgh specimen labelled in Moore's handwriting " Potamogeton
longifolius. Growing in deep water, Ivough Corrib, Co. Galway, Sep.,
1S53. D. INIoore,"' he writes, '• I am strongly of opinion that the two

1909. Pkakgkk. — Irhh liau'k-ivccds a?id Pondivceds. 85

plants were gathered at the sauie time and place and dried at the same time.
If a slip of memory or of the pen as to locality occurred, in which case
was it ? "

That is a difficult question, but one or two points may be submitted,
Firstly, the existence of apparently only a single labelled specimen of the
supposed Lough Xeagh plant, as against several of the I.ough Corrib, tells
in favour of the latter. Next, INIoore's well-known work in the north-east
was done twenty years before he collected the plant on Lough Corrib,
nor does he seem to have subsequently vi.sited the scene of his former
labours. Unless he re-labelled the plants in later years, it is inconceivable
that a Lough Neagli specimen could inadvertently have been labelled
'• Lough Corrib," which he had as yet never visited, and with a date
twent}' years posterior to the date of writing. Again, the absence of all
reference to this important r,/OUgh Ncagh find in Cybck Hibcrnica or else-
where in Moore's writings is difficult to explain, if the specimen were
really gathered there — although, of course, he might have laid it aside
among unnamed specimens. Again, how did an apparently unique
Lough Xeagh specimen get into the Edinburgh Herbarium ? These and
otlier dislurl^ing (|ue.stions can easily be asked ; but the an.swer lies,
probably, not with further puzzling over the sheets, but with careful
examination of the localities. Mr. Fryer, in his last letter to me, makes
an urgent appeal for a careful search on Lough Corrib and Lough Neagh,
Will some of our botanists help.^ I myself shall do my best to visit both
lakes in the near future, but two heads— or three— are better than one.

In the meantime, in view of the perplexing cloud of uncertainty that
envelops the whole question, and the chance that both the Lough Xeagh
and Lough Corrib records are correct, Mr. Fryer is of opinion that for
the present we cannot undertake to condemn either of the doubtful
stations. The last words of a series of letters, representing a troublesome
investigation, for which I feel deeply indebted to him, are, '• Finally, I
suggest keejMUg the three stations for the present."

Xdtional Librarv of Ireland,

NEWS GLEANINGS.

Royal Zoological Society s Lectures.

The concluding lecture of the series arranged by the Council of the
Ro5'al Zoological Society was delivered on March 24th, at Leinster
House, by the Rev. Canon F. F. Carmichael. LL-D. The subject
" Animals I have known," was dealt with in a manner delightful to
the crowded audience, which included His Excellency the Lord
Lieutenant.

86 I'hc bish A^aturalist. April

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE LAND AND FRESH
WATER IMOLLUSCA OF NORTH-WEST DONEGAL.

BY A. \V. STElyFOX, A.K.I.B.A.

It lias now become almost an annual occurrence for some of the
most prominent English conchologists to spend their holida^-s
with us in Ireland. Last year Dr. Chaster of Southport, Mr.
E. Collier of Manchester, and Mr. C E. Wright of Kettering
were the only members who could join us, while Mr. R. W^elcli,
Mr. J. N. Milne and myself formed the native contingent.
Mr. F. Balfour-Browne was also with us for a few days, and
his large beetle-net proved a most useful addition to our
collecting implements. We adopted nuich the same pro-
gramme as that followed by Dr. Chaster and nnself on our
former visit to Co. Donegal in September, 1905. for the results
of which see I.N., vol. xv., p. 62. These notes must be looked
on as supplementary to that paper, being mostly new records.

Our itinerar\' was as follows:-—

5th September, 190S. — We left Belfast early in the day, and
arrived at Dunfanagln- in time to spend the afternoon at Tra
more, Horn Head, the following species being recorded for the
first time in this locality — Helix hispida and//, nifcsccns. The
" colony " of Helix intcrsccta referred to in my report of
1905 no longer inhabits the " circus ring"' (which by the way
is a spot used by Mr. Stewart for the training of horses), but
was found to be living all over the grassy slope as far as the
bridge leading to the mainland. Not a single specimen was
taken inside or near the ring this year, while in 1905 none
were taken more than a few 3ards from this spot.

6th September. — The morning was spent b\' the majority
of the party in further investigating Tramore, where Messrs.
Chaster and Wright found large quantities of wind drifted shells
collected as a rain-wash in a dune hollow by the recent heavy
rains. This material was of course composed of shells washed
from botli old and recent deposits. Close at hand several
deposits probably formed in a like manner were exposed near
the base of an old sand-hill which was undergoing rapid
erosion. The commonest shell found living at Tramore is
the rd7^7///rt' [12345] form oi Helix nemoralis with a white lip.
This form is to be found fairl\- commonly thronghout West

1909- Sthlfox. — Mollusca of N.IV. Donegal. 87

Donegal, but it nowhere appears to predominate as atTramore.
Mr. Collier and I, not being '• pot hunters,' left the party at
the kitchen middens and worked on to PoUanguil Bay, where
on my previous visit I had taken a large and very lieav}' and
thick form of /A7/.V }ici)ioraIis living on the flat sandy area
close to the sea. There is absolutely no cover for anything
where these shells are living, and we observed many specimens
in the act of appearing from the sand into which they had
burrowed to escape some climatic condition which did not
suit them. Here also we found Helix iiitersecla in fair
abundance, and apparently more at home than in the other
locality mentioned above. Xew records for Horn Head were
Avion inteiinediiis and Pupa nmsconini, while a ver}- small form
of Clansilia bidentata was worth noting.

In the afternoon some collecting was done in the neigh-
bourhood of Dunfanaghy by Messrs. Chaster, Wright and
Milne, who noted the following species new to the locality : —
From Kill I^ough. Linnuca lucj iiiila?ia var. aeiiia., and
L. paluslris \ from moss shakings collected above Kill I^ough.
Hyalinia piira, //. crystallina. Helix aculeata, H. lamcllata :
from Sessiagh I.ough, a shell identified by all of us as
Hydrobia ulva' was taken by Mr. Milne. The operculum was
in position, but the specimen was unfortunately lost before
we had the opportunity of proving if the animal was alive or
not. Sessiagh Lough is a considerable distance from the sea
and at an altitude of 96 feet above it, it is therefore strange to
find this brackish water species in such a position.

7th September. — Leaving Messrs. Chaster, Collier and
Wright at Dunfanaghy, the remainder of the jiarty left early
in the morning to proceed to Bunbeg, but after driving for six
miles in torrential rain we were held up by the floods descend-
ing from the adjoining hills into the valley at Ballymore, which
was deeply flooded, both roads being under five to seven feet
of water at this point. There was no choice but to retreat,
which we did in good order, bringing with us large quantities
of the rejectamenta floating along the margin of the flood,
containing many .species of beetles and other in.sects, as well
as some land shells, among which were a good man}- Helix
fusea^ //. nemoralis, H. erieetoncm and H. hispida, all alive, and
one dead specimen of H hortensis of the type.

88 The Irish NatnyaiisL April.

Ill Ihc afternoon we started again, driving to Falcarragli
station and thence b}- train to Gweedore. Here we found the
floods even worse ; reinforced by many temporary mountain
torrents from the slopes around Errigal and Dooish, the Clady
river was in spate, having risen close on eight feet since the
previous day, and it was a ver\- wet but happy party that
supped that night at M'Bride's home-like little hotel at
Middletown.

8th September. — C'arrickfin peninsula, including Carnboy
I.ough, the home of Planorbis glabcr and the white forms of
Limiuca pcrcgra and L. aiincicla) ia, was visited,, but through-
out our trip we found freshwater collecting most difficult
owing to the abnormal height of the water in the lakes. In
the flooded area around Dunmore Lough, together with
freshwater species, and on the vegetation and .stones which
projected above the water, Hyalinia radiaiula, H. nitida,
IIcHx pyovuca, Coclilicopa Iiibrica, Pupa aiigHia, Vertigo
pygnuca, J^. antivertigo^ ]\ subst?'iaia, Carychiuni niinivriDu.
Balca perversa and Sticeinca elegaiis—owr small Irish form —
were taken alive in abundance. It is evident that all the
above-mentioned species can withstand a considerable period
of immersion. On the sand-dunes near the southern end of
the peninsula a large number of the eHrinozonata and
roscozojiata form of Helix nemoralisw^re found living. At one
spot these two forms easily outnumbered all others taken
together. Ainalia gagafes, virion intei'mediiis and Pupa
muscorum were the only unrecorded species found.

9th September.—Messrs. Welch and Bal four-Browne re-
turned to Belfast, and Mr. Milne and I contented ourselves
with working a little patch of old scrub called Cloglier-
macnaghten Wood, near Gweedore station. Several of the old
woodland species were found, viz., Ariou iiitcrmedizis.
Hyalinia 7ii/idula \-ar. Ilelmii, Vertigo edentula and Pupa
a)i<>tica.

lotli September. — Being rejoined by Messrs. Chaster.
Collier and Wright, the entire day was spent on the sandhills
Ivin" between Buiibeq; and Ma2:her<2allon old church, where
the small white-lipped form of Helix nemoralis occtirs in great
(iuantities. Many very small .specimens were taken, most of
them rather conical, but by far the best find was picked up

.1909. Sr^Ei.vox.—Molhisca of N.W, Dofiegal. 89

two days previously at this spot by Mr. Welch, a full grown
specimen, which measures only 14 mm. in width by 12 mm,
in height. The prevailing form here was ''00345 Ubellula^'
but many other forms of interest were collected, several with
a band formula of 12045 were found, while it maybe worth
noting that 00300, which is usually looked upon as one of the
commonest band formulae, was not observed in more than a
few specimens during the whole tour.

nth September. — On this date we again visited Carrickfin
in order to give the Helix 7iemoralis connoisseurs an oppor-
tunity of collecting some of the ciirmo207iata form of this
species. Mr. Milne and I wandered on as far as Mullaghderg,
but found the lough much too flooded for freshwater
collecting. We, however, added two species to our Mullagh-
derg list of 1905, viz., Amalia gagaies and Pzipa anghca. The
former species was very plentiful and the specimens seen were
exceedingly large. We noticed both here and in other
localities that this slug was very subject to destruction by the
floods, as many drowned examples were to be seen in the
rejectamenta of the various lakes visited.

12th September. — This was the only really fine day with
which we were favoured during the whole excursion, and was
luckily that for which we had saved the tit-bit of our holiday,
namely a visit to Inishmeane and Gola, two of the outlying
islands, upon which so far as we knew no conchologist had
collected previously. As many authorities think that the
fauna of such islands is of great importance from a topo-
graphical point of view, I give below complete lists of the
species taken.

Inishmeane. — Agtiolimax agrestis^ Ario7i i?itermedius, Vitriiia
pelhicida^ Hyalinia cella?'ia, H. alliaria — type and var.
viridula ; Helix pulchella, H. ericetorum, H 7iemoralis, H aciita^
H. rotiiJidata, Cochlicopa hibrica, Pupa cyliyidracea^ Balea
perversa^ Clausilia bide?itata, Liinncea peregra — var. Boissyi;
L. palustris^ L. h'laicatjila, Aplexa hypiiorum, Plajiorbis
nautileus and Pisidium pusilliim.

Of the above by far the most interesting shells were the
LimiicEa peregra which were collected in a small peaty pool on
the cliffs at the north-east corner of the island. These re-
semble very much some of the specimens of this I^imnaea found

A 3

90 The Irish Naturalist April,

in Carnboy Lough and illustrated in my notes on our 1905
visit, but the}' are much larger and all of a rich brown colour.
In the same pool were also living many contorted specimens
Q){ PI an or bis 7iauiileus^ a few of my specimens having a distinct
spire. The Aplexa hypnorum were taken by Mr. Milne on the
elevated bogg3^ area which covers the greater portion of the
island. Both Inishmeane and Gola, like the mainland, are
composed of granite, and covered with a considerable amount
of bog quite useless for sustaining a molluscan fauna.

The following species were taken on Gola Island : — Agrio-
limax ag7'esiis, A. Icevis, A7'io7i ater^ A. horte^isis^ A. intermediiis^
Vitri7ta ptlhicida^ Hyali7iia allia7-ia — type and var. imddula^
Helix 7'otu7idata^ H. pidchella, H. erieetorum, H. 7ie7no7alis^
II. aspersa (dead only), H. aciita^ Cochlicopa l7id7'ica, Piipa
cyli7id7'acea^ Li7)i7tcsa pereg7-ay L. trtmcatiila, and Pisidium
pusilbinu /

On the 13th September we drove inland to Dunlewy, and
were rewarded with a few interesting finds. Hyali7iia excavata
occurred much more commonly in the wood at Dunlewy
House than in 1905, while Helix fusca was an addition to our
list for this locality. There is a nice little form of Lim7i£Ea
peregra to be found in the lough ; but the latter, being so
much above its usual level, not many specimens could be
procured. >5ear Dunlewy House Mr. Wright turned up some
specimens of Helix 7iemo7'alis of the same fragile form which
is found in some of our moist old wooded districts, and
recorded from Glenveagh in 1905. Some of these were
almost as difficult to handle when cleaning as Helix fiisea,
owing to the extreme tenuity of the shell.

14th September. — Moving our headquarters to Sweeney's
Hotel, Burton Port, we invaded new ground, and on the same
afternoon worked Cruit Island, where the following list was
made ; — Agrioliinax ag7'tstis^ A. lavis, Li7nax ma7'gi7iattis . A7'io7i
ater^ A. i7itermedius, Vitri7ia pelhicida, Hyali7iia allia7ia — type
and var. vi7'id2ila^ Helix pygmcea, H pulchella and var. costata^
H. ericetor7i7?i, H. 7iemoralis, H. aspersa, H. aciita, H. rot7i7idata,
H. hispida, Carychiiwi 7}ii7ii77t7i77t^ Cochlicopa 7'tib7'ica, Pupa nms-
coriinif Vertigo pyg7ncBa, V. a7itive7tigo, Succi7iea elega7iSt Li7n7ia:a
peregra, L. trimcatula, Pla7iorbis 7ia7itilens, P.giaber, P. spiro7bis,
Pisiditwi piisillum, and P. 7?iili7im.

.1909. Stet^fox. — Mollusca of N>W> Donegal. 91

The habitat of Succinea elegavs calls for some comment, the
animals being found living on the short grassy slopes on the
cliffs facing the Atlantic on the western side of the island,
and also on the upper surfaces of dried cow-dung, where
their colour rendered them ver}^ difficult to see. In stormy
weather the}' must be constantly drenched with spray, which,
no doubt, accounted for the erosion of nearly all the
specimens.

15th September. — This day was spent on the sandhills at
Keadew, and several of the small islands were worked, which
can be reached at low tide. In Arlands Lough the Boissyi form
of LimncEa peregja turned up again, but they were not such
extremely marked shells as those from Inishmeane. In this
lake Linuicsa auricnlaria, Playiorbis glaber, P. nauHleus, P.
spirorbis and Aplexa hyp7ioruni were also living. Mr. Collier
and Dr. Chaster took some veiy nice tj^pical Succinea elega^is
along the margin of a small stream running through the
dunes, quite unlike the form of this species which occurs in
most places in this district.

As the weather did not improve we brought our holiday to
an end on the next da}' as far as west Donegal was concerned,
and returned to Derry, from which centre we worked
Magilligan sand-dunes, and finally went to Ballycastle, Co.
Antrim, for a couple of days. Our only discovery in these
parts was that of Helix hortensis at Downhill, Mr. Milne
beating a few specimens out of some long grass about a
quarter of a mile above Downhill on the waj' to Castlerock.
Only two adult specimens were taken, but young examples
were ver>" common, and all were of the bandless yellow form
which is undoubtedly the commonest in Ireland. This is the
first record of H. horteiins for Co. Derry, and although we are
all agreed as to the species, I have kept the specimens alive
and feeding in order to get the darts examined.

In the above notes I have followed Dr. Scharff's nomencla-
ture as given^ in this Journal, vol. 1. With regard to the
Hyaliniae, it will be observed that I have not adopted the two
new species recently described by Mr. A. S. Kennard, F.G-S —
Vitrea hibernica and V. Scha?'ffii — for the reason that these

* In the previous list, vol. xv., p. 65, Helix caperata was given instead of
Helix intersecia — the name used by Dr. ScbarfF.

92 The Irish Naturalist. April,

have not yet been accepted hy the majority of I^nglish
authorities, and also because it has yet to be definitely proved
that the radula and genitalia are more unvarying guides than
the shell itself. It seems to me that the whole controversy
turns on the old old query "what is a species?" In the
collecting of the above notes my best thanks are due to the
other members of the party.

Belfast.

ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF WOODLICR IN IRELAND
AS KNOWN AT THE END OF 1908.

BY D. R. PACKBERESFORD, B.A., M.R.I.A,, AND NEVIN H.

FOSTER, M.B.O.U.

During the past j^ear 1908 we devoted some attention to
the detailed distribution of Woodlice in Ireland, and in tabu-
lating the results of our investigations according to the 40
County Divisions as scheduled by R. LI. Praeger.^ Through
the kindness of Dr. Scharffwe were enabled to examine the
stock of specimens of this group in the Museum in Dublin,
and to register the localities in which they had been obtained.
Since the publication of Dr. Scharff's " The Irish Woodlice,"-
onl)' occasional notes, mainly relating to some of the rarer
species, have been published ; and after collecting all the
available data, we found that at the beginning of 1908 no fewer
than seven of the County Divisions were barren of a single
record, whilst in only fourteen counties were more than four
species recorded ; although it is probably correct to state
that Trichoniscus pusillus, Oniscits asellus, Philoscia muscorum,
and Porcellio scaher are common all over Ireland. In the
past twelve months we have been indebted to many kind
friends who, from time to time, sent us specimens from
different localities, and these, with the specimens collected by
ourselves in various districts, and Mr. Bagnall's collection in
September, conscitute the material on which our present
knowledge of the group's Irish distribution is founded ;and it
may be observed that only one county, Longford, is now de-
void of a record.

^ Irish Topographical Botany, 1901. ^ Irish Naturalist, vol. iii.

J909- Pack-Berksford and Kostkr.— WoodlUc in Ireland. 93

The number of species of Woodlice recorded from Ireland
now amounts to 23 ; the following 6 species having been added
durincf the vear : —

Eluma piiypuvasccns, Budde-Lund, 7. A'.; vol. xvii., p. 255.

Tric/wmscus pygmcsus, Sars, ,, ,. ,, ,, 5^*

Trichonisciis Siehhingi, Patience, ;, ,; xviii., ,, 43.

HaplopihdljUKs dajiicus, Budde-J^iMid. .. ,, ,, ;, 44-

Philoscia Couchii, Kinahan, ,, ,, xvii., ,, 206.

Armadillidii(}}i nasaluiiu Budde-Lund, ,, .,. xviii., „ 54-
This last species had beeri erroneously recorded as .1. pictmn,
Brandt, {cit., vol. xvii., p. 135).

Besides these new records we ma}- also mention the capture
of some of our rarer species in the following localities, viz. : —
Trichonisciis voseiis at Portumna, North Tipperar}- (R.Ll-P.) ;
T. vividiis near Goresbridge, Kilkenny (D.R.P.-B.) ; Haplopthal-
miis danicus at Fenagh, Carlow (D.R.P.-B.) ; //. Mcngii at
Giasnevin, Dublin (R.S.B.), and on the Hill of Howth, Co.
Dublin (D.R.P.-B.) ; Plaiyaytlinis HoffincDniscggii near Gores-
bridge, Kilkenny (D.R.P. B.) ; PovceUio picfits, Goresbridge,
Kilkenny (D.R.P.-B.), Attymon, Galway (R.\V.), Loughgilly,
Armagh, Carlingford and Omeath, Louth; and Hillsborough,
Down (X.H.F.) : Metoponorthiis pviiinosiis from Old P^orge,
Antrim (R.W.), and Hillsborough, Down (N.H.P'.) ; Cylisticus
convexiis, Belfast, Antrim (R.W.) : Ballinafeigh, Down (J.N.M.) ;
and Hillsborough, Down (N.H.F.).

One of the most ctirious facts which our enquiry has so far
brottght to light is the apparent absence of ArmadAllidium
vulgarc from the north and west of Ireland. This species,
which is so common in the south, had not, till last year, been
recorded from any county north of Dublin ; whilst it has not
yet been found in Kerry, Clare, or Limerick, though it will
probably turn up there. N.H.F. found this species very
abundant at Carlingford, Louth, but the only record for Ulster
is the capture of a single specimen at Portaferry, Down, by
J. X. Milne.

We have to thank our several correspondents for their
assistance in sending us specimens, and trust that the publica-
tion of this paper will encourage them and others to collect
and send us more of these animals.

Fenagh, Bageiialstowii.
Hillsborough, Co. Down.

94 ^f^<^ Irish Natuyalist. April, -

EEVIEWS.

THE SIMPLEST FORMS OF LIFE.

A Treatise on Zoology. Luliled by Sir Rav Lankksthk, K.C.ll..
LL.D., IMv.vS. Part I. (first fascicle), Introduction and Protozoa,
by S. j. HiCKSox, F.R.vS. : J. J. LisTiiR, P.R.vS. ; J. W. Gamble,
D.Sc, IvR.vS. ; A. WiLi.KV, D.vSc, I-.R.vS. ; H. M. Woodcock, D.vSc. :
the late W. F. R. Wei^dox. I'.R.vS., and K. Rav Laxkestkr.
K.C.li.. F.R.S. London: A. and C. Black, 1909, pp. xxii. + 296.
Price I5J-. net.

That this volume, together with the one issued six years ago, gives, as
vSir Ray J.ankester remarks, a more complete account of the Protozoa
than is to be found in any similar work hitherto published may readily
be conceded. We noted already, with regret, in the Iriih Xaturalist
(vol. xii., p. 242), that it should have 1)een found necessary to break the
description of the Protozoa into two volumes. Yet in one respect this
division of labour has been an advantage. The stud\- of Protozoa is
becoming of more and more importance. Chairs of Protozoology are being
established at various seats of learning, and the last few years have
witnessed very noteworthy discoveries especially among the patho-
genic Trypanosomes. A reliable text-book, giving us the results of the
most recent discoveries is. therefore, of the utmost value not only to the
zoologist but particularly to medical and veterinary students.

The diflicult task of editing the accounts furnished by .seven different
authors has been accomplished most satisfactorih- by Sir Ray Lankester.
In the valuable introduction to the volume he defines the Protozoa as
comprising all the non-filamentous, non-chlorophylligerous microscopic
forms which are not referable to the vSchizomycetes (Bacteria) or to the
simpler Fungi. We are here treading on such debatable ground that this
seems almost the clearest definition that can be given. Yet, even among
the chloroph\-ll-forniing organisms there are certain forms, the volvoci-
ueans for example, which, "on account of their close affinity to the
Protozoa, are dealt with in this volume, while they also find a place in
works of botany. A few, such as the late William Archer's famous
Chlamydomyxa. have defied all attempts at classification. All that
Mr. Lister can tell us about it and Cienkovski's Labyriuthula is that
they are related in one direction to outlying members of the Gromiidea
and in others to the Heliozoa and the Proteomyxa. Though Archer's
Chlamydomyxa was not described until 1S75, it may be mentioned, in
honour to the Dublin INIicroscopical Club, that, a year earlier, it was
exhiV:>ited 10 the members of that bod} on several occasions.

In the splenditl work before us Prof. Ilickson describes the Proteo-
myxa, one of which, causing the well-known disease of "FMnger and Toe '"
in turnips, is of economic importance. Li conjunction with the late
Prcf. Weldon, he has also undertaken to deal with the Heliozoa.
Another group, the Mycetozoa, classed by botanists among the I'ungi, is
iliscussed by Mr. Lister.

1909 Reviews. g5

AuioLig the best known of the Protozoa undoubtedly are the Lobosa.
Formerly of purely systematic interest, it has now been amph' demon-
strated that their study has led to the recognition of the cause of
several obscure forms of disease. E/idaniaba /lislo/iia. for example, so like
E. coli in size and form, yet so different in its life-history, is known to
be the active cause of tropical dysentery. Prof. Hickson has made this
section one of the most interesting parts of the volume.

The pelagic marine Radiolaria are of less practical interest, except
that they form an important element in the constitution of some of our
rocks. Yet only now and tJien is a stray specimen recorded from our
coasts. Dr. Gamble, the author of this section, alludes to the discoverv,
bv the ^Misses Delap, of Thalassicolla on the west coast of Ireland.

Of all the groups classed as Protozoa in this volume the Mastigophora
are the most debatable. In the authors' opinion the controversy whether
such and such an order of INIastigophora should be reckoned among the
unicellular Algte or among the Protozoa is now practically over, and
they hold that Vjiological disquisitions upon the group are equally at
home and equally necessary in zoological antl botanical treatises. The
various sub-classes of this group are discus.'^ed by Mr. Willey and Prof.
Hickson, except one, the parasitic Lissoflagellata. which has been
considered worthy of more detailed treatment.

The unstability of the classification of these organisms is well illus-
trated b3-the fact that the arrangement of the Lissoflagellata as adopted
by Dr. Woodcock, differs considerably from that proposed by Messrs.
Willey and Hickson in the earlier part of the same section. Popularl}-
known as '' Trypanosomes," these parasitic Protozoa are of the greatest
interest and of extreme economic importance. Inhabiting chiefly the
blood of vertebrates, they seem to produce various symptoms resulting
in the serious illness or death of the host. Thus "surra,'" an Indian
horse disease, the ' tsetse-fly disease "' of African cattle and horses, and
finally the terrible ''sleeping sickness" of man are all proved to be due
to various Trypanosomes. To Dr. Woodcock's ver\' able account of
these organisms is appended a list of all the known natural hosts of
Trypanosomes and allied forms, which will be useful to students.

R. P. vS.

A LITTLE MOSS BOOK.

British IVlosses. By TiiK Right Hon. vSir Kdward Pry, G.C.B.
2ud edition. London : Witherby & Co., 190S. pp. 72. \s. 6d. net.

This little work, as the author explains in the preface, grew out of a
lecture on British Mosses delivered in 1891 at the British Institution.
While covering much the same ground, the 2nd edition now before us
has been improved by the omission of the HepaticLC, which were
referred to very briefly in the ist edition published in 1892.

The author first describes the life-history of a moss with the aid of
excellent diagrams and illustrations, and treats of the structure of the
Gametophyte and Sporophyte in some detail.

9^ The Irish Naho'alisL A])ril.

'I'he SphaguaceLe are described separately, and the last part of the
l>ook deals with the foriiiatiou of peat froui vSphagnum and other mosses,
the succession of ijuried forests found in peat, and the possible factors
causing their destruction.

The theory given by the author to account for the destruction of sonic
of these forests by the growth of Sphagnum and the subsequent growth
of forest over the same area appears to us to be hardly convincing.
According to the author the alternation of »Sphagnum beds and buried
forests met with in some districts is due primarily to the underlying peat
being changed into black peat impervious to water, which thus plays the
same part as an iron-pan or cla}-. As far as our own observations go
these impervious layers of peat do not exist: some of the deepest bogs
showing several alternating layers of forest and bog peat being saturated
with water throughout their whole thickness. I'urther, the autlior in
discussing this question does not take account of the elevation of the
upward altitudinal limit of some oi the buried forests found in Britain
and vScandinavia. and the succession in X. PUirope of birch, pine, oak,
and spruce, each forest bed having a distinct flora. The table on page
58 giving the forest succession in Denmark. vScotlan 1, and some districts
in Kngland, would have been improved if some indication had been given
of the character of the peat h'ing between the forest beds.

The illustrations, with a few exceptions, are excellent, and the book
may be recommended as giving a very clear and interesting account of
the life-history of mosses and the part the\- play in modifying the vege-
tation of a country.

In the hands of a judicious teacher it would ])robably be extremely
useful in schools and in nature-study classes, more particularly as most
of the features described can be easily made out by careful dissection and
the use of a good hand-lens.

I'\ J. Ij:wis.

]<iverpool I'niversity.

IRISH SOCIETIES.

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Recent gifts include two cuckoos from INIiss P. Mercier, a Muscovy
Drake from Mr. B. Clarke, five Muscovy Ducks from Lady Constance
Butler. Ringed Plovers from jNIiss Ouinn and Dr. Crawford, a Wigeon
from the Rev. Dr. Benson, an .\frican Kagle-Owl from IMr. R. Patterson,
a Partridge from Mr. W. J. Williams, a Kolbe Vulture from INIr. J. N.
J.entaigne, twenty-one Cavies from Mrs. Brock, a Patas .Monkey and a
-Soudanese Jackal from Captain Harding.

The Kolbe Vulture has been placed in the cage long occupied by the
great Condor, who after more than forty years in the gardens died last
vear. The Patas Monkey is a most agile and lively creature, leaping
excitedly about his cage at the approach of visitors.

I909' Pfoi'ecdi}n>s of J rii/i Societies. 97

A small gang of workmen has Ijeen placed at the Couucil's disposal
by the Dublin Distress Committee for the unemployed. These men are
now busily engaged in improving the main walk and other paths of the
gardens.

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB.

Fkbruakv 10. — The Club met at Leinster House. Dr. G. H. Prthv-
URiDGK (President) exhibited the fungus PhyllosUcla alro-'.onafa \'oss. ,
parasitic on leaves oi Hellehonis in'^er from County Dublin. This species
has not previously been recorded from Ireland.

F. W. ]\IooRK showed flowers of S/e/is pnbescens, a minute Orchid from
tropical South America. The flowers are very smalL but when looked
at under a low power they form a very attractive object. Many of the
cells are fdled with bright reddish-coloured sap, and the cells of the
epidermis are all raised and give the appearance of a tesselated pave-
ment.

X. Coi.GAX exhibited living specimens of four species of 0])istho-
branch Mollusca recently added to the Dublin Marine fauna, i.e. Klysia
7'i)/ih\\ LiiiiaJ^ontia nic^ra, Actffonia tomt^qafa, and Riuuina Haucocki. All of
these had been taken in one fortunate gathering of the common green
sea-weed C/adop/iorn i-iiffs/n'>; made at half-tide near Bullock ori the 2nd
February last. P>oth the Limapontia and the Actaeonia had deposited
their e'^^ masses a few days after capture, and these were exhibited along
with tlie animals. . They furnished an interesting example of great
dissimilarity of form and size in the eggs of species which are strikinglv
similar in general aspect.

DUBLIN NATURALISTS FIELD CLUB.

March ir— The President (Dr. (r. H. Pi^thvuruhve) in the chair.
R. IJ. pR \i;(".i;r showed a series of lantern slides from photographs bv
R. Welch, illustrating the Lusitanian, American, and other interesting-
groups in the flora of the West of Ireland. Subsequentlv a discussion
took place regarding the natural history survey of Clare Island.
Co. Mayo, which is now being commenced.

Prof. Coi.K opened the discus.sion. He stated that the Department of
Agriculture had given the Geological .Survey a free hand to undertake a
revision of the survey of the island, and that particular attention would
be paid to the (ilacial drifts. He stated that as yet no fossils Lad been
found on the island, and in consequence the age of the rocks could not
be known with certainty, though the} were presumed to be the same
age as .similar formations on the mainland.

R. IJ.OVD Prakgrr followed with further details regarding the
character of the island, and the problems which it presented to the
naturalist. An attempt would be n:ade to distinguish the truly
indigenous plants and animals from those which owed their presence to
nian's operations, and to discover the route and period of migration of

98 1 Jic Irish Naturalist. April,

both .cjroiips. To do this it would be desirable to divide the island into
several districts, and the adjoining mainland likewise, and to compare the
fauna and flora of each. The question of the date of the final separation
of the island from the mainland was of course most important, and an
exact study of the flora and fauna would probal)ly throw much liolit on
this.

C. U. ^lOTi'AT drew attention to the fact that in the fauna and flora of
the island. difl"crences might be expected to develop after insulation in
five principal directions: — i. A large number of animals and plants
would (from a variety of causes) die out on the island but survive on the
mainland. 2. New species might establish themselves on the mainland
but fail to reach the island. 3. Competition with these new species
might cau.se some of the old species to disappear on the mainland which
would still .survive on the i.sland. 4. The re-adjustment of the balance
of competition due to all these changes might cause some species which
inhabit both mainland and island to be much more numerous on one
than on the other. 5. Varieties! or in extreme cases new species) might
originate on either the island or the mainland without reaching the
other.

J. N. IIai.rkRT referred to the lack of information concerning the
insect fauna of the larger islands off the west coast. Achill has been
only partially explored, but some interesting insects are known to exist
there, notably the excessively local moth Nyssia zoji'iiia : and a rare
alpine ground-beetle, Leis/its nionlauiis. was discovered a few years ago on
the summit of Slievemore. It was pointed out that the Rose-beetle,
Cefonia aura/a. a species of south-western range in Ireland, occurs in
abundance on the limestone tracts of Inishniore in Galway Bay. It was
considered likely that the entomology of Clare Island would yield some
interesting comparisons with that of the mainland.

J. DF. W. IlrxcH suggested that the island was connected with the
mainland at the Glacial epoch, but that subsequently submergence
took place similar to that which occurred along the S.\\\ coast of
Kngland.

J. Bayi^ev Buti,p:r stated that in the chart of Clew Bay the channel
between Achill and the island was much deeper than that between
Roonah Head and the island. He suggested that the land connexion
possibly existed for a later period between the two latter than between
Achill and the i.sland.

Dr. PivTiiVBRiDCrK drew attention to the importance of investigating
the physiological characters of the alpine and southern plants which
grow side by .side in Clare Island and in the West of Ireland. The
conditions must be somewhat different to their native environment.

IMarch 13. — KxciRSiON TO Zooi^ocrcAi, GARi)KXS.--Fifty members
and visitors assembled near the Superintendent's House at 2.30. The
party was then conducted through the Gardens, when Dr. Scharff"
pointed out features of interest. Tea was served at the Haughton
House.

1909. iVo/es 99

NOTES.

BOTANY.

Montia lamprosperma Cham, in County Down,

Recently my attentiou having" been called to the occurrence of this
plant in the Faeroes, I was led to examine my specimens from the North
of Britain. I was glad to find it represented by a specimen from Ross,
Aberdeen (Loch-na-Go\v. 3,400 feet 1, etc., and also by a specimen gathered
in ihe hills above Newcastle, County Down. It is an addition to the
British flora, at any rate in name.

It may be known from J/. foiita)ia hy its larger chesnut brown seeds,
which are glossy t.nd reticulated. In fontana the seeds are smaller, dead
dull black, and covered with acute tubercles. M. rivalaris Gmel. has the
tubercles less acute. In the last edition of Koch's German flora it is
kept as a distinct species.

G. Cr.ARIDGF, Druck.

Oxford.

ZOOLOGY.
Doris flammea from the Clare Coast.

On the i5tli February last I received a fresh specimen of this rare and
handsome sea-.slug from :\Ir. R. A. Phillips, who had found it the day
before on a rock at half-tide near Kilkee, Co. Clare. There appear to be
only three previous Irish records for this species, two from vSouth-west
Ireland and one from Galway. The Kilkee specimen was one inch long
and agreed perfectly in colour and f.orm with the plate in Alder and
Hancock's ^Monograph.

X. Cor.GAX.
Sandycove. e'o. Dublin.

Little Gull in Co. Meath.

A specimen of the Little Chill {Lams i)iinuiu^\ in adult winter plumage
was killed about the 7th March, in a field between the railway line and
the sea-shore near Laytown, and forwarded to me in the flesh. This
gull is rare in Ireland, no specimen having been recorded .since 1876, if
we except this one and possibly another lately reported from Cork— but
not 3"et verified. The Laytown locality appears to be in Co, ^Nleath.

R. ^I. B.ARRIXGTOX.

Fassaroe. Bray.

Herrings at Killala Bay.

To the Zoologist for January, ]\Ir. R. Warren contributes a note on some
recent remarkable takes of herrings trappe.l inside the training walls at
the niouth of the Mov.

loo The Irish Xahiralisl. April, 1909.

Some unrecorded Birds of Prey.

The following speciuiens, which have passed through the hands oT
Messrs. Williams and Son, Dublin, do not appear in most cases to have
been individually recorded, though I have taken account of them in niv
" Ivist of Irish Birds."" T90S. I have been supplied with these particulars
by the kindness of the owners and of Mr, W. J. "Williams.

vSnowv OwIv, Nyclea scaudiaca (Linn.) — An immature female was obtained
in Co. Mayo about the beginning of December, 1906, and is now the pro-
perty of Mr. R. Burke, The Grove, Fethard, Co. Tipperary. An immature
male (.') was shot near the village of Ardagh, Co. Kerry, and was received
by Messrs. Williams on 6tli ^Nlarch. 1907. The owner, Mr. K. J. Baird, of
Newcastle West, states that it measures 25 inches from the centre f)f
head down the back to the tip of the tail, and that the spread of wings
is about 45 inches.

^Montagu's Harrif<r, Cirais cineracens (Mont.)— An immature bird
was shot at Castle Tlemyng, Queen's Co., in vSeptember, 1901. and was
received by Messrs, Williams on the 12th of that month. It is the pro-
pert}' of Mr. R. Hamilton vStubber, of ?tIoyne, Durrow. I have noticed
this specimen in British Birds, vol, ii., p. 310. where it is called C. reniginosus
by mistake. This is the only instance in Ireland in which a Montagu's
Harrier has been ol)tained at a distance from Co. Wicklow, in or near
which county the other examples were killed, and where the species
may have bred, as three immature birds were shot in August and vSep-
tember, 1899. If protected, these Harriers might establish themselves

RouGH-r,E(VGeD BrzzARi), BnfiV /aqopiis {]. V. (Vniel.). — A pair of these
birds frequented the moors between Salh-gapand Brittas, on the Wicklow
Mountains, in the latter part of 1906. They were both killed by poison.
The male, obtained on the 9th December, is in the collection of Mr. R. M.
Barrington [/ris/i lYa/.. 1907, p. 162) The female, which has not been
recorded, fiequented the aljove moors until she was killed in the same
way. This .specimen was received on 26th February. 1907, an<l is in the
collection of ^Ir. C. J. Carroll. Kockford. Fethard. The Rough-legged
Jiuzzard recorded in the Irish Na/., 1903. p. iii, as shot in Co. Tyrone
was received by Williams and .Son on 5th Xovend:)er. 1902. and not in
1903.

GuKKNivANU Fai.cox, BaiLO i-andicaiis. J. 1'. Cimel.— An immature male,
shot at Castlegore, Co. Mayo, was received on 30th March, 1906, and is in
the collection of Mr. C. J. Carroll. An immature female was received
on 31st December. 1906. from »Sir ]Malby Crofton. of Longford House.
Ballysodare, Co. Sligo, iiaving been killed in that locality. An immature
male was received on 12th A]iril. 1907. from Mr. Thomas !\lerritt. of
West])ort. Co. Mayo.

R. J. T'SSHEIR.

Cappagh, Co. Water ford- / Y

d-:-

X

a:

-I"

May, 1909 The hish Naturalist lor

vSPINTHER ONISCOIDES, JOHNSTON.

BY W. RIDDELL, :\r.A.

(pirate I.)

The genus Spinther was esLablished by Johnston (5) in 1S45,
for an annelid dredged in Belfast Lough. Unfortunately the
type-specimen has disappeared. In 1850 Sars (co) described,
under the name of Oniscosoma ardiaim^ an annelid from
Komagfjord, parasitic on a sponge. In 1S54 Stimpson (11)
described a similar form from the Bav of Fundv, callins: it
Cryptonota citrina. In i85o Grube (3) described a new species
of Spinther, S. miniaceiis, from Trieste. In 1865 Claparede
(i) pointed out the identity of the genera Spinther, Oniscosoma,
and Crj'ptonota ; and Malmgren (7), in 1867, included Sars'
species under the genus Spinther. M'Intosli (8), in 1865,
described from North Uist a form which he at first regarded
as kS. oniscoides Johnst , but afterwards (9) identified as S.
miniaceiis Grube.

In 1882 Hansen (4) described a form which he identified as
S. arciicus Sars, but which v. Graff (2) has shown to come
nearer 5. oniscoides. Wiren (13), in \^%z^ ^^so described a \

species which he called S. arcticics, and identified with Hansen's
form, but which, as he himself noted, differed in many respects
from vSars' form.

In the same 3"ear Levinsen (6) gave a diagnosis of the genus,
and included two species — S. arctinis, wiiich included both
Sars' form and Wiren's, and S. major, n. sp., for Hansen's
vS. arcticns.

In 1887 von Graff (2; published a paper — " Der Anneliden-
Gattung Spinther " — in which he gave a complete history of
the genus, described fully the anatomy, and distinguished
three species. These species were — (i) 6". 07iiscoides Johnston,
= Ciyptonota citrina Stimpson = 6*. aixticus Hansen = S.
major Levinsen ; (2) 6". viiniaccus Grube = O?iiscosoma arcti-
cnm Sars = 5. arcticns Sars, Malmgren, and Levinsen ; (3) ^,
aj'cticus Wiren. This last species he identified with

M'Intosh's 6*. 07iiscoides (1865), which M'Intosh has since
shown to belong to the species vn7iiaceus^

A

ro2 The Irish Nahiralut, May,

111 his description of the species v. Graff seems to have been
doubtful as to the position of S. oiiiscoides Johnst. He says
" Not quite so sure is the identification with Sp. oniscoides
Johnston, and it is very possible that still a second species of
Spinther with parapodial cirri exists."

Meanwhile no undoubted specimen of Johnston's species
had again been found in British waters, nor had any speci-
mens of the genus been found off Ireland. A few 3'ears ago,
however, in the course of the investigation of the fauna of
Larne lyougli by the Ulster Fisheries and Biology Association,
specimens of Spinther were found ; specimens have also been
taken in Belfast lyough, at the very spot mentioned by
Thompson (Nat. Hist, of Ireland) as the original locality .
These specimens were originally recorded by Prof. Gregg
Wilson (12) as ^. miiiiacais. On further examination he came
to the conclusion that they did not agree with v. Graff's
description of that species, and he therefore asked me to
determine the identification. I hope to prove in this paper
that these specimens belong to Johnston's kS. oniscoides^ and
that the species which v. Graff has described as .S. oniscoides
is not Johnston's species.

The genus Spinther may be briefly defined as follows : —
Polychaeta, body oval in outline, convex dorsally, flattened
ventrally. Each ])ody-segment with a pair of hook bearing
parapodia laterall}^ and a pair of setiferous lamellae dorsally.

On the head-region a single dorsal tentacle, with four eyes
at its base. Mouth ventral. Mid-gut with paired lateral
diverticula. A dorsal caecum is present. Branchiae absent.
All parasitic on marine sponges.

The character which distinguishes ►S. viiniaceus and 6*.
archciis from Johnston's species, is the absence of a parapodial
cirrus. Now if it can be shown that there are two species of
Spinther with parapodial cirri, then it seems to me that the
species which comes from the place where Johnston's example
was found, and which more nearly answers io Johnston's
description, is the species which is entitled to be called kS".
oniscoides. I shall now describe the features in which my
specimens, from L,arne I^ough and Belfast Lough, differ from
V. Graff's 5*. oniscoides and from 5^. viiniaceus and S. arciicus.

1909- RiDDHLT.. — Spinther ofiiscoides, Johnston. 103

Cirri. — In figs, i and 2 I have drawn parapodia with cirri.
For purposes of comparison I have also shown, after v. Graff,
a parapodium from S. ininiaceiis (fig. 7) and one from v. Graff's
5. 07iiscoides (fig. 8).

It is evident from these figures tliat we are here dealing
with a species each of whose parapodia bears a dorsal cirrus ;
this character would of itself be sufficient to distinguish this
species from S. niiniacetts and S. ardicus. The possession of a
parapodial cirrus was one of the points mentioned by Johnston
in his description, the '• large bulb " which he described being
the parapodium.

SET.^i. — Johnston described the setae of his specimen as
follows :—" The bristles are of three kinds; viz. (i) the spinous,
sharp and fashioned like a needle ; (2) the forked, which are
fdiform with a bulbous root, and cut into two scarcely equal
prongs at the apex ; and (3) the clawed, a bristle which has a
stem slightly incrassated upwards, where a strong curved and
sharp claw is articulated by an oblique joint. The forked
bristles are the Diost numerous ..."

Von Graff sa5\s that in his kS". oiiiscoides the setae of the
dorsal lamellae are mostly one-pointed, but two-pointed forms
also occur.

I have been unable to satisfy myself as to the occurrence,
in my specimens, of any one-pointed dorsal setae; the only
sharp-pointed setae are those included in the parapodia. It
will be noticed that Johnston, in contrast to v. Gi-afif, says the
" forked bristles " were the commoner, but he says nothing as
to where each kind occurred. Even if he did include sharp-
pointed forms among the dorsal setae, I think this is
attributable to deficient magnification. I have on several
occasions had to employ a magnification of 250-350 diameters
to make sure that a given spine was really two-pointed. In
figure 4 I have drawn two views of the same seta. The one
is magnified 80 diameters, the other about 400 diameters. It
will be seen that the high-power view shows a distinct second
point, in fact this seta is comparable to the upper one of the
three shown in fig. 3.

In this respect, then, my specimens do not agree with
V. Graff's, and v. Graffs description is also opposed to
Johnston's.

A 2

I04 The Irish Natu7alist, May,

The hooks are figured by v. Graff (see figs, ii and 12), as
having the terminal process of the shaft strongly serrated.
In none of my specimens could I see any sign of such serra-
tion (fig. 5). In this respect again my specimens differ from
V. Graff's species.

Size — Johnston's specimen was about 12*5 mm. long. V.
Graff gives the size of his species as follows : — Length 1 1 -4 mm.
to 26 mm. ; average proportion of length to breadth ^j . The
average length of 22 of my specimens which were in good
enough condition to measure at all accuratel}^ was 8'i mm.,
the specimens ranging from 4*8 mm. to 13 mm. The average
measurements of 7 of my best specimens were : — length 9*28
mm., breadth 6*93 mm., average proportion of length to
breadth If^

Von Graff's measurements of 22 specimens oi S. miniaceus,
ranging from 0*9 mm. to 8*5 mm. in length, give the following-
averages : — Length 4"65 mm., breadth 3-05 mm., average pro-
portion of length to breadth j?.

►S*. ardicus ranges from 22 mm. to 50 mm. in length ; average
proportion of length to breadth ~.

Number of Segments. — Johnston described his specimen
as having "about 30" segments, but in his figures he shows
only 21 rows of lamelicC and 26 or 27 pairs of parapodia. Von
Graff gives the number of parapodia in his species as 48 pairs.
I have never seen more than 26 pairs, the majority having
from 20 to 25. S. miniacetis has 12 to 24 pairs of parapodia,
6". ardicus up to 50 pairs.

Here again my specimens agree with Johnston's description,
but differ considerably from the species described by v. Graff.

The Ventral Surface. — A point included by v. Graff in
his diagnoses is the appearance of the ventral surface. Of his
S. oniscoides he says : — " Ventral surface provided with warts,
which are scattered in a median area, and from there extend
to the bases of the parapodia in thickly packed, tumid, elevated
stripes, separated by wartless intervals." This agrees very
closely with the appearance shown by my specimens, in some
of which, however, probably owing to bad preservation, the
warts are difiicult to detect. The lack of warts, which occur
also in 6*. ardicus, is one of the diagnostic characters of S.
miniaccus.

1909. RiDDELL. — Spinther 07iiscoides, Johiston. 105

Lamella. — Another point to which v. Graff has attached
some importance is the diflference, in the various species, of
the shape of the transverse section of the lamellae. In
6". viiJiiaceiis a typical lamella begins, next the middle line,
as a simple fold. As we trace it outwards, the top of this fold
curves over, another edge becomes developed, and finally at
the outer edge the lamella show\s a Y-shaped section. In
5. oiiiscoidcs (v. Graff) the shape is that of a Y with a broad
stem and shallow top, the depressed surface of the top being
tuberculate. M}^ specimens show no trace of such a gradation
as occurs iu vS*. 7niniaceus^ the general plan closely resembling
the appearance seen in v. Graff's kS. oniscoidcs.

Extruded pharynx. — This is figured by v. Graff in
6". arctictis as rosette-shaped, while he describes his S. oiiiscoides
as resembling kS'. <7;'6"//«^5. In 6". miniaceiis hoWi v. Graff and
M'Intosh (9) figure the extruded phar3^nx as trumpet-shaped.

In ni}^ examples the pharynx, wherever it was found
extruded, was always rosette-shaped.

Intestine. — The mid-gut in Spinther is provided with
paired diverticula, which in S. vimiacais have a fairly wide
communication with the gut. In this species the dorsal
caecum is also provided with paired lateral diverticula,
corresponding in position with the diverticula of the mid-gut.
The caecum has no lateral diverticula in either v. Graff's
^. oniscoides or S. arcficus. Of the mid-gut diverticula in
these two latter species v. Graff says : — " Their width is, on
the contrary, very considerable, quite in opposition to the gut,
which appears narrow and considerably compressed from
above downwards. The diverticula are attached to it like
expanded sacs." This appearance is shown in Plate i
(fig. 9), which shows the shape as figured by v. Graff. In the
shape of the diverticula, and of the gut itself, my specimens
differ from v. Graff's S. o7iiscoides, resembling rather S. mmi-
aceus (see fig. 6.) There is no apparent compression of the
mid-gut, nor are the diverticula of the shape described by
V. Graff.

In none of my sections, either transverse or longitudinal,
have I been able to detect any trace of diverticula from the
caecum.

io6 The Irish Naturalisti May,

Summary.

The specimens I have described belong to the genns
SpiJithcr, and have a parapodial cirrns.

They are distinguished from S. vuniacais by (i) the presence
of a cirrus; (2) size; (3) character of ventral surface ; (4) the
shape of the extruded pharynx ; (5) the absence of lateral
diverticula from the caecum : (6) the shape of the hooks
(fig. 10) ; (7) the shape of the lamellae.

From S. arcticus my species is distinguished b}' (i) size;
(2) the presence of the cirrus ; (3) the number of segments.

From V. Graffs S. oniscoides \t differs in (i) size; (2) number
of segments; (3) setae; (4) hooks ; (5) the shape of the mid-
gut and its diverticula.

It agrees with Johnston's S. oniscoidcs in (i) size; (2) posses-
sion of a cirrus ; (3) (probably) setae ; and it comes from the
same localit}'.

I consider that the points I have mentioned are sufficient
to distinguish my specimens and v. Graflf's as belonging to
different species. The difference in size, in number of
segments, in the shape of the hooks and setae, and in the
shape of the gut and diverticula, is, I think, sufficient to
differentiate them. Further, ni}' specimens correspond more
closel}' to Johnston's description than do v. Graff's, and they
come from the same place as Johnston's original. I think,
then, that I am justified in claiming that while my specimens
do belong to Johnston's species, v. Graff's do not.

It remains to try to settle the name of v. Graff's species.
Now, the specimens which he examined were (i) American
specimens, and (2) Hansen's original ''Spinthcr arctic2is''
These he decided to unite in the one species, which he,
doubtfully however, identified with Johnston's 5. oiiiscoides.
Though Stimpson's original Cryptoiiota citrina had been
destro3'ed in the great Chicago fire, yet ^>rrill pronounced
these American specimens to belong to Stimpson's species.
Von Graff says that in response to his enquiry he was informed
that Verrill was well acquainted with " Cryptonota citriiia^'
which was found in a spot near to the Bay of Fundy, and
these specimens were forwarded by Verrill.

Stimpson's description is, unfortunately, too meagre to do
more than show that his specimen belonged to the genus

tgog. RiDDELL. — SpintJier oniscoides, Joh7isto7i. 107

Spinther. But if Verrill's identification is correct, which I see
no reason to doubt, then Stimpson's specific name must be
attached to this species. Verrill seems to have had no doubt
as to the identity of the specimens sent to v. Graff".

The genus Spinther therefore includes four species, as

follows : —

I. Spinther onlscoides, Johnstou.

S. oiiiscoides, Johnston (i), 1845.
S. viiniaceus, Wilson (12), 1904.

II. Spinther citrinus (Stimpson).

Cryptonota citrina, Stimpson (li), 1854.
Spinther arctiais, Hansen (4), 1882,
Spinther major, Levinsen (6), 1883.
Spinther oniscoides, v. Graff {2),. 1887.

III. Spinther miniaceus, Grube.

Oniscosoma arctiaan, Sars (10), 1850.

Spinther arcticus^ Sars, 1862 ; Malmgren (7), 1867 ; Levinsen

18S3.
S. oniscoides, M'Intosh (8), 1877.
S. miniaceus, Grube (3^, 1861 ; Drasche, 1885 ; v. Graff, 1887 ;

M'Intosh (9), 1900.

IV. Spinther arcticus, Wiren.

S. arcticus, Wiren (13), 1883 ; Drasche, 1885 ; v. Graff, 1887.

The Species may be diagnosed briefly as follows : —

A. Parapodia without dorsal cirri ;

(i) Small: up to 24 segments; setae two-pointed; dorsal
caecum pouched ... ... ... fniniaceus.

(2) Large; up to 50 segments ; setae one- and two-pointed;
caecum not pouched ... . . ... arcticus.

B. Parapodia with dorsal cirri ; caecum not pouched ;

(3) Small ; segments up to about 25 ; setae two-pointed ; lip
of shaft of hook plain ... ... ... oniscoides.

(4) Larger ; 48 segments ; set^ mostly one-pointed ; lip of

shaft of hook serrated ... ... ... citrinus.

References.

1. Ed. CI.APAREDE: Bibl. Univ. et Revue Scient. {Arch. Sc. Phys.et

Nat.), xxii , Geneva, 1865.

2. L YOi<i G'B.l^'B-e: Zeitsch.f. wiss. Zool.,^\\\. Separately as : Arbeiten

aus dent Zool. Inst, zu Graz, ii. Bd., No. 3, 1887.

3. E. Grube: Aixhiv far Naturgeschichte, 26 ]aihr., i. Bd., i860.

4. G. A. Hansen : Nyt Magazin for Natiu-videnskaberne, xxiv., xxv.,

1879-1880.

5. G. Johnston : Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., xvi., 1845, and Brit. Mus.

Cat. of Worms, 1865.

loS The Irish Nahtralist. May,

6. G. M. R. LEVINSEn: Vidensk. Meddel. /. d. Naturists. Forening i.

Kwbenhavn., 1883.

7. A. J. Malmgren : Aimnlata Polyclueta Spitzbergiie, &c.,

Helsingfors, 1867.

8. AV. C. M'InTOSH: Trans. Zooh Soi./\-s.., 18S7.

9. „ Monogr. Br. Aiiiiel., pt, ii., 1900.
lu. M. Sars : Nyt Magazin for Naturvidensk.,\\., 1S50.

11. W. vSTIMPSON: Smithsonian Contributions, 1854.

12. G. Wilson: Irish Naturalist, \o\.yi\\\.,'^o. T, 1904.

I2i. A. WiRKN : Vega Exped. Vetenskapl. Arbeiteii, Bd. ii.. 1S83.

ExpivAXATiox OF Pirate.

1. Two parapodia of Spinther oniscoides, showing cirri (c) X 45.

2. ParapodiTim and cirrus from a transverse section, X 36.

3. Points of setae, x 190.

4. The same seta under high and low power, a x So, b x about

300.

5. Hook, X 190.

6. Outline of gut in a slightly oblique transverse section, x about

8 ; ca = caecum, d = diverticulum.

7. Parapodium of S. viiniaceus, x 27. After v. Graff.

8. Parapodium of S. citrinus, x 27. After v. Graff,

9. Diagram of tr. sec. of gut of .S'. citrinus {S. oniscoides v. Graff).

10. Hook of S. miniaceus, x 124. After v, Graff.

11. Part of hook oi S. citrinus X 124. After v. Graff.

12. Hook of .S". citrinus, X 124. After v. Graff.

Marine Laborator}-, Bangor, Co. Down.

REVIEWS.

BRITISH TREES AND SHRUBS.

Trees and Shrubs of the British isles, Native and Acclima-
tised. By C. S. Cooper, F.R.H.S., and W. Percivai, Westei.1..
F.L.S. 4to. London : J. M. Dent and Co. In 16 parts, at \s. each.

The authors state in their Foreword that the book has been written
"to enable the reader to identify not only the Trees and Shrubbery
Plants of the British Isles, but also the more common cultivated Trees
and Shrubs." The number now issued contains an Introduction, treat-
ing, in a very elementary manner, wuth the chief character of timber-
trees from the botanical, physiological and popular points of view.
Paragraphs are also found on such subjects as "The Advent of the
Garden City," " Insect and Fungoid Pests," &c. It is unfortunate
that the authors did not make this introduction more thorough and
comprehensive, for, in its present form, it contains little information of

1909. Reviews. icg

any value, while, miicli of what there is, can scarcely be termed relevant
to the subject matter of the work.

The main body of the book is arranged on a botanical basis, each
Natural Order being dealt with in turn. In the first part the Ranuncu-
lacease, Maguoliaceae, and Calj'canthacese are dealt with, and the
arboreal and shrubby species in each described, and in most cases
figured. Here, again, the authors appear to have confined themselves
to a number of brief statements on the habitual requirements, botanical
characteristics, and derivation of nomenclatiire of the species under
review, but have omitted a good general description of each genus, which,
would be likely to interest the amateur or professional culturist to an
equal or greater degree than botanical phraseology, important though
the latter may be in itself.

The work is well printed, and the illustrations are clear and well
drawn, and the book will doubtless be of considerable value to the
student of trees and shrubs from a botanical stand-point, and may assist
the practical gardener or amateur iu identifying species.

A. C. F.

A STUDY OF " WHITE ANTS."

Die Termiten odcr wcissen Amciscn : eine biologische Studie,
Von K. ESCHERICH. Leipzig, Dr. W. Klinkhardt, 1909. (Pp. xii. +
198. Coloured frontispiece and 51 figures. Price 6s.)

The insect-fauna of Ireland, like that of Great Britain, has no example
of that most interesting tropical group of lowly-organized insects, the
Termites (commonly misnamed " white ants"), which are represented
by several species in the Mediterranean district. Termites exhibit an
elaboration of social life comparable to that of the highly- organized
Hymenoptera— ants, -wasps and bees, and a knowledge of their habits is
of great interest to all naturalists.

Dr. Escherich, the author of the work, is well known to zoologists
through his valuable morphological researches on several of the lovvcr
groups of insects. His present book shows — like his earlier volume on
the true ants— that he is deeply interested in insect bionomics, and he
has added to an exhaustive and critical survey of the literature on
Termite societies, nests, and habits, observations of his own made on a
journey in East Africa. No account of the structure of the insects is
given in this book ; in a brief paragraph in the introduction, the authoi
mentions the various systematic associations in which the Termitidas
have been placed, and accepts the suggestion of those writers who, like
Handhrsch, regard the family as forming a distinct order. Handlirsch's
scheme of insect classification carries so-called ordinal divisions to the
most extreme limits ; the curious Embiidae, resembling the Termitidae
in structure and to some extent in mode of life, might well be allowed
also inclusion in the order Isoptera. At the end of the book there is a
useful synopsis of the sub-families and genera, but the geographical
distribution of the latter is imperfectly given.

A3

no The Irish NaUiralisi. May,

Most of the volume is devoted to a full discussion of the nature and
origin of the termite society, the various castes, the modes of feeding
and nest-bulding, and the "guests" and "messmates" of the termite
communities. The "workers" and " soldiers"— undergoing one moult
less than the hinged sexual forms — are regarded as permanently modified
nymphal stages. In the chapter on feeding the clear account of the
"mushroom gardens" of the termites is especially welcome. In a
section of the useful and injurious effects of the termites with regard to
man, Dr. Escherich discusses the suggestion — familiar to English
readers through the picturesque writings of Henry Drummond — that
termites in tropical countries play the same beneficial part in the economy
of nature that earthworms perform in temperate regions. While ad-
mitting that there is ground for this idea, Dr. Escherich points out that
the earthen excrement of termites — in contrast to that of earthworms —
is very hard and largely divested of its organic nutriment. This con-
sideration was apparently not overlooked by Drummond, who wrote
'^though the white ant may itself have no power in the first instance for
creating soil, as a denuding and transporting agent its ministry can
scarcely be exaggerated,"

All students of insects must feel in debt to Dr. Escherich, for he has
collected in a readily assessible form the cream of what is known about
termites, and his extensive bibliography directs us to any further infor-
mation that we ma}' need.

G. H. C.

A NEEDED WARNINa.

The Care of Natural lYI on u merits, with special reference to
Great Britain and Germany. By H. Conwentz. Cambridge Univer-
sity Press, 1909. Pp. 155. 10 illustrations. Price 2s. 6r/.

This timely volume is an extended version of a lecture delivered by
the author, who is a Prussian State Commissioner for the care of natural
monuments, before the British Association at Leicester, in 1907. By
instances taken from all parts of the world, we learn how much "natural
monuments " — beautiful landscapes, waterfalls, rare plants and animals,
woodlands, and fens — need to be preserved from the devastating hand of
the company promoter, advertiser, shooter, and collector ; while we are
also told what is being done to protect those natural possessions of ours
which are still available for being protected. It is gratifying to find
approving mention of the protection afforded to nesting Terns at Mala-
liide by the Irish vSociety for the Protection of Birds, and of the estab-
lishment of the Lambay "sanctuary" by the Hon. Cecil Baring. The
author, who is clearly in close touch with naturalists, both on the
Continent and in these islands, suggests that work of the kind ad-
vocated might be taken up with benefit by the Vegetation Survey
Committee and by the British Association. Why not also by the British

Government ?

G. H. C.

1909. Adams^ — Allium oleraceum in Ireland^ in

OX THE OCCURRENCE OF ALLIUM OLERACEUM

LINN. IN IRELAND.

BY J. ADAMS, M.A.

For the last ten 5'ears I have been acquainted with a species
of Allium growing on the banks of the Six-Mile-Water at
Antrim. As Allhim vineale Linn, had been recorded from
that neighbourhood, I thought the plants collected must be
abnormal specimens of that species, though I could not re-
concile chem with the descriptions given of it. At the time
of flowering the lower lea^'es had completely withered awa}',
so in order to see what these were like I dug up some of the
bulbs and planted them in my garden, where I could observe
them all the 3'ear round. When the young leaves came up in
the following spring they were channelled on the upper side.
Bulbils were freeh^ produced among the flowers, and on falling
on to the surface of the soil the}' readil}' took root. The con-
clusion I came to finall}' was that the species was Allium
oleraceum Linn. On forwarding specimens to Dr. Rendle, of
the British Museum, he confirmed my identification.

As I could never find Allium vi?ieale Linn, anj'where in the
neighbourhood of Antrim, the thought occurred to me that
possibly a mistake had been made in its identification. It
seemed advisable, therefore, to look up all the specimens of
Allium vineale Linn, collected in that localit}' to see if they
were correctl}' named.

Among the specimens of A. vineale Linn, in the National
Museum there was one labelled "■Allium vinecde Linn. Damp
waste ground, Antrim. Aug., 1888." This, however, turned
out to be A. oleraceum Linn. In the herbarium of the Queen's
University, Belfast, there was one specimen collected in
"Aug., 1886," from a "pasture at Antrim,'' which was Allium
oleraceum, although labelled as A. vineale I am indebted to
Prof. Gregg Wilson for his kindness in enabling me to see
this specimen. The Rev. C H. Waddell kindl> looked up for
me a specimen in the Belfast Museum, and on a later occasion
through the courtes}' of the Curator, 1 was able to see the

112 The Irish Naturalist. May,

specimen mx^self. This was labelled '^ Allhtvi vineale Linn.
B}^ the railway line near Antrim. Aug., 1888,'' and was also
A. oleraceiim.

There are two records oi Alluim vmeate having been found
in the grounds of Shane's Castle. In Dickie's " Flora of
Ulster" the reference is "Shores of L- Neagh near Shane's
Castle. T\Ir. Orr," while in the F/o^a of the Norih-East of
Ireland it is said to have been found in Shane's Castle grounds
by the late Mr. Corr}\ There does not appear to be any
specimen in existence of Allium vineale collected at Shane's
Castle. Whether it reall_v grows there or, as seems probable,
was mistaken for A. oleraceiwi, it is impossible at present to
say; but possibl}' some of the northern botanists may be able
to clear the matter up during the coming summer.

There is no previous record of Allium oleraceuin having been
found in Ireland, and the credit of being its first collector
(although the plant was wrongh^ named by the authorities to
whom he submitted it) must be given to the late Mr. David
Redmond, of Antrim, w^ho found it in the year 1S86.

Perhaps it ma}^ be worth while to point out the more
obvious differences between Allium vineale Linn, and A-
oleraceum Linn, so that anyone in future ma\' be able readil}^
to distinguish them.

A. vineale. A. oleraceum.

(i) Leaves hollow. (i) Leaves solid, grooved on

upper side.

(2) Onl}' one bract present, (2) Bracts two in number and

which is shorter than the much longer than the

flower stalks. flower stalks.

(3) Each of the three outer (3) Stamens all simple.

stamens trifid.

At present I express no opinion as to whether the species is
native or alien. It occurs in at least three places extending
over a distance of about a mile along the river from the banks
of Moylena down to the Great Northern Railway bridge. It
occurs on both sides of the river.

Royal College of Science for Ireland.

1909. Wklch. — Land-shell Rain-wash in Co. Donegal. 1 13

LAND-SHELL RAIN-WASH AT HORN HEAD

CO. DONEGAL-

BY R. WELCH, M.R.I.A.
(Read before the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club, 3rd March, 1909)

In recent 3^ears the little pockets of land-shells, that are
collected b}^ the wind in hollows of the sand-hills, have received
a good deal of attention from conchologists, who find such
collections useful in survey work. When sieved free of sand,
they often provide a good index to the molluscan fauna of a
dune-area and the immediate district. This is especially true
of the very small species such as Vertigo, which are often most
difficult to find otherwise. Though these pockets consist
largely of shells drifted b\' the wind from similar deposits in
old dunes now undergoing erosion, they often contain living
shells and others not long dead as well.^ For that reason,
while a party consisting of F. Balfour Browne, G. W. Chaster,
Ed. Collier, J. N. Milne, C. E. Wright, A. W. Stelfox, and my-
self were, last September (1908), visiting north-west Donegal,
we kept a keen look-out for such " pockets '' or shell deposits
generally, as A. W. Stelfox had found many on a previous
visit with Dr. Chaster, in 1905. Heavy rain before our arrival
had spoiled most of the pockets, but while walking up a long
dune valley at Tramore, Horn Head, some of the party in
advance called my attention to some narrow dark bands from
one to two inches thick in a remnant of an old dune that was
rapidly undergoing wind-erosion. On examination we found
the dark bands consisted of immense masses of small land-
shells loosely cemented together by fine mud, but quite unlike
any dune deposit we had ever seen or heard of. Shells some-
times collect in shallow pools in dune hollows, but the matrix,
when the pool dries up or is filled up with sand, is usually
earth}' sand, and only a few of the larger species that live on
sand-hills are present. No one thought of a " rain-wash " in
the middle of a great sand-hill area, yet it was clearh^ a deposit
formed by water in some wa}'. On climbing over a growing
dune close at hand, that was encroaching on a bare hillside
area, Mr. Wright found a ke}' to the mystery. Here, in a little
hollow between the dune and hillside, was an exactly similar

^ See R. Staudeu, I.N', vi., p. 2, 1897 ; R. Welch, nl vii., p. 77 7898.

114 The Irish Naturalist. Hay,

deposit in the course of formation. Heav}- rain, sweeping
down the hillside against the encroaching dunes on two sides,
had washed masses of shells, mostly from old deposits, into
the hollow, where they had collected as a natural floating, to
be deposited on the surface of a la3'er of jSne mud as the water
filtered awa}^ through the sand. The day was dry and windy,
and sand coming up over the dune from the west was already
covering up the shells and would soon press them into the
soft mud, and give a thin dark band in the sand, full of shells,
like those in the old dune. This was clearly the way the
older deposits had formed, and if we had dug down under the
new one we would likely have found several others separated
by sand. The species too were the same, and with few
exceptions were the shells any fresher than in the older
deposits.

Though rain-wash shell-deposits are not uncommon on hill-
sides and in the rifts of rocks, limestone especially, I have
never seen nor heard of one in a sand-dune before. The
others, too, contain only a small proportion of shells compared
to the general mass, while the reverse was the case in these
Tramore deposits. Modern examples of the way in which
local masses of shells, or other debris of animal or vegetable
origin, ma}" form deposits, are of interest. They point the
way in which somewhat similar fossil masses present in the
older rocks may have been formed. The mass of shells was
taken to our hotel and washed free from the muddy matrix in
a sieve of fine miller's gauze. It was then seen that the
general condition of the shells was as good as if they had been
sieved out of modern shell-pockets. Even the tin}- Vertigo
and Carychium were perfect, and many of the Cochlicopas were
as glossy and translucent as if only recentl}' dead. The fine
matrix had, of course, a good deal to do with this ; but in
these western sand-hills of calcareous sand, shells are much
more perfectly preserved than in the silicious sandhills of the
east coast of Ireland. Rain percolating through the latter
soon dissolves out shells and any other calcareous matter
present, but where the dune-sand is itself calcareous, the water
quickh' gets saturated and unable to do harm.

The sand is largely calcareous at Horn Head, containing as
it does finely comminuted marine and land shells, Foramini-
fera. Urchin tests and spines, &c., which form so much of the

igog. Welch. — Land-sJiell Rain-ivash in Co. Donegal. 115

sand also in other western dune-areas. For this reason- shell
masses collected together from an}^ cause, if they are quickly
co\xred b}^ the blowing sand to a fair depth, are protected
against solution largely or entirely.

When freed from mud, sand, and some vegetable debris, the
great bulk of the old dune-deposit proved to be composed of
five specieS; mostl}^ only partly grown — Helix cricetorum, H.
acuta, H. nemoralis, Cochlicopa Inbrica, and Pupa muscorum.
With these were at least sixteen other species, including verj^
large numbers of //e7/.i' pulchella, Vertigo pyomcea^ V. a7igustior,
and Carychiuni minimum; with man\^ Helix pygma:a, H.
hispida, H. aculeata, Vertigo substriata, and the rare V. pusilla.
The more recent deposit-material I have not worked out yet.
It seems to be composed of just the same species as the older,
and, in any case, will be a mixture of shells of various periods,
like all these dune collections. None of the species found
are new to the district. A. W. StelfoX; on his previous visit
in 1905, obtained most of them alive, the rest in shell-pockets.
In his north-v;est Donegal list in this Journal, vol. xv., pp.
62-67, 1906, he is careful to separate out these latter from
those found living.

Belfast.

THE GORDII OF IRELAND.

BY ROWLAND SOUTHERN, B.SC

In 1908, a small collection of Irish Gordian worms, in the
National Museum, Dublin, w^as sent for examination to
Professor L- Camerano, of the University of Turin, the well-
known authority on this group of worms. His report on the
collection was printed in the Bollettino dei Musei di Zoologia
d. R. U?iiversitd di Toriiio, 1908, Vol. xxiii., No. 578.

The worms included in this group are commonly known
as " hair-worms." They are found in the adult stage in
ditches, ponds, and streams, usuall}^ attached to water-weeds.
Often they occur in considerable numbers, with their long
slender bodies tangled and twisted together in knots. Hence
the generic name of Gordius.

1 1 6 The Irish Naturalist . May,

They frequently appear suddenly in large numbers, in
water previously free from them, thus giving rise to many
popular and fallacious theories as to their origin. For
instance, it is said that horse-hairs, thrown into water,
change into these worms ; or that there has been a rain of
worms. The real explanation of this phenomenon is supplied
by the study of their life-histor}-. They spend the earlier, and
in point of time, the main portion of their existence, as para-
sites in the bodies of various animals, insects being specially
favoured ; but the larval stages have also been found in
spiders, Crustacea, fishes, frogs, &c., and I have frequently
noted the presence of the very young larvae in the bodies of
small aquatic Oligochaetes. On reaching a certain stage of
development; the larval Gordii leave the body of the host,
and as the individuals of a species, living in individuals of a
certain host-species all reach this stage at the same time, the
sudden appearance of these w^orms in large numbers in
accounted for.

In the National Museum there is exhibited a specimen of
Parachordodes violacens, our commonest Irish Goi'dius, emero:-
ing from its host, the beetle Silpha sitbroiiuidata. The mature
Gordius does not feed during its short period of freedom,
and the mouth and alimentary canal become atrophied. The
male is easily distinguished from the female by its forked tail.
The eggs are laid in strings/ round water- weeds, and the
young larva, on emerging from the ^%<g^ is provided with
various spines by means of which it bores its w^ay into the
body of its first host, which is usually the larva of an insect.
The latter is eaten b\' the second host, in whose body the
larval Gordius completes a further stage of development, at
the end of which it emerges as the free-living form.

The small collection sent to Prof. Camerano included two
species —

Parachordodes violaceus (Baird),

which has already been recorded from Great Britain and
Ireland.^ It appears to be the most prevalent species in this
country. The list of localities comprises Killaloe, Co. Clare;
Clonbrock, Co. Galway ; Swords and Lamba\^ Co. Dublin ;

Vide R. Southeru, Irish Naturalist^ I907> P- 84.

1909. Southern". — Gordii of Ireland. 117

Moriiiiigton, Co. Meatli ; Ballymote, Co. Sligo : and Bun-
doran, Co. Donegal.

Elsewhere, it has been found in England, Germany, France,
Italy, Bohemia, and Transcaucasia.

Cordius Villoti (Kosa).

This species was obtained from two localities — viz., R.
Caragh, Glencar, Co. Kerry ; and Abbe^'leix, Queen's Co.

This species has not been previously recorded from the
British Isles, though it seems highly probable that it was
included with other forms under the name " Gordius aqua-
ticus." It is widely distributed over the Palearctic Region.

National Museum, Dublin.

IRISH SOCIETIES.

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Recent gifts include an American Tapir and three Grey Squirrels from
the Duke of Bedford, a Pine Marten from Mr. N. Patterson, a young
Otter from Mr. W. H. B. :\roorhead, a Badger from Mr. W. W. Despard, a
Squirrel from Mr. Grattan Bellew, a Turtle Dove from Mr. H. B. Rath-
borne, two domestic Pigeons from Miss A. Kinahan, a Long-eared Owl
from Mr. T. Lombard, several small birds from Capt. J. W. H. Seppings,
two Missel Thrushes from Mr. W.J. Williams, Wild Ducks from Mr.
A. H. B. Ferrier and Mr. Thom, a Cormorant from Mr. A. Robinson, a
Merlin from I\irs. Ellis, five Lesser Redpolls from Mr. W. W. Despard,
two Red-breasted Weaver birds from Miss D, S. White, and a Locust from
Miss Thomson. Two Canadian Porcupines, two Alpine Marmots, a
Green-billed Toucan, and two Red-crested Cardinals have been bought.

The young American Tapir is a most valuable addition to the Gardens.
It is nearly twenty years since one of these primitive allies of the Horse-
family has been on view in Dublin, and everyone interested in zoology
will be eager to see a living mammal of a type that has survived, with
little change, since Miocene times, during which we know that tapirs
inhabited Europe, though they are now restricted to tropical America
and the :Malay countries. The Alpine Marmots and Canadian Porcupines
also are interesting recruits to the series of exhibited Rodents.

Work on the rebuilding of the old portion of the Lion-house is now in
rapid progress, while the w^alks are greatly improved by the changes
that have been made in the Gardens during the spring months.

ii8 The Irish Naturalist. May,

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB.

March io.— Tbe Club met at Leiiister House.

Dr. G. H. Pethybridgk (Presideut) exhibited the so-called '-'spore-
balls" oi Spongospora siibterranea (Wallr.) de Lagerh. This organism is
found associated with oue of the forms of scab in potato tubers and is
generally regarded as the cause of it. It was first described by Wallroth
in 1842, who gave it the name of £"/ji-/<^^? subterranea. Later in the same
year it was seen and figured by Martins, who, considering it to belong
to the genus Protomyces, named it Protomyces iuberum solani. Berkeley
figured and desciibed it again, in 1S46, under the name of Tubiircitiia
scabies. Ten years later it was described and the "spore-balls"
excellently figured by Von Mercklin, who, however, did not consider it
to be a fungus, but thought, rather that the spore-balls were degenera-
tion products of the cells of the potato tuber, and, consequently, he gave it
no name. At this earh" period not very much attention was paid to the
parasitic nature of the organism or to the damage which it caused.
For many years it appears to have been lost sight of, until Brunchorst,
in 1887, without being aware of the previous accounts of the organism,
found it causing considerable damage to potato tubers in Norway and
described it as a new genus and species under the name of Spongospora
Solum'. Fischer de Waldheim had, ten years previously, transferred it to
a position among the family of ''smuts'' and re-named it Sorosporiitvi
scabies, but Brunchorst considered it as probabl}' belonging to the class
of Myxomycetes. It is highly interesting to notice that de Lagerheim
reports it, in 1891, as being quite common in the neighbourhood of
Quito, the probable home of the potato plant itself. This observer dis-
agrees with Brunchorst as to the nature of the organism, and considers
that whatever it may be it is certainly not a m3'xomycete. It was de
Lagerheim who first suggested that the correct specific name for the
organism as siiblerranea (Wallr.) It was first recorded from Ireland by
Johnson, about 1904, and has since been found to be quite common here-
especially in the west. Johnsons studies lead him to accept Brun-
chorst's view of the organism as being a myxomycete, and, without
entering deeply into the question of nomenclature, he apparently
accepts the name given to it by Brunchorst, at least provisionally. Not
so, however, Massee who, being apparently in ignorance of de Lager-
lieim's paper and of Wallroth's original description, has, unfortunately,
and quite unnecessarily, added yet a fresh combination of names (^Spon-
gospora scabies) to this already much named parasite.

The organism in mild cases forms a " scab " on the surface of the
tuber, which has been called, perhaps not very happily, '"corky scab,"
and which, with the naked eye, is not very easily distinguished from the
ordinary or brown scab. It is true that sometimes the spore balls of
the fungus are plentiful enough to form a rusty-coloured, granular mass
on the scab, plainly visible with a pocket lens, but this is frequentl}- not
the case, and the microscope is necessary in order to distinguish with
certainty between the two forms of scab. The exhibit also included a

1909 Irish Societies. 1 1 9

series of attacked tul^ers, showing that wlieu the attack is a viruleut
one the word "scab" is quite a misnomer, for the fungus destroys
the tissues of the tuber so as to form large cavities, which at first
sight might be put down to the work of crows or of rats or mice.
In this form the term "canker" would seem to be somewhat more appro-
priate, and the damage done is far more serious than that produced by a
mere surface scab. The organism is apparently widely spread up and
down the west of Ireland, and experiments are now being carried out with
a view to obtaining a practical method of treatment against the disease.

R. Southern showed the heterouereid stage of i\^f;'<?zi- jC^wdrZ/zVAud.
and Ed., from Ballynakill harbour. The sexual characters and modifica-
tions for a pelagic life were pointed out. The specimen exhibited was
taken in the surface townet, at 11.45 V '^- ^^^ June 26th, 1902.

F. W. Moore showed seedlings of a hybrid vSarracenia in various
stages. The first leaf formed after the cotyledons, appeared as a minute
straight tube. The second leaf had the apex bent over, and was some-
what larger, but remained closed. The inner surface of this second leaf
showed numerous glands, although the leaf did not open.

Prof. G. H. Carpenter showed a Springtail from Campbell Island, in
the Antarctic Ocean, to the south of New Zealand, belonging to a new
species of Triacanthella, a genus hitherto known only from Patagonia
and Tierra del Fuego. He exhibited also drawings, which, with a
description and an account of the structural features of the genus, will
be published by the Canterbury Philosophical Institute, New Zealand.

J. N. Hai^bERT showed a Perla-nymph from a stream flowing from
Lough Eighter, Co. Kerry, probably Ferla cephalotes^ a species hitherto
unrecorded from Ireland.

W. F. GUNN showed ''seeds" of the grass Anthoxanthiini odorahim, and
demonstrated the highly hygrometric property of the awns. A very
small loss or absorption of moisture produces active movements, the
seeds sometimes jumping to a distance of 15 times their own length.

NOTES.

BOTANY.

Ptilidium ciliare, Hampe, in Co. Antrim.

It is strange that this liverwort, which, while not a common plant
anywhere, has yet a wide distribution in England and vScotland, has
hitherto only been found in a few localities in Kerry and Cork. I was
glad, therefore, to find it a few weeks ago near the summit of Colin
Mountain, Co. Antrim, a well-worked locality not far from Belfast. It
may hitherto have escaped detection from its habit of growth usually in
single stems mixed with Dicranum and other mosses. It grows on the
south and west sides of the hill about 50 yards from the top.

C. H. Waddei,i<.

Saintfield.

I :o The Insh NaturalisL May, 1909.

A New Irish Moss.

The discovery iu Ireland of a moss hitherto known only as a native of
North China will, I think, interest every Irish botanist. In >May, 1908,
while on a visit to the Rev. C. H. Waddell, Vicar of Saintfield, in the
County of Down. I picked up a stnall tuft of a Catharinea, which has
since turned out to be the rare species C. rhystophyllr of C. Mliller. And on
5th February of the present year I paid another visit to my good friend,
and was lucky enough to gather some more of this moss. There is a
short account of it, and a comparison with an allied species also from
China, in Jounial of Botany^ vol. xl p. 2. It comes near C. angustata, which,
though found in six Hnglish and one Scotch county, has not yet been
met with in Ireland. It was growing iu a turf or sod on the mud-capped
top of an old stone fence, in association with Ceratodoii purpurcimi and
S/ereodou ciipressiforntc, and at first sight bore a superficial resemblance to
PoIyh-ichiiDi aloides. Mr. H. N. Dixon ver}' kindly verified my specimens.
Ireland being such a paradise of Mosses, it is likely that we shall soon
hear of C. augiistata having been collected in it, and there is every reason
to suppose that rhystophylh? will turn up in other localities in addition
to Saintfield.

H. W. Lett.
Lough brickland.

Chenopodium polyspermum Linn, on the shore of Lough Neagh.

On the 28th August, 1906, I obtained a number of specimens of this
species growing among shingle on the shore of Lough Neagh near
Ardmore Point, a few miles south of the town of Antrim. Specimens
were sent to Dr. Rendle of the British INIuseum, who confirmed m}'
identification. There are several old records of its occurrence in Ireland
given in Cybele Hibcrnica. More recently in the Irish Naturalist for June,
1906, it was recorded by Miss Knowles as occurring among a number of
aliens collected at Straffan in Co. Kildare.

J. Adams.

Royal College of Science for Ireland.

ZOOLOGY.
Pisidium personatiim- A correction.

i

The Co. Sligo record for the above species, p. 56 ante, is inaccurate, and

is probably a slip of the pen. I find the specimens sent to Mr.

Woodward trom Dublin INIuseum, were collected by myself at Brown's

Bay, near Lame, Co. Antrim, in 1899. I never collected at any locality

of that name in Sligo.

R. Wei<ch.

Belfast.

June, 1909. The Irish NaturalisU 121

THE WHITE WAGTAII, IN COUNTY DUBININ-

BY ALEXANDKR WIIvIvIAMS, R.H.A.

[Read before the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, December 8, 1908.]

The movements of the White Wagtail {Motacilla alba) on
the line of its spring migration on the west coast of Ireland
have been, from time to time, carefiill}' recorded by our veteran
naturalist, Robert Warren. The island of Bartragh, in Killala
Bay, at the mouth of the River Moy, seems to be a favourite
resort, and, on one occasion, a specimen was obtained so far
west as Achill Island. From the east coast of Ireland, it
would appear that no occurrence has so far been authenti-
cated, though it is only reasonable to suppose that, at the
proper time, a migration does take place. The Rev. Dr.
Benson^ mentions having seen at Balbriggan, in September, a
Wagtail, which he believed to be Motacilla alba. Unfortunately
immature individuals of both species, the Pied and the White
in transition, have so much pale grey in their plumage, and
are so similar in appearance, that even when handled it is
very puzzling to determine them.

In the year following, April, 1904, a friend living on the
Pigeon-house Road, Ringsend, so accurately described two
pairs of Wagtails that frequented for a couple of days the
vegetable gardens attached to the Coastguard Station there,
that I had little doubt they were migrating White Wagtails,
especially when he mentioned that he had noticed similar
birds, more than once, at that time of the year. This locality
appears to be in the direct line of spring migrants, as I have
regularly gone there to search for early appearances of the
^\i^2X^2iX{Saxicola oenanthe), an adult male of which I observed
as early as the 21st of March, 1907.

A couple of days after w\y friend had noticed the Wagtails at
Ringsend, whilst I was resting near the roadside at Robb's
Wall, between Malahide and Portmarnock, on April 24th, a
bright sunny day, with a southerly wind, four Wagtails
suddenly alighted on a bit of sandy beach, between the rocks,
and, after resting quietly for a few moments, commenced
searching the refuse above high-water mark for food. They
were so close, about 10 yards off, that I had a perfect view,

^ Irish Naturalist^ vol. xii., 1903.

122 The h'ish Naitiralist. June,

and, by their light grey backs, deep velvety black gorgets
edged with white, and large patches of white on cheeks and
foreheads, I saw at once that they were two pairs of White
Wagtails in full nuptial plumage. I watched them more
closeh^ with a binocular, until they flew off north across
Malahide estuary. I thought at the time that they might
have been the same birds my friend noticed at Ringsend,
and w^ere travelling along the coast to northern Europe.

Although keeping a good look out each spring-time, it w^as
not until the morning of Sunday, April 26th, 1908, a bright day
with a cool south-east wind, that I was rewarded with a sight
of a solitary White Wagtail on the pebbly shore behind the
Coastguard Station at Dollymount. It allowed me to approach
quietly to within a few yards, and I was able to see that it was
an adult female^ as it lacked the brilliancy of a male's shining
black and w^hite colouring. It displayed none of the restless
activity of the Pied Wagtail, but was very quiet and sedate in
its movements, kept watching the people passing, and occasion-
ally uttered a low call-note. On my approaching too closely
it took wing and flew over the buildings to another part of the
shore, where it allowed me again to get very close to it, and it
seemed to be reluctant to fl}^ off like common Wagtails when
disturbed. This time I was determined, if possible, to have
the bird authenticated, and in the afternoon my brother,
W. J. Williams, who was quite familiar with the species from
seeing it frequentlj^ about the houses in Norway, accompanied
me to Dollymount. The bird was still in the vicinity of the
Coastguard Station, and he instantly recognised it as a White
Wagtail. It later on took flight, and we watched it disappear
north, over the houses and trees of the Dollymount shore.
It is interesting to note that the date, April 26th, tallies with
the appearance of the birds on the west coast of Ireland, as
Mr. Warren informs me that they usuall}- arrive during the
last week in April and the first week in May, but that the time
depends on the weather conditions. With us the previous
week was intensely cold, and, on Friday night, April 24th,
there was a great snowstorm all over the country, but, on
Saturday, the snow had almost disappeared on the sea-coast,
and a rai-)id rise in temperature took place.

Dublin.

1909. Adams. — Distinguishing Plants in Ireland, 123

ON THE POSSIBILITY OF DISTINGUISHING

BETWEEN NATIVE AND AUEN SPECIES

OF PLANTS IN IRELAND.

BY J. ADAMS, M.A.

[Read before the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, 9 February, 1909.]

The flora of a countr)^ such as Ireland is slowly but steadily

changing. As the result of the destruction of most of the

ancient forests, followed by agricultural and trading operations,

many of the aboriginal species have been compelled to narrow

their limits, or have even vanished altogether from districts

where the}^ formerlj^ abounded. At the same time other

species have extended their range, being more at home on the

artificial medium thus created ; while to complicate matters

still further, foreign species have been introduced, some of

which appear to be as much at home in our climate as the

real Hibernian species themselves. It will be evident to the

student of the geographical distribution of plants that correct

ideas on the origin and afiinities of the Irish flora can onlj^

be arrived at b}^ taking into consideration the species that are

native to the country, and leaving out of account those that are

known to have been introduced. Considerable difference of

opinion has existed among botanists of high rank, such as

De CandoUe, Hooker and Arnott, Babington, and Watson, as

to the exact standing of certain species, some considering

them as genuine natives, others regarding them as introduced

species. The following passage from Watson's " Compendium

of the Cybele BritanniccC' seems well worthy of repetition in

this connection : —

" Inexperienced observers more readily believe in the true nativity of
plants ; while those of greater experience will frequently find grounds
for doubt or distrust: Besides this personal difference, the desire of
appearing as discoverers too often leads vain-glorious collectors to make
out the best case they can in support of the 'native claims ' of species
and the ' truly wild ' character of their localities."

Watson divided British plants into five groups : — Natives,
Denizens, Colonists, Aliens, and Casuals. The last four
groups represented introduced species, and were arranged in
descending order according to their success in maintaining
a foothold in competition with the truly aboriginal species.

a2

1 24 The Irish Naturalist June,

Hooker and Aruott, the authors of the British Flora^ con-
sider a plant to '' be trul}^ indigenous where it fortuitous!}^
presents itself."

Dunn, in his Alien Flora of Britain, uses the following defi-
nitions : —

**A species which exists in perfectly wild and natural vSurroundings
both here and in the neigh bonriug parts of the world is deemed indigen-
ous."

" A species will not be considered a native of Britain which is not
known in at least one natural habitat, nor even then if it can be shown,
by geographical or other arguments, that it was introduced thither ])y
artificial means or from an artificial source."

" The term alien is used to designate any species which, though now
spontaneous, originated in Britain through human agency."

Finally, Woodruffe-Peacock states that —

'« Man has been the predominant factor so long in any old country
like Kngland, that the terms "aboriginal,'' "native," or "indigenous,''
used of modern conditions, simply lead to mental confusion instead of
perspicacity in definition"; and that "in England there is nothing
natiualWyow exclude human influence."

lu vay judgment we have still in Ireland many habitats for
plants that might fairly be described as " natural," over which
man has had no influence, or so little as not appreciabl}^ to
affect the distribution of the plants growing therein. Such
are the long ranges of cliffs occurring around many parts of
the coast, as well as inland escarpments, the precipitous sides
of many glens, parts of some of the more extensive bogs, the
floor of many lakes^ and small islets occurring therein, and
here and there bits of the primeval forest. There are also
large tracts of mountain and moorland over which the grazing
of sheep and cattle has had but slight effect — at an}- rate I
think it will be found that few, if any, species have become
extinct in consequence, although their actual distriluition may
have become modified.

In order to avoid confusion it will be necessarj^ to attach a
definite meaning to the terms emploj^d. A "native " .species
is one that existed in the countr}^ prior to the advent of man,
or, if introduced since, has not been introduced b}- human
agenc}^ directly or indirectly. An introduced or "alien"
species is one that has been brought into the country by man
intentionally or accidelltall3^

1909- Adams. — Distinguishing Plants in h eland. 125

In accordance with these definitions, the species of plants
found in Ireland may be divided into three groups: —
(A) Those which are certainly native, such as Bell- Heather,
Bracken, Sea Pink. (B) Those which were certainly intro-
duced, such as Canadian Water-Th3-me, Fragrant Butter-Bur.
(C) Those species regarding which there is some doubt as to
whether they are genuine natives or have been introduced.
It is with this last group that we are chiefly concerned at pre-
sent. Before considering their claims it will be necessary to
refer to the various ways in which foreign species are intro-
duced into this country.

I. Foreign Grain uskd for Milling or in Brkwkries.—
Wheat is imported from Canada, United States, Russia, India,
Australia, and the Argentine Republic. The weed seeds are
sifted out and are frequently used for feeding fowls, with the
result that some of them germinate and may succeed in estab-
lishing themselves. A very interesting account of some of
these will be found in Miss M. C. Knowles's paper cited at the
end. As an example of this method of introduction Sisymbfitim
pannoniciim Jacq. may be mentioned.

Barley used for malting comes from France, Germany, the
Danube, Turkey, and Persia. A list of about fifty species
found in the neighbourhood of the Belfast Distillery was pub-
lished by the late Mr. Richard Hanna.

With regard to this method of introduction only the fringe
of the subject has yet been touched, but the results achieved
are sufficient to show what an important factor foreign grain
is in introducing new species to our flora.

II. Farm Sheds. — Flax seed is imported from Holland and
Russia. Ca7neli7ia sativa, Crantz, and Centaurea Cya7itis, lyinn.
have been introduced in this way. Clover seed comes from
F" ranee, Germany, United States, and other countries.

It ought to be possible to get much useful information on
the impurities occurring in farm seeds from the Seed-testing
Station under the Department of Agriculture, but, as yet, no
account of these seems to have been published.

III. Feeding Stuffs, such as Indian Corn, Oilcake, Hay,
and Bird Seeds. The occasional appearance of Hemp and
Canary Grass is, probably, due to this group.

126 The Irish Natufalist, June,

IV. Wool. — Dunn mentions that Medicago ciliaris, Willi!.,
from the Mediterranean, Calotis cnnei folia, R. Br., from Australia,
and Lcpidiiwi lacenim, C. A. Me}^ from Central Asia, have been
introduced into Britain in this wa}', but I have seen no record
so far of their occurrence in Ireland.

V. Hides and Furs. — I am not acquainted with any
species so far which can be traced to this source, but the
subject seems scarcely to have been investigated as yet.

VI. HoRTicui^TURK. — Very varied and numerous are the
species of plants grown in gardens as vegetables, fruits,
ornamental plants, pot-herbs, and medicinal plants. Foreign
seeds may be introduced in some cases as an impurity, such
?iS Draba vmralis, lyinn. ; in other cases, seeds or roots may be
thrown out among rubbish and become permanently estab-
lished ; some seeds may be carried to a distance b}^ wind or
birds, as in the case of Gooseberry. Medicinal plants were
more largely cultivated in former times and, doubtless, Thorn-
apple, Deadly Nightshade, and others, owe their present
existence to this source.

VII. Ships' Ballast. — This was a more important method
of introduction in the days when sailing ships were more
numerous. Plants introduced in this way occur in the
neighbourhood of seaports ; Lepidium Draba^ lyinn., is a
probable example.

VIII. Logs of Timbkr. — These are imported from America
and Northern Europe, and are frequently floated down stream
to the nearest seaport. Mud, containing seeds or pieces of
plant stems ma^s sometimes, adhere to them. Mr. Praeger
informs me that Zannichellia polycarpa may have been
introduced in this way.

IX. Potting Materials. — My attention has been called to
this method by Mr. Gunn, who states that peat for potting
plants is obtained from Hampshire, and sand from Bedford-
shire.

X. Shipwrecks. — Some years ago the Labrador was wrecked
on one of the western isles of Scotland. Barrels of Canadian
Apples were washed ashore, and many of the seeds germi-
nated.

1909 Adams. — JDtstinguishing Plants m h eland. 127

It remains to be seen next whether any of the doubtful
species (Group C) have sufficiently strong claims to justify
their inclusion among the genuine natives of the country.
We have, as it were, to examine their credentials. Are there
any tests which can be applied to settle the question whether
such and such a species is a native or an alien in this country ?
Doubtless there will still remain some species as to whose
exact status there will never be any consensus of opinion, but
it ought to be possible to determine, with a reasonable amount
of certainty, which of the " suspects " are natives and which
are aliens.

Before dealing with the Flowering Plants it will be advis-
able to refer briefly to the groups of Cryptogams which have
been introduced. The majority of these belong to the great
group of Fungi. In the case of a parasitic fungus, if the host
plant on which it occurs be an introduced species, the fungus
will then be considered an alien also. As an example, the
common Potato Blight {Phytophthora infestans, De Bary) will
be considered an alien until it is found growing in this
country on Solanum Dulca^naj'a^ I^inn., when its claim to be
native may possibly be conceded. The same test will apply to
saprophytes. If the medium on which the fungus grows is a
foreign substance, such as the wood of Laburnum, or rotting
Oranges or Bananas, and, if it is not found growing on any
other medium, then it may fairly be regarded as an alien
whose spores were introduced with the decaying vegetation on
which it grows.

Among higher Cryptogams a few species of Ferns have been
found on walls to which their spores were, doubtless, blown
from the nearest garden.

Returning to the higher plants, or Phanerogams, the fol-
lowing questions are those which suggest themselves as likely
to help in solving the question of the nativity or alien nature
of any doubtful species.

I. What is the habitat of the species hi question^ and how does
this compare with its habitat in countries in which it is known to
be native ? House-Leek, for instance, is found in this country
only on walls and roofs ; on the Continent it occupies similar

128 The Irish Naturalist. June,

situations, but it is also found growing on rocks. A very
comprehensive list of habitats will be found in Woodruffe-
Peacock's paper.

2. Is the species found only on ground that has been cultivated
or 7na7iured, or on artificial structures such as walls'^. Dandelion
is common on cultivated ground, but may also be found on
the shingle of the sea-shore, or on ground that has never
been broken up. Red poppies, on the other hand, are, pro-
bably, alwa3^s found on ground that has been disturbed.
Geranium lucidtan, lyinn., occurs in the clefts of limestone
rocks ; it is also found on walls, these being the nearest
approach to its natural habitat.

3. In ivhat other countries is the species Jound^ and ivhat is the
centte oj its distribution ? If, for example, a species occurs in
Great Britain, and in Western Europe, there is nothing un-
reasonable in its being found in Ireland also ; on the other
hand, a species occurring in Ireland, which has its home in
Australia, would be liable to strong suspicion.

4. What other species of plants or ofaiihnals are associated with
it in the areas in which it occti7's, a?id have any of these a similar
distfibution in foreign cou7itries ? Some authorities have ex-
pressed a doubt as to the Arbutus which occurs in the Spanish
peninsula and shores of the Mediterranean being a native of
Ireland. But several animals found in the south-west of
Europe also occur in Ireland — such as the Kerr}^ Slug, Pyre-
nean Weevil, a millipede, and two vSpecies of earthworms —
and it will hardly be suggested that these were introduced.

5. Have seeds or other 7'e77iai7is oJ the species ever bee7i foimd
ti7iderlying peat bogs or i7i lacustfi7ie or fluviatile deposits or
associated with crannogs ?

Compared with the extensive researches of Mr. Clement
Reid, and others in Great Britain, little or nothing has been
done in Ireland in the investigation of lake deposits. What-
ever be the age of these deposits it is extremely improbable
that any of the .species found therein were introduced by
human agency. In the case of crannogs the seeds of culti-
vated cereals have been found, but it is highly probable that
the timbers used in building the crannog were all native and
grew in the vicinity.

1909- Adams. — Distitigjcishing Plants in Irelaiid. 129

6. What is the date of its first being observed iii Ireland ? Has
it an ancient Irish name ? — In the Cybele Hibcrnica and Colgan's
Flor% of the Co. Dublin will he found the dates of the tirst
records of some Irish species. A plant such as Canadian
Water-Th3'nie, which is now so common over the country,
would surely have been mentioned by some old writer if it
had been in Ireland for centuries. Its first recorded appear-
ance was about the year 1836 in Co. Down, the presump-
tion being that it was introduced.

But little stress can be laid on the plants having an Irish
name if this is a modern one — as in ihe case of Tobacco and
Potato. If, on ihe other hand, the name occurs in some old
record or has given rise to a place-name, there is a strong pro-
bability of the species in that case being native

7. Has the species ever bee7i cultivated in field or garden for
use or ornament ? — The fact that plants like Hop and Vervain
were formerly cultivated vitiates to a large extent their claim
to be considered native, even though they may occur in what
looks like perfectly wild surroundings.

A wild plant, on the other hand, may sometimes, on account
of its beauty, be cultivated in gardens, as in the case of Fox-
glove and Welsh Poppy.

8. Is the species ever introduced at the present ti^ne accidentally
in conseq2ie7ice of trading operations with foreig^i countries ? — The
various methods of introduction have already been referred to.
Thlaspi arvense, Linn., and Lych^iis Githago, Scop., are both
being introduced at present among foreign seeds. There is
therefore a presumption that they were originally brought to
this country in the same way.

9. Has the species extended its range very considerably within
recent years ? — Some introduced species, finding the Irish
climate well adapted to their requirements, have extended
their range very markedly in a few years. Canadian Water-
Thyme was an example of this. Arenaria te7iuiJolia, Linn., was
first observed in 1897, but is now quite common along railways
in the central parts of Ireland. The genuine natives, on the
other hand, seem to be extending their range very slowly, or

have disappeared from certain localities altogether.

a3

130 The Irish Naturalist. June,

10. Does the species ever ripen viable seeds ? — I believe it will
be found that most plants which are genuine natives of any
countr}' produce fully ripened seeds at some period of their
history. Various causes may operate to prevent this, such as
coldness of climate, or absence of fertilisation due to the
flowers being unisexual and all of the same sex, as in Cana-
dian Water-Thyme. In other cases where the flowers are
hermaphrodite self-fertilisation is apparentl}' ineff"ective, as in
Lysimachia Nu7n?milaria. Linn., and Acorns Calamus, Linn.

Care must be taken, however, in applying this test. Mr.
Clement Reid states that after watching Rtiscus aculeatus^ Linn.,
in England for twelve years he found that, as a rule, only one
plant in fifty produced any fruit. Ostenfeld mentions 36
species which scarcely ever ripen their fruits in the Faeroes.
F'ive of these never even flower.

1 1. What are the iiatural methods of distribution of the species
U7ider cojisideration ? — On this subject we have still a great
deal to learn with regard to the plants found in Ireland.
There are four outstanding methods of dispersal, namely, by
{a) spontaneous ejection, {b) water, (c) wind, {d) animals.

{a) This method only serves to distribute the species over
short distances. The other three methods might conceivably
be the means of occasionally introducing new species into our
island, and of rapidly disseminating them over the country.

{b) Extensive investigations were carried out by Guppy to
determine the transporting power of fresh water, sea water,
and ice. One fact will suffice to show the value of his obser-
vations. He found that fruits of Spargaiiiuni 7'aniosum^ Huds.,
germinated after being twelve months afloat in sea water.
As another striking instance of the transporting power of
water, we know that West Indian seeds are cast up on the
west coast of Ireland. Maury, in his Physical Geography 0/
the Sea, mentions the case of a bottle thrown over off Cape
Horn being picked up subsequently on the coast of Ireland.

{c) The transporting power of wind over fruits and seeds
provided with wing-like expansions or parachutes formed of
hairs, is well knovv^n. Definite experiments showing the exact
distance over which the wind can carry such seeds and fruits
would be a welcome addition to our knowledge. Ernst states

1909. Adams. — Distinguishiyig Plants in Ireland. 131

that the Flora of Krakatau and neighbouring islands, in 1906,
consisted of 137 species, of which 39 per cent, were brought
by oceanic currents, 30 per cent, by wind, and 19 per cent by
birds. The vegetation of these islands was entirely destroyed
by volcanic eruptions in the 5^ear 1883.

{d) Hooked fruits are carried on the fur or feathers of
animals. Fleshy fruits are eaten by birds, and the seeds ger-
minate after passing through their bodies. This occurs in the
case of Ivy and Hawthorn. But the subject of the feeding
habits of our native birds is still in its infanc}', and we have
much to learn of the part they play in seed dispersal. It seems
possible that the migratory birds may occasionally introduce
seeds into Ireland in this way, and some of these may possibly
be killed by hawks before the seeds are digested.

Darwin, in his Origm of Species, states that fresh-water fish
eat the seeds of yellow Water-Lily and Potamogeton. He
does not state what species of fish, or whether the seeds will
germinate after passing through their bodies.

It will be evident that many further observations must be
made before we can answer the eleven questions outlined
above. When we can answer these questions satisfactorily it
will then be possible to say from the evidence, with a reason-
able amount of certainty, whether such and such a species is
a Native or an Alien.

BlBI^lOGRAPHY,

Anonymous. — Remarks on the Nationality or Nativity, Denizensbip or

Citizenship of Plants. — Phytologist, N.S , vol. i., 1855-6.
Carpenter, G. H. — The Mingling of the North and the South. — /r, AW.,

voL v., 1896.
De CandoIvLE, a.— Geographic Botanique, chap, viii., 1855.
Dunn, S. T.— The Alien Flora of Britain.— 1905.

Ernst, A. — The New Flora of the volcanic island of Krakatau. — 1908.
Guppv, H. B. — The River Thames as an Agent in Plant Dispersal. —

lourtt. Linn. Soc. (BoL), vol. xxix., 1892.
Knowles, M. C— a Contribution towards the Alien Flora of Ireland. —

Ir. Nat., vol. xv., 1906.
lyEES, E. — Records of Observations on Plants appearing on uewl} broken

ground, raised embankments, deposits of soil, &:c. — Phytologist, vol.

iv., 1 85 1.
Moore, D. — Observations on some plants considered by M, De Candolle

to be alien and introduced into Britain, — Nat. Hist. Review., vol. vi.,

1859-

132 The hish Naturalist. June,

OSTENFEr.D, C. H. — The Land Vegetation of the Faeroes Botany of
the Faeroes, Part III., 1908.

REId, C. — The Origin of the British Flora. — 1899.

SCHARFF, R. F, — On the origin of the European Fauna.— /*;'<7<-. Roy. Ir^

Acad. (3), iii., 1897.

European Animals, 1907.

Watson, H. C — A compendium of the Cvbele Britannica — 1870.
WooDRUFFK- Peacock, E. A. — Natives and Aliens, — foum. of Bot., vol.

xlvi., 1908.

OBITUARY.

FRANCES MARGARET MORE.

The death of Miss More, on February 7th, was an event of sad interest
to Irish naturalists, to whom for the past fourteen 3'ears her life had
been a valued link with the not yet distant past in which her distin-
guished brother, the late A. G. More, filled so prominent a place. Miss
More had from childhood been her brother's chief companion, and
devoted herself with rare and unselfish assiduit}' to the seconding of his
pursuits. It is a rather remarkable, though, perhaps, accidental, fact
that A. G. More's first attention to botany was the result of a request
made by her at the time of his first visit to Ireland (in 1850) that he would
collect some of the County Galway plants for a small herbarium she had
begun to form. A few years later the brother and sister visited Castle
Taylor together. More's important paper on the flora of that neighbour-
hood was the result of work done by them in common, and it is well
known that the subsequent discovery of Habenaria (or Neotinea) intacla
as an Irish and Britannic plant was practically Miss More's achievement.
Her quickness of eye was very remarkable, and frequently led to the
discovery of some of the best prizes obtained during their joint botanical
rambles, in the Isle of Wight as well as in the early visits to Ireland.
After the death of her father in i886 Miss More took up her residence
permanently with her brother in Dublin, and from that time onwards
most Irish naturalists have enjojed the privilege of counting her
among their friends. Though she did not put herself forward as a
scientific naturalist, her knowledge in more than one department of
nature-study was far from inconsiderable. Lepidoptera and shells were
among her favourite subjects, and it w^as an instructive pleasure to be
shown by her through the large and interesting collections which she
and her brother had together formed. After the death of the latter
Miss More rendered a real service to botany by forwarding the publication
of the new edition of the Cvbele Hibernica. Of her personal character-
istics this is scarcely the place to speak, but she possessed in a rare
degree that forgetfulness of self and interest in others which made her
brother so long a guiding spirit amongst students of nature in Ireland.

C. B. M.

1909- Reviews ' 133

REVIEWS.

CRABS, LOBSTERS, AND THEIR ALLIES.

A Treatise on Zooloi^y. Edited by Sir Ray Lankkster, K.C.R.,
LL.D., F.R.S. Part vii. Appendiculata (third fascicle), Crustacea
by W. T. Cai^man, D.Sc. Ivondou : A. and C. Black, 1909, pp. viii.
+ 346. Price T5J-. net.

No one can fail to be impressed by the thoroughness which characte-
rizes this scholarly work. Dr. Caiman has accomplished the difficult
task of furnishing us with an excellent treatise on the structure and
classification of the Crustacea. To the ordinary Irish reader who has
been accustomed to regard William Thompson as the one great native
naturalist, and who has scarcely heard of J. Vaughan Thompson of Cork,
this book wall be revelation. Though not a popular writer like his
northern namesake, the latter has the distinction of being the first
zoologist to place the crustacean nature of the so-called acorn-shells
(Cirripedia) beyond dispute. He was the first, also, who drew attention
to the phosphorescence of certain crustaceans. Altogether, his many
original observations on marine invertebrates place J. Vaughan
Thompson among the foremost naturalists of the early part of last century.

Apart from the fact that the Cirripedia, to which the acorn-shells
belong, have attracted attention from the time of Aristotle, their sessile
nature in the adult stage while the young are free-swimming, their
structural differences from typical Crustaceans, and the most remarkable
sexual dimorphism exhibited by some of them, have always caused a
lively interest to be taken in them. In most of the Cirripedia, moreover,
the individuals of a species are similar and hermaphrodite. In the two
genera Scalpellum and Ibla however, dwarf male individuals occur.
The latter are attached within the mantle-cavity of the larger individuals.
When these are hermaphrodites, the dwarf males pair with them, thus
presenting a most curious and unique condition.

The change from a free-swimming to a sessile condition with a corres-
ponding modification in structure is carried even further among those
species which eventually become purely parasitic. In Sacculina we
possess one of the most striking instances of such a modification to be
found in the whole Animal Kingdom. The larva is hatched out as an
active free- swimming nauplius. A few days after it becomes attached to
a crab, undergoing a remarkable metamorphosis within the body of the
latter. The adult Sacculina re-appears on the abdomen of the crab as a
simple sac without traces of segmentation, limbs, or alimentary canal,
taking its nourishment by means of root-like processes from the body of
the host. Of especial interest is the phenomenon lately investigated by
G. Smith, that the infected male crabs, in various degrees, assume the
secondary sexual characters of females.

134 The Irish Naiuralisi. June,

As a rule, when a parasite retains to some extent the power of loco-
motion, the general structure of the adult does not differ greatly from
that of the free-living t^-pes. But parasitism and its general effects in
producing structural changes can be studied, to great advantage, among
the Crustacea. In some Copepod crustaceans the female only is para-
sitic and becomes modified, the male remains free-swimming. Occasion-
ally, as in the Monstrillidse, which are endo-parasitic within polych^et
annelids, the adults of both sexes are free-swimming, but are without
mouth-parts or alimentary canal. All intermediate conditions of para-
sitism between the extreme cases of Sacculina and Peltogaster, which
are modified almost beyond recognition, and the simple Copepods, living
on the excretions of the skins of fishes, occur.

Dr. Caiman's account of these is fascinating. And yet, even in read-
ing his description of the interesting Anaspides, which we are so familiar
with from his own researches as one of the few forms preserved to us
with little change from Carboniferous and Permian times, we feel a
certain disappointment at the comparative neglect of two great branches
of the subject which the modern naturalist would expect to find in a
great work of this kind. Of the geographical distribution of the
Crustacea there is little, while the remarks on their habits and the
manifold waj's in which their modes of life affect our industries, are
often too cursory. This is the only serious fault in a work which is well
illustrated, excellentl}' written, and carefully brought up to date.

R. F. S.

BRITISH AND IRISH DESMIDS.

A Monograph of the British Desmldlaceae, By W. West,
F.L.S., and G. S. West, M.A., D.Sc. Vol. i., pp. xxxvi. -j- 224,
Plates i.— xxxii., 1904 ; vol. ii.. pp. x. + 204, Plates xxxiii.— Ixiv.,
1905 ; vol. iii., pp. xv. + 274, Plates Ixv.— xcv., 1908. London (Ray
Society). Price 255. net per vol.

There is no one better qualified to write a work on such a subject than
the two authors who have undertaken this Monograph. Certain it is
that as regards Ireland most of our knowledge of the distribution of
Desmids and of Freshwater Algae generally in the northern and western
parts of the country is due to their investigations.

The work begins with a short historical account of previous studies on
the group. Ralfs' "British Desmidiese," published in 1848, enumerated
162 species and 32 varieties as occurring in the British Isles. The
account of Desmidiese in Pritchard's " Infusoria," 4th ed., t86i, was
written by William Archer, who was for many years one of the leading
members of the Dublin INIicroscopical Club, and to whose work a just
tribute is paid by the authors of these volumes. Cooke's "British
Desmids," published in 1887, contained descriptions of 290 species and 48
varieties. In the present work about 750 species and 450 varieties will
be described. Apparently two more volumes will complete the work.

1909- Reviews* 135

After a prelimiuary account of the structure, habitats, distribution,
and affinities of the group there follows a detailed account of the genera
and species. In the three volumes published up to the present 436
species are described. Keys are given to facilitate the determination of
the genera and also of the species belonging to the larger genera such as
Closterium and Cosmarium. Every species and variety is figured, the
plates in man}' cases being coloured. Accompanying the description of
the species is a full list of synonyms with references to the literature. A
detailed account of the count}' distribution of the group is given in
England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as in foreign countries.
There is a copious Bibliography in vol. i., which is added to in the
succeeding volumes. Both paper and type are good, and the figures are
carefully executed.

In a work containing so many references it is only to be expected that
some omissions or errors will occur. No Irish locality is given for
Euastrum Sendtnerianum Reinsch, although it is included in Archer's List
for Dublin and Wicklow. Among the Irish localities there are several
topographical errors. In vol. i., p. 45, Lough Brin is included in Co.
Galway although elsewhere in the work it is correctly referred to
Co. Kerry. In vol. ii., p. S2, and again in vol. iii., p. 72, Lough Moher is
included in Co. Galway but really belongs to Co. Mayo. In a number of
places in vols. ii. and iii., Castletown, Adrigole, Sugar Loaf Mt., and
Glengarriff are referred to Co. Kerry, but all of them are in Co. Cork.

In the Bibliography there is a slight inaccuracy in the date of Archer's
papers in the Quarterly loitrnal of Microscopical Science. All notes and
other contributions by him to the pages of that journal appeared
between the years 1858 and 1880.

It is rather a pity that the habitat of each species, whether pond,
peat bog, mountain pool, &c., is not indicated, as was done in Cooke's
Handbook. But these are slight blemishes in a work where so much
is excellent. Guided by the beautiful illustrations and descriptions
it should be easy to identify any British species of Desmid.

J. A.

A GUIDE TO BIEDS' NESTS.

Birds' Nests and E^^g^s and how to Identify them : The

young People's Birds'-Nest Chart. By the Rev. S. N. Sedgwick,
M.A. Pp. 61, 4 coloured plates and 16 photographs. London :
Robert CuUey, 1909. Price,

This is a chapter from the Rev. S. N. Sedgwick's " Young People's
Nature-Study Book," reproduced separately so as to form a portable and
pocketable guide to the identification of birds' eggs and nests. Starting
with the idea that egg-collecting should be discouraged, and that a nest
once found by a beginner in the course of a country walk is not likely to
be visited a second time, the author draws a logical enough inference
from his own premises in considering that the young student ought to
have with him, at the moment of discovery, the means of identifying
there and then, and as quickly as possible. The nests are therefore
" classified " according to the kinds of situations in which they are likely

13^ The Irish Naturalist. June.

to be found : there is a table giving succinct descriptions of the dis-
tinguishing qualities of each, and of the eggs they should contain; and
the coloured plates give good representations of the eggs of 37 species (all
passerine), selected as those which the author considers to be the " most
generallv confused." There are also a number of photographs, but it
can hardly be said that these are intended to assist identification. Their
object is rather to stimulate the young naturalist to "go and do like-
wise." As there is so much diversity of temperament among young
people one hesitates to say a word in disparagement of Mr. Sedgwick's
mode of appealing to them, which will doubtless be effective in some
quarters ; but we are inclined to think that identifications made in the
hurried manner that this book aims at promoting will not leave a very
abiding impression on the memory. We would prefer recommending a
book of moderate dimensions that can be left at home, that does not
make a point of disregarding classification and "technical or Latin
names," and whose zeal for brevity is not carried to the excess of leaving
us to distinguish a swallow's nest from a House-martin's by the single
criterion of its greater untidiness. C. B. M.

e>'

THE SURVEY OF THE DERRY DISTRICT.

The Geology of the Country around Londonderry. By S. B.

Wii^KiNsON, A. M'Henry, M.R.I. a., J. R. K11.R0E, A.R.C.Sc.L,

and H. J. Skymour, B.A., F.G.S. (Memoirs of the Geological Survey

of Ireland). Pp. 106, coloured map, 7 plates and 11 text-figures.

Dublin : H. M. Stationery Office, 1909 Price 2s.

In pursuance of the plan adopted by the Irish Geological Survey, of

presenting the large centres of population wdth a map accompanied by

a memoir, in which a detailed account of the physical features and the

geological structure of the surrounding country is given, the fifth of an

interesting series of memoirs has been published.

The map is composite, containing portions of 4 one-inch sheets — 11,
12, 17 and i8. It is of the usual size 18" x 12 ", and thus embraces an
area of 216 sq. miles, at about the middle of which the city stands.

Part I., Section I., refers to the Physical Geograph}' of the area, and
here the origin of the Promontory of " Inishowen," literally Owen's
Island, is discussed. Professor Hull's opinion that "within the historic,
or at least, traditionary period, it may have been really an island, at least
during high tides," is commented upon. A subsidence of 20 feet would
allow the sea to flow over most of the low tract between Loughs Foyle
and Swilly, along which the railway to Buncrana now runs, whilst a
lurther reduction of level by 30 feet would convert Inishowen into an
island once more. In discussiug the Foyle and Burngibbagh valleys,
which preserve a distinct parallelism for 12 miles, Mr. Kilroe concludes
that the Burngibbagh was originally the principal stream, whose
head waters were captured by the Foyle long before the Glacial Epoch.
Fincairn Glen, 3 miles E. of the city, is an example of a dr>' gap. It
extends for two-thirds of a mile, and is about 100 feet deep, with
precipitous walls of rock. The frontispiece gives a view of the north
end, with a delta fan formed by the river which now occupies the glen

1909.

Reviews. 137

In Section 2, Professor Cole gives a brief summary of the geological
history of the area. Mr. Seymour gives a general account of the rocks.
These include epidiorites, lamprophyres, limestones, grits, schists and
slates. Sedimentary rocks are much in the preponderance, and are all
more or less altered. The chief type is a greenish-gray shale, associated
with which are black phyllites, slates, schistose grit, and a small amount
of crystalline limestone. The secondary structure is dvie to pressure,
thermal action being much less evident. The igneous intrusive rocks
have, with one exception, shared in the general metamorphism.

Part II. gives a more detailed account of the survey. The area was
divided into four districts, one of which was allotted to each member of
the Survey. The microscopical petrology of all is described by
Mr. Seymour, who also is responsible for the excellent photographs.

Mr. Wilkinson discusses the glaciation of the north-western district.
The previous Inishowen memoir mentions the prevailing directions ot
striations as S. to N.20^K., and in addition states that the roches
moutonn^es with steep western faces give evidence of ice coming from
the north-east. Strengthening this conclusion the present survey has
revealed deep grooves, having a W.S.W. direction, and in an earlier
Boulder-clay at Burnfoot, 8 miles N.W. of the city, basalt, chalk flints,
red sandstone, and a fossil shell, Gtyphcea inairva, from the Lias, have
been found. In the later Boulder- clay of this district some red granite
blocks occur which have a close resemblance to Barnesmore granite.
These, together with the deep grooves running in a varying direction
from N. 15P E. to N. 10^ E., support the theory of a later ice movement
from the south-west. The evidence from the other three districts
confirm these conclusions.

In Part III. the Economic Geology is treated of, Chap. VII. dealing
with brick clay, building materials, road metal, water supply, and sea
shells. It is interesting to note that whereas formerly the setts for
road-making within the city were imported from Scotland and Wales, a
suitable granite from Carrigart, Co. Donegal, is now being used. Sea-
shells are commonlj^ used for agricultural purposes along the seaboard
and are carted several miles inland. An extract from a paper by Samuel
Molyneux, about the year 1726, reads that "about 30 years ago they
made lime of the shells and manured their land with it; but a poor
countryman, that, out of laziness or poverty, had not provided to make
lime, threw the shells unburnt on his land ; his crop proved as good as
his neighbours ; and the second and third crop better, and all took the
hint, and have used them so ever since."

Chapter VIII. is devoted to soils. Analyses of 28 different kinds have
been made by Mr. Hallissy under the direction of Mr. Kilroe. Reference
is made in the introduction of this subject to the earlier work done
by Portlock in the North of Londonderry. Now that so much attention
is devoted to soil physics in England, Germany, America, and Japan, it
is gratifying to reflect that soil analyses were carried out in the early
part of last century by that distinguished officer.

I. Swain.

138 The Irish Naturalist, June,

IRISH SOCIETIES.

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Recent gifts include a Patas Monkey from Commissioner W. S, Wright,
a Mona Monkey from Mr. H. Hopkins, a Weeper Capuchin Monkey
from Lieut. L. C. A. Moore, a White-fronted Capuchin Monkey from Mr.
J. K. Bradbury, two Badger cubs from Mr. D. R. Browning, Common
Squirrels from Mr. C.G.Tottenham and Mr. Grattan Bellew, a Guinea Pig
from Miss A. Barrington, a Crowned Crane and a number of Waxbills
from Dr. Montgomery, a great Sulphur-crested Cockatoo from Mr. J. H.
Richardson, a Sparrowhawk from Mr. J. Johnston, a Goshawk from Mr.
H. B. Rathborne, and two Napoleon Weaver Birds from Capt. J. W. H.
vSeppings. A female Coypu with 3'oung has been bought. A Ringtailed
Lemur, a Mongoose Lemur, and a Tree-Porcupine have been born in
the Gardens. These bab}' Lemurs are most interesting objects in the
Monkey-house at present.

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB.

Aprii, 14. — The Club met at Leinster House. A. R. Nichoi^s (Vice-
President) who was in the Chair, showed living specimens of the fresh-
water polyzoon Cristatella tmicedo, recently emerged from their stato-
blasts. In some of the .specimens fresh individuals were already being
formed by budding.

F. W. Moore exhibited seedlings oi Drosera pygmcea, a rare Australian
species. The plant is minute, not more than one inch in height, with
numerous leaves, and inconspicuous flowers. The glandular tentacles
appeared on the first leaf developed after the cotyledons.

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

December 16, 1908. — The President (Robert Patterson, F.L.S.) in the
chair. Mrs. Hobson presented her Report as the Club's delegate to the
Dublin meeting of the British Association, in which she went into the
details which have already appeared in the /if'sh Naturalist. T. Anderson
followed with a paper on the " Geology of the Dublin District." The
papers were spoken to by the President, Miss Andrews, N. H. Foster,
M.B.O.U. ; T. H. Dewhurst, and R. Welch, M.R.I.A.

December 19, 1908.— Botanicai, Section. — Syi,vanus Weir read a
paper on the " Fertilisation of Flowers," which was very fully illus-
trated by a fine series of micro slides.

January 6, 1909.— Arch^oi^ogicai. Section. — A. Mii.t.igan read a
paper on '* The Ancient Inhabitants of Ireland and tlieir Kindred."

T909. Irish Societies. 139

January 19. — The President in the chair. F. Balfour Browne
M.A., read a paper on " The Life-History of the Water- Beetle," in which
he brought forward several new facts in the development of water-beetles.
The President and Messrs. Hamilton, Tomlinson, Gray, and Orr, spoke
on the paper.

January 27.— GboIvOGicai. Section.— T. H. Dewhurst, A.R.G.Sc,
gave a lecture on " The Determination of Specific Gravity and the Use of
Heavy Liquids."

February 3. — ARCH^oi^oGiCAr, Section.— Joseph Skii,i,en read a
paper on " Church Island," illustrated with lantern views.

February 10.— Zooi<ogtcai, Section.— F. Bai^four Browne gave
an informal lecture on " Method in Biological Research." He described
his own work among water-beetles as consisting of four sections — col-
lecting, systematic work, life-history work, and distribution, and he
went into the details of the methods he employs. Messrs. Foster,
Welch, Stelfox, Orr, Milne, Maxwell, and Gallway took part in the dis-
cussion.

February 13— Botanical vSection. — A most interesting biogra-
phical paper was read by W. J. C. Tomijnson on " The Charles Darwin
Centenary : Darwin as a Botanist.''

February 16. — W. J. Fennell in the chair. Miss Margaret Dobbs
read a paper on " The Dawn of History in Ireland," which gave rise to
considerable discussion at the close.

February 24.— Geoi.ogicai, Section. — A paper which contained a
good deal of original research was read by James Strachan on " The
Opal Deposits of Sandy Braes; their Formation and Origin." The lec-
turer was highly complimented at the close on his work on these local
deposits.

March 3. — Joint Meeting of Zoologicai, and Geological Sections.
R.Welch, M.R.I. A., read a paper on " Rain-wash Deposits of Land shells
on Sand-hills at Horn Head." At Horn Head land shells occur in the
dunes in mj-riads, and where the dunes have been formed along a hill-
side having a surface of stiff clay, sudden heavy rainfalls have undercut
the dunes, floating out shells of all sizes. The paper, which has been
published in the Irish Naturalist (^■^■. 113-115, supra), gave rise to a pro-
longed discussion.

March 10. - Arch^ologtcal Section.— John M. Dickson read a
paper on " Celtic Misnomer."

March 13.— Botanical Section.— Rev. C. H. Waddell, B.D., read a
paper on " The Goosefoots, Knotweeds, &c. (Inconipletse), and the new
classification of Engler." This was followed by a paper by W. J. C.
Tomlinson on ' Local Plant Gleanings, 1908," the more important
records having already appeared in this Journal.

March 16. — The Vice President (W. H. Gallway) in the chair. R.
Lloyd Praeger, B.E-, M.R.I.A., read a paper on "Rock Gardens,
Natural and Artificial." There was a very large attendance. Mr.
Praeger described the special characters of rock plants and alpines, and
went onto describe the natural rock gardens of the Alps, and also the

J .Q The Irish Naturalist. June, 1909.

remarkable rock garden of the Burreh in Co. Clare. Afterwards the
cultivation of rock plants and alpines was dealt with, and the building
of rock gardens.

March 24.— Geologicai. Section.— Wii,i.iam Gray, M.R.I.A., read
a paper entitled ''A Gossiping Geological Speculation on Cavehill."

DUBLIN NATURALISTS FIELD CLUB.

Aprii, 6.— C. B. Moffat, M.A., in the chair.— Prof. G. II. Carpenter
lectured on *' The Darwinian Theory after fifty years," giving examples
of facts discovered in receiit years that afford support to the general
doctrine of evolution, and discussing the theory of Natural Selection as
offering a rational explanation of the process of evolution. A short
account of contributions to the problem made by Romanes, Mendel,
Batesou, and other investigators followed. A discussion ensued in which
the chairman and J. Bayley Butler took part, the former laying
stress on the importance of sexual selection, and the latter calling atten-
tion to some evidence and arguments in favour of use-inheritance recently
brought forward by Prof, M. M. Hartog, of Cork.

NOTES.

ZOOLOGY.

Ascidicola rosea in Belfast Lough.

During the past year I have come across several specimens oi Ascidicola
rosea^ Thorell, in the branchial sacs of Ascidia virginea, and other species
from Belfast Lough. This copepod is not included in Pearson's " List of
Irish Copepoda," nor have I been able to find any definite record of its
occurrence in Irish waters, though it is probable that this was one of the
forms originally described by Allman under the name of Notodephys
ascidicola.

W. RiDDEIylv.

Belfast.

Early appearance of Macroglossa stellatarum.

A Humming-bird Moth was seen here in March in a conservatory, and
on the 15th April a fine specimen was seen in the garden hovering over
the flowers. This moth does not usually show here till late summer.

M. J. DEI.AP.

Valentia, co. Kerry.

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July, 1909. The Irish Naturalist. 141

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF A SPECKLED OTTER

IN IRELAND.

BY R. F. SCHARFF, M.R.I. A.

[Plate 2.]
Thk National Museum of Ireland recently acquired from INIr.
W. J. Williams, of Dublin, a full-grown Otter, which differs
from ordinar}^ otters, in that its rich brown fur is dotted
all over with white spots, as shown in the accompanying illus-
tration (Plate 2). It was trapped in Lough Sheelin, which
lies partly in the Count}- Cavan and partl}^ in Westmeath.

The fur, as a rule, is of a rich chestnut brown in Irish
Otters. It is composed of two parts, the w^oolly under-fur
and the longer stiffer hairs projecting beyond this. The
colour of the under-fur is very light grey changing to greyish-
brown above, while the longer hairs are chestnut brown
throughout. On closely examining an Otter skin we some-
times find that the under-fur is not quite uniformly coloured
throughout. Here and there, separated by wide spaces, very
small perfectly white tufts are met with in the under-fur.
When these occur in such large patches as to be clearly
noticeable, their presence impairs the value of the skin from
a furrier's point of view. Mr. Williams informs me that,
occasionall}', amounting to about i per cent, of the skins pre-
pared by him for the fur trade, the skins are speckled in this
manner. The whiteness, however, in these cases, is still
hidden to some extent, in the unprepared skin, b}- the brown
colour of the long hairs. It is only after removal of the hairs
by the furrier that the white spots become plainh^ visible.

In the specimen here figured, not only has the under-fur
white patches of variable size, but the whiteness extends even
to the long hairs, giving the Otter a most peculiar speckled
appearance. Mr. Williams tells me that, among several
thousands of skins that have passed through his hands,
this is the only specimen of that kind he has seen.

From the Royal Irish Academj- Fauna and Flora Com-
mittee's records, I find that perfectly white Otters have been
observed in the River Shannon, being, presumabh% true
albinos, and recorded in the Field (vol. xci., 1898, pp.
141-42). We know that an albino Otter from Scotland is
preserved in the Belfast Museum, but the only record of a
speckled Otter that I have noticed is of one supposed to be in

142 The Irish Naturalist. July,

the Hancock Museum of Ne\vcastle-on-Tyne. On applj'ing to
Mr. E. L- Gill, the Curator of this Museum, about the specimen,
he kindl}' informs me that there is no such otter in the
Hancock Museum. The Irish speckled Otter now described
is therefore, as far as I can ascertain, a unique specimen.

In connection with this ver}' abnormal skin of the Otter,
I re examined the ordinar}- ones with a view to verifying
Mr. Ogilby's statement^ that Irish Otters differ so much from
Knglish ones as to deserve a special name. He proposed to
call the Irish Otter Liitra rocnsis instead oi L^itra vulgaris.

"As there are no English skins of the Otter in the Irish
National Museum, I was unable to compare the two exter-
nall}'. Mr. Ogilby gives the dark colour, which he describes
as almost black, as the principal character of the Irish Otter.
There are about half-a-dozen Irish skins in the National
Museum, but none of them are darker than chestnut brown.
Mr. Ogilb}^ mentions that there are differences also in the size
of the ears and in the proportions of other parts in the Otters
from the two countries without, however, indicating tons an}'-
thing more definite. More recentl}' Dr. Sclater has drawn
attention to this alleged difference in the fur, while William
Thompson- thought that the skull of the Irish Otter was
larger than that of the British, and stated that Dr. Robert
Ball considered the two Otters to be, perhaps, distinct
varieties,

None of these authorities clearly define how an Irish can
be discriminated from a British Otter. There are sixteen
recent Otter skulls from various British and Irish localities
in the National Museum. After a careful examination of
these I failed to detect an}' character by which Irish skulls can
be distinguished from British ones. At an}- rate we cannot
argue from a comparison of a few skulls that the Irish Otter
is larger than the British. The size of a vSpecies varies in
every country between certain very definite limits, and, as the
largest specimens are generall}- sent to a museum for preser-
vation, a large series is required to determine the average
size. As far as the skull is concerned, I think the Irish Otter
is not, specifically, distinguishable from the British.

' Ogii.BV, W., Proc. Zool. Soc. Loudon, 1834 (part ii.) p. Iio-iii.
- Thompson, W., Natural History of Ireland, vol. iv., 1856, p. 6.

National Museum, Dublin.

J909. PHii,r,iPvS. — Paludcsiri7ia coiiiusa, Fraiicnfdd. 1^3

PALUDESTRINA CONFUvSA, FRAUENFKLD,

An Addition to the Irish Fauna.

by r. a. phii,i,ips.

In August^ 1907, while collecting shells near New Ross
Co. Wexford, I found in a small tidal tributary* of the river,
Barrow a few specimens of a Paludestrina, or Hydrobia,
which at the time I was unable to identify. They were
subsequently included among other shells sent to Mr. W.
Denison Roebuck as a contribution towards the completion
of the Conchological Society's census. Through the Society's
referees they were finally submitted to Mr. E. A. Smith, of
the British Museum, who has made a special study of the
genus, and he at once identified them as Pahidestriiia confiisa,
Fran. This is the little brackish-water mollusk formerly
better known as Hydrobia similis, Drap. In Mr. L- E-
Adams's '' Collector's Manual" (Ed. 2, 1896), it is said to be
almost extinct in the lower Thames marsheSj which for many
years was its only known British station. Mr. A. S. Kennard,
however, informs me that it has lately been found at Blyth-
burgh and Oulton Broad in Suffolk, and at Saltfleetby in
Lincolnshire.

The botanical features of the lower Thames, as described
by the earlier naturalists, are in many respects similar to
those of the Shannon — for instance, Leiicojnm crstiviivi and
Sdrp7is triqueter are among some rare plants characteristic
of both — and it struck me that a similarity in the fauna of
each of the tv;o rivers might also be looked for. Accordingly,
Dr. George Fogerty and I recently visited the Shannon l:)elow
Limerick and at once found P. confnsa extremely abundant
all over the tidal marshes and in brackish drains, its
associates being Paludestrina Jejikinsi^ Limncea pahistris, L.
h'lincaHila ^ Plano^^bis spirorbis and Succinea elegans.

Dr. Scharff, who has kindly worked out its foreign distri-
bution for me, states that it occurs in France only in the
south, in the stagnant waters of the Rhone and generall}-
between the Alps and Pyrenees. It is also said to occur in
Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, Algeria and Morocco. Being so rare
in Great Britain and such a thoroughly southern species
elsewhere, its occurrence in Ireland is of special interest.

Cork.

A 2

144 '^^^^ Irish Naturalist. . July,

MOSSKS AND LIVERWORTS FROM CO. FERMANAGH,
AND SLIEVE LEAGUE, CO. DONEGAL.

(Collected for the Flora and Fauna Committee of the Royal

Irish Acadein}'.)

BY DAVID M'ARDLE.

Ill June, 1907, I spent a few days in Co. Fermanagh. My
principal object in goin^ there was to endeavour to extend
the range of Spruce's Amblystegiuni, a minute and very
distinct moss which I found in Correl Glen in October, 1905 ;
another object was to rediscover in good condition a Brj'um
very like B. pnrpiiraucns ; in all the specimens I found
on my previous visit the frtiit was too old, and it was im-
possible to tell the difference between it and B. indhiafwi.
However, in ni}' anxietj' to find these two plants I miscal-
culated about the growth of the Bracken, which was in full
possession of Correl Glen and other places, and it was
impossible to find anything amongst such dense growth.
Turning from the glen to the other side of the main road I
got into what was once a splendid Pine plantation but now
almost completeh' burned out. I was attracted to the place
by the extensive bright patches of a moss, closer inspection
proved it to be a Funaria ; it looked different from the common
F Jiygjvvutrica, so I took specimens; and it has proved to be
F. calcarca, a plant which has rather restricted distribution in
Ireland. The Census Catalogue records it from Counties
Cork, Antrim and Deny. It is also known under the name
of Fiinaria Miihlcnbcrgii, being first detected b}' Dr. Muhlen-
berg in Pennsylvania. This curious genus extends to the
tropics, and after a forest fire Funaria is almost the first
sign of returning vegetation on the burned soil. The speci-
mens I collected were mostly among stones, rocks and burned
peat. I spent a day about Knockmore. where the limestone
forms massive walls of rock ; the huge gre}* cliffs can be seen
from a considerable distance. I pushed on from here to
Rossinure More, an extensive range of cliffs, where I gathered
verj' fine specimens oi Brciitelia ajruata., some of them nearly
six inches in length, the stems covered with reddish brown
radicles, and similar luxuriant specimens of Neckera cri'spa
were plentiful. On shaded rocks among Rossinitre More

1909- M'Ardle. — Musclnecs from Fcn/ianag/i and Donegal. 145

cliffs I found Orthothecium i)iiricaiii/n, a rare moss, conspicuous
on account of the yellowish-green silky tufts ; it may be over-
looked for Hypnuni cupycssifo}mc var. resnpiiiatuni, but it is
more highly coloured and grows on rocks. Though I searched
the neighbourhood carefully, I found it only in one place ;
hitherto its range has been confined to North Kerry, Sligo
and West Donegal.

One wet morning I got a boat and rowed about a mile on
Lough Erne to Heron Island, which is probably the smallest
which dot the extensive lough near Church Hill. I chose
this island as it was near the shore ; the boat was a very frail
structure, and had been exposed to the sun and weather for a
long time. Some grass and trees of Alder and Birch grew
among the rocks. The liverworts I gathered were Melzgeria
fiifcata and Radula coniplanata on the trees, Aneiua multifida
and Blasia pusilla among the wet rocks Mosses were better
represented, and I gathered seventeen species.

On this trip I add eighteen species and five varieties to i\\\
former list^ of Fermanagh mo.«^ses. Among the liverworts
collected I add the following to the previous list : — Cephalozia
airvifo/ia, Scapania mnbrosa., Jtuigei viania crcnulata., f. barbata,
Nardia scalaris^ Blasia pnsilla. Other species included below
which were in former list are from a locality remote from
where the}- were previously collected, and much yet remains
to be done in this interesting county.

I spent a few days on Slieve League, Co. Donegal, searching
for mosses and liverworts. I followed a stream to near the
summit, which rises to 1,972 feet. At a small waterfall
Eurhyyichiuni ruscifornic and the variety atlanticuni flourished
within the spray — very fine specimens of the latter, similar to
those I found some }"ears ago on a steep rocky bank near the
sea on the shore of Dingle Bay, Co. Kerry. Here also I
gathered a rare liverwort, Scapania subalpina, a very distinct
plant. On decayed wood with Frullania, Lophocolea hctero-
phylla grew sparingly ; it has a remarkable aromatic smell.
Nardia obovata was on the rocky bank of a stream ; I have
some forms of this interesting plant which very closely asso-
ciate it with N. hyalina, and I would be inclined to sa}' they
are both forms of one species. On wet rocks, Marsitpella

^ Irish NaL, vol. xvi., p. 232, 1907.

146 The Irish Nattirahst. Julj',

sphacdata was very scarce ; in a stream not far from the road
leading to " One Man's Pass," Ancura sinuata flourished.
Beside it, in the crevices of the rocks, Rcboidia hemisphcerica
grew sparing! \'.

FERiMAXAGH.

Mosses.

Sphagnum subsecundutn, Nees, var. contortum, vSclip.— Coirel

Glen.
S. acuti folium, Hhrh.var. purpurcum vSchp.— Correl Gleii.

Polytrlchum plliferum, Sclireb Heathy bank, Poulapliuca.

P. Juniperinum, Willd.— Heathy bank, Heron Island. On decayed

wood, shore of Lough Krne near Church Hill.
P. g:racile, Dicks.— Peaty bank, Correl Glen.

DItrichum flexicaule, Hauipe.— On rocks, Rossinure More; Knock-
more.
Dicranum scoparium, Hedw.— Rossinure More.
D. tnajus, Turn. — Knockuiore. Poulapliuca.
Fissidens adiantoides, Hedw.— Heron Island. Abundant on rocks

and banks along the shore of Lough Erne near Church Hill.
Grimmia apocarpa, Hedw.— On stones, Heron Island. A slender

form also grows on Rossinure More with long hair points (the var.
gracilis W. and M. ; G. gracilis vSchleich.).
C. pulvinata, vSmith. — Rossinure More.
Racomitrium lanug^inosum, Brid.— Knockmore.
Tortula muralis, Hedw.— Rossinure More.
T. subulata, Hedw. — Heron Island.
Barbula lurida, Lindb.— On decayed wood among rocks, Poula-

phuca. An abnormal form grows on wet stones on Heron Island.
B. fallax, Hedw. — Abundant iu the crevices of rocks, Heron Island;

Knockmore.
Welsia rupestris, C. M.— On rocks, Heron Island.
Trichostomum crispulum, Bruch. — On rock.s, shore of Lough

Erne ; Knockmore ; Rossinure More.
T. mutabilc, Bruch. — Knockmore.
T. tortuosum, Dixon. — On rocks. Poulapliuca : Knockmore; Heron

Island.
Clnclidotus fontinaloldes, P. Beauv.— On stones, Heron Island,

often submerged.
Encalypta strcptocarpa, Hedw.- Among rocks, Heron Island.
Zygodon lYIougeotii, B. and S.— On rocks, Poulapliuca ; Knockmore;

Rossinure More.
Funaria calcarea, Wahl.— Abundant on stony ground where a

plantation of conifers had been burned opposite Correl Glen.
Phllonotis calcarea, vSchp.— Boggy places, Poulaphuca.
Breutelia arcuata, vSchp— On rocks, very luxuriant, Rossinure More ;

Knockmore.

1909 M'Ardle. — MicscinecB from Fomanagh and Donegal. 147

BryuiYi pendulum, vScbp.— Heathy bank, Heron Island; Poulaphuca.

B. IncIInatum, Bland. — Peaty bank among rocks, Heron Island.

B. cap! Hare, L. — On rocks, Heron Island.

Neckera crispa, Hedw. — On Rossinure More and Knockmore, very
luxuriant.

Anomodon vltlculosus, Hook and Ta^l. — Kuockinore, plentiful.

Cyllndrothecium concinnum, vSchp.— Rossinure IMore, among
grass at the base of rocks.

Orthothecium intricatum, B and S. — On damp rocks, Rossinure
More.

Pleuropus sericeus, Dixon.— Rossinure More, plentiful.

Brachythecium rutatoulum, B. and S.— Poulaphuca.

B. puruin, Dixon — Knockmore.

EurhynchiuiYi Swartzii, Hobkirk. — Bank on Heron Island.

Hypnum stel latum, vSchreb. — On wet rocks, Rossinure More.

H. chrysophyllum, Brid.— A curious abnormal form grows on damp
rock}' ground on Heron Island, which has the single nerve and
opaque angular cells of //. cluysophylluni^ but the leaves resemble
those of ^. stellatum in their squarrose habit.

H. commutatum, Hedw. — On wet banks, Poulaphuca, very luxu-
riant.

H. cuprcssiforme, L. — On trees and rocks; common.

Var. filiforme, Brid. — On the trunks of trees in fruit, Ro'isinure

More.
Var. ericctorum, B. and S. — Heron Island ; a very distinct form
with flattened complauate stems and branches and a pale green
colour.

H. molluscum, Hedw. — On wet banks, shore of Lough Erne ; Knock-
more ; Rossinure More, on rocks near a stream.

H. palustre, L. — Marshy place among rocks, Poulaphuca.

H. cuspidatum, L. — Growing in large masses on Heron Island ; Ros-
sinure More.

H. Schretoerl, Willd.— Heathy banks, Poulaphuca.

H. squarrosum, B. and S. — Very luxuriant about Rossinure More.

H. triQuetrum, B. and vS.— Banks about Rossinure More.

Hepatic^.

Lejeunea patens^ Lindberg — On /77///<?;//aAz///rtm(/, Rossinure More.

Radula complanata, Linn., Duniort. — On the trunks of Alder,
Heron Island.

Porella platyphylla, Linn., Lindberg. — On rocks, Poulaphuca.

Cephalozia bfcuspidata, Linn., Duniort.— Banks about Knock-
more.

C. curvlfolia. Dicks., Dumort. — On decayed, wood, Correl Glen.

Scapania umbrosa, vSchrader, Dumort. — On decayed wood, Knock-
more, Correl Glen.

DIplophylium albicans, Linn., Dumort.— Knockmore.

1 4$ -. The Irish Naiuralhi. July,

Plagiochila asplcnioldes, Linn., DumorL— On rocks, Rossiuure

^Nlorc.
P. spinulosa, Dicks., Duniort. — On wet banks, Poukiphuca ; Rossinure

]\Iore.
Jungcrmania crenulata, vSniilh.— On moist banks, Knockmore ;

Correl Glen.
J. barbata, v^clireber. — On wet rocks, Rossinure INIore.
Nardia scalar is, Sclirad.— On moist banks, Correl Glen.
Blasia pusilla, Linn.— Wet bank. Heron Island.
Pellia calyclna, Taylor.— On wet rocks, Poulaphuca.
Ancura niultifida, Linn., Dumort. — Marsh on Heron Island.
A, ping-uis, Linn.— INL-irsli, Rossinure More.
lYIetzgeria furcata, Linn., Raddi.— On rocks, Rossinure More,
lYI. conjugata, Lindber>,\— On the trunks of trees, I'oulaphuca.

WlivST DONEGAL (SLIKVK L1':AGUU.)

INIO.SSES.

Sphagnum cymbifollum, lihrh.— lioggy places, frequent.

S. rigidum, vSchp., var. com pactum, vSchp.— On heathy banks.

S. acutifoiium, l^hrh— Boggy places.

S. cuspidatum, Khrh.— Boggy places.

Polytrlchum plllfcrum, Schreb. — On a ditch bank.

Ccratodon purpureus, Brid.— On a dry bank.

Dicranclla squarrosa, Schp. — In a marshy place,

Campylopus fragilis, B. and S. — Peaty bank near One Man's Pass.

C. atrovircns, De Not. — Among rocks.

Racoinltrium aciculare, Brid. — On stones in a stream.

Ptychomitrium polyphyllum, Fiirnr. — On rocks, common.

Funaria Tcmplctoni, Sni.— On a wet bank.

Philonotis fontana, Brid. — On a wet bank,

P. calcarca, vSchp.— ^Marshy place.

Wcbcra albicans, vSchp.— Wet rocks and banks.

Bryum capillare, L.— On rocks.

B. alpinum, lluds.- On rocks.

Thuldium tamariscinum, B. and vS.— Bank ofa stream.

Eurhynchium rusciforme, INIilde.— :Marshy place.

Var. atlanticum, Bnd. — On wet rocks within the spray of a
waterfall, very luxuriant specimens.
Plagiotheclum undulatum, B. and vS.- On a damp bank.
Hypnum unclnatum, Iledw. - On rocks in a marsh near One Man's

Pass.
H. falcatum, Brid.— Boggy ])lace.
H, ochraccum, Turn. — Rocky stream.

i909^ Waddeli,. — So7ne Irish Hawkweeds. 149

Hepatic^.

Scapania subalplna, Nees, Dumort— On wet rocks in stream near

summit.
S. nemorosa, Linn., Dumort, var. purpurea, Hook.— Marshy place.
S. undulata, Linn., Dumort— Marsh)' place.
Diplophyllum albicans, Linn., Dumort.— Common.
Lophocolea hctcrophylla, Schrad., Dumort.— On decayed wood on

a wet bank, very scarce.
Jungrermanla crcnulata, Smith. — On moist banks.
J. vcntrlcosa, Dicks. — On a moist bank.
Nardla obovata, Nees, Carrington. — Bank of a stream.
N. scalarls, Schrad. — On moist banks.

IVIarsupella emarglnata, Ehrhart, Dumort. — On wet rocks.
WI, sphacelata, Gieseke, Dumort— On wet rocks, very scarce.
Pellia calyclna, Taylor. — Side of a stream.
Aneura sinuata, Dicks , Dumort — On wet rocks.
Conocephalus conlcus. Neck., Dumort. — On damp banks.
Reboulia hemlsphaerlca, Raddi. — In the crevices of moist rocks.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin.

ON SOME IRISH HAWKWEEDS.

BY REV. C. H. WADDELL, B.D.

I lately sent a number of hawkweeds from my own her-
barium and also some from the herbarium of the late Rev.
S. A. Brenan to Rev. E- F. Linton, who has kindly examined
them. Some of the specimens were not well preserved, and
could not be named with certainty, but I think notes on these
may be of value and perhaps lead to better specimens being
obtained for further examination.

Amongst those in my collection I am glad to record
Hieracium hypochceroides (referred to by Mr. Praeger in the
April number, /. A^., p. 81) from a new Irish locality. A
friend to whom it w^as submitted at the time had given it a
wrong name and thus it was overlooked.

Hieracium angllcum, Fr. — Cave Hill, Rev. C H. Waddell ; and
Glendun, county Antrim, Rev. S. B. Brenan. Tollymore Park,

CO. Down, C H. W. Var. acutlfollum, Backh. — Ben Bvenagh,

CO. Derry, July, 1900, Rev. H. W. Lett and C. H. W. ; Tollymore
Park, CO. Down, C. H. W. (probably this var.).

A 3

i^o The Irish Naiiiralist July.

H. Iricum, Fr. — Lisoughter above Recess, co. Galway, June, 1895 ;
Ballintoy, co. Antrim, June, 1893, Rev. S. A. Brenan.

H. argcnteum, Fr. — Tolly more Park, co.Down, C. H. W.
H. Sommcrfcltll, Lindeb — Ben Evenagli, co. Derry, July, 1900, Rev.
H. W. Lett and C. H. W.

H. hypochaeroldes, Gibs Carlingford Mountain, co. Louth, Rev.

H. W.Lett and C. H. \V., July, 1900. Mr. Linton says " these speci-
mens show a leaning towards var, saxorttm^ but that may be caused by
the geology of the situation. I put it under type." I submitted
other specimens from limestone. Scout Scar, Kendal, collected in 1895
in Westmorland.

H. sllvaticum Gouan, var. cordlgcrum, Norrl — Ben Evenagh. co.
Derry, H. W. Lett and C. H. W.— Var. mlcrocladium, Dahlst.—
Garvagh, co. Derry, June, 1895 ; Newtowncrommelin, co. Antrim,
April, 1895, S. A. Brenan.

? H. rubiginosum, F. J. Hanb.— Glendun, August, 1886 ; Ballintoy,
CO. Antrim, Ma^', 1S95 ; Garvagh, co. Derry; Marble Arch, co. Fer-
managh, July, 1872, all Rev. S. A. Brenan. Mr. Linton refers speci-
mens from these localities with some hesitation to this species, and
says that better examples should be collected and submitted to him
for study. Mr. Brenan had them named H. pallidum and var. cine-
rascens or lasiophyllum^ Koch. Unfortunately they are all in bad con-
dition.

H. rlvale, F. J. Hanb. var. dasythrix, Linton.— By Shim na River,
Tollymore Park, co. Down, June, 1905, C. H. W.

H. euprepes, F. J. Hanb. — Cave Hill, co. Antrim, C. H. W.

H. tridentatum, Fr.— Marble Arch. co. Fermanagh, July, 1872, Rev.
S. A. Brenan. This seems to be a very scarce species in Ireland.

H. grothlcum, Fr.— Glendun, ca Antrim, July, 18S6, S. A. Brenan.

H, corymbosum, Fr Ballintoy, co. Antrim ; Tireren Glen, co. Derry,

July, 1886, S. A. Brenan.

H, auratum, Fr. — Garron Point, co. Antrim, S. A. Brenan; another
plant from Glendun may be starved auratum.

H. crocatutn, Fr. — Antrim Glens, S. A.Stewart. Cave Hill, July, 1896,
C. H W. Another plant labelled "Antrim Glens, vii.,'72, S. A. Stewart,"
may be the f. basifolmvi^ Lindeb., of this species.

H. boreale, Fr.— A plant collected by me in Glenarm Park, co. Antrim,
August, 1895, may be var. ^^rz'z^rz Arv. Touv., but requires further
study; while another from Cave Hill seems like var. rigens (Jord.).

H. umbellatum, L. var. linarilf oliuin, Wallr.— Glenariff, co.
Antrim, 1894, S. A. Brenan. — Var. coronopifolium, Fr. — Cusheu-
dun, CO. Antrim, July, 1895, Rev. S. A. Brenan.

Saintfield.

1909. Praeger. — Lastrea Remota 171 Ireland. 151

LASTREA REMOTA IN IRELAND.
BY R. LLOYD PRAEGER.

lu June, 1898, beside the stream in the woods at Dalystown,
on the eastern slope of Slieve Aughty, in S. E- Galway, I
gathered a fern which puzzled me at the time. It was clearly
related to Last?'ea spinulosa and L. Filix-mas, but would not
fit in with either of these, nor with any abnormal form of
L. dilataia. Out of one small clump found, I took a root to
grow, and have had it under cultivation since. As it waxed
in size and strength, both its similarity and dissimilarity to
the species mentioned became more apparent, and for some
years past I have 1)een convinced that the plant was L. remota
Moore {^Aspidium remohun Braun). On more than one occasion
I sent fronds to English specialists, but the replies showed
that they had no special knowledge of this difficult group of
Lastrea, and the}' general!}' came back labelled as a variety of
Filix-7nas or of dilatata. Lately, on the suggestion of Mr.
Druce, I sent fronds to Dr. F. W. Stansfield of Reading, who
has no hesitation in confirming the naming of the plant as
L. 7-emcta.

Lastrea 7'emota was first described as a variety of L. rigida
{Aspidiiwi rigidu77i fi re)notu77i) by its discoverer Professor A.
Braun^, who subsequently- raised it to specific rank ; and this
rank it has been allowed by most authorities, though put
down by others under L, Filix-77ias, L. spi7iulosa, or L. dilatata^
as a sub-species or variety. But its hybrid origin has been
long suspected, and even its describer afterwards^ suggested
as its parentage a cross between Filix-7itas and spi7iulosa.
Its curiously restricted range is in accordance with the idea
of its hybrid origin. Braun discovered it in 1843 near
Geroldsau in Baden, growing with Filix-7}ias and spi7mlosa,
and subsequently between Aix-la-Chapelle and Altenberg.
Other stations have been since reported near Freiburg, and in
Alsace and Silesia."*

In 1854, ^^^- Isaac Huddert found a fern growing m com-
pany with L. Filix-77ias^ L, spinulosa, and L. dilatata near

1 Doell: Rheinische Flora, 1843.

2 A. Braun : Betracht. lib. d. Ersch. d. Verjiiug. i. d. Natur. 1850.
•'' Doell : Flora des Grossherzogthums Baden, iii., 1862.

* Koch : Synopsis der Deutschen und Schweizer Flora, iii. 2876-2877,
1907.

152 The I?ish Naturalist, July,

Windermere, to which he directed the attention of that well-
known I.ake District fern-hunter, Mr. Frederic Clowes, who
noticed its peculiar characters, and grew it in his garden for
some 3^ears without succeeding in identifying it. " I showed
it to several good botanists, but they paid no attention to it."^
However, in 1859 he sent a frond to Mr. Thomas Moore of
Chelsea Botanic Garden, who recognized it as Braun's
Aspidium y'emotuniy and announced it as such before the
Linnean Society at a meeting on December 15 of that year.^
Only a few plants were found, nor did further search reveal
more. Since that date, Mr. J. G. Baker^ has recorded, it as
found by Mr. Coward in Brathay Woods, in the same localit}^
And quite recentlj^ Mr. W. B. Boyd exhibited a specimen from
the Ben Lomond district at a meeting of the Botanical Society
of Edinburgh.*

From my own observations on the Galway plant in culti-
vation, I received the impression that L. remota is L. Filix-77ias
X spiiiulosa^ and that seems to be the general opinion. Clowes
saj^s *' It appears to be exactly intermediate between the two
species above mentioned "^ {^Filix-mas and spi?iulosa\ and
Boswell quotes him as saying^ " I have no doubt that L.
remota of Moore and Braun is a hybrid. It has been sown
over and over again, and alwaj^s produced L. Filix-mas var.
paleacea. I do not know whether L. dilatata or spinulosa has
ever come up from its spores."

The Dalystown plant on the whole recalls spinulosa more
than Filix-mas. It is sub-evergreen, the fronds falling down
in autumn storms, but remaining fairly green and fresh
through the w^inter. The scales are concolorous like those of
spinulosa^ and devoid of the dark centre band characteristic
of those of dilatata. The caudex has the stout erect character
of Filix-maSy but resembles the creeping rhizome of spi7iulosa
in its rather rapid extension, so that, as Clowes has said, " a
single crown of it, if let alone, will grow up like a tree-fern."
The possibility of Z. rigida being a parent is ruled out, as
regards the Irish plant, by the non-occurrence of that species

*F. Clowes; Lastrea remota. Phytologist^ iv., 227-229, i860.

2 fourn. Linn. Soc, Botany, iv., 192- 194, l86o.

3 Flora of the English Lake District, p. 240, 1885.
* Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinb., xxxiii., p. 281, 1907.

^ loc, cit. fi English Botany, xii., 70, 1886.

1909- Rcinews. 153

in the country. On the other hand, both L. sphiulosa and
L. Fiiix-mas j^row in the woods at Dalystown. The coloured
plate in Lowe's Our Native Ferns (vol. i, plate xxi.) gives a"
better general idea of the plant's appearance than that in
English Boia/Lj. There is a rather extensive literature and
synononiy of this fern, which it does not seem necessary to
quote further than has been done above.

Xatioual Library of Ireland.

REVIEWS.

ORCHARD INSECTS.

The Insect and other Allied Pests of Orchard, Bush, and
Hothouse Fruits, and llieir Prevention and Treatment. B\-
Frkd. V. ThkobaIvD, M.A. Pp. xvi. + 550, 328 figs. Wye (the
Author), 1909. Price 21s. net.

This handsome volume must prove invaluable both to fruit-growers
and naturalists. In it may be found an account, and usually a full
account, of all the common animal pests of fruit-trees, and of many
species which are only occasionally injurious. The insects and other
creatures described are grouped under the plants which they respectively
injure — Apple, Apricot, Cherry, &c., the arrangement under each plant
being systematic. There is, in every case, a description of the insect in
its various forms and stage.s, and a survey of its life history, followed by
a discussion as to the best means of preventing its ravages. All who
have followeil Mr. Theobald's work in recent years will expect to find
the subject dealt with in a manner both scientific and practical, and they
will not be disappointed. An appendix with approved formula; for
insecticides will be found especially valuable.

Mr. Theobald has added greatly to our knowledge of the Aphidie, and
his descriptions of the various forms that live on the Apple and Straw-
berry contain much that will be new to many students of insects. In
looking through the book, one finds frequent evidence that Mr.
Theobald has not been content with repeating the statements of his
predecessors, for records of original observation abound. The book is
beautifully printed, and many of the illustrations — notably Mr. H.
Knight's drawings — and most of the photographs, are admirable. In
some cases, however, imperfect mounted specimens have been used for
portraiture with unsatisfactory and disappointing results, and several of
the photographs from good subjects are valueless owing to errors in
light and printing. As a whole, however, it is hard to speak too highly
of the book, which will be for many years to come the standard work
on the subject for English readers.

G. H C,

154 The Irish Nattualist. Juh-,

THE PLANTS OF THE WEST.

A Tourist's Flora of The West of Ireland. Hy Robert
I,r,OVD I'KAKGKK. Dublin, 1909. Hodges. I'iggis, & Co., ^s. 6(L net.
Pp. xii., 253. 5 Coloured Map?, 27 plates, and other illustrations.

We have to thank Mr. Praeger for a most valuable and charming
handbook, well and concisely written, brimful of information, clearly
printed on good paper, and marvellously cheap. It will amply repay
careful reading, is indispensable for all who wish to explore the botany
of a very remarkable district, and should be bought and studied by
everyone who is interested in the flora of the British Isles.

This work is compiled, mainly from statistics already published (full
credit being given to other authors and observers), on a new plan ; being
divided into three sections, each with its ow^n index; — i. Introduction,
witli a general account of the district, and of its physical and botanical
characters ; 2. Topographical, with brief accounts of over 100 selected
areas ; and 3. vSystematic, dealing with the distribution of the separate
species. These, native or fully naturalised, amount to just t,ooo (using
the term species or subspecies in rather a wide sense), besides 84 casual
aliens, and many varieties and hybrids ; the average number at present
recorded for each division being 665. The nomenclature is old-fashioned,
but this is no diawback, as in all cases of difference the name adopted
in the tenth edition of the London Catalogue has been appended. The
photographic plates of rare plants /// situ, taken by Mr. R. Welcli, are of
extraordinary merit and beauty ; the other illustrations and the maps
are equall}' good in their different ways.

The counties dealt w'ith are Limerick, Clare, Galway, Roscommon,
Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, and Fermanagh ; the other western ones (Donegal,
Kerry, and Cork) belong respectively to N. and S. Ireland.

The whole of the Introduction deserves careful reading ; perhaps the
most interesting pages (24 to 31) are those which deal with the peculiar
features of the flora and with its probable origin. As is well known, in
this district northern, south-western, and American groups of plants
occur, often together, in a way which has no parallel in Kuroi:)e, if
indeed anywhere in the world. Attention is rightly drawn to the fact
that the fauna shows somewhat similar tendencies.

In the Topographical Section each of the 11 vice-counties is first briefly
dealt with ; this summary is followed by a more detailed account of
the various areas in it selected for special treatment. Mr. Praeger has
an unrivalled acquaintance with, practically, the whole of these; having
for many years past spent the bulk of his leisure time in energetic
exploration. Helpful notes are given as to the best centres for w^ork,
hotel accommodation, and the like; and attention is called, wherever it
seemed desirable, to the need of further exploration. After all the work
already done, there can be no doubt that many discoveries remain in
store ; and one of the most valuable points about this book is that it
will serve as an excellent basis and guide for more minute research.

i>

1909. Reviews, 155

The Systematic Section gives all necessar}- particulars about the
stations of species and varieties. A few remarks about special points
may not be out of place here ; the reviewer's personal knowledge of the
district is, however, very limited.

Ranunculus scoticus, E. S. Marshall. — The local abundance of this
Scottish-Highland plant, especially in Achill, is rather surprising ; it has
not hitherto been detected in S. Scotland or N. England. vStill more
decidedl}' northern or subarctic species occur in \V. IVIayo ; viz., Cochkaria
^ranlaiidica, L., and Euphrasia foulaensis^ Towns,

Lavatera arhorea, Iv. — It is most satisfactory to find this admitted as
*' without question native " on sea-cliffs and stacks in Clare, as its status
in our Islands has been called in question by Mr. Rouy.

Saxifraga unihrosa, L. — Mr. Praeger says that •' the var.'J. serratifolia Don
and punctata Don are connected by many intermediates with the type,
and in Ireland at least cannot be regarded as distinct." But does the
type, with ovate-oblong, crenate-dentate foliage, grow wild in Ireland.?
Outside Cork and Kerr}-, the prevailing, if not the only form appears to
be punctata. Where this is associated with serratifolia, there are many
connecting links ; but these are probably due to crossing, as 6". iiinbrosa,
S. Gcuni, and 6'. hirsuta evidently hybridize with great readiness. The
crenate Pyrenean leaf-type of .S". Geuni is decidedly rare in Kerry, where
the sharpl3'-toothed var. serrata, Syme (dentata, Wats.) abounds.

Cuscuia Trifolii, Bab. — This is probably a true native on sand}- coasts
(growing on Lotus, &c ), though introduced in clover fields.

Rhinant/ius Crista-galii, L., var. faltax, must be expunged; R. fallax,
Winim., and Grub, being a hybrid with R. /najor^ Ehrh. My Clonbur
plant so named is R. stenophyllus^ Schur.

Taxus baccata, L. — There is a valuable note on the xSir.Jastigiala (Lindl.).

Habenaj-ia albida^ Br. — Our Mount Gable (W. Mayo) station is erroneous ;
the specimens are clearly H. intacta, Benth., growing off the limestone.

Allium Schanoprasion, L. — There is no need to question its right to rank
as a native, for we found it over about two miles of thoroughly wild
ground, remote from cultivation. The summers of 1895-6 being verv
dry, it was quite dwarf and flowerless ; but on removal to garden ground
it at once increased to the normal size, and bloomed freely.

Carex aguatilisy Wahl. — The usual Irish and Scottish form (elatior, Bab.,
IVatsoni, Syme) appears to be the Scandinavian type ; at any rate, that is
the opinion of Pfarrer G. Kiikenthal, who is the best modern authority.

Agrostis vulgaris, With., var. pumila (L.) is not a starved state, but a
diseased condition, caused by a fungus {Ustilago) ; it at once reverts to
type when cultivated, as was proved by the late Rev. W. R. Linton.

As the above comments sufficiently indicate, the reviewer believes that
this is a book of exceptional excellence. A short notice cannot do justice
to its good qualities, which must be appreciated in detail. Its plan in-
volves a certain amount of repetition ; but nothing is lost by that, and
ISIr. Praeger has greatly increased the debt of gratitude which we already
owed to his energy and enthusiasm.

Edward S. Marshai,!,.
Taunton.

156 The Irish Nalunili^l. Jul}"

NOTES.

BOTANY.

British Vegetation Committee.

The Central Committee for llic vSurvey and vStiuly of British Vegetation
met at Cambridge on April 24th to 26th. Present : — A. G. Tansley, INI. A.
(in the chair) ; M. Hardy, Ph. D. : F. J. Lewis, F.L.vS. ; C. E. Moss, M.Sc. :
Prof. F. W. Oliver, F.r!s. ; G. H. Pethybridge, Ph.D., B.Sc. : R. Lloyd
Praeger, B.E. ; W. M. Rankin, W. G. vSmith, Ph.D.; Prof F. E. Weiss,
D.Sc. ; T. W. Woodhead, M.A. The first day was devoted to committee
work and to communications and discussions. On the two succeeding
days excursions were held, in the company of various Cambridge
botanists, and the members saw among other things the Oxlip growing
and flowering in great profusion in woods on stiff clay, and various types
of woods and of sandy heaths, which were studied with much interest.

Splachnum vasculosum L. not an Irish Plant.

This moss has no claim to be in the Iiish List, although it was inserted
for several County Divisions in the Catalogue published by the Moss
Exchange Club. It is an alpine species found in Britain only in the
vScotch highlands. I have made inquiries, and am told the error arose
from a mistake of old synonyms, and that the records belong to .V.
sphcericum Swartz.

C. H. W.VDDKI^L.

Saintfield.

Habenaria intacta in West Galway.

Asa small contribution towards our knowledge of the distribution of
that very interesting orchid, Habenaria intacta, Benth., which Mr. Praeger's
recent explorations have done so much to define, I may record its occur-
rence on Gentian Hill, on Galway Bay. I found it there on May 30, a
small colony of about sixteen plants, some of them still in bloom, but
the majority going into fruit. It occurs on the west side of the liill, on
the roughly terraced pa.sture, between the gorse zone and the summit
level. This is an additional station for Galway West.

I may mention that, on the same occasion, I met with Cciastium ar-
vane, var. Andreivsii, Syme, growing sparingly on a sand}- spit of
closely-eaten pasture, just above high water mark, by the narrow muddy
inlet on the east side of Gentian Hill. This noticeable variety of the
Large-flowered Mouse-ear, though frequent on the Aran Islands, and
occurring also on the Clare side of Galway Bay, does not appear to have
been recorded from West Galway before.

W. J. C. Tom MX SOX.

Belfast.

1909 N^oies. 157

Do Rabbits eat Arum maculatum \

Ever since I was a boy parts of the spathe or sheath of the coiiimoii

A nun maiulatiini — as well as fragments of that portion of the spadix

which bears the ovaries, stamens, an<l purple club-shaped C3-lindrical

spike — may be seen at this time of year lying here and there along the

hedgerows. The stem is usually bitten off at the base of the sheath,

which is then apparently cut in pieces to get at the young green berries.

I believe this is done by rabbits. By the way, have an\' or 3'our readers

ever chewed for 3 minutes portions of the leaf o{ Arum viaculatuni, and

theji spat it out : It burns almost like red pepper. Again, have any

of them tested the curious evolution of heat said (see Syme's Kngiish

Botanv, vol. 7. pp. 14-15) to be felt even b}- the hands for some hours

after the opening of the spathe .-

RiCHD. ]M. Barrixgtox.
Fassaroe, Bray.

In response to a request from the editors for comment on the above
note, I may saj-that I once thoughtlessly put the cut end of the leafstalk
of Arum j/iacu/atutn into my month, and at once experienced a violent
sensation of burning. The membrane on the inner surface of my lips
soon became considerably inflamed and the smarting was quite painful.
The irritation, however, gradually subsided, and in four or five days the
membrane had become normal again. Personally I shall not knowingly
repeat the experiment, and I should not advise readers of the /. A\ to
try it either. Furthermore, it is a risky proceeding, for this plant
contains a poisonous alkaloid allied to that found in the Hemlock
(conine), and if portions of the plant or its juice be swallowed serious
symptoms are set up, which may be followed by death if the quantity
taken is fairly large. Formerly, the irritation wa^ supposed to be due
to the large number of minute, needle-shaped cr3-stalsof calcium oxalate
(raphides) which the plant contains, but Lewin^ has shown that this is
not the case. The alkaloid is volatile, or at any rate dispelled by
heating, for, after protracted boiling in water the leaves become harm-
less ; and the tubers, which are very poi.sonous when fresh, can be used
for making a kind of flour after roasting, which renders them harmless.

I^ewin states that snails and rabbits try the leaves of this plant, but
very quickly desist. He himself experimented with guinea-pigs, and
found that after having eaten, the animals soon began to rub their snouts
vigorously with their paws as if their mouths were irritated.

I have often noticed that portions of the leaves of this plant were eaten
as if b}' snails or slugs, but have never actually caught either of these
animals in the act. Perhaps a search after dark by lamplight might be
rewarded with success. Stalking, in the case of rabbits, however, would
probably be a more difficult matter. The brilliant red, ripe berries of
this plant are certainly very poisonous to human beings (although birds
are supposed to eat them), and so, I imagine, would the unripe fruits be,

1 " Ueber die toxicologische Stelling der Raphiden." Ber. d. dent, hot,
Geselhchaft, XIII., 1900, p. 53.

158 The I?ish Naturalist. July,

seeing that the tubers, leaves, and the stalks of the inflorescences have

been shown to be so. What their effect on rabbits might be could only

be ascertained by trial.

As regards the evolution of heat by the upper portion of the spadix,

this was first recorded by Lamarck in 1777. This organ contains, when

the spathe is unfolding, a large quantit}' of starch in its cells, and by the

rapid oxidation of this starch by breathing, the temperature of the air

within the spathe has been found at certain times to be many degrees

above that of the surrounding atmosphere. The literature on this

matter will be found fully referred to in Pfeffer's " Physiology of

Plants."

Gko. H. Pethybridge.
Royal College of Science, Dublin.

ZOOLOGY.

Lankester's Treatise on Zoology.

In the June number of the Irish Natmalist, " R. F. S.'" in his appreci-
ative review of Dr. Caiman's vohime on Crustacea in Sir Ray Lankester's
" Treatise on Zoology," repeats a criticism that has been made ))y
several reviewers of several volumes in this series, to the effect that the
work does not deal sufficiently with geographical distribution, habits,
and economic relations.

Having been made responsible by Sir Ra}- Lankester for the first
volume that was published of his "Treatise," I think I may venture to
say that his intention, which we contributors have followed out to the
best of our ability, was that the work should be essentially a systematic
zoolog)' on modern lines, that is to sa}', taking into account evolutionarj-
and phylogenetic principles, and necessaril}' incorporating the extinct
with the living forms in one scheme of classification. Facts, whether
morphological, physiological, bionomic, or economic, that have no
obvious bearing on taxonomy, have therefore no place in such a work.
Many habits or economic details of considerable interest and importance
are found only in single species, and when the groups dealt with are
so large that it is barely possible even to mention all the genera by
name, it is clearly impossible to give specific details, however interesting
to the general reader.

Another reason for the omission of the facts desiderated by " R, F. S."

is that there was already in course of publication the admiralde

Cambridge Natural Histor}-, which made an account of such facts its

chief aim. When my own volume was criticised for similar omissions,

I did not think it worth while to repeat the explanation already given

in the prospectus, but since such criticisms continue, it may once again

be pointed out that, the object of the " Treatise on Zoology " is not to

compete with but to complement existing "Morphologies" and

"Natural Histories" in the English language.

F. A. Bather.
British Museum.

1909 Notes. 1 59

Viviparus (dead shell) in Co. Limerick.

On the nth February, while workiug the banks of the River vShannon
below Limerick, I found a specimen of Jlvipanis viviparus^ dead and
somewliat eroded. The shell was underneath a stone, on a mud deposit
amongst Bythinea and various Limnsese. A good search failed to
reveal a further specimen, living or dead. The locality was in the range
between high and low water, covered by about 4 feet of water at the top
of the tide. How this shell, a purely English species, came here, is a
question that needs some solution, which I will leave to the readers of
the /) ish Nafnra/i>(. I shall continue to search and an}- further finds I
shall announce to the readers in due course.

Harry Fogkrtv.
Limerick.

Nests of Land-birds in Holes on Marine Islands.

I have been informed by Mr. H. M. Wallis, of Ashton Lodge, Reading,
that on 3rd June, 1S86, he ascended Illanaran, a lofty and precipitous
stack off the vS W. corner of Aranmore, in Donegal, i^ miles from the
mainland.

This stack is destitute of any bush or even a tuft of rushes, and is the
home of Great Black-backed and other Gulls and of Cormorants. Mr.
Wallis states that in burrows, in some of which he found Storm Petrels,
he discovered three nests of land-birds, of white grass, without feathers,
and containing eggs. One of these was a Wheatear's, but the other two
contained eggs which ate characteristic of the Reed Bunting {E. schcunidus)
though no such bird was seen. IMr. Wallis has kindly presented two of
these eggs to the Dublin Museum. He says that he found the nests at
the ends of burrows, 2 feet deep.

In British Birds, vol. I., p. 94, Major Trevelyan records that on a small
marine island, about a mile off the west coast of Ireland, he found two
nests of Meadow Pipits containing eggs in holes in the ground, and that
one of the eggs was identified at the South Kensington Mu.seum.

I should not have been so much surprised if they had belonged to the
Rock Pipit, which nests in .small cavities, but such a site is a departure
from the ordinary habits of the Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit.

Mr.W. H. Turle stated {Ibis, 1891, p. 6.) that he found on Inuishvicillane,
one of the Blaskets, a Wren's nest containing six eggs at the extremit)-
of the burrow of a Puffin, and that the nest was not domed.

The latter point is not surprising, for Dippers' nests when built in
holes of bridges are not domed.

Nests found in holes on marine islands should be carefully examined,
as this adaptation to circumstances is remarkable. The burrows afford
shelter not only from the storms l>ut also from the voracious gulls.

R. J. USSHER.
Cappagh, Co. Waterford.

i6o The Irish NatMalist. July, 1909.

The Snowy Owl A Correction.

In the April number (p. 100, supra)^ I stated that a Snowy Owl was shot

near the village of Ardagh, Co. Kerry, and received b}- Messrs. Williams

and Son on 6th ISIarch, 1907. I find that Ardagh is in Co. Limerick, not

in Kerry.

R. J. UssilKR.
Cappngh. Co. Waterford.

Irish Stoat with Nine Young.

INIr. \V. Williams brought me a week ago nine young vStoats which he
had reuioved from the uterus of a female vStoat {Miish'/ns piifon'us hiber-
units). As the latter had been sent to him dead for the purpose of pre-
servation, it remains doubtful whether all these young Stoats could have
been born alive. Such a large number is quite unusual. Mr. Lj'dekker
gives the number of young as varying from five to eight. Prof. Blasius
reports that the German vStoat has usually the same number of young.
Taking eight, therefore, as the uiaximum ot a Stoat family, Ihe Irish
Stoat had shown itself to be more prolific than its Knglish and (jermah

relations.

R. F. SCHARFF.
National ^Museum, Dublin.

IRISH SOCIETIES.

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Recent gifts include a White-handed Cxibbon, and a Hoolock Gibbon,
from Captain Cronin, a Grey Seal cub from Sir Henry Blake, a ]\Ialabar
vSquirrel from Dr. R. R. I^eeper, two Rabbits from i\Ir. G. Doyle, two
Kuropean Flamigoes from the Hon. A. S. O. Canning, and three Peafowl
from Mr. H. St. George.

The Gibbons are in splendid health and condition, and their graceful
gambols are the admiration of all visitors to the IVIonkey-house. They
leap with agility and with the most perfect accuracy from branch to
branch of their large cage, occasionally coming with marvellous light-
ness to the floor. With the three Chimpanzees and these two Gibbons
the Dublin gardens are now exceptionally rich in Anthropoid apes.

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

:Mav 15.— Geoi.ogicai^ Section. — Rxcursion to TvVlk's Hiij. and
Tp;MPr.EPATRiCK.— A large party walked from Templepatnck to Lyle's
Hill, under the guidance of J. vStrachan, where they examined the beds
of iron ore and lithomarge lying below the T'pper Basalt. vSubsequently
the quarry near Templepatrick railway station was visited, but was
found to be full of water. This was a matter of regret, as a very
interesting section was formerly visible, showing Chalk, Lower Basalt,
and rhyolite, the rhyolite being intrusive in the Lower Basalt, while
older than the T'pper Basalt, as shown by the evidence of other sections.

August, 1909. The Irish Nahiralist. 16 1

THE USE OF DOMED NESTS.

BY C. B. MOFFAT.

Of the hundred and thirt3'-two kinds of birds which breed in
Ireland only eight build (normally) the kind of nest known as
'•' domed '" — that is to say, with the top roofed over, and a hole
in the side serving as entrance. Three of the eight are the
closely related '' leaf-warblers " — the Chiff-chaff, Willow- Wren,
and Wood- Wren. The other five, though all passerine birds,
represent as many distinct families — the Dipper the Cinclidce,
the Long-tailed Titmouse the Paridse, the Wren the Troglod}'-
tidae, the House-Martin the Hirundinidae, and the Magpie the
Corvidse. Why these eight, and no others, should build domed
nests is a question that must often have puzzled reflective
ornithologists ; and I do not think that a satisfactory answer is
provided by the theory which that eminent thinker Alfred
Russel Wallace put forward in one of his well-known essays
in 1S68, that those species of birds in which tho^ females as well
as the males are brightly or conspicuously coloured need and
adopt a type of architecture that will make the sitting bird
invisible. Dr. Wallace argues — and supports his case with
facts drawn from a very extensive survey of the birds of the
world — that such birds, as a rule, either construct domed nests
or place their nests in holes. But even if we admit the entire
truth of this theory it does not cover the Irish (which
correspond with the British) cases. For of all our eight dome-
constructing birds, only one — the Magpie — can be described
as having a conspicuous t5'pe of colour ; and it would, I think,
be difficult to contend that the soberly-clad Wren and Chiff-
chaff can, in consequence of their hue, stand more in need of
a concealing dome during incubation than the hen Blackbird
and Goldfinch, which are content with open nests.

I wish now to draw attention to one purpose which the
domed nest in this country certainly serves, and which is
probably of greater importance to most of our dome-construct-
ing species than the small amount of additional concealment
that the dome may give them.

Of our eight dome-builders, two, the Wren and the Long-
tailed Titmouse, are notorious for the large numbers of eggs
they lay to a clutch. Ten is no uncommon number for the
former, and twelve or more for the latter, even in Ireland,

A

1 62 The Irish Naturalist. August,

where, I think, the average cltitches of most species are some-
what less than in Great Britain. Among the remaining six
we have the Magpie laying abotit seven eggs, while her open-
nest constructing relatives, the Crows, lay only five ; and
the three dome-making warblers each laying six or more,
while the Whitethroat and other open-nest-makers of the
Warbler family draw the line, as a rule, at five. There remain
the Dipper and the House-Martin, which do not, I think, laj^
so man}' as six eggs in Ireland, and it will be necessary for
me to return to the subject of these birds before concluding.
We see, at any rate, that six of our eight dome-builders
possess the distinguishing characteristic of laying large
clutches of eggs compared with the builders of open nests.

Now, supposing that these six birds built open nests like
those of the Whitethroat, Hedge-Sparrow, and Chaffinch,
would it be possible for any one of them to rear in safety more
than five young ones ? It would certainly not be possible for
the Wren and Long-tailed Titmouse to rear, as the}^ do, broods
of from ten to a dozen. I do not believe that it w^ould be possible
for the Magpie to rear seven, or even for the Chiff"-chaff, except
in those comparatively rare cases in which its nest is placed
quite on the ground, to rear as many as six. As a rule, at
any rate, birds that build open nests at a height above the
ground limit themselves, though not with great strictness, to
clutches of five eggs ; and the reason for their doing so becomes
pretty plain when the young have attained a size at which
they are nearly, but not quite, ready to fly. A brood even of
five then becomes almost too much for the open nest to hold;
there is an ever-present danger of " bubbling over," as it is
called, and much loss of life actually occurs through some of
the little birds tumbling out. I think, therefore, that it must
be extremely unusual for a brood larger\.\i2iXi five to be success-
fully reared in a nest not protected in some special way against
this "bubbling" danger. It is not, I admit, an uncommon
circumstance for a bird whose normal clutch is five to
"exceed," occasionally, into a sixth, perhaps even a seventh,
egg. Any bird's-nesting bo}' may once or twice have ex-
perienced the surprise of finding as many as seven eggs in a
Blackbird's or a Hedge-Sparrow's nest ; and he is pretty sure
to have met with a few cases of six. But it does not follow

T909. Moffat. — The use of Domed Nests* 163

that in any such case the bird would safely rear her six young
ones. At any rate, the chances against her doing so must be
heavy.

This danger does not occur in the case of a domed nest ;
and though it does not follow that the primary object of the
dome is to avert "bubbling over," the dome at any rate
serves that purpose, and enables dome-building birds like the
Wren and Long-tailed Titmouse to rear families twice as large
as it would be possible for them to rear without it. As regards
the Magpie and the dome-building Warblers, the advantage
is less marked, but it is still, I think, only a difference of
degree.

If, now, we look at the birds which in this countr}' habitually
lay more than five eggs, we shall see that there is in every
case some special provision either in the shape or the situation
of the nest, or else in the state of development in which the
young are hatched, which makes the efficient production of
the larger number possible. The Wheatear and Redstart, the
Great, Blue, and Coal Titmice, and the Tree-Creeper, Sand-
Martin, Starling, Jackdaw, and Kingfisher secure this object
by placing their nests in holes. The Stonechat, Whinchat, and
Grasshopper- Warbler achieve it in a less perfect manner by
nesting on the ground. In the case of this latter method it
must be observed that though a young bird pushed out of a
ground-built nest is not in the same extreme peril as if the
nest had been in a tree — since in that case it could never
hope to return — its situation is still somewhat unhappy, and
the more so if the nest from which it has been squeezed out is
still too crowded to permit of its easily finding its way back.
Accordingly, none of our ground-nesting birds lay veiy large
clutches except those whose young are able to quit the nest
almost as soon as hatched. In those cases, illustrated bv the
various Ducks and by the Partridge, Corncrake, and Water-
hen, we meet with clutches as large as among the nesters in
holes and the constructors of domes.

Then there are a few cases that fall under none of the above

heads. The Swallow lays six ^^'g^ in an open nest in an

elevated situation. But the Swallow is, in the first place, so

indifferent to concealment that she does not mind building a

wide, roomy nest in which crowding is much less likelv to

A 2

16^ The Irish NatKialist. August,

happen than in ordinary cases. In the second place, half-
fledged young Swallows spend much of their time sitting on
the edges of the nest, which, being of cla}', afford them a firm,
solid platform, with " elbow room " in abundance. These
circumstances quite account for the additional latitude allowed
herself b}^ the mother Swallow. A difterent kind of exception
is presented by the Golden-crested Wren. This little bird
lays, commonly, about nine eggs, in a nest built at some
height above the ground in a tree, and this nest is not domed.
But, though not domed, it is '^fenced" in a manner ver}^
nearly as protective. Suspended from an overhanging spra}',
it is attached at some six or seven separate points to the twigs
above it, so that the fastenings form a string of posts, between
any two of whicli there is room, as a rule, for the eld bird to
slip in and out, but hardly room to allow much danger (unless
one of the fastenings breaks) of a young bird being squeezed
out accidentall}'.

Thus I can find no real exception to the rule that five is
the maximum number of eggs that a bird can prudently hatch
in an open nest of the ordinary type. The use of the dome
to those birds that lay larger clutches, as most of our I ri.sh
dome-builders do, is therefore obvious.

The domed nest of the Dipper and the " roofed " nest of the
House-Martin ma}', I believe, serve an altogether different
purpose. In these cases the natural situation of the nest has
to be considered. The Dipper oftens builds where its nest is
drenched by the spray of a waterfall, and the inmates would
be equally drenched were it not for the cover afforded by the
dome. The House-Martin, before the walls of human habi-
tations were available for its use, must habitually have con-
structed its nest, as some colonies of that species still do,
on cliffs facing the sea ; and I think the roofed character of
the nest must then have served as protection to the young
against drenchings from the spray of high waves. I ma}-
here recall Mr. Barrington's note {Irish Naturalist, vol. vi.,
p. 224), on the nesting of this species at Bray Head, where he
remarks that some of the nests seemed to be built within
possible reach of waves; and I notice in Mr. Patterson's
recentl}' published "Ulster Nature Notes "(p. 51), a some-
what similar observation about a colony on the Antrim
coast.

1909- Moffat. — The use of Domed Nests. 165

It does not, of course, follow because a domed nest serves a
particular purpose that it was constructed for chat purpose, or
that it serves no other. The " concealment " theory is doubt-
less of application in some cases, whether these be many or
few. But I would ask whether there can be any real pro-
bability that concealment is the end principally aimed at by
this type of architecture, in view^ of the fact that so few
species employ it at all, and that these, so far as our Irish
and British instances of it go, are not distinguished by any
greater need of concealment than the birds that build open
nests ; while the use of the dome itself is (at least in all
the species using it under our own observation) capable of
being quite differently explained.

And would a domed nest be a good means of concealment %
This must depend more or less on the amount of reason-
ing power possessed b}' the creatures against whom conceal-
ment is needed. As against any intelligent enem\' to bird-life,
it must be very nearly as important to conceal the nest itself
as to conceal the bird sitting in it ; for any animal having
sense enough to know" that a nest is a nest would not be
deterred from examining it by the fact that no bird was within
view. The domed nest is, however, owing to its larger size, a
good deal more conspicuous than the undomed ; so that in
the case of the intelligent enemy it would probabl}- more often
betray than protect. On the other hand, it would be a real
protection against enemies of so stupid a type that the sight
of the nest would suggest nothing to them till they also saw
the contained bird or eggs. It has sometimes been sug-
gested that this degree of stupidity does prevail in the brute
creation, and that domed nests are consequently not liable to
be rifled except by human marauders, who alone know such
nests " for what they are." But I would suggest that this is
evidently not the opinion of the dome-building birds them-
selves. They act on the principle that they have intelligent,
and not merely stupid enemies to fear ; for the}- try to make
their nests as little conspicuous as possible by covering
them over, in many cases, with assimilative material — the
Long-tailed Titmouse covering hers with lichen, the Chiff-
chaff hers with withered leaves, &c. This shows that they
know well enough that merely to conceal the sitting bird is

l66 The Irish Naturalist. August,

valueless if the nest itself is too freely exposed to view.
In view of this consideration, the concealing value of the
dome, to which so much importance has been attached, is
seen to be really very limited — though it may suffice against
certain t}pes of enemies, including reptiles of low brain-
power, and these may at one time have been the only type
that needed to be considered, while they may still be a
formidable factor to birds breeding in reptile-infested
countries. Looking to our own land, and to the present day, I
know of no more useful purpose that the domed nest is
qualified to serve than that of enabling a bird to rear a
larger famih' than it could rear in an open nest of the ordinary
pattern.

Ballyhylaiid, Co. Wexford.

DUBLIN MARINE BIOLOGICAL COMMITTEE

REPORT FOR 1908.

WITH SPECIAL NOTES ON THE MOLI.USCA.
BY NATHANIEL COLGAN, M.R.I.A.

During the last year the Committee continued its dredging
and shore-collecting operations along the County Dublin
coasts with considerable assiduity and with a fair measure of
success, so far at least as the department of Mollusca is
concerned. The dredgings were more exclusively confined
to the inshore waters than in the preceding year, none of the
trips extending farther seaward thrin a half mile eastward of
the outermost of the Skerries islands on the north, or the
same distance eastward of the Muglins rock on the south.
Repeated visits were made at different seasons to some of the
richer grounds, and altogether ten dredging trips were made
by the Committee, the earliest on the 22nd April and the latest
on the nth November. In addition to the Committee trips
proper, the writer of these notes made a couple of dredgings
on his own account during a holiday passed at Skerries in
July last. The results of these twelve dredging trips, and of
some shore-collecting done by the writer at Skerries and at
Bullock are summarised in this report. In spite of the usual

1909. CoivGAN. — Dublin Marble Biology. 167

difficulties encountered in making up scientific crews, six
members of the Committee, Miss Stephens and Messrs. Adams,
Butler, Colgan, Nichols, and Southern were induced to take
part in one or other of the trips and to share in the pains and
pleasures of dredging.

It seems best to arrange the notes here given into three
groups, one for each of the three districts worked — i.e.,
(a.) Dalkey Sound and the Muglins ; (d.) Malahide River and
Creek ; (c) Skerries Bay and Islands. Four trips were made
in each of the first two districts and three in the third. The
twelfth trip, one from Bray Harbour northward towards
Killine}', was entirely abortive, as the heavy sea met with
outside the harbour made dredging from a small boat im-
possible.

Dalkky Sound and the Muglins.

April 22nd. — The year's dredgings began with a short trip
over this well-w^orked but by no means exhausted ground.
Only three effective scrapes were made, two in ten fathoms off
Bullock Harbour, and a third in fifteen fathoms S.E- of the
Battery on Dalkey Island The results were rather meagre.
The ten-fathom scrapes gave nothing of interest beyond the
following : —

Tellina donacina, 2 valves. Psammobia telUuella, 3 living.

T. crassa, i pair of valves united. Pectuuculus glycimeris, i valve.

Leda miuuta, do. Eolis tricolor, i.

Cardium fasciatuni, 3 living. Trophon truncatus, i.

With these was one large specimen of the Pea Urchin,
Echinocya^nus ptisillus^ measuring §-inch in its longest diameter.
The fifteen fathom scrape gave one fine living specimen of
Pectinaria aurico?fia, 2^^ inches long.

April 28th. — Some small sea-weeds and corallines gathered
this day at low water near Bullock yielded on examination a
single specimen each of HermcEa dendritica and Rimcina
HauLOckL The first named, a lively little animal J-inch long,
which floated freely foot upwards on the water surface while
in captivity, is an addition to the marine fauna of Dublin and
of East Ireland, the previous Irish records being all for the
west coast. The Runcina was a large .specimen nearl}- a
quarter of an inch long when in motion.

May 2nd. — Another low-tide collection of small sea-weeds
made this day on the same ground as had yielded Hermcea

1 68 The Irish NaiiDalisl. August

o'

gave a second upisthobranch new tu the coasts of Dublin
and of Kast Ireland, Lhnapoiitla /lii^ra, of which eight speci-
mens were secured. So far as I can discover this species
was previously known as Irish only from Valentia Harbour,
where it was discovered b}' Mr. F. W. Gamble in 1895 (/;-. Nai.,
1896, p. 132). The Bullock specimens were all found attached
to the stiff, dull green, capillary sea-weed, Cladophora nipcstrh,
tufts of which were gathered from the edges of rather stagnant
pools at about half tide. The largest specimen was 4.5 mm.
long in motion. Five living specimens of Trochus Jicliciiius
were gathered on the same ground.

Mau}^ of the I^imapontias gathered on this day continued to
live with me in watch-glasses of sea-water up to the i6th May.
One deposited an egg-cluster on the 8th, tw^o other clusters
were deposited on the 13th, and a fourth on the 15th. The
form of the egg-cluster was different from the usual ribbon of
the nudibranchs. It consisted of a slighth- ctirved, elongated^
pear-shaped mass of yellow ova surrounded by a transparent
and colotirless envelope of the same shape.

May 1 6th. — Another gathering of Cladophora at Bullock
yielded no less than thirtj'-two vSpecimens of I^imapontia and
from the same pool, apparently amongst coralline, were taken
twenty specimens of Runcina. Several of the Limapontias
were kept alive up to the 29th Ma}-, and many egg-masses
were laid. On the 2Sth and 29th the contents of several of the
ova were observed to be in rapid motion.

While Limapontia was thus seen to deposit its egg-clusters
very freeh' — in some cases branches of Cladophora enclosed
with the living specimens were found after a few days to be
studded all over with clinging egg-cltisters — yet Runcina
spawned very rarely indeed, although many individuals
remained living with me for nearl}^ three weeks. Va3'ssiere,
in his elaborate paper on Pelta and Tylodina,^ which
genera he had studied in the zoological laboratory at Marseilles,
states that he had never seen an}' of his Runcinas deposit eggs.
I was fortunate enotigh to see one of my specimens deposit its
eggs on the ist June last, more than a fortnight after its
capttire. On that da}- the animal was observed to be

■• Recherches anatouiiques sur les Genres Pelta (Runcina) et Tylodina.
AiDi. des Sci. NattircUes. xv., p. i, 1S83.

1909. COLGAN. — Dublin Marine Biology. 169

surrounded by a transparent mucous mass in which were
embedded many perfectly globular, bright orange-coloured
eggs of large size compared with those of Limapontia, but far
less numerous. In a short time the animal moved away, leaving
behind it the floating egg-mass which, unlike the spawn of
most of the Nudibranchs, showed no approach to a ribbon
formation. It was, in fact, amorphous. On the 3rd June
segmentation was seen to be well advanced in several of these
egg- J but, unfortunately, I did not succeed in hatching out
any of them, nor, indeed, any of the numerous Limapontia
ova deposited a few days earlier. Out of the scores of Runcina
I have kept in confinement from time to time, and often for
long periods, this is the only case of spawning I observed.

June 4th. — A fourth visit to the Bullock shore gave five
specimens of Runcina on Coralliyia officinalis and seven of
Limapontia, the latter as before on Cladophora.

Junk 13th.— On the Field Club excursion to Dalkey Island
this day, in addition to ActcEoriia corrugata and Limapontia
alread}' recorded ^ three well-grown individuals of the rare
cream-coloured Do7'is Jolmstoni were found, the two largest
being a little over two inches long. This Nudibranch does
not appear to have been recorded for the Dublin coast since
1845, when Thompson included it in his Additions to the
Fauna of Ireland' as found the previous year at Skerries by
Mr. Hyndman.

July 31st. — During a second dredging trip in the Dalkej^
district on this date, a scrape in 17 fathoms east of the
Muglins gave one specimen of the rare little crab Ebalia
Penna7iti with two of the far less rare, though, in Dublin
waters, by no means common Euronyme aspera. A haul in
16 fathoms to the south of the Batter}- on the island brought
up one good specimen of the rare Trophon truncains and a
single valve of the much rarer Pectcn siniilis, first added to the
Dublin marine fauna in one of the Committee's dredgings near
the same ground in 1907. But the best result of the day's
work was had in the Sound itself, where a haul in 8 fathoms
produced one well-grown specimen of Idalia aspefsa, a nudi-
branch new to the Dublin marine fauna, though recorded in
1855, from off Bra}- Head, a few miles to the southward
(Aid. and Han., Monooraph^ ^PP^-

^ Irish Naturalist, 1908, p. 164.
"^ A7i7i.and Mag. Nat. Hist., xv., p. 308.

A 3

17^^ The I) iUi Naturalist. Aucrust.

Skptp:mrkk iqth. — A third dredgiiii^ for this district gave
from 9 fatlioms off Bullock Harbour, 6 specimens of Polyccva
occctiafa, one o[ Don's aspaa and one of the pretty and rather
rare Sucker-fish, Lepadogaster bimaadatus. But the best
yield of the day was from 9 fathoms towards the northern end
of the Sound, where three specimens of Aiitiopa cristata were
taken, one of them i; inch long, a ver}- welcome confirmation
of the first Dublin record for this rare nudibranch from
almost the same spot, where a poor specimen was dredged in
September, 1906. ^

October 31st. — This daN^'s dredging, the last for the j^ear in
the Dalkey district, was remarkable for a haul of very rich
material made in 16 fathoms off the Muglins. We had
evidentlj' happened upon a hollow in the sea floor into which
the strong tidal currents prevalent about here had swept
myriads of dead shells, and with one lucky scrape the dredge
had brought up an epitome of the marine mollusca inhabiting
the neighbouring rock}' shores and reefs. The examination
of the material is not 3'et finished, but so far it has yielded
me no less than no species of mollusca, the greatest number
I have ever obtained from a single haul on any part of the
Dublin coast. Though the shells were mostl}^ dead, man}'
were quite fresh, and perfect specimens of nearl}' all of the
species were included in the fragmentar}' matter which formed
the basis of the material. Amongst the no species identified
were three new to County Dublin waters. These three are
printed in italics in the following list, which shows the more
rare or local species included in the haul, the number of
specimens being added as a guide to relative frequenc}" : —

Aclis supranitida, i. Eulima biUneata, 20.

A. unica, 2. Odostomia Warreni, i.

Capulus hungaricus, i. O. .spiralis, 97.

Rissoa punctura. 152. O. in.scuipta, 42.

R. reticulata, 184. O. decussala, 10.

R, semistriata, 519. O. conoidea, 6.

R. costata, 33. O. albella, 15.

R. vitrea, 2. Eulimella aciiula, 4.

R. soluta, 205. Utriculus mammillatus, 5.

R. striatula, i. Leda minuta, 2, and 27 valves.

Adeorbis subcarinatiis, 177, Lima Lo.sconibi, 2 frags.

Caecum glabrum, 107. Astarte triangularis, 677.

C. trachea, 4. Circe minima, 7 valves.

1 Irish Naturalist, I907i P- 160.

tgog. Coi,GAN. — Dublin Marhie Biology. \-ji

The numbers in the foregoing list indicate, for the univalves,
the perfect shells found in the material, for the bivalves, the
number of united or double valves. The predominant species
were Rissoa parva, R. striata^ R. scinistfiata, Ven7cs oval a, and
Asiarie triangularis^ single valves of the two last named being
innumerable. In addition to the mollusca, this abnormally
rich haul included one broken specimen of the well-known
coral, Caryophyllea Smithii^ and numerous specimens of another
coral, the minute Sphenoirochus Wrightii, two of my largest
specimens of the latter measuring exactly ^ inch.

Malahidb Creek and River.

May 30th. — The results obtained from the 1907 dredgings
on this ground encouraged the Committee to continue its
work here during 1908, and the first trip was made on this
day. Dredging in the river below the railway bridge gave
three interesting opisthobranchs, Elysia viridis^ one specimen
an inch long, Rimcina Hancocki, three specimens, and Lima-
pontia nigra^ one specimen. The occurrence of the two latter
species in 2 fathoms of water is worthy of note, as both species
are usually quite littoral. Mr. Gamble dredged Limapontiain
Valentia Harbour, from about the same or a somewhat greater
depth ; but it seems probable that both there and at Malahide
this species "was carried down b}^ strong currents from some
purely littoral habitat, so that its occurrence in these stations
is no more indicative of normal habitat than is the presence
of living alpine plants at low levels by mountain streams.

June 17th. — A second half day at Malahide was spent
in dredging, partly in the Creek above the railwaj^ bridge
and partly in the River below it. In the Creek, one .speci-
men of Chiton ruber was taken along with three Runcinas
and numerous living specimens of Rissoa menibi^anacca ; in the
River, no less than 33 individuals of Doto coro7iata were found
on Hydralhnania, and on the common sponge, Halichondria
panicea^ one specimen each oi Eolis Drunimondi and E. atiran-
tiaca. The last-named Eolis is new to Dublin and to Kast
Ireland waters, the onl}' previous Irish records being for
Valentia Harbour and Ballinakill Harbour on the West. The
Malahide specimen was \ inch long, and showed bright red on

172 The hish Naluralist. August,

the yellow sponge. It agreed closely with Alder and Han-
cock's figure, save thai its dorsal tentacles were much more
wrinkled than is there shown, and the tips of its papillae, at
the time of capture, were almost colourless instead of orange.
Yet the living animal, on the 21st June, showed distinct
orange yellow blotches on many of the papillae. There
appears to be only one previous record for E. Dnifn/noiidi in
county Dublin waters, the record by Professor Haddon of its
discovery in Kingstown Harbour, about the year iSSi.^

July 27th. — A third dredging trip in Malahide River,
though it added no mollusca new^ to the Du1)lin marine fauna,
gave one specimen each of three interesting opisthobranchs,
Elysia viridis, A/Lcitla crisiaia, and Eolis aerulea. The speci-
men of is. cwricha was the second found in. Dublin waters, the
first having been taken in one of the Committee's dredgings,
on the same ground, in 1907. Many large .specimens of
Alcyonidmni oelatinosiiDi came up in the dredge here, and on
one of these five living individuals of the rather rare Lacuna
eras si or were found.

NovEMBKR nth. — The last Malahide dredging of the year
w^as made this day in cold and squally weather. The tide
suiting, several scrapes were made on the Zostera beds in the
creek. Three Runcinas and one Chiton IcEvis were taken on
old oyster shells, and on the Zostera one living Plciirotoma
) iifa and numerous fine living specimens of the common
Lacuna divaricata. The Lacunas offered an interesting
example of what appears to be protective colouring. Observ-
ing that the individuals of this species, though large and
numerous, were yet hard to detect on the living Zostera to
which they clung, I examined the shell and animal closely
and found that both w^ere distinctly streaked or blotched with
rather bright green. This colour appeared on the operculum
of almost all the individuals and in various positions on the
shell, while the head of the animals and the tentacles, when
protruded in crawling, were found to be distinctly tinged with
the same colour. The ground colour of the shell being taw^ny,
with brown bands, the individuals, whether at rest or in motion,
harmonized closely with the green and often mud-stained

' Proc. A'. I. A, ad., iS86, p. 529.

1909. CoLGAN. — Dublin Marine Biology. 173

Zostera. I have not observed this green colouring in any
specimens of the species gathered on brown sea-weed.

In the River, Eolis Drununondi and Elysia viridis were again
taken, one specimen of each.

Skerries Bay and Islands.

As alread}' mentioned at the opening of this report, the
writer took advantage of a month's holiday spent at Skerries
in July last to do some shore collecting and to make a couple
of dredging trips. While wading across to Shennick's Island
at low water on this first day at Skerries, twent^^-six large Sea
Hares {Aplysia hybrida) were observed crawling about the
roots of Chorda filum in less than a foot of water. A gravel
causeway or mussel-bank, submerged at high water, stretches
from the island towards the mainland, and on either side of this
bank are small Zostera beds. In one of these a single speci-
men of the rare Eolis Farrani was taken, a species which does
not appear to have been recorded for the Dublin coast since it
was added to the Britannic fauna from Malahide by Alder and
Hancock in 1843.^

July 2nd. — Some tufts of Cladophora rupestris gathered in
pools on Red Island yielded several specimens of Limapontia
nigra, showing this species to be distributed all along the
Dublin coast. At low tide I again waded across to Shennick's
Island, accompanied by my nephew, chiefly wdth a view to
observing the Sea Hares. Keeping about 50 yards apart, as
we crossed and closely scanning the sands and low-growing
sea-weeds around us, covered only by a few inches of clear
unruffled water, lit up by brilliant sunlight, we found, on
comparing notes when we reached the island, that our separate
counts of Aplysias made a total of 300 individuals.

A grand invasion of Sea Hares had evidently taken place
since the day before, the animals having, no doubt, come in
with the tide from deeper water to w^hat is, probably, a favour
able breeding ground. Nearly all of the individuals were of
large size, some fully up to 7 inches long while in motion and
the average little less than 5 inches. It was an almost un-
canny sight to see the creatures crawling steadil}' shorewards
over the tawny sands, with leporine ears erect, or lying in
strings amongst the soft 3'ellow sea-weeds. In colour, the

^ Aim. and Mag. Nat. Hist., xiii, p. 161.

1 74 The Irish Naturalist. August,

animals varied from speckled citron, through light brown, to
almost pure black. Some very juvenile naturalists, quite un-
connected with the Marine Biological, or any similar com-
mittee, were observing the Sea Hares, too, as I waded across
and, from one of these, I heard the opinion expressed with an
accent of deep conviction, that the beasts were poisonous and
dangerous to touch. So that nineteen centuries have not
sufficed the Sea Hare to outlive its evil reputation.

The result of many observations made during July was to
show that the Apl3'sias had undoubtedly decreased in number
towards the end of the month. On the 7th, one of us counted
106 ; on the 2ist, only 55 could be found, and on the 28th, but
50, and, as both of these latter days were sunny and warm,
with unruffled water, so that the animals could be easily
detected, it seems hardly open to doubt that a large propor-
tion of their number had, by that time, returned to deeper
water. No signs of spawning were observed on the sea-
weeds.

July 4th. — An almost blank day's dredging towards the
north of the islands in new ground, which proved to be barren
sand or mud, yielding abundance of Philine apcrta, but nothing
else of interest.

July 6th. — Shore-collecting, on the north of Shennick's

Island, produced living specimens of the following species,

the Opisthobranchs being all from a rather stagnant half-tide

pool : —

Tectura virgiiiea, 2. Limapontia nigra, 2.

T. testndiuahs, 4. Utriculus obtusus, i.

Actaeonia corrugata, I. Philine catena, i.

Three days later another specimen of Actaeonia was taken
near Loughshinny, this species, like I^imapontia and Runcina,
being thus shown to range all along the Dublin coast.

July i8th. — Another specimen of Eolis Farrani^ one fully
half-an inch long, was taken on the Zostera l^eds off Shennick's
Island. It agreed well with Alder and Hancock's figure, but
the colouring was more diffused over the papillae from the
orange tips, so as to give the animal a generally orange hue.
Two individuals q{ Doris pilosa were observed on Fucus sa ratics^
and later on in the month this species became frequent, man}^
examples being one inch long, and one reaching to one and
one-eighth inch. It was always found adhering to the same

I909- COLGAN. — Dublin Marine Biology. 175

species of P'ucus, which often bore numerous irregular spawn
coils, sometimes forming a rude figure of eight. The hue of
this Doris was very variable, ranging from mouse colour
through pale lavender and tawny yellow to deep brown, those
of the last-named colour being extremely hard to distinguish
from the Fucus frond.

July 20th. — A second and more successful day's dredging
was done on this date. The first scrape in 12 fathoms east of
Church Island, brought up, along with Cylichna 2ivtbilicata
(3 specs.), and Rissoa vitrea (i spec), a single Eolis picta
alive and in good condition, and in all points agreeing with
Alder and Hancock's figure. I am aware of only three
previous Irish records for this species, the earliest being for
Malahide, where it was discovered by Alder and Farran in
1843, and as all of these records appear to be for shallow
water or even littoral stations, the Skerries record for 12
fathoms has all the greater interest. A second haul in 8
fathoms south of Church Island gave another addition to the
Nudibrauch fauna of the Dublin coast in a single specimen of
Doto fragilis, and a third in about 2 fathoms in the channel
between Colt and Church Islands gave one good specimen of
SphcnotrocJuis Wrightii, the diminutive coral previously known
as a Dublin species only from the southern parts of Dublin
Bay.

Jur.Y 23rd. — The last Skerries dredging for the j^ear was
made on this day, and although no new species was added to
the Dublin molluscan fauna some interesting results were
obtained. In 6 fathoms off Colt Island 8 fine specimens of
Eolis Dj-ummondi were taken, the largest i^-inch long, and
with one of its longest papillae distinctl}^ branched, a mons-
trosit}' quite rare in the Nudibranchs. This is an extremely
lively species, the long and almost serpentine tentacles and
papillae being in perpetual motion. One of the individuals,
kept alive in a dish of sea-water, was found to have deposited
its spawn on the 25th. The ribbon, or rather thread, which
was found floating on the water-surface in a regular succes-
sion of loops forming a rude Greek key-pattern, was not quite
one millimetre in breadth. It was tenacious and highly elastic,
and when stretched into a straight line measured full)" seven
inches.

lyfi 7 he Irish Naturalist. August,

In 14 fathoms to the east of Church IshiiKl one specimen of
Kolis tricolor was dredged, and in 10 fathoms to the southward
of the island an example of the rare Sea Anemone, Halcampa
chrysanthclhim, a diminutive, free, pink ball about 4 inch in
diameter, evolving at intervals into a C3'linder about one inch
long. But the most interesting fruit of this 14- fathom scrape
was a small Galathea or Squat Lobster, 16 mm. long, bearing
on its carapace a globular protuberance which proved to be
the home of a parasitic isopod. A large famih^ party was laid
bare when the protuberance was opened. First came the
conspicuous but amorphous and unloveh' female, 4J mm.
long by 3 mm. wide ; then the neat and regularly formed male
only i^ mm. hy \ mm., completely sat upon by his better half,
who carried him hidden away under her tail processes ; and,
finalh', just visible to the naked e3'e, a " long family " of about
200 S3'm metrically formed 3'oungsters snugly packed within
the ovigerous pouch of the mother. Some of the offspring
were lost in the course of a lengthy inquisition into their pecu-
liar family arrangements, but I was able 10 count 150 of them,
and have little doubt that the whole number reached 200.

A careful examination of male and female, and comparison
with the plates and description of G. O. Sars, satisfied me that
the parasite was Pleurocrypta microbranchiata of that author,
a species which so far does not appear to have been observed
in Irish waters. The male agreed perfectl}- with Sars's figure
of the male of that species, the female agreed ver}^ closelj^
with the figure of the female and differed from the figures of
the females of all the other species of the genus given b}^
Sars.

In both sexes of the Skerries parasite the ej'es were quite
apparent, and in both were oblong and obliquely placed with
resrard to the axial line of the animal. But the inclination
was dissimilar in the two sexes. While it was forward in the
female it was backward in the male, that is to say, the line of
inclination in the female was such that, if produced, it would
meet the axis in advance of the head, whereas in the male, if
produced, it would meet the axis behind the head. Whether
this character be constant, and whether, if so, it be of specific
or generic value are points worthy of further inquiry.

^ Crustacea of Norway, vol. ii., p. 208, pi. 87.

i9og. CoLGAN. — Dublin Marine Biologx, 177

The Galatliea which served as the host of this interesting
Isopod was somewhat mutilated when brought up by the
dredge off Church Island, yet a careful examination proved
it to be G. intermedia Lilljeborg, the species in which Sars
found his Plcutocrypta uiicrobranchiata, parasitical on the south
coast of Norway.

July 25th. — A last visit co the Zostera beds on Shennick's
Island gave me one fine specimen of Eolis Drummondi, one
inch long, and two specimens of E. Farrani. In coloration
these examples of E. Farraiii agreed almost perfectly with
Alder and Hancock's figure, the whitish papillae being
tipped with orange and the hepatic lobes showing through
them light straw colour.

To sum up, the result of the Committee's activities during
the year 1908 has been the addition to the moUuscan fauna of
the Dublin coasts of the following eight species : — Hermcea
dendritica, Eiinapontia niora^ Eolis auraniiaea, Doto fragilis,
Idalia aspersa, Odostomia albella, O. conoidea and Eidimella
acicula. If we add to these the additions made in 1907, we
have a total of 15 species of marine mollusca new to Dublin
waters as the outcome of the Committee's two years' work.
When the material collected by the Committee in other and
less well-explored departments of marine life has been fully
examined, results may be looked for of far greater interest and
importance than any recorded in this report.

Saudycove, Co. DubHu.

IRISH SOCIETIES.

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Recent gifts include Patas Monkeys from Rev. W. P. Lowe and Mr.
J. T. Gibbs, two Spiny Mice from Capt. Harding, Kestrels from Prof.
R. J. Anderson and Mr. C. Carter^ a Lapwing from Mr. G. Stony,
six Yellow Fantails and two Lesser Redpolls from Surgeon-General
and Mrs. Beatty, two Rock Sparrows from Mr. H. B. Ratliborne,
and a Rosy Bullfinch from Mr. H. W. Cutmere. A small Bonnet Monkey
and a young Squirrel ^Monkey have been bought, and a Zebu bull calf
has been born in the Gardens.

1 78 The Irish Naturalist. August,

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

April 6.— The fort3--sixth annual meeting -was held in the Museum,
College Square North, the President of the Club, (Robert Patterson,
F.L.S., M.K.I. A.) in the chair. There was a large attendance of members.

The Secretary (Robert Welch, M.R.I. A.) read the annual report, which
contained the following: — "During the past year thirty-one new mem-
bers have been elected, of whom twenty-eight have qualified by paying
entrance and subscription fees. There were 31 deaths and resignations,
giving a net decrease of three. Plight committee meetings were held
during the year, the average attendance being eleven out of a possible
sixteen. The programme of the summer session was carried out, and
the excursions, which were carried out under the couductorship of
various members of the Committee, were fairly well attended, the
average number being fifty-three. Mrs. Hobson was nominated to repre-
sent the Club at the British Association conference of delegates held in
Dublin in September. Mrs. Hobson attended and submitted her report,
which will be found in the Proceedings. The Treasurer's statement of
accounts, shows a balance of ^"12 i^. ']d. in hands.

The report of the Botanical Section was read by N. Carrothers, the
Geological report by J. L. S. Jackson, the Zoological report by N. H.
Foster, M.B.O.U., the Archeeological report by Mrs. Hobson, the librarian's
report by J. L. S.Jackson, the report of the Sub-committee appointed to
adjudicate on the collections sent in for Club prizes by N. H. P'oster.
M.B.O.U., and the Treasurer's statement of accounts by W. H. Phillips.
The adoption of the various reports was moved by the President,
seconded by the Vice-President, W. H. Gall way, supported by William
Gray, M.R.I. A., and passed.

E.J. M'Kean, B.A., B.L., moved, and C. J. Robertson seconded, that
N. H. Poster, M.B.O.U., be elected president for the ensuing year. This
was passed with hearty acclamation. W. H. Gallway was re-elected
vice-president, W. H. Phillips was re-elected treasurer, J. L. S.Jackson
was re-elected librarian. Miss Agnew and Arthur W. Stelfox were
appointed honorary secretaries.

The following ten members were chosen to serve on the Committee : —
R. Bell, F. Balfour-Brovvne, M.A., F.R vS.F:. ; N. Carrothers ; W.J. Fennell,
F.R.I.B.A. ; W. A. Green ; II. C. Marshall : H. L. Orr ; Robert Patterson,
F.L.vS.; W. J. C. Tomlinson ; and R. Welch, M.R.I.A.

Suggestions of places to be visited during the summer excursions
were then received, and a new member having been elected, T. K.
Farrington moved, and Walter Chambers seconded, a vote of thanks to
the retiring President, Robert Patterson, P\L.S., both gentlemen alluding
elo(iuently to his services to the Club during his term of office. Mr.
Patterson replied to the motion, which was passed in the most enthusi-
astic manner. A very cordial vote of thanks was also passed to the
retiring vSecretary, Robert Welch, INI. R.I. A., on the motion of T.
Anderson, seconded by G. DonaULson. Mr. Welch having replied suit-
ably, the meeting terminated.

1909- Irish Societies. 179

May 22. — Excursion to thk Bovnp: Vali^ev. — Fifty members and
friends left Belfast by the 7 30 a.m. train for an arclutological exploration
of the Boyne Valley, under the guidance of W. J, Fennell. Drogbeda
was reached at 9.40, and vehicles were taken for the drive. The party
visited Newgrauge, Mellifont, and Monasterboice. After tea in Drogheda
the usual business meeting was held — the Vice-President, W. H. Gall-
way in the chair— and the 6.40 traiii was taken for Belfast. Water
beetles received special attention from the zoologists. Previously there
were onl}' two or three species recorded for County Meath. On this
occasion about forty-six species, practically all of which were common
ones, were noted. One noteworthy fact was that certain species which are
scarce in County Down were exceedingly common. The conchologists
were well rewarded b}' finding Vitriiia pyrenaica at Mellifont, Monaster-
boice, and between the latter place and Collon, where it was first taken
in Ireland by P. H. Grierson some few years ago. Only dead shells were
found, except at Monasterboice, where two living specimens were picked
up after a vigorous search. This species as yet in Ireland has only been
taken in County Louth, all the above localities being in that county, but
it seems probable that it may have a much wider distribution. It may
be well to mention that this is a Pyrenean and Alpine species, and, pro-
vided that our Irish shell is true V, pyrenaica, presents one of the most
interesting examples of discontinuous geographical distribution in the
European fauna. The ornithologists noted 41 species of birds. The
President's prize for the best collection of wild flowers was won by Miss
Anna M'Conuell, who had 72 species. The Vice-President's prize for
photographs was won by Mr. Holland.

June 12. — Excursion to Derryadd by Lough Neagh. — Eighty,
two members and friends travelled in specially reserved carriages by the
1.50 train from the Great Northern Station to Lurgan, where brakes and
cars were in waiting All were soon driving through the pleasant level
lands that lie to the south-east of Lough Neagh. Shortly after three
o'clock the party arrived at the shores of Derryadd Ba}', and leaving the
vehicles, proceeded on foot along the shores of the lake. Here the party
scattered. The ornithologists of the party reported having noticed
thirty-two species about the shores of Derrjadd Bay. Of these, the mo.st
interesting was the Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla Raii. The conchologists
found the dry-weather conditions most unfavourable for collecting land
shells, but, along the lake shore, nice specimens of the elegant amber
shell — Suciiuca clegans — were abundant in certain damp muddy spots,
where it was feeding in company with a fresh water species— Z^w/z^-^
palustris — the marsh shell. The latter was the short, malleated and obese
form for which Lough Neagh is noted. Several Planorbis niarguiatits
were also collected — that curious non-typical form found in Lough Neagh
and Lough Beg and the canals and rivers connected with both. This is
the form so puzzling to English conchologists, who often confuse it with
P. (arinatiis owing to the fact, amongst others, that the keel is almost as
central and the shell as flat as English and Continental specimens of the

I So The Irish Naluialist. August,

same species. Well-kuown authorities cousider that our Irish specimens
belong to a more primitive race than the British forms, where the separa-
tion between the two species is very well defined. After a pleasant after-
noon, spent in these varied pursuits, the party left the bay at 5.45 for the
return drive to Lurgan, where tea was provided, After tea a short busi-
ness meeting was held— the President, N. H. Foster, M.B.O.U., in the
chair — when three new members were elected, and the party returned
by the S.20 train.

26tli June.— Excursion to the Roe Vai^lev.— A party of fifty-two
members and friends travelled to Limavady by the 8.25 a.m. train, w^here
they were met b}' H. C. INIarshall, who had gone down the night before
to complete arrangements. Cars were taken for the Dogs Leap, where
the party remained for over an hour, and then the walk through the
Deer Park woods on the west bank of the Roe commenced. O'Cahan's
Rock and the Holy Well were visited, and then Mrs. Ricter welcomed the
party at Roe Park House. A business meeting was held on the historic
hill known as Drumcatt, wdien four new members were elected. The
President and Mrs. P'oster entertained the party to tea in the
Alexander Arms Hotel, a cordial vote of thanks being passed to them.
The members left Limavady at 5.40, and Belfast was reached at S.40 The
homeward journey was appropriated by some to the discussion of the
results of the day from the natural history point of view. From the con-
versations it could be gathered that very few birds were observed, the
day's list for the Limavad}' neighbourhood only totalling thirty. As was
expected, the Dipper and Kingfisher were both observed on the river.
One member reported finding three or four species of water-beetles new
to the county. Four common species of woodlice were seen, and a few
rarer forms were collected for further examination. Among the dis-
coveries of the conchologists were — Hyalinia excavata, var. viiriiict, Liniax
/Javits, and Helix aculeata. The botanists saw apparently many interesting
plants, but had nothing new in the way of records to add to the known
flora of the area visited, The Golden Rod {Solidago Virgaiirca) and the
Wall Pennywort {^Cotyledon Unibilicus) grew profusely on the rocks at the
Dog's Leap, as did also a variety of mosses and hawkweeds. In the Deer
Park woods the four most notable species observed were Mdampyruin
pratcnsc, Vibtinnun opitlus, Melica iinijlora, and Lastrea cemula, all of which
occurred profusel}' ; Pnums Padtis and Salix pentandra were seen lower
down the valley. The geological members of the j^arty gave a good
account of themselves as exponents of the bearings of geology on the
wonderful scenery of the area as a whole, scenery which comparatively
few places in our islands can surpass in its combination of rugged
grandeur and pastoral sweetne.ss.

^909 Reviews. 181

REVIEWS.

LAMPREYS AND FISHES.

A Treatise on Zoology. FMited by Sir Ray IvANKRSter, K.C.B.,
LL.D., F.R.S. Part IX. Vertebrata Craniata, first fascicle
Cyclostomes and Fishes. By K. S. Goodrich, ^r.A., F.R.vS.

London : A. &• C. Black, 1909. Pp. xvi. + 518. Price 15s. net.

lu passing some adverse criticisms on the inadequate treatment of the
mode of life and distribution of animals in previous volumes of this
treatise, we were unaware that this great work was intended to comple-
ment the well-known Cambridge Natural History. In a note printed in
last month's Irish N'aturalist (July, J909), Dr. Bather gives us to under-
stand that the scope of the treatise is limited to "systematic zoologv on
modern lines.' His statement that this was clearly indicated in the
prospectus cannot be easily verified by the student who would naturall}-
turn to the first volume for such an explanation.

A discussion of " facts that have no obvious bearing on taxonomy "
would no doubt have made the treatise somewhat unwieldl}', but we are
of opinion that it would have been desirable to include certain features
in the direction indicated that certainly have a bearing on taxonomy.

Ten pages of Mr. Goodrich's volume on Cyclostomes and Fishes (pp.
73-82) are devoted to a description of the origin of paired fins. Few
zoologists probably are more competent than he is to give us such a brief
and yet masterly exposition of the complex problems connected with
this subject. The identification and enumeration of the segments of
which the head of a vertebrate is composed constitutes another and
possibh' still more intricate topic. For it is now recognised that the re-
mote ancestor of those vertebrates (craniata), which possess a skull, must
have been segmented right to its anterior extremity. The great difference
in structure between head and trunk is probably due to divergent
specialisation of two regions of the bod}- which primitively resembled
each other. Mr. Goodrich supplies a careful description q>{ the nervous
system and sense organs, the mesoblastic somites, and the gill arches and
slits, which are the three chief sets of structures to be studied in connec-
tion with this identification of the head-segments. Thus the early history
of the skull is gradually being elucidated. Much more work, however, is
needed in this direction. Two papers — one by H. E. Ziegler^ the other
by P. Brohmer^ — on the origin of the head of vertebrates, have been
published since Mr. Goodrich's volume went to press, and have thrown
fresh light on some obscure points.

Lampreys and Hagfishes have for some time been entirely separated
from the class Pisces. They can no longer be looked upon as true fishes
since they differ from the latter in many salient structural characters. The
strongest evidence of their primitive position is to be found in the larva
of the Lamprey, which has certain features of resemblance with the

^ Zeils. f. Natwwissensch., xliii., 1909. "^ Jb.., xliv., 1909.

i,S2 The Irish Naturalist. August.

Tunicates and the Ceplialochorda. IMr. Goodrich concurs with Dr.
G.'iskcll in regarding I.anipreys as not beiui^ degenerate. Vet the theory
of the origin of vertebrates, according to Dr. Gaskell's fascinating
studies, is not alluded to, Pakeospondylus, in spite of Professor Sollas'
reconstruction, is still relegated to " incertte sedis" in the classification.

Otherwise the example of Cuvier, Valenciennes, and Dumeril is fol-
lowed by Mr. Goodrich rather than that of the more modern ichthyolo-
gists in dividing all living fishes into two main groups — the Chon-
drichthyes and the Osteichthyes. The Dipnoi, that extraordinary order
of fishes which has so many points of resemblance to ihe Amphibia,
is thus united with all our common freshwater fishes, though they
seem so different in almost every respect. The argument that the Dipnoi
represents a degenerate section of fishes, is negatived Ijy their fin
structure.

The two old divisions of fishes— the Ganoidei and Teleostei— which
were supposed to be readily distinguishable by their scales, have also
been cast into the melting pot, and we no longer discriminate between
them as clearly as formerly. The work of Cope, vSmith Woodward and
others on extinct fishes has resulted in breaking down the distinctions
■which we once relied upon.

A useful list of works on fishes is given at the end of the volume. vSome
names, such as Macintosh, which we certainly should have expected to
find among the authors quoted, are omitted.

Mr. Goodrich's work is a book for the serious and advanced student, its
perusal being greatly facilitated by an admirable series of original dia-
grams ; while some of the previous volumes are especially noteworthy for
their erudition, conciseness, and novelty, this one stands foremost
amongst them for the abundance of excellent illustrations.

R. F. S.

PAL^OBOTANICAL PHOTOGRAPHS.

Fossil Plants. Sixty Photographs illustrating the Flora of the Coal
Measures. By E. A. Newri,!. Arbkr, M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S. London :
Gowans and Gray, Ltd., 1909. Pp. 76. Price (id. nett.

This little book, No. 21 of Gowan's Nature Books, contains reproduc-
tions of photographs of the more important plants belonging to the Coal
Measures of Britain, and gives the reader in a charming manner an
insight into the peculiarities of the flora of that remote period. At the
end are some dozen pages of notes explanatory of the plates. These are
prefaced by a brief account of the manner of fossilization of plants, in
which the writer, by avoiding all technical terms, makes the subject in-
teresting for the ordinary reader.

I. S.

1909. N'ofes. 1 83

NOTES.

ZOOLOGY.

White Wagtail on the East Coast.

Reg.^rding Mr. Williams' statement {Irish A^at.. vol. xviii, page 121),
that no occurrence of the White W'agtail {Motacilla aZ/ia) has been authen-
ticated from the east coast of Ireland, I would refer him to the IrisJi
Naturalist for 1902, page 221, where he will find that Mr. Xevin H. Foster
and I saw a White Wagtail on the River Lagan on the 2Jst May of that

year.

Robert PATrERvSox.
Holy wood, Co. Down.

Golden Oriole in Co. Cork.

On the 26th April we received a very fine specimen (adult male) of the
Golden Oriole for preservation. The bird was shot on 24th inst. on
the Bantry road, three miles outside Dunmanway, and was in faultless
condition, hardly a feather of the beautiful saffron colouring being
disturbed. It is now some years since one has been recorded in the
South, and we certainly think that a finer specimen has not been
obtained.

F. R. RoHU.

Cork.

The Little Gull.

Regarding Mr. Harrington's reference to the Little Gull, reported
from Cork, we might state that this has been verified beyond
question ; the bird was shot last year at Tralee by a Mr. Mabbs, and
was also seen in the flesh by several ornithologists. The bird was
purchased and set up by us, aud is still in our possession.

F. R. RoHU.
Cork.

I much regret that the short note on the occurence of the Little Gull
at Laytown, which appears in the Irish Naturalist for April over my
name, is incorrect. It is an immature bird and not an adult as stated,
and the date should have been February 7th and not March 7th. A
mistake, whether the explanation of it be good or bad, is still a mis-
take, and excuses are not good remedies ; therefore I shall only
observe that nobody is to blame except myself, and that the distinction
between the immature and adult in Lams minutus is so well marked
that it could readily be detected, even on the wing, within gun-shot
range, and it is as readily perceived as the difference between the young
and old Black-headed Gulls seen almost daily on the Liffe}-,

RiCHD. M. Barrington.
Fassaroe, Bray.

184 The h'ish Naturalist. August, 1909.

Turtle Doves in Co. Waterford.

1.S82 — I\Iay 22, one shot at vSeaview by INIr. Gerald Fitzgerald.

,, " During summer " one seen several times at Curraghmore.
1SS3 — ^June 17, one seen Portlaw woods. Rev. \V. W. Flemyng.
1S84— September 15, one seen at Seaview. G. Fitzgerald.
1SS6 — INIay 9, one seen near Seaview. G. Fitzgerald,

„ ,, one seen at Summerville. Calthorpe Gardiner.

1SS7 — ISIay, one seen at Summerville. Calthorpe Gardiner.
1S88 — ]\Iay or June, one seen at Seaview. G. Fitzgerald.

,, ., one seen at Gardenmorris feeding with fowl.

1889 — May and June, four seen separately in district round Cappag h.
1890 — April 4, one seen in district round Cappagh.
1S92 — May 3, one seen at Cappagh.

„ May 12, one seen at Cappagh. R. J. I'ssher.
1S93 — INIay 21, one seen at Carriglea. W. Odell.
1894 — ]\Iay 15, one seen at Cappagh.

„ September 13, one in immature plumage, shot at Shandon, seen
by R. J. I'ssher.
1895 — July 6 and 7, two seen near Carriglea. \V. Odell.
1897 — May 21, one seen near Glenshelaue. R. J. Ussher.

,, June 9-20, one seen several times near Carriglea. W. Odell.
1899— May 31,

1900 — September 8 or 9, one shot near Waterford, by Mr. J. T. White.
Since 1900, about June, one seen at Belleville Park. A. J. P. Wise.
1903 — ]May 12, one seen near Carrigtea. W. Odell.

,, June 6, one seen near Clonea. R. Warren and R.J. I'ssher.
1904 — May 20, 21, one seen near Cappagh House. R. J. I'ssher.
1907 — May 26, „ ,, „ ,, „

1908 — June 3, two seen between this and Cappoquin. J. Power.

,, June 9, two seen near Ardmore, I\Ir. F. Keane.
1909 — May 14, three seen between this and Dungarvan. R. J. Ussher
and J. Power.
„ Karly in May, two seen at Monea, Ardmore. Captain and I\Irs.
Wm. O'Dell. (One of these must have been killed by a
hawk ; its feathers were brought to me.)
,, ^fay 19, one seen at Lissaroe, north of Ardmore. Captain and

Mrs. Wm. Odell.
., June (early part), one seen near Dungarvan for four or five days.
Dr. R. Williams.
From the above it may be concluded that the Turtle Dove is an
increasing annual visitor to the Co. Waterford, and it appears to visit
Co. Cork in the same way. It is not, however, known to remain through
the summer, nor has it been found with nest or young. Still, its many
occurrences lead one to expect that it may breed here eventually, if it
has not already done so. This beautiful and harmless bird should be
protected.

R. J. Ussher.
Cappagh, Co. Waterford.

September, 1909. The Irish Naturalist. 185

THH ORNITHOLOGY OF SKERRIES, CO. DUBLIN.

BY PROFESSOR C. J. PATTEN, M.A., :\r.D., vSCD.

In selecting Skerries last vSeptember as a holiday resort I
had the good fortune to have, as my next door neighbour,
Mr. Edgar Wilkins, whose knowledge of the birds of the
locality is extensive and accurate, a knowledge acquired during
man}' annual visits. We had many delightful rambles to-
gether, and I am much indebted to Mr. Wilkins for several
interesting notes, and for the long list of birds with which
he has furnished me, and which I append at the end of
this paper. I am especially glad to have the opportunity of
publishing this list, which incorporates so many land-birds,
as my observations were chiefly confined to the birds of the
coast. As the first week of my time was largel}^ taken up in
attending the meetings of the BritivSh A.s.sociation in Dublin, a
daily journal was not commenced until September gth, from
which date until the end of my holiday it was kept regularly.
Opportunity, however, was afforded of making some notes
three days earlier, and with a good beginning, for I had the
pleasure of the company of Me.s.srs. Robert Patterson and
Nevin Foster.

Sunday, September 6th. — In charming summer weather we
started in the afternoon for a ramble along the coast hoping
to reach Balbriggan. But our attention was so long con-
centrated on the birds on the reef of rocks known as " the
Long-Leg" that time did not permit of our proceeding further.
It was high tide, and as part of the reef was covered and the
rest converted into an island, we were prevented from going
on to it. We, therefore, decided to watch the birds from the low
grass-covered cliff — a comfortable and an excellent observa-
tor}'. Even before using our binoculars the melodious piping
which fell on our ears with wonderful distinctness in Ihe
calm, sunny evening told us how pregnant with bird-life was
this rocky resting place. From their voices alone we learned
of the presence of great flocks of Curlews,' while the constant
cries of Lapwings, Redshank.s, and Ringed Plovers told us

^So thickly studded were the rocks with Curlews that the birds were
coustantly fi«htiu.tj for perch i 11, i,^ room.

A

1 86 The Irish Naturalist. September,

how plentiful were these species. At less frequent intervals
the tuneful piping of a Greenshank or the whistle of a
Whinibrel could be detected, strangely mingled with the
discordant bassoon-like croak of a Cormorant, the short, snap-
ping bark of a Heron, or the hoarse yells set up b}^ more than
one species of Gull. Between the reef-island and the beach
the sea was thickly covered with Terns fishing. Over the
glass}- waters we could see in the clear atmosphere, with the
aid of our binoculars, the Terns below us dip to the water,
and without touching it, snap up flies which swarmed over
its surface. For quite a long time we watched the birds
getting food in this way, while above us were numbers of
Swallows and Martins also "hawking" for insects. Presently
a little steam-launch, passing close to the island, blew its
whistle, and as the startled birds took wing with cries of great
exicitement, we were afforded a splendid view of the enormous
throng which w^ere seeking a resting-place during high-water.
The rapidity with which the birds again alighted and the
incessant chorus which thej^ kept up were features of interest
as showing that serious disturbances from the presence of
shooters seldom took place. Mr. Patterson informs me that
in Belfast Lough, for instance, silence to a large extent
prevails among the flocks which are constantly harassed b}^
the gunner.

Next we were interested in watching quite a procession of
Herons leave the island and w4ng their waj^ leisurel}' to the
shore, where in the rock-pools they demolished the fr\' which
swarmed in countless numbers.

Gulls, also, were beginning to congregate at the rock-pools,
l)Ut now as the tide was just turning we were obliged, for
want of time, to leave our observatory and return homeward.
At different points along the coast between " Long-Leg " and
Skerries we noticed numbers of Terns " hawking " for flies
over the water.

Wednesday, September 9th. — As the day was wet and
stormy I did not walk more than about half-a-mile from the
house along the north strand. Numbers of Common Terns
streamed past me fishing in the rough waters. Guillemots and
Razorbills were numerous, but owing to the heavy breakers
they kept at a considerable distance from the shore. On the

T909. Patten. — 07nithology of Skerries^ Co. Dublin. 187

rocks I noticed an adult Wheatear with two others which
were immature, and during my whole stay these remained
on the beach at the back of the house. They were tame little
creatures and their sprighth^ movements and pretty plumage
enlisted our interests considerabl}'. It is noteworthy how
strongly littoral the Wheatear becomes in some localities dur-
ing the autumn prior to migration, and it seems to me that it
would be an interesting investigation to find out what food
attracts this species to the sea-shore. The Pied Wagtail,
another land bird, was a daily occupant of the beach. Its
alarm .note, not unlike that of the Swallow, was frequentlj'
heard when the Sparrow-Hawk was about, and it was then
that the Wagtail kept closely to the rocks. The Rock-Pipit,
so familiar along the coast in some localities, was absent,^ its
place being taken by its congener the Meadow-Pipit. This
species as well as flocks of Linnets no doubt kept to the rocks
at times to avoid the attack of the Sparrow-Hawk, which
seemed to take its quarry almost entirel}' from the adjacent
cornfields. On this day and almost every day during ni}'
visit I met the Sparrow-Hawk, and on several occasions saw
it dash into a flock of small birds, generally Greenfinches or
Linnets, and secure its prey. Immediately afterwards I often
noticed numbers of small birds on the beach, where the}"
remained for some hours. It thus struck me how beneficial
the Sparrow-Hawk can be to the farmer. Here, at all events,
it was not the number of the birds killed, amounting to onl^'
three or four a day, that saved the crops from being devas-
tated, but instinctive fear that the marauder would soon be
back again acted as a deterrent in keeping the small birds
from incessantly consuming the crops.

Thursday, September loth. — The weather was fairly fine.
Near the pier which separates the north from the south strand
I ob.served a Herring-Gull feeding a young one which was
not very strong on the wing, and which kept up a
melancholy squeal. It was evidently one of a late brood,
probably hatched out on Lambay or Ireland's Ej^e.

Friday, September nth. --The Gulls swarmed on the north
strand and along the road in company with great flocks of
Rooks.

' Mr. Wilkins includes this bird in his hst. I probably overlooked it.

A 2

i88 The Irish Natit7alis.t. September,

Saturday, September 12th. — This day was fairly fine, but
cold. In the forenoon I watched a party of seven Stonechats,
parents and five yoting, feeding on the road near the hottse ;
they were accompanied by Sparrows, Linnets, and Meadow-
Pipits. At 2.30 p.m. my wife and I started for a walk to
Barnaoeara Bay. On our way we noticed enormotis numbers
of Rooks and Daws, some picking on the strand, others
perched on the rocks. The tide, which had been ftiU at abotit
II a.m., had ebbed considerabl,v, and great qtiantities of sea-
weed were cast up on the beach. Searching amid the weed
my wife poked otit with the pole of a tent a fine specimen of a
Guillemot. Having picked the weed off^ it seemed to me that
the bird was larger than the average ; I was also struck by its
dark, almost black, gloss}' back, mticli more like that of a
Razorbill than of a Guillemot. On opening the wings I
further noticed with interest the profuse handsome chequering
of the axillaries and tinder wing-coverts. These feathers
were beatitifull}' marbled with black and white. The very
dark and glossy back answered to the description given of
Brunnich's Guillemot, but the beak, though stouter than that
of the average Common species, hardl}' corresponded to that of
the rare western form. However, to remove all possibility of
doubt I decided to compare it with the skin of a Brunnich's
Guillemot in the Dttblin Musetim.

Sunday, September 13th. — At 10 a.m. Mr. Wilkins and I
started on a tandem bicycle for Barnageara to look for a
Curlew-Sandpiper which my companion believed he heard the
previous evening. On ottr way we noticed Razorbills and
Gulls in conflict. When the former came to the surface amid
a flock of Gulls they were immediately set upon, and were
obliged to dive ; however the Gulls were not to have it
altogether their own way, for frequently they received severe
bites in their feet inflicted by the stout beaks of the divers.
Regarding this interesting habit, Mr. Wilkins writes me : —
'^ One Stinday in the summer of 1908, when otit boating, we
saw a flock of Gulls and great nttmbers of Razorbills and
Gtiillemots all swarming after the herring-fry just off Barna-
geara. As we drew near we noticed Black-headed Gtills con-
stantly springing out of the water, with the same suddenness
as one would spring off a nettle barefooted. We learned that

1909- VATt-E^.— Ornithology of Skerries, Co. Dubliju 189

the Razorbills, swimming under the water, often nipped the
Gulls' feet in their beaks. Once or twice we saw a Razorbill
in the act of releasing its hold as the Gull's foot came above
the water. We further noticed that a Razorbill always
appeared on the surface when a Gull sprang out of the water.
The Gulls never then took the offensive nor tried to defend
themselves in any way : they just then went back to the water
and got bitten again." Reaching Barnageara we carefully
scanned all the flocks of wading birds, but failed to discover a
Curlew-Sandpiper among them. On our return we had a
splendid view^ of two adult Gannets fishing only about two
hundred yards from the shore. The swarms of old and young
Razorbills and Guillemots did not seem to mind these great
birds precipitating themselves head foremost among them
from a height in the air into the water.

Monda}', September 14th. — The greater part of the day was
spent in the National Museum, Dublin, comparing the skins
of Guillemots with the specimen which I obtained at Skerries
two days before. I am much indebted to Dr. ScharfF and
Messrs. Nichols and Halbert for the kind assistance they
gave. In none of the Museum specimens were the axillaries
and under wing-coverts chequered boldly ; indeed, the dark
markings were very faint or entirely absent, leaving these
feathers wholly white, nor were the feathers of the upper parts
black and glossy. I found that, in my specimen, the beak
was a little longer and stouter, while the wing measurement
also exceeded that of any of the Museum birds. However, in
a specimen labelled Brunnich's Guillemot, the beak was
much shorter and thicker than in my specimen. Other
differences in the plumages could be made out, but the details
hardly concern us in the present paper. To put it shortly, I
may sa}- that I formed no definite conclusion regarding my
specimen, though I lean to the notion that its peculiarities of
plumage represent a certain phase rather than a variety or
race form of the Common Guillemot. Later on I hope to
write further on the subject. On showing the bird to Mr. W.
Williams, of Dame-street, he informed me that a few like it
had passed through his hands, though he had not a specimen
at the time to compare it with. He suggests that the gloss}-
black back may be the new winter plumage; which afterwards

igo The Irish Naturalist. vSeptember,

fades to a brownish black, as one is accustomed to see in
Guillemots obtained in winter. It is true that I got my bird
just at the end of the moult, and the glossy black feathers
showed signs of having been only lately assumed, nevertheless
further data on the question are required.

Tuesday, September 15th. — The day was cold, windy,
and unsettled, and, at frequent intervals, there were sharp
showers. At 2.30 p.m. a party of us started for " Long- Leg,"
with a view of observing the Gulls and other birds feeding in
the rock-pools at low water. As we wended our way along
the beach we observed some interesting groups of Herring-
Gulls, in different phases of plumage, resting on the rocks.
On one rock, in particular, all the available room was
occupied, the gulls being massed in company with
Oyster-catchers, Redshanks, Ringed Plovers, and a small
flock of immature Dunlins, but the Curlews were already
astir searching for food among the Fucus. Passing Barna-
geara we found a great company of Terns fishing, while
numbers of Redshanks, Turnstones and Ringed Plovers were
busily racing along the edge of the ebbing tide in search of
food. On approaching " Long-Leg,'" by way of the road and
cliffs, we were attracted bv the familiar discordant wail of the
Black-headed Gull. When this is produced in chorus by
thousands of voices, it becomes fairh' bewildering ; it seems to
permeate the atmosphere and deaden all other bird notes
around. At intervals, however, the more highly-pitched and
l^enetrating call of the Herring-Gulls resounded from out the
chorus, and, as we appeared, the clamorous throng practi-
cally ignored our presence, so intent were the competitors
in securing food. Seating ourselves on the cliff we watched,
through our binoculars, the manners of the Gulls, which, if a
trifle rude, were highly entertaining. The birds collected in
such crowds that the water of the rock-pools could not be
seen. Those which secured a place by swimming, stuck to
their position, but their attempts to demolish the myriads of
fry, which lay beneath their feet, were constantly frustrated by
the sudden descent of some of their comrades which fluttered
over their heads. It was a common thing to see a Gull in the
pool on trying to lower its head to seize a fish, receive instead a
stab in the back of its neck from the beak of another bird, which,

T909. Patten. — Omitholooy of Skerries, Co. Ditblin. 191

tired of aimlessl}^ fluttering above, plunged headlong on the
chance of getting its beak under water. In the centres of less
crowded pools were small groups of Herring-Gulls, which, in
their eager pursuit after food, rotated on the water in such re-
gular half circles as to give one the idea that they were being
blown by currents of wind coming from opposite directions.
But it was when the fighting became fierce that the Herring-
Gulls usuall}^ slipped into the pools, and, with a few well-
directed strokes of the beak, drove their smaller congeners
into the air. It was remarkable to see the keen compe-
tition that was kept up, and the perseverance with which the
Black-headed Gulls in the air endeavoured to reach the water.
They persisted in precipitating themselves through the air
with closed wings after the fashion of Terns, and as often as
not managed to catch fish in a dive. Only in special circum-
stances, as above described, is the Black-headed Gull given to
such anomalous habits. Several of the rock-pools were
visited also by Herons, which snapped up fry with great vora-
city. As the Herons threaded their way through the Fucus-
covered rocks we noticed how the long axis of the body was
practically horizontal, the neck coiled between the shoulders
and the throat thrown well back. This attitude contrasts
markedl}^ with that of the bird when standing at rest, the long
axis of the body being then nearly vertical. At this juncture
our observations on the feeding habits of Gulls were brought to
an end rather abruptly by the presence of a man who, attracted
by the cries of the Gulls, went dowm to the pools, and, throw-
ing stone after stone, succeeded in driving off the feathered
throng. When the first stone was hurled into the thick of
the largest numbers the birds did not seem to realise the
onslaught, but when the second and third stones reached
them they rose with one accord and, flying out to sea, alighted
on the water about a hundred yards from the reef "We then
visited the pools and found them still swarming with fry, and
the surrounding seaweed when examined contained numbers
entangled. Before leaving the spot we scanned the reef with
our binoculars ; a row of over seventy Cormorants stood at
the fringe of the breakers. Next a Whimbrel's whistle
attracted our attention ; it proceeded from a bird flying over
the sea, and scarce had we spotted it when a flock left the reef

\

192 The Irish Naturalist. SeptemWr.

for the shore. Curlews, Oyster-catchers, Green. Golden, and
Ringed Plovers, and Redshanks were present in large numbers,
and as we proceeded homeward along the rocks we were
attracted bv an erratic Redshank which t)ersisted in flvins:
I'ound our heads uttering a screeching note quite unlike the
usual pipe. It was a tame innocent bird, evidently unaccus-
tomed to man's presence, and with the glass we could make
out that its legs were yellowish. I took it to be an immature
bird, of a late brood, which was crying in loneliness for its
parents. We noticed Wood-pigeons at different points rise
from the strand ; what brought these birds here I found out
some days later. As we clambered over the slippery rocks
near Barnageara we observed three Grey Wagtails. Having
reached the sandy beach of this locality we made for the road,
reaching home at 7.30 p.m., after a most enjo3'able outing.

Wednesday, September i6th. — Rain fell heavily almost all
day, and no further notes on birds were added to my journal.
I spent my time preserving the skins of some Guillemots and
Razorbills.

Thursday. September 17th. — I observed immense numbers
of Terns fishing off the shore near Holmpatrick and round
Shinnick Island.

Frida}', September i8th. — At 7 a.m. I observed a Sparrow-
Hawk fly over our house and then descend toward the
rocks. A startled Pied Wagtail flew out to sea and escaped
being pursued. The hawk disappeared over the fields. The
da\' turned out wet, and I added nothing further to ni}^ notes.

Saturday, September 19th. — I was pleased to hear the cry
of a Greenshank at 11.30 p.m. The bird was quite close on
a rock behind the house, but the night was too dark to locate
its form. It was the only Greenshank which I recorded from
Skerries during my visit.

Sunday, September 20th. — The day was warm but rather
misty, but it cleared up in the afternoon. The sea was as
smooth as a sheet of polished glass. Between our house and
M.ady-Bay' great numbers of Terns were fishing. It was
interesting to see these birds now and again plunging between
little gatherings of Razorbills, which they scattered. In ' Lady-
P,ay ' the Razorbills came quite close to the water's edge, and
so clear was the water that we could see the birds descending

T909 Pattrn. — Oynithology of Skerries, Co. Diiblin, 193

to the sea-floor in search of small crabs and other creatures.
The old Terns were very astute in knowing the nearest spot
where fish could be obtained. When a fish was captured it
was conve3^ed in the beak of the parent to the young bird ; the
latter remained seated and kept up a continuous chattering
which sounded as teck-teck-teck-teck-teck. Directly the young
bird got the fish in its mouth the parent hastened back to the
same fishing spot, and, capturing a fish, fed another of its
brood, and so on until about twenty ixy were captured. Some
of the more advanced j-ouiig birds fished for themselves, others
rested on the sea and were fed by their parents. Presently a
bird, which looked very little smaller than a Black-headed
Gull, appeared. Its flight was almost as slow and even as that
of a gull, but its voice .seemed unfamiliar. The cry, though
much harsher, seemed like the wailing ydd-tvah of the Black-
headed Gull when broken up into more syllables with the con-
sonant / attached to each, thus : ydt-dt-zvcii, yCit-at-zvat. This
gave one the idea that the sound proceeded from a Black-
headed Gull, with a very hoarse and choking voice. Another of
the same species soon appeared, and watching both with my
binocular I was pleased to identify them as Sandwich Terns.
Hitherto I had not noted this species from the Dublin
coast. In the midst of the Guillemots and Razorbills I ob-
served a Great-crested Grebe. It was an adult bird, but with
most of the ' frill ' moulted off. The graceful form and car-
riage of this species attracts the observer. When not diving
(and sometimes quite a long time elapsed before the bird went
down) the slight arching of its long slender neck gave the
bird a graceful, almost swan-like, appearance on the water.
Just before diving, the neck was occasionally retracted and
coiled, and the bird looked intently on the water as if en-
deavouring to follow the movements of a fish below. But the
moment the body was tilted, and just as the head disappeared,
the neck was put on the stretch. Only a few faint ripples in-
dicated the spot where the Grebe went down. On looking out
to sea I next noticed a dark brown bird flying towards the
land. The flight was rapid, resembling that of a Peregrine,
and as the bird struck at a Redshank in a most determined
manner, I thought for a moment it was a bird of prey. How-
ever, the Redshank was not seized, and with my glass I made

A 3

194 The hhh Naturalist. vSeptember,

out that the tormentor was only a Skua, which on that occasion
at all events was unsuccessful in forcing the Redshank to
eject its food.^ Finally the Skua flew out again to sea and
disappeared.

Monday, September 2ist. — I watched the Great-crested Grebe
swimming about quietly on the water at the back of the house.
During my bathe to-day several Razorbills and Guillemots
dived and rose to the surface, so close to me that with a camera
I could have secured interesting snap-shots.

During luncheon the ' cheeping ' of Meadow-Pipits, mingled
with the alarm cries of several other small birds, suggested
to me that a hawk was about. On going to the front door I
saw^ a Kestrel perched on a hay-stack, and flitting over its
head was a little company of Greenfinches, while the Pipits
w^ere flying to and fro agitated, but not to any great extent.
Presently the Hawk left the stack and poised in the air over
the corn. The group of finches followed closel}- above, and
when at last the harmless little falcon alighted on a telegraph
wire, with a row of small birds on either side, many persons
looking on were much surprised at the curious fraternity.
That the Kestrel seldom molests small birds is well known,
and this is only one of many instances which have come under
my personal notice illustrating the remarkable absence of fear
which small birds evince in its presence.

Tuesday, September 22nd.— -Mr. Wilkins and I started in
the forenoon for Balbriggan. The da}^ was beautifully fine,
and taking the coast we were fortunate in being able to add
several more birds to our list. We noticed onh an odd Tern
near the house. The large company were fishing near Barna-
geara. Among them we observed a Sandwich Tern, which
allowed us close enough to identify its long, stout, black beak.
On this occasion we heard no voice, hence the necessity of a
careful examination with a binocular at close quarters. Apart
from its larger size we made out that proportionately the sweep
of the wing is less than in the Common Tern, and that in
flight the latter shows higher and more prominent shoulders.
Here also we noticed three Sheldrake and two Red-breasted

1 Perhaps the Redshank had no food in its gizzard to eject. This
I tliink was unlikely, as there is reason to believe that the Skua seldom
attacks birds other than those which have been recently feeding.

1909. Patten. — OniHho logy of Skerries^ Co. Dublbu 195

Mergansers flying at some height over the sea, while only a
hundred yards from the edge of the rocks (the tide being out)
we had a fine view of a Great Northern Diver. We took the
time of several immersions and found 20 seconds as the aver-
age. This large, heavy bird, on tilting its hind quarters well
upwards, plunges with great suddenness, but makes far less
splash than the Cormorant. This was easily observed, as
several of the latter were fishing close by. Proceeding onward
we explored the great slabs of rock near ' Long-Leg.' From
off these several Wood-Pigeons rose. Our curiosit}^ then be-
came aroused as to what brought these birds there. We soon
discovered ; on the slabs were strewn numbers of pellets of
Herring-Gulls, which contained undigested grains of oats and
wheat. The pellets had been opened b}^ the Pigeons and the
wheat picked out to a large extent. Reaching ' Long-Leg ' we
descried an immense flock of Lapwings and Golden Plovers
rise to a great height from the reef and disappear. A Red-
shank indulging in a bath in a little pool on the strand indig-
nantly gave chase to a Black-headed Gull which came too
close. We noted in several cases how Redshanks etched the
sand in short curved lines b}^ drawing their beaks from side to
side. These lines, therefore, as the birds ran along, inter-
sected the long track of foot-prints almost at a right angle. On
' Bower-Rock,' beyond ' Long-Leg,' numbers of Cormorants
were perched on the pointed peaks. Here we saw five Scoters
flying over the waves, their wing-movements being very rapid.
Near Balbriggan another large ' diver ' appeared off the shore.
Examined with the binocular we were very interested to dis.
cover that it was a Black-throated Diver, still retaining on
the throat the conspicuous black marking of the adult nuptial
plumage. We watched the bird in the calm water for some
lime, and as it remained close to us we were afforded ample
opportunity of examining it critically. Its average time under
water was 30 seconds. Close to where the bird was diving a
seal put up its head, and a porpoise was rolling about. The
tide was now quite low, and, scanning the rocks, I caught a
glimpse of a hawk's head. We rapidl}* sought more elevated
ground, from whence we had a full view of the bird. With the
aid of the binocular we found it was a Merlin in immature
plumage. There stood, bolt upright, the spirited little falcon.

iq6 The Irish Naturalist. September,

his bright eye observant of all around him. Presently he
skimmed down and shot along with great rapidity over the
rocks, alighting about two hundred yards off, ready to pursue
the incautious shore bird which perchance came his wa}'.

Wednesday, September 23rd. — A beautiful bright calm day
tempted Mr. Wilkins and me to engage a boat and scull round
the islands. On the pier we picked up a young Guillemot
stoned to death, its legs being broken in several places.^ We
had hardly left the pier when we observed great numbers of
Common Terns fishing. The rocks which fringe the islands
were also tenanted by vast quantities of these birds, which
were accompanied by Black-headed and Herring Gulls. Kitti-
wakes were also present, but in much smaller numbers. Our
interest was soon aroused by the presence of a Skua, and we
witnessed some exciting chases after Gulls and Terns. Several
times we saw the ejected fish snatched up in the air by the
pursuer. As I purpose giving a detailed account of the
feeding-habits of this ' pirate ' gull in a separate paper, I now
pass on without further reference. Suffice it to say that the
species in question was the Arctic Skua, and from its sooty
brownish-black upper parts and white throat, breast, and abdo-
men (these contrast colours being clearly defined), I considered
the bird was an adult and belonged to the light-breasted form.
After spending four hours in watching chiefly the feeding
habits of this bird, we turned our backs on the island and made
for the pier, not, however, until we had made friends with a
big seal which, seeing that we did not intend to harm him,
came closer and closer to the boat until his snorting became
distinctly audible. On the rocks near the pier were perched
numbers of Terns. Among the immature birds we could dis-
cern two plumage-phases : those birds in which the chestnut
markings were still retained on the back and shoulders, and
those which had lost these markings and were replaced by

^ On our way back we picked up a Razorbill with its wiugs fractured,
and several other specimens were also picked up with similar injuries
during my visit. Tlie detestable practice of stoning these innocent birds
when they come close to the rocks should be strongly deprecated. On
several occasions I hunted the 1)oys away, but I fear the practice is in-
dulged in to a large extent. I hope that bird-lovers, who may be at
vSkerries when the Razorbills and Guillemots are in numbers about the
rocks, will exercise their inlluence in stopping this cruelty.

T909. PATTKN. — 0}nithology of Skerries, Co. Dicblin. 197

' freiich grey ' as in the adult plumage, but unlike the latter the
wings were still chequered with grejdsh brown. Many of the
adult birds had assumed the white marking on the forehead,
characteristic of the winter dress. Just outside the pier oppo-
site the bathing-place called ' The Captain's Hole ' v/e observed
two Puffins on the water. They were feeding activeh' judging
from the very brief time they remained on the surface.

Thursday, September 24th. — The greater part of the day was
spent in preserving the skins of Guillemots and Razorbills,
which had been picked up on the beach. One interesting note
I made, however, on the movements of a Sparrow-Hawk. I
was sitting on a rock watching Curlews and Oyster-catchers
foraging in the seaweed when a Sparrow-Hawk swept through
a flock of finches which rose from the adjacent corn-field ;
other small birds rose and pursued him, but evidently he was
not hungry, for more than once his opportunity came to snatch
up his quarr}', which he now deigned to discard. It was
amusing to watch the audacity of the small birds ; however,
a more serious mobbing awaited the Hawk, for as he crossed
the road towards the beach he w^as so set upon b}' three Rooks
that they drove him to the ground, his onh^ mode of ridding
himself of his tormentors being to skim out to sea. The rooks
being unable to keep pace with him pursued only a short dis-
tance. When the hawk found himself once more unmolested
he rose in graceful circling flight to a height in the air and
was soon out of sight.

Friday, September 25th. — A wet stormy day spent indoors.
I made some more bird-skins. In the afternoon I went out for
a short time and noticed that there was a great scarcity of
Swallows. The previous night the wind raged high. A few
Guillemots were coping with wind and wave ; the numbers of
Terns had greatly thinned out, but Curlews and Oyster-catchers
were present in increasing numbers.

Saturday, September 26th. — The exodus of Swallows is still
more evident to-day. The weather being fine, opportunity was
afforded of looking out for these birds at different points, and
they seemed to be decidedly scarce. Roughly estimated I
would say that seven t\'-five per cent, of the Swallows seen were
immature birds.

Sunday, September 27th. — Only a few Terns and Swallows
about the house. At 2 o'clock my wife and I left Skerries for

1^8 The Irish Naturalist. September,

Balbriggan. We took the road as far as " Long-Leg," the
remainder of the walk being along the cliffs. At different
points before reaching ^' Long-Leg " we noticed groups of very
tame Turnstones, whicli continued to forage among the i)ebbles
and weed of the beach within fifteen yards of passing
pedestrians and vehicles. These birds were in immature
plumage. Four Wheatears, in addition to the birds which
daily frequented the rocks near our house, appeared. Of these
two were in adult plumage. They were likely a family group
in which the rest of the brood had scattered. On this point
one might briefly refer to the fact that one or two immature
birds of a brood alread}- quite strong on the wing and well able
to take care of themselves, commonly follow their parents for
a considerable time after the nesting-season is over. One often
sees a young Black-headed, Lesser Black-backed, or Herring
Gull, following one parent for quite a long time after it can
fl\'. It is an interesting point, and the pertinent question
arises : Are some young birds imbued with the facult\- of
independence at an earlier age than others, which makes them
desert their parents, or is it that the parent, no longer able to
support her grown family, continues to feed only the one
which appears backward developmentally ? In many instances
no doubt, part of the brood is lost by the ravages of birds of
2)re}' and other fatalities. We kept a sharp look-out for
Swallows and Terns, but found them scarce all the way between
Skerries and Balbriggan. What Swallows we noticed were
birds of the year.

Having had tea at Balbriggan we returned by the road
arriving at Skerries at 7.20 p.m.

Monday, September 28th. — I made another expedition to
" Long-Leg" in company with Mr. Wilkins. Looking over the
grass-grown cliffs of Barnageara we observed hundreds of
Black-headed Gulls, and, in much less numbers, Terns, " hawk-
ing" for flies and small beetles. With our glasses we plainlx'
saw the birds opening their beaks and caj^turing the insects in
the air. When about to snap up an insect the Gull assumed
a curious attitude ; it allowed it legs to dangle, its neck at the
same time was thrown back between the shoulders and its head
l)ointed upwards, this attitude being associated with a mo-
mentarily suspension in the air. It was a very different move-
ment to that adapted by Swallows and Swifts when feeding.

1909- Patten. — Onnihology of Skerries, Co. Dublin. 199

Despite the slow and awkward attitude assumed, it was re-
markable what a number of insects were consumed. The
white birds were thrown out in bold relief against the dark cliff,
and so thickly were they massed that at a distance the}^ re-
minded one of a snow shower. Now and again the insects
were snapped off blades of grass and blackberry bushes. I may
remark that I have seen a Kestrel hovering within a foot of the
same bushes, and as I doubt that the minute flies which the
Gulls captured were taken, it is probable that the Hawk picked
off the spiders which in numbers had spread their nets on the
bush. Proceeding, we passed " Long-Leg," entering the corn-
fields half a mile further on. Here we remained some time
looking for Wood-Pigeons. Having crept over to the edge of
the low cliff we watched numbers of Herring Gulls pass us on
almost motionless wings. Suddenly, however, the cries of
Curlews, Redshanks, Lapwings, Gulls, and other birds attracted
our attention. The noise proceeeded from " Long-Leg," where
we beheld a great disturbance. The Redshanks were speeding
off over the water ; Lapwings were making for the higher
regions of the atmosphere with all haste. The majorit}' of
Curlews made off; those which attempted to return took fright
anew and hurried away with double haste. In short, the reef
became desolate of bird-life in a very few seconds. Not
altogether desolate, however, for after carefull}' scanning it
with our orlasses we detected the dark form of a bird standing-
upright on a rock. Had we not a powerful binocular at our
disposal I doubt if, at such a distance, we would have made
this discovery, for to the naked e}^ the bird might well have
passed for one of the hundreds of loosely-scattered and super-
posed boulders which characterise the structure of the reef.
But there he was, and with our glasses we proved him to be a
Peregrine, whose sudden advent had struck such terror into the
occupants of the spot he now chose to monopolise. For several
minutes we enjoyed the treat with which we were presented.
The falcon kept motionless, save for an occasional slight turn
of the head, but his bold, piercing black eyes seemed to tell us
that if in his swoop to the reef he had missed his quarr3% his
chance again was near at hand to enter an unwar}' flock, single
out his victim, and bring it to earth with unerring aim. Here
an amusing incident occurred : two Cormorants were winging

200 The Irish Naturalist, September,

their way over the waves towards the reef. Suddenly they
stopped short and dropped like stones into the water, and with
stretched necks and peering looks showed with what terror
the\- had been struck at the sight of the falcon. After a little
time we decide to approach the reef, not without a long and
tedious scramble ; half crawling, half walking, we nearly
reached the spot unknown to the bird, who, when about ninety
yards distance, rose and went off, affording us a splendid view
of his powerful flight and form in the air.

Here then my notes practically come to an end, for the next
day saw me en route for Scotland, and though I was able to
return on Frida}- morning, October 2nd, and remained till
Monday forenoon, October 6th, when we took our final depar-
ture from Skerries, I was prevented from adding much more
to ni}' journal. When leisure allowed I watched for the
Swallows and noted a steady decrease daily. The same may
be said of the Terns ; but our little friends, the Wheatears,
were there to the end to receive our good wishes for a safe
journey across the sea.

Summary.

If the reader of this paper compares its contents with what I
published last October in the pages of the Irish Naturalist, in
an article entitled " Rambles on Achill Island," he will see what
a great difference there was in the nature and amount of
country explored. In Achill ni>- rambles were by no means
confined to the sea-coast, which in itself was very diversi-
fied in nature. On that island I explored mountain, bog, low-
lying slobland, and precipitous cliff-bound shores, and often in
a day's outing many miles were walked. In Skerries, on the
contrary', I never wandered more than a few miles from the
house, and the low, rock}- coast, with its coarse pebbly beach,
constituted the unvaried nature of my hunting-ground, the
only diversity being the patch of sand at Barnageara. P^ven the
reef known as " lyong-l^eg " was but an extension of the rocks
of the beach. And yet, within this limited area, a richer avi-
fauna presented itself not only in the greater quantity of given
species but also in a greater variety of species. This is par-
ticularly noticeable when Mr. Wilkins' list is included, even
when due allowance is made for the birds overlooked by me at

1909- Patten. — 0}nitholoQ;y of Skerries, Co. Dublin. 201

Achill. To the ornithologist it is at once manifest that the
sea and its beach between Skerries and Balbriggan, with which
may be incUided the islands^ teem with bird-life. In the pre-
sent article I have endeavoured to bring to light as many new
facts as could be obtained regarding the habits of many of our
familiar coast-birds ; also to emphasise what may have alread}'
been noticed but perhaps too casually. Lastly, I have suc-
ceeded in adding a few new records of occurrences of species
along this particular part of the Dublin coast.

In conclusion let me say, that the question often arises in my
mind, shall I, after so many years' observations on the habits
of our common shore birds, continue to gather new facts'? By
patient observation I believe I shall, for it seems to me that the
more diligently one studies these attractive creatures the more
one is convinced that the}" possess the faculty of elaborating
their lives, according as circumstance suggest, to a far greater
extent than many of us dare conceive.

The University, Sheffield.

THE AVIFAUNA OF SKERRIEvS

I^ISTKD BY MR. EDGAR WILKINS

Pied Wagtail. Much more coui-
mon than the Grey Wagtail.

Rock- Pipit. Frequent.

Meadow-Pipit.

Spotted Flycatcher.

Chaffinch.

Goldfinch. Fairly frequent.

Greenfinch.

Bullfinch. Much less common than
the Goldfinch.

Linnet.

Rather uncommon.
At the

Frequent.

vSong-Thrush.

INIissel-Thrush.

Blackbird.

Redbreast.

Wheatear. In autumn common
on the beach, on the Islands
and at the '• Bog of the
Ring.'

Sedge-Warbler.

Willow- Warbler.

Chiff"chaff.

Whitethroat.

Hedge,-Sparrow.

Goldcrest.

Wren.

Blue Titmouse.

Coal-Titmouse.
Long-tailed Titmouse.

Great Titmouse.

Grey Wagtail.

Lesser Redpoll.
Reed Bunting.

Ring."
Corn Bunting.
Yellow-Bunting.
House-Sparrow.
Skylark.
Starling.

"Bog of the

Rook.
Jackdaw.

* No remark following the name signifies that the species is common
in the locality.

202 The Irish Naturalist, September,

Magpie. Ringed Plover.

Swallow. Ou August 7th, 1905, I Grey Plover. Occurs on the shore

saw two pure white oues about in vSepteiuber and October.

Baruageara. Green Plover.

House -Martin. Golden Plover. Fairly common,

Saud-Martin. seen usually in flocks with

Swift. Green Plovers.

Cuckoo. 03'ster-Catcher.

Kingfisher. Once seen flying Turnstone.

across the railway station Snipe. Frequent in suitable

towards the sea ; seen also localities.

flying along the shore. Dunlin. Frequent ou the sea-shore.

Long-eared Owl) Often seen about Curlew- Sandpiper. Cry heard at 10
Barn-Owl S Ardgillan by day. p.m. at Barnageara, September

Peregrine Falcon. Frequently seen. 12th, 190S.

Kestrel. Sanderling. One seen in September

Sparrow-Hawk. at Barnageara.

Cormorant. Common Sandpiper.

Shag. Redshank.

Gannet. Occurs from the second Greenshank. Only very occasion-
half of July onward ; one seen all}' heard, not yet seen.

in June, 1909. Bar-tailed Godwit. P'requeut.

Heron. Numerous Breeds in Curlew.

Hampton Demesne. Whimbrel.

Swan. On July nth, 1907, I saw Common Tern.

three large white Swans flying Arctic Tern.

high over Skerries in a lyittle Tern. Much less numerous

northerly direction. P'light than the preceding two species.

very swift ; in long graceful Black-headed Gull.

curves, now to the right, now Common Gull. Not by any means

to the left. Wing movement common.

comparatively slow, but very Kittiwake. Frequent.

strong, making a loud whist- Herring-Gull.

ling noise. Great Black-backed Gull. Frequent.

Sheldrake. For several years a pair Lesser Black-backed Gull. Fre-

uested on Church Island. quent.

Mallard. At the " Bog of the Ring." t^, . t -ii / Swarm along

Common Scoter. Swarms along „ ^ -n A the coast in

"I ^

^ ,, * Common Guillemot , , ^ ,

the coast from the end of Sep- I Aug. & Sept.

tember onward. Puffin. A few seen about the Is-

Ring-Dove. lands.

Rock-Dove. Occasionally crosses Red-throated Diver. Occurs along

from Lambay. the coast from September

Pheasant. Preserved in Hampton. onward.

Land-Rail. Little Grebe. At the " Bog of the

Water- Rail. Nested at the " Bog Ring."

of the Ring" in 1 90S. Manx Shearwater. P'requently seen

Moor-Hen. ^ on the sea between Lambay and

Skerries.

t909. Notes' 203

NOTES.

BOTANY.
Truffles in Co. Kildare.

My gardener dug up two Truffles here in my garden in June. To make
sure, I forwarded them to Kevr, and I was informed that they were speci-
mens of " l^iibcr acstivum, Vitt. (our best edible truffle.)" I had not
previously heard of Truffles being found in Ireland, believmg that the}-
only grew on chalk soil and under beeches. Where these were found
here was on limestone soil running into gravel, and on the edge of a
garden walk.

On getting the Kew report I wrote to Mr. R. M. Barrington, of Fas-
saroe, Bray, who tells me that Truffles have been found in Limerick and
Galway, but are " certainly anything but common " in Ireland, and
suggesting my writing and reporting the find. I shall be glad to know
if there is a likelihood of more being found in the same spot.

Egerton Hammond.
Ballytore, Co. Kildare.

Campylopus brevipilus in Fruit.

In i\\Q /ounial of Botany for April Mr. H. N. Dixon records the finding
in fruit, by Mr. J. Hunter, at Ballyliffin, Co. Donegal, of this moss ; there
is only one previous record (from Norway) of the fruit having been
obtained.

Do Rabbits eat Arum maculatum?

In my shrubberies are many plants of this species, and of J. italicuin.
I have never noticed any part of the plant to be eaten that is above
ground, but in the winter the tubers, especially if near the surface, are
scratched bare and eaten. I have always supposed this was done by
rabbits or pheasants. Certainly something eats them,

Spencer H, Bickham.
Underdown, Ledbury.

I have noted with interest the query raised by Mr. Barrington in the
last issue of the Irish Naturalist as to fragments of the Wild Arum being
found, and also the interesting comments by Dr. Pethybridge regarding
the poisonous nature of this plant. My object in writing upon this
subject is to record the fact that I have recently observed the adult Oil
Beetle {Melde violaceus) feeding ravenously upon the leaves of ^;7^w macu-
latum^ and an entomological friend who hunts for Lepidoptera informs
me that some kinds of larvae also feed upon the leaves. I have found
primrose blossoms nipped off in pieces in the spring, and often wondered
who were the culprits. Can readers of this Journal throw any light
upon the matter ?

W. Percivai. Wkstei.1..

Letch worth, Herts.

204 The Irish Natiualist. September,

The Botanical Analysis of a Feeding Stuff.

The foUowiii}^ analysis of a feeding stuff which was sent up from
Greystones to the Public Health Laboratory this year may be of interest,
as show ing how foreign species may be accidentally introduced into this
country. Seeds were contained in it belonging to the following 24
species : —

Antheniis ColuUiy Avcua sativa, Ihassita arvciisis /, Caineiina sat'n'a.Cttitaiirea
nieliteiists, Ccratochloa aiis/rah's, Chenopodiiini a/bii/ii, Gcraiiinin dissecliini,
Liniiin iisilatissimnin^ Loliiim rciiio'.um, Medicago saliva, Panic 11 ni capillars
Plialaris anindinacea. Polygonum aviciihire. P. Convolvulus, A'lti/ir.x conglonicratus!
A', ii ispus, P. obtusifolius^ R. pralensis ? Sccalc ccrcale, Setaria viridis. Silybuni
Marianu/n, 7'riliiuin sativum. Verbena offiiinalis.

Of these, Centaurca tnelitensis and Setaria viridis are found in Kastern

Europe ; Loliuni reniotum is a native of Europe and Western Asia : Pani-

cum capillarc occurs in North America, and Ccratochloa australis in South

America. I am indebted to Miss Hensman and Miss Kuowles for the

identification and the distribution of the above species.

J. Adam.S.
Royal College of Science, Dublin.

ZOOLOGY.

Additional localities for the new Irish Vitrina.

It is now two years since Mr. J. \V. Taylor, F.L.vS., at the Cork
Triennial Field Club Conference, announced the discovery of a second
species of Vitrina to the Britannic area, from specimens sent him by
Mr. P. H. Grierson from Lord INIassareene's demesne at Collon, Co.
Louth." Lentil INIay of this year no further locality for the species was
discovered, but in this month when on my way from Droghedato Collon
I found a number of specimens, all dead, at the roots of grass around
the ruins of some cottages by the roadside about a mile and a half east
of the original habitat. A few days later, when the Belfast Naturalists'^
Field Club were vi.siting the Boyue Valley, the shell was found in two
additional localities by Mr. R. Welch, first at Mellifont Abbey, where
one dead shell was collected, and secondly at Monasterboice, where two
full grown live and about a dozen dead specimens, includingtho.se found
by "Mr. J. N. Milne and nn'self, were obtained. INJoss growing at the
roots of grass was in all cases the habitat and the species was associated
with Vitrina pellucida, Helix rotundata, //. hispida and Coclilicopa lubrica in
all three localities, while Ilyalinia pura also occurred .with it at one of
them. All the new stations are also in Co. Louth, though at Mellifont
the find was made within a few yards of the Mattock River which here
divides the counties of Louth and Meath.

A W, Stei.fox.

Belfast.

' J. W. Taylor in /;. Nat., August, IC/O"]— Vitrina eloni^afa. Rev. V,. W.
Bowell, in Jr. A*//., May, 1908 — Vitrina pyrcnaica. J. W. Taylor in Mon.
L. & F.-W. Moll, of the British Isles, Part 15, Oct., \<)oS— Vitrina hibcrnica.

1909. Notes. 205

Vertigo moulinsiana in Queen's County.

While botanizing near Durrow, Queen's Co., in May last I discovered

this interesting little niollusk in a swamp by the Erkina river. A few of

the specimens seen were adult, the remainder, and more riumerous,

being onh' about half-grown. This species apparently spends its

juvenile state during the early summer months feeding low down among

the marsh debris. T.ater on, towards the autumn, when fully grown, the

animals ascend the grasses, reeds, and other plants, and finally hibernate

on the stems and withering leaves that during the winter months stand

stiff and well out of reach of the stagnant waters of the marsh. In

October, 1908, I saw at Tinnahinch, Co. Carlow, its only other known

Irish station, over fifty fully-grown individuals on a single leaf of the

Hemp- Agrimony.

R. A. PHiiyr.TPS.
Cork.

Limnsea involuta in Co. Cork.

This very rare little water-snail, hitherto known to exist only in
Crincaum Lake, near Killarney, was found by me in August last in Barley
Lake, a mountain tarn in West Cork. The specimens, which have been
verified by several authorities, differ from the Killarney ones in being
rather smaller and slightly narrower in outline ; in the intorted spire and
texture of the shell they are indentical.

R. .\. PHii^rjPS.

Cork.

Helix hortensis in Co. Down.

A third north-eastern locality must be recorded for this land-shell,
Mr. J. N. INIilne having found it living on Maliee Island, vStrangford
Lough. To make certain that it was this species and not one of the
small white-lipped forms of //. iieinoraiis, so common on the west
Donegal coast (and which turn up occasionally in inland localities), we
had the animal dis.sected by the Rev. W. W. Bowell, who reports that it
is undoubtedly H. hortensis. Though fairly common in many places in
eastern and south-eastern Ireland, this is an excessively local and
usually rare species in L'lster ; four localities only^ being hitherto
known, including one each in Down and Antrim.

R. WEivCir.

Belfast.

The Nudibranch Genus Lomanotus.

In a recent paper {^Anu, Mag. Nat. Hist. (8). vol. ii., Aug., 1908, pp.
208-215;, X. Colgan gives an interesting summary of our knowledge of
this rare genus of nudibranchs, mentioning a number of Irish record.s,
and reducing the six species hitherto recognised to two, viz., [,. niarvio-
ratus, Alder and Hancock (with /.. Geuei,L. portlandicus 2i\\(\. /,. Hancocki as
synonyms) and Z. Eisigii. Trinchese. The former variable species ranges
from the Mediterranean to the vShetlands, while the latter is confined to
the Bay of Naples,

^ See I.N., vol. xvi., p. 251, 1907.

2o6 The Irish Natiaalist. September,

Locomotion and the Use of Slime threads in Irish Marine

Mollusca.

In a valuable paper {Ann. Mag, Nat. Hist. (S), vol. iii., April, 1909,
pp. 354-362), N. Colgan gives the results of his observations on the loco-
motive powers of some species of marine Mollusca, chiefly Gastropods,
and more especially on the use made of the slime-threads as an aid to
locomotion. Mr. Colgan begins by remarking that "every student of
the marine Mollusca is familiar with the fact that the Gastropods in
general have a strong propensity to float foot upwards on any still-water
surface the}' may be enabled to reach b}^ crawling, and thatman}- of them
are accustomed to suspend themselves beneath that surface by means of
slime-threads or attenuated strings of the mucus which all of them so
freely secrete."

After referring to Gray's and Wallis Kew's statements on the power
possessed by a few of our native species of marine Mollusca of re-ascend-
ing to the surface of the water by means of these slime-threads, Mr.
Colgan states that out of eighteen County Dublin species placed under
observation last year no less than ten were seen to climb up along their
suspensory slime-threads to the surface of the water from which they
had descended ; he has moreover little doubt but that further observa-
tions would have shown many others of the eighteen to possess the same
power. He then proceeds to give details of the behaviour of the ten
species observed to climb by their suspensory threads.

Mr. Colgan also noted the rates of vertical travel up the sides of
graduated glass tubes of 16 out of the 18 species placed under observa-
tion ; the slowest rate of travel was observed in two species of Rissoa,
which took 3 minutes to travel i inch, and the quickest rate in two
species of Eolis (^E. Farrani and E. Drjtmmondt) which took only 15 and
13 seconds respectively to do the same distance.

The Char of Lough Currane.

I am indebted to Mr. W. M'EHigott, of Waterville, for a Char caught
by him in Lough Currane. The specimen is of interest, as it l)elongs to
the form named Salvelinus Colii, previously known to occur only in
Galway and Southern Donegal, and differs considerably from the Cooma
saharn fish (5. finilm'ahis), or the Char of Acoose and Killarney (.V. obhisiis)
The Currane fish presents all the characters mentioned by me as distinc
tive of .S". Colli {/ris/i Natin-a/isl, 1909, page 4). and appears to l)e absolutely
identical with examples from the type locality, Lough Raske, in Donegal
The wide range of 5. Colii is in harmony with my supposition that it is
the most generalized type of Irish Char.

I shall be very glad to have Char from any part of Ireland, and I hope
that readers of the Irish Naturalist may be able to send me some.

C. TaTK RkCxAN.
British Museum (Natural History),
London, S.W.

1909. • Notes. 207

Blackbird eating Ivy Berries.

In a previous number of the Irish Naturalist I referred to the occurrence

of numerous Iv) seedlings in my garden. The seeds formed part of th^

excreta of some bird, but I was unable to say what species. On the i6th

of April of this year I observed a female Blackbird devouring eighteen

ivy berries at one meal. In his important pamphlet on "The Food of

some British Birds," Newstead mentions the Mistle-Thmsh as eating ivy

berries, but he does not appear to have observed the Blackbird feeding

on the same species of fruit.

J. Adams.
Royal College of Science, Dublin.

A Summer Fieldfare in Co. Down.

On the 8th, 21st, and 26th July I saw a Fieldfare on a rough hill called

Moneyscalp, in this neighbourhood. The part of the hill on which I saw

the bird is covered with bracken, and on each occasion the bird was

hiding in the fern, as if it knew that it had no business to be in these

parts at this time of the year. I should be glad to know if Fieldfares

often remain in this country during the summer.

Ross L. LanXtTrv.
Bryansford, Co. Down.

Wood Wren at Londonderry.

I believe I can record the occurrence of the Wood Wren ( Phylloscopa
sihilatrix Bechstein), at Londonderry. On 17th April, at 7 a.m., I heard
the song under my bedroom window in our garden at Templemore Park.
Then at 5.55 a.m. on i8th April I heard it again from my neighbour's
garden. I hurried out and saw the little bird flying from a sycamore
tree but too far off to judge more than that it was a small warbler.
I had heard the Wood Wren singing at close quarters in Yorkshire and
recognized the song, " Cheep, cheep, cheep, tzie, tzie, tzn\ tzie." It
cannot, I think, be confounded with that of any other local biid. I
heard the song once or twice on later dates but never managed to get a
sight of the bird.

Londonderry. D. C. Campbei^i,.

Long-tailed Field-Mice.

I should be verj' much obliged if readers of the Irish Naturalist takin^'-

an interest in Mammals would catch as many Long-tailed Field-Mice

{^Mus sylvatiius)—a.s the}' conveniently can, pickle them, and send them to
the British Museum or to the National Museum, Dublin, for examination.

The reason I want this done is that hitherto no specimen of any re-
presentative of the larger Yellow-necked Mouse {Mus flavicollis) has been
taken in Ireland, and I should like to make sure that it does not occur
over here Its absence from Ireland suggCvSts many theoretical con-
siderations concerning the mode of arrival of the Field Mice in this
country, and its discovery in Ireland would be of importance.

G. e;. H. Barrett-Hamii^ton.
Kilmanock, Co. Wexford.

2oS The Irish Natiiralisf. September, T909.

The Irish Otter.

I am interested to find thnt "as far as the skull is concerned " Dr.
Scharffthinks the Irish Otter is not specifically distinguishable from the
British, because this conclusion was independently formed at the British
IVIuseum. and b}- no less an expert in the discrimination of species and
subspecies than Mr. G. S. Millar, Junior, Curator of Mammals, vSmith-
sonian Institution, Washington.

G. E. H. Barrktt-H.\mit,tox.
Kilmanock, Co. Wexford,

Number of Young of Stoat.

I fear my friend Dr. Scharff's conclusion that the Irish Stoat is more
prolific than the English and German can hardly be sustained on the
evidence produced by him {supra, p. 160). The number of young of
the English Stoat has been at diiferent times recorded as varying between
two and thirteen per litter. The higher numbers are of course, excep-
tional, but the famih- of thirteen as well as others of eleven and ten were
examined bv perfectlv trustworthv observers, and the thirteen voune
ones were all newly born and alive. But such efforts to perpetuate their
race are insignificant besides a Scandinavian instance of sixteen known
to Professor CoUett.

Dr. Scharff's record is quite interesting, because ver}' few records of
the number of young per litter of the Irish Stoat are available.

G. E. H. Barrktt-Hamii.ton.
Kilmanock, Co, Wexford

IRISH SOCIETIES.

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Recent gifts include a Seal-cub from Mr. N. May, a Badger from Capt.
Naper two Fox-cubs from ]\Ir. C. A. Clarke, four Sparrow-Hawks from
Mr. M. Colgan, a vSong-thrush from Mr. Flood, and a Pike from Dr. C.
A. Ball. A pair of Black Spider Monkeys, an Opossum and a Kestrel have
l)een acquired. The vSpider IVIonkeys are highly interesting additions to
the collection ; they have been placed in a large cage next the Gibbons,
and it is very instructive to compare the method of climbing and jump-
ing of the two tj^pes ; while the Spider Monkeys are provided with
splendid prehensile tails, the tailless Gibbons are dependent on their
long arms for the accomplishment of their wonderfully agile leaps. All
visitors to the monkey-house will regret the loss of the friendly little
Chimpanzee ''Jane," who died unexpectedly in the last week of Jul}*.
Eight young Rheas have been successfully hatched in the Gardens
and are making good progress under the care of the father bird.

October, 1909. The Irish Naturalist. 209

NOTES ON IRISH PLANTS.

BY GEORGE CLARIDGE DRUCE, M.A., F.L.S.

Ill June this year I spent a few days in Clare, Galway, and
Sligo, when I saw most of the following plants. One or two
were found some 3'ears ago, but I have not previously recorded
them, as they have only recently been identified. The delight-
ful coast scenery of Co. Clare is a feature which no botanist
should miss visiting- The plants which are new to Irish
Topooraphical Bota7iy^ or believed to be additional, are marked
with an asterisk. Those which are not native have t prefixed.
Ranunculus trichophyllus, Chaix. — Gort, 15.
R. heterophyllus, Weber. — Newtown, Gort, 15.
R. pcltatus, Schrank. — Gort, 15.

Van truncatus (Hierii). — Gort, 15.

Var. penicillatus (Duni.)— Gort, River Suck, Lougbrea, 15.
R. Baudot! i, Godr.— Lougb Luirk, near Muckinish, 9.
*R. Steveni, Andr. — Near Wicklow, 20; near Glasnevin, 21.
R. Auricomus, L,— Near tbe ' Puncbbowl,' Gort, 15.
*CaItha radicans, Forst. — Sbore of Lougb Derg near Rossmore, by

the River Suck, Gort, Lough Rea, 15 ; Gleucar, 28.
Aquileg:ia vulgaris, L.— Near Ardrahan, 15.
Papaver hybridum, L — Near Roo. 15.
Radicula Nasturtium-aoiuatfcunri, B. and R., var. microphylla,

Druce. — Near Ben Bulben, 28.
Barbarea arcuata, Reichb.— Near Gort, 15. The flowers are distinctly

larger than those oi B. lyiata.
t3. verna, Asch.— Murrough, *9 ; casual.
*Cardaminc flexuosa, With.— Ballyvaughan, 9.
tHcsperis matronalis, L — Base of Ben Bulben, 28: near Clare-

niorris, *26. Well established.
Brassica alba, Boiss.— Ballyvaughan, 9.
Vioia canina, L., and a form suggesting traces of stagnii\a parentage,

— Margin of Lough Derg, 15.
V. canina x stagn I na.— Unmistakably this hybrid, near Tirneevin;
growing with both parents, *I5. V. stagnina grew in the dampest
part of the turlough, V, canina on the upper and drier ground; the
hybrid was more frequent in the intermediate part.
V. Curtisii, Forst., var. IVIackaii, Wats. — Murrough, 9 ; Wicklow
sandhills, 20. Very luxuriant and beautiful in the latter situation.
Polygala serpyllacea, Weihe.var. major, Rouy and Fouc. (but not
an extreme form). — Base of Ben Bulben, 28. A very beautiful plant.
The small area where peat occurs, at the base of the mountain, was
the locality. On the limestone cliffs of the mountain P. vulgaris^ L.,
^QX, grandiflora, Bab., was in magnificent flower, and really appears to
be a sub-species rather than variet}-. The var. major of P. serpyllacea^
was associated with Montia, Vacciniiim Myrtillus^ &c.

A

2IO The Irish Naturalist. October,

Polygala vulgaris, L. — A pretty form, with small dark blue flowers,

occurs by the railway at Ardrahan, 15
Silene Cucubalus, Wib., van hirsuta (Gray).— Castle Taylor, 15.
Cerastium tctranduin, Curtis./^r/A'a caespitosa.— A deusely-tufted
dwarf form occurred on walls in Gahvay town, 16. Very luxuriant
at Murrough and Muckinish, 9 ; also on sandhills south of Wicklow,
20.
C. arvense, L., van Andrewsli, Syme.— Slopes of Cappanawalla,9 ;

a stiff, glabrous plant.
Arenaria vcrna, L.— Local at Black Head and near Cregg, 9.
A. tcnuifolia, L.— Railway near Castlegrove, 17; abundant near Ard-
rahan, 15 ; near Ballindine, *26. An alien species rapidly extending
its area along the permanent way of the railway systems like Linaria
viitior and Sejjccio sqnalidus in England.
Sagina maritima, Don, van debilis (Jord.)— Near Maghera, 20.
lYIontia fontana, L. (=il/. la77iprosperma, Cham.)— Rare near Rahelly

House, 28.
Hypericum quadrangulum, L. {ff.duhmw, Leers).— Cahir valley, 9.
Rhamnus catharticus, L. . var. prostrata. — Leaves small, four-
fifths by three-fifths of an inch, plant small, 6-12 in., quite prostrate,
growing on the limestone rocks between Gort and Tirneevin, 15.
In the Cyb. Hib.^ p. 79, a prostrate form oi R. Frangida is said to grow
outside Garryland Wood, near Gort, but I did not notice it.
Potentilla procumbens, Sibth.— Derrynane, i ; near Wicklow, 20.
P. fruticosa, L.— The Irish plant (/ hibernica)^\\\Q\\ grows in the fur-
loughs near Ballyvaughan, has narrower leaf-divisions than the
Teesdale plant.
AlGhcmllla vuIgariSj L., van minor, Huds. {A. fdicatilis, Buser). —
Ballyvaughan, 9.

Var. glabra, DC— Ben Bulben, 28.
Var. pratcnsis (Schmidt).— Ballyvaughan, 9.
* Agrimonia odorata, I\Iill. — Near Ardrahan, 15.
Rosaspinosissima,L.,y^r///a rosea. — Petals often dark rose-coloured,

near Ballyvaughan, 9 ; pale-pink on the Wicklow coast, 20.
Pyrus Aria, Ehrh. — By the railway (but not planted) between

Athenry and Galway, 15.
Carum Carvi, L. — Alien by the river at Galway, 16.
Galium boreale, L — Very small plants at Newtown, Garryland, 15.
Sherardia arvensis, L. — Unmistakably native at Black Head, 9.
flnula Helenium, L.— Newtown, Galway, etc., 15.
•j-Wlatricaria suaveolens, Buch.- Lough Rea, 15; Ballandine, *26.
fPetasites fragrans, Presl.— Near Sligo, 28.
Cirsium arvense. Scop.— Ascends to 1,600 feet in Sligo.
Lapsana communis, L.— Very glandular at Muckinish, 9.
Crepls taraxacifolia, Thuill.— Abundant about Ballyvaughan, 9;

near Newtown, 15.
C. vlrens, L , *var. agrcstts, W. and K.— Ardrahan, 15.
C. biennis, L.— Ballyvaughan, 9.

1909

Druce. — Notes on Irish Plants. 211

Taraxacum laevigatum, DC, var. crythrospcrmum (Andr.)—
Black Head, 9; Lough rea, 15 ; Wicklow, 20.

Tragopogron pratensis, Iv. — Ardrahan, 15.

Staticc Itnearifolia, Lat.-- Black Head, 9; Galway, 16; vSligo Bay
28 ; Wicklow, 20.

•j-Symphytuin pyrcgri num, L/cdeb. — Three miles from Sligo, to-
wards Ben Bnlbeii, alien, 28.

Cuscuta Epithymum, Murray. — Either this or C. Tn'folii growsin a.
pasture about a mile south of Black Head, 9. It was not yet flower-
ing when I saw it.

Veronica montana, L. — ' Punchbowl " woods, Gort, 15.

Euphrasia Rostkovlana, Hayne. — Ballyvaughan, 9.

IVIentha piperita, L.— Ballyvaughan, shown me by Mr. P. B. O'Kelly.

IVI. verticil lata, Huds.— As a small, quite glabrous, non-odorous form
at Garryland, 15.

*Lamium hybrlduin, Vill. — Near Murrough, 9.

Ulmus stricta, Iviudl. — Under this probably come the small-leaved
strict-branched trees near Gort, 15.

U. campestris, L. {U. montana, Stokes).— Dalystown, 15.

fPopuIus nigra, Iv. — The true Italian species in the common Irish
tree, I saw it in divisions 9, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 25, and near Tuani, 26.

*tP- deltofdea. Marsh (/'. w^;///z/i?ra, Ait.)— Near Gort, 15.

Orchis mascula, L. — Often grows on very dry calcareous pastures in
Clare and Galway. It varies much in colour and also in the cutting
of the perianth lobes.

O. maculata, L, var. O' Kelly i (nov. var.) — This plant, which has been
known to Mr. P. B. O'Kelly for many years, he pointed out to me in
the immature condition. He has since sent me fresh specimens,
which have confirmed my view as to its distinctness as a variety or
sub-species of 0. viaciilata. It is quite frequent over a large area of
limestone country about Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, and retains its
character under cultivation in different soil. It may be diagnosed
as follows : —

Plant 9-14 inches high. Root-tubers two, each deeply divided into two
spreading recurved fleshy parts. Leaves long, keeled, very narrow,
not acute, spotted, pale green. Flowers in a dense oblong-cylindric
blunt (not tapering) spike. Bracts shorter than the flowers, and incon-
spicuous. Flowers pure white, smaller than in f?iaciclata. Three seg-
ments of the labellum narrow, oblong, sub-acute ; the middle segment
longer and as broad as the lateral. Flowering in July. From O. ma':ulata
it differs by its unspotted and narrower leaves and pure white flowers,
which are also slightl}' firmer in texture ; by its oblong-cylindric blunt
spike, and by the shape of the flowers. From the variety /ner^;f of O.
maadata {0. ericeiorzi?n, Linton), it is still more removed b}' the above
characters. Perhaps they are both soil varieties; one, with its
narrower leaves and different-shaped spike, being limited to dis-
tinctly calcareous soils, with more complete drainage ; the other,
which flowers earlier, with its very broad labellum, in which the

A 2

212 The Irish NaUiralist. October,

middle division is smaller and shorter than the lateral, and with a
peculiarly conical head, is the plant of peaty situations ; whereas
the type prefers the trough of valleys on clay soils, although able like
other hydrophytes to flourish on the impervious beds of the chalk
hills. Rarely in the new variety there is a dot or two of colour near
the base of the labellum. From its being known so long to its finder,
who has done so much to investigate the flora of his rich neieh-
bourhood, and who had in fact called it itmnaciilata, I have, with his
permission, connected his name with this interesting plant.
Sparg:anium minimum, Fries.— Garr3'land, 15.
Potamogeton lanceolatus, Sm., v-xr. hibernicus, Arth. Benn.—
Cahir river, in its classic locality where Mr. P. B. O'Kelly pointed it
out to me. In the ver}' immature condition in which I saw it, it
looked quite different from the Anglesey lanceolatus. ]\Ir. O'Kelly has
since sent me more matured plants, which I have sent to Mr. Hunny-
bun to sketch, and to Mr. Fryer to grow. I await the opinion of the
latter botanist, who has made this genus his peculiar study, with con-
siderable curiosity.
*P. angrustifolius, Presl. [P. Zizi/.)~-ln the river near Newtown,

15-
Eleocharis acicularls, Br. -near Newtown, 15.
Scirpus pauciflorus, Lightf.— Near Feena, 9; near Ben Bulben, 28.
S. rufus, Schrad.— Near Seamount House, 28; with it, and sometimes

on the same plant, the bracteate form {bifolius).
*Eriophorum paniculatum, Druce. (^. latifoliuw^ Iloppe).— In a

calcareous marsh near Feena,. 9.
SchOBiius nigrricans, L.— As a small slender form ( 6 inches high)
with few-flowered spikes, near Newtown, 15.

Carcxflava, L., var. minor, Towns, {ccdocarpa^ Anders) Lough Derg,

15-
*C. Oederi, Retz, var. subglobosa (Mielich). — By Lough Neagh, Co.

Antrim. A new variety to the Britain Isles, named by Kiikenthal.
C. panlcea, L. — Very luxuriant by Lough Derg, 15.
C. Coodenowii, Gay, var. recta, Fleisch. — Lough Derg, 15 ; near
Roo, 9 ; Glencar, 28.

Var. chIorostachya(Reichb.), Druce. — Gort, 15.
C. diandra, vSchrauk. — Near DrumclifT, 28.
Ci disticha, Huds. — As a neat dark-plumed form at Roo, 15.
C. arenaria, Huds., var. remota, Marss. — Wicklow coast, 20.
Koeleria cristata, Pers. — In his recent monograph, Dr. Domin has
shown that this plant, in the strict sense, does not occur in the
British Isles; our commonest form is probably K. gracilis ^ Pers., but
the common form is the one with more downy culm and florets,
which Domin names *K. britannica. This occurs in Ireland at *Bally-
vaughan, 9; Ardrahan, 15 ; Glencar, Ben Bulben, 28.
*K. albescens, DC, var. grlabra, DC— Derrynane, i. New to Ire-
land I believe.
Poapratensis, L., var. subcaeruIea(Sm.) — Mnrrough, Muckinish, 9.
P. trivialis, L., var. glabra, Doell.— Gort, 15.

T909- Druce. — Notes on Irish Plants. 213

Asplenium marinum, L. — Very luxuriant ou the limestone pave-
ment near Black Head, 9.

Equisetum palustre, I/, var. nudum, Newm. -Abundant near
Drumcliff, 28 ; on the sands near Rockfield, 20.

*E. variegatum, Schleicher.— Glen Cahir, 9. With it was another
plant which, with some other critical forms, shall be reported on
later.

Chara aspera, Willd. — Lough Rea, 15.

C. contraria, Kuetz.— Lough Rea, Lough Derg, 15.

C. hispida, L. — Abundant near Lough Rea, 15.

Tolypclla glomcrata, Leonli. — Abundant in the river at Newtown.

High-street, Oxford.

ADDITIONx\L RECORDS OF IRISH COLEOPTKRA.

BY REV. W. F, JOHNSON; M.A., F.E.S.

I find a number of species in my collection which I have
neglected to record, and I propose now to remedy that defect.
I am much inde1)ted to Mr. F. Balfour Browne, F.Z.S., for
kind help with some of the water-beetles ; he went through
all my specimens and succeeded in detecting several species
which I had overlooked.
Haliplus flavicollis, Sturm. — Poyntzpass, in the canal and adjacent

drains.
Hydroporus septentrionalis, Gyll. — Dean's River, Armagh.
H, umbrosus, Gyll. — Canal near Scarva, but in Co. Armagh.
H. vittula, Er.— Poyntzpass.
H, incog^nitus, Sharp. — Ardara, Co. Donegal.
H. celatus, Clark. — Poyntzpass. This species has been regarded as a

sj'nonyra for H. longtdus, Muls, but I am informed by Mr. E. A.

Newbery that Seidlitz, in his work on the Dytiscidas, separates

ct'latus and longiilus as follows : —
A. Klytra with diffuse punctuation, without pubescence, strongly

shining, black ; thorax more finely punctuated on middle of disc,

1. 3 — 3.5 m.m. In the South of France and in Spain (Pyrenees,

Pandellf). to/ii^itliis, Muls.

A. A. Elytra densely punctured, finely pubescent, little shining;

thorax scarcely more finely punctured on disc than margins, black ;

legs and antennae pale red ; sometimes the elytra are reddish ; 1.

3 m.m. In England and France. celatus, Clark.

In the last European catalogue (1906), longiihis Rey. is given as a

synonym oi celatus Clark. It seems doubtful that loiigiilus of Mulsant

is a British insect. Celatus Clark, however, is, Mr. Newbery tells

me, in his experience widely distributed in England and Wales

2iA The Irish Natnralist* October,

and Canon Fowler^ gives several localities in Scotland. In Ireland

it has been recorded from Downhill, Co. Londonderry, by the late

INIr. Bnclde^ and from Kinsale, Co. Cork, by Mr. Balfonr Browne. ^
Agrabus guttatus, Payk.— Clay Lake, Keady, Co. Armagh.
A. chalconotus, Panz. — Longh Shark, Co. Down.
Ilybius ater, De G. — Lough Shark, Co. Down.
Rhantus cxoletus, Forst. — Lough Shark, Co. Down.
R. notatus, Berg. — Poyntzpass.
Philhydrus coarctatus, Gredl.— Lough Shark.
Laccobius tnlnutus, L. — Lowry's Lough, Ardmore, Lough Neagh,

Co. Armagh ; Strandtown, Co. Down.
L. bipunctatus, F.— Strandtown, Kilkeel ; the Strandtown speci-
mens were taken by W. H. Patterson, M R.I.S., who most kindly

forwards me any beetles he meets with.
Hydraena Britteni, Joy.— MuUimore, Armagh; Mr. Balfour Browne

detected two specimens of this beetle among my series oi H. riparia.

It was described b}' Dr. Joy* from specimens sent him by Mr.

Britten from the North of England, and from Ballycastle, Co.

Antrim, where it was taken by Mr. Tomliu.
Homalota pag-ana Er. — Coolmore, Co. Donegal.
Stenus canaliculatus, Gyll. — Lough Shark, Co. Down.
Longitarsus atriceps, Kuts. -Poyntzpass.
L, suturaiis, IMarsh, Omeath.

^ British Coleoptera, vol. i.
Irish Naturalist, vol. ix., 1900.

^ Irish Naturalist, vol. xvi., 1907,

■* Ent. Mo. Mdg., xliii., 1907, p. 79.

Poyntzpass.

NEWS GLEANINGS.

Belfast Naturalists' Field Club.

We have received the •' Annual Report and Proceedings" for 1908-9,
which contain the usual abstracts of papers and reports of excursions.
The volume points to an active year's work A number of records of
plants and animals will be found in its pages.

The British Association.

We hear that our valued contributor Prof C. J. Patten has been acting
as Secretary to the Anthropological Section at the Winnipeg meeting.
A paper on the breeds of British and Irish cattle was read by Professor
James Wilson, of the Royal College of Science, before the Agricultural
sub-section.

I909' LiNT^oN. — A Neiv Thymics for hda7id. 215

A NEW THYMUS FOR IRELAND.

BY THK REV. E. F. LINTON, M.A.

On a fortunate da}^ in 1885, the Rev. W. R. Linton and I
drove from Portumna, gathering Sisyrinchmni aicgiisiifoliuni
Mill, at Woodford, and hncla salicina L- at Ro3sniore. At
Rossniore I took a Thymus of large growth with the habit of
what we called T. ChavK^drys till lately, but with the creeping
barren stems of T. Serpylluvi L- This Thyme has lately been
seen by Dr. Domin, and named by him T. Low y anus Opiz {T.
collimcm MB.). This is an addition to the flora of the British
Isles (see Joiun., Bot., 1908, p. 33).

Mr. E. G. Baker has kindly supplied me with the original
description of Z". L6vya7ius (which Dr. Domin spells " Lowy-
anus") : —

Th3'mus Lovyanus Opiz (Naturalientausch ix., p. 105).
Caule repente ramis adscendentibus pilis patentibus ; foliis
oblongo-ovatis petiolatis glabris basi ciliatis ; floralibus sessili-
bus oblongis obtusis ramorum steriliorum obovatis longe
petiolatis ; floribus verticillato-capitatis pedunculis pilis bre-
vissimis reflexis obtectis; calicibus pilis patentibus concolori-
bus ; corollis calyce sequalibus ; staminibus inclusis.

Opiz Anth. Herb.; Nro. 23.

Pragse, Lovy.

Intermedins inter T. praecox Opiz et T. serpens Opiz.

The verticillate inflorescence gives the plant a strong look
of T. ovatus Miller, at first sight, the species which has been
most often in this country mistaken for T. Chamcedrys Fr.

For the complete distribution of T. Lovya^ius^ and a full ac-
count of the genus, we must await a further paper from Dr.
Domin. He has given his name to specimens in my herbarium
from Moravia, collected by Herr Ad. Schwoder and issued as T.
anoustifo lilts Pers. (part of the sheet being confirmed as rightly
named); and he identifies T. Loiyanus with T. coUlnus MB.,
placed by Nyman as a variety under T. nionlaniis W.K., a
species of S-E- Europe occurring from Dalmatia and Hungary
to S. Russia. The Irish station is thus far removed from
published localities, the nearest being its original habitat at
Prague.

Salisbury.

2i5 7hc Irish Naiiira/ist. October,

OBSERVATIONS O^ THE WEIGHTS OF BIRDS'

EGGS.

BY NEVIN H. FOSTER, M.B.O.U.

I have previously recorded in tlie pages of the I?'ish Nahiralist ^
the measurements and weights of eggs of some 94 species of
birds, and these notes are now supplemented by a few which I
have been enabled to examine during the past two 3^ears.
As on former occasions, except where otherwise stated, the
eggs were fresh when weighed ; but in two or three instances
the measurements and weights are repeated, owing to previous
clutches examined having undergone considerable incuba-
lion.

Chough (^Pyrrhocorax graculus).

Inch. Inch. Grahis. luch. Inch. Grains.

1-07 =: 237.^ 1-5 X IT = 23Ii

i-o8 = 2374 1-5 X ro7 = 224

ri5 = 246

Raven {Corvus cor ax). •

Inch. Inch. Grains.

1-55

X

1-55

X

1-47

X

2-23

X

1-36

491^

2 -08

X

1-42

503

2-

X

1-34

378

Carrion Crow [Corvus corone). Three-quarters hatched.
Inch. Inch. Grains.

An Enghsh-taken clutch.

175

X

IT5

273

175

X

it6

— 290

176

X

I-I5

276^

176

X

ri6

Broken.

Hooded Crow {Corvus comix).

Inch. Inch. Grains. Almost hatched.

1-86 X 1-2 = 298
173 X it6 = 271I

1 vol. xi., pp. 237-245 ; vol. xii. pp. 295-297 ; voh xvi., pp. 315-319-

1909- Foster. — Observations on Weights of Birds'* E^gs. 217

Swift {Cypselusa pus).
Inch. Inch. Grains. Inch. Inch. Grains.

(a) Almost hatched. 1-07 x '64 = 42 (6) Fresh. 1-15 x -61 = 55

1-05 X -64 = 49i
r X -65 = 41

Barn-OwIv (Strix flamtnea)^
Inch. Inch. Grains.

1-64 X 1-26 S=: 348
T-62 X 1-26 = 353

1-57 X 1-24 = 301

In this clutch the first and second eggs were fresh, but the third was
rotten.

I/ONG-EARKD OWI, {Asio otus).

Inch. Inch. Grains.

17 X 1-28 =s 374
1-6 X 1-25 = 343i
1-58 X 1-25 = 342i

PKREGRINE Fai^CON (Fako peregrinus).
Inch. Inch. Grains. Inch. Inch. Grains.

2-1 X 17 = 776* 2- X 1-65 = 697

2-12 X 172 = 804 2-07 X 1-65 = 701

Cormorant {Phalacrocorax carbo).

Inch. Inch. Grains.

1-65 = 978
1-65 = 963
1*65 = 9o6i

G AN NET (5«/a bassana).
Inch. Inch, Grains. Inch. Inch. Grains.

{a) 3-2 X 1-88 = 1.550 {b) 3-07 X 1-95 = 1,576

Common Scoter {CEdemia nigra).
Inch. Inch. Grains.

2*53 X 175 =^ 1.066
2-58 X 177 = i»^23

A 3

272

X

27

X

2-56

X

2lS

The Irish Naturalist.

October,

Common Sheld-Duck {Tadortta comutd).

nch.

Inch.

Grains.

Inch.

Inch.

Grains,

2'5

X

1-9

— i,234i

2*55

X

1-87

I,220i

2-6

X

1-86

— 1,243

2-54

X

1*92

— 1,267

2-53

X

1-9

— 1,250

2-56

X

1-9

— 1,247

2-56

X

1-93

— i,27H

2*5

X

1-9

_ I,2l8J

246

X

1-9

1,210

2-45

X

1-82

— 1. 135

247

X

i'S5

— 1,145

2'45

X

175

— 1,049

Inch.

Inch.

ShoveLER [Spatula clypeata).
Grains.

2-23

X

1-57

752

2-28

X

1-63

847i

2'2

X

1-65

830

2-23

X

1-6

779

2-2

X

162

770

TfiAI^ {Nettion crecca).

nch.

Inch.

Grains.

2-03

X

1-38

— 475

1-98

X

1-37

460

1-87

X

1-42

— 474

1-84

X

1-42

— 451^

Inch.

Inch.

Grains

2*17

X

1-57

769

2*17

X

1-65

799

2*2

X

1-65

804

2'l6

X

1-56

711

2-17

X

1-56

—

678

Half hatched.

Inch.

Inch.

Grains

1-82

X

1-4

443^

1-84

X

1-38

439*

I '85

X

1-37

409

Inch.

Ringed Pi,OVER {^gialitis hiaticola).
Inch. Grains. Inch. Inch.

Grains.

•35

X

•98 — I60J

1-38

X

I -02

177

•45

X

I'02 181^

1-42

X

I-

175

Oyster-catcher {Hamatopus osiraleg-us).

Inch. Inch. Grains.

2-17 X 1-56 = 701

2-25 X 1-55 = 703

2-23 X 1-53 = 687^

KiTTlWAKE Gur.1, {Rissa tridactyla).
Inch. Inch. Grains.

2-15 X 1-6 = 735J
2*05 X 1-53 = 649^
2* X 1-55 = 668

1909- Foster. — Obsetvations on Weights of Birds' Eggs. 219

RazorbiIvI, {Alca torda).

Inch. Inch. Grains. Inch. Inch. Grains*

(fl) 3-05 X i'85 — i,36ii (3) 2-8 X i'9 X 1,384

GUII.I.EMOT {Uria troile).
Inch. Inch. Grains. Inch. Inch. Grains

(fl) 3-4 X 2'02 ~ 1,727^ ic) 3X52 X 2- = 1,506

{b) 3-38 X r97 — 1,71 1 (^) 3* X 1*85 = 1,305

Manx Shearwater {Puffinus anglorum).
Inch. Inch. Grains, Inch. Inch. Grains,

{a) 2-3 X 1-55 = 762^ (Ji) 2-17 X i'63 ™ 807^

Hillsborough, Co. Down.

REVIEWS.

AN ISLAND SURVEY.

A Guide to the Natural History of the Isle of Wight. Edited
by Frank Mori^Ey, F.L.S. London : Wesley and Son, 1909. Price
8^. ^d. net.
This bulky volume of five hundred and sixty pages consists, as its
title page indicates, of a series of contributions by specialists relating to
the various branches of natural history and kindred subjects. After
the Introduction comes a very readable survey of the phj^siographical
and geological features of the island, illustrated with several very clearly
drawn sections. Then follows, less than two pages long, the shortest
chapter in the book, on Earthquakes ! We are informed that " at the
present time the island itself does not produce earthquakes," but the
presence of Professor Milne's observatory on the island probably supplies
the justification for the chapter. Chapters on palaeolithic implements
and on meteorology are also found, and the remainder (seven-eighths of
the whole book) consists of lists of species in the various groups of
animals and plants known to occur in the Isle of Wight.

These lists vary in completeness, that of the flowering plants and ferns
being, we are informed, practically complete, whereas others are as yet
some distance from this ideal. The publication of these incomplete
lists should serve as a stimulus to local workers in the various branches
of natural history to extend and complete them. Accompanying the
lists are brief notes on the localities and frequency of the species
recorded, and the lists are usually preceded by paragraphs dealing with
the characters of the groups and with the literature concerning them.
In some cases the classification adopted in the lists is very antique,
in the case of the fungi, for instance, one finds Asjfergillus glaucus and

220 The Irish Naturalist. October,

PmicilHum glaticum included under the Hyphomycetes, in spite of the
fact that for a generation at least they have been known to be Asconiy-
cetes. The book contains a number of excellent photographic illustra-
tions, although we are doubtful of the value of photographs of mounted
specimens in a book of local natural history.

The editor of the book, in his Introduction, anticipates the criticism
that the lists will prove dry and uninteresting to those who have not
studied natural history, but we agree with him in thinking that they
will be very acceptable, nay, indispensable, to actual workers at the
various groups in the locality, and the editor is to be congratulated on
the successful completion of the arduous task he set himself. Never-
theless, we cannot help regretting that a chapter was not included
dealing with the natural history of the island in a broad sense, show-
ing how the various groups of organisms are correlated with one another
and with the structural and climatic features of the island, and how the
natural history of the island, as a whole, compares and contrasts with
that of the adjoining mainland. We look, in vain, for any general
account of the types of vegetation to be found on the island, and would
suggest, that as the local lists of species are now so nearly complete for
the higher planis at least, the local botanists should turn from the
floristic to the ecological standpoint it] their study of distribution. A
map of the island concludes the volume, but it is of no special natural
histor}- interest How welcome would geological and vegetation maps

of the island have been !

G. H. P.

MORE ''NATURE STUDY."

The Young Naturalists a Guide to British Animal Life. By W.
PERCIVai, WesteIvI., F.Iv.S., M.B.O.U. With eight coloured plates
by C. F.Newall, and 240 photographic illustrations. Pp.476 London:
Methuen and Co. Price 6j.

The modern praiseworthy movement in favour of" Nature Study" has
had, as one of its results, the production of an alarming number of
popular books on zoology and botany — books, for the most part, with
excellent photographic pictures and a striking want of originality in the
letterpress. The present volume is a typical example of the group In
the Preface it is claimed that the volume '* fills an important gap."
because there has, hitherto, been no comprehensive guide to the whole
British fauna in one volume. The comprehensiveness of this guide may
be gathered from the fact that the various classes of worms are dismissed
in four pages and the Protozoa in half a page. Birds and insects and
other groups on which there are already plenty of popular books are
treated at great length. In the chapters on Mammals and Reptiles there
is hardly a hint of the interesting differences between the British and
Irish faunas, but nearly a page is devoted to extracts from Mr. R. J.
Ussher's paper in this Journal on the Birds of the Connaught lakes.

The coloured plates are mostly good, while the photographs are
almost, without exception, of a high degree of excellence.

G. H. C.

1909.

Ob Unary. 221

OBITUARY.

THOMAS MELLARD READE, F.G.S.

The death of Thomas Mellard Reade removes one of the most eminent
and active of English amateur geologists. Born in Liverpool in May,
1S32, his work as a civil engineer introduced him to the study of
geology, and from the year 1S70, when he commenced writing, until his
death, his interest in the subject never flagged, and to the literature of
geology he contributed over 200 papers The greater number of these
and his books on "The Origin of Mountain Ranges" and "The
Evolution of Earth Structure" have little interest for students of
Irish geology, save in a very general wa}'. On the other hand, his papers
on the Glacial deposits are of importance, as many of the problems on
the east coast of Ireland are similar to those on the west coast of
England, and in his visits to Ireland he never failed to apply the
knowledge gained in Lancashire and North Wales. The most notable
contributions to Irish geology was his work on the glacial deposits of
Co. Dublin, in 1S96. This, m the then transition state of glacial geology,
was considerable. His Presidential address to the Liverpool Geological
Society, 1896-7, on " The Present Aspects of Glacial Geology "
(introducing many Irish instances), was also of great importance, and
still remains the most closel3'-reasoned statement in support of the
marine origin of the major portion of the Drift. During recent years
he collaborated with Mr. Joseph Wright, F.G.S. , of Belfast, in the
microscopic examination of clays and sands from various parts of
England and the Continent. The following is a list of such of his
papers as deal with Iri«h geology.

J. DE W. HiNCH.

On a Section of Boulder-Clay and Gravels near Ballygally Head [Co.
Antrim], and an Inquiry as to the proper classification of the Irish
Drift. Quart. Joitni. Ceol. Soc, vol. xxxv., pp. 679-6S1.

Notes on the Scenery and Geology of Ireland (with illustrative sketches).
I'loc. Liverpool Geol. Soc, vol. iv., pt. I, pp. 64-89 ; 7 plates.

A Problem for Irish Geologists in Post-Glacial Geology. Joitrnal Roy,
Ceol. Soc. Ireland, N. S., vol. v., pt. 3, pp. 173-176; Sci. Proc. Roy.
Dublin Society, N. S., vol. ii., pt. iv., pp. 255-258, plate 19,

On the Relations of the Glacial Deposits of the Clyde and Forth to those
of the Norlh-West of England and the North of Ireland. Trans-
actions Geol. Soc. Glasgow, vol. vi., pt. 2, pp. 264-276,

The High and Low-level shelly drifts around Dublin and Bray. frisk
Naturalist, vol. iii., pp. 117-121, 150-153.

The Dublin and Wicklow Shelly-drift [with 4 plates of sections]. Pro-
ceedings Livej^pool Geol. Soc, 1893-94, pp. 183-206.

The Present Aspects of Glacial Geology [Presidential Address to the
Liverpool Geological Society, 18 96-7 J. Proceedings Liverpool Geoi. Soc,
1896-97. Geol. Mag. Decade, iv., vol. iii., pp. 542-551.

22 2 The Irish Nahiralist October,

NOTES.

BOTANY.
Sisyrinchium angustifolium in Donegal.

From j\Ir. A. R. Sanderson of Tliornbury, Bradford, I have received two
photographs oi Sisyrinchium augustifolinui, taken in silii near Killybegs, in
S.W. DonegaL Regarding the finding of the plant Mr. Sanderson
writes : —

"Two years ago a part}- of botanists, consisting of Mr. Cheetham, Mr.
Bateson, and myself, while spending a holiday at Killybegs, Co. Donegal,
found, amongst other things, Sisyrinchium angustifoliuDi. Mr. Cheetham
and myself again spent a week at Killybegs at the beginning of August
last, and we saw S. angustifoliui>i\.n a field at Port Roshin (near Killybegs),
and in quantity in several meadows on the shores of Fintrough Ba3\'"

This constitutes a very interesting extension of range for this rare
plant and further strengthens its claim to be considered native. The
plant is now known to occur in West Cork, Kerr}-, Clare, S E. Galwa}',
Sligo, Fermanagh, and West Donegal.

R. Li.. Praeger.

Dublin.

Scrophularia umbrosa in Limerick.

The record of Isaac Cai roll's Irish specimen in Herb, Mus. Brit., pub-
lished by Prj'or in this Journal for 1S77 p. 238, seems to have been over-
looked by the compilers of Cybele Hibeinica and Irish Topographical Botany.
The locality, which Pryor does not give, is ''near Limerick, Aug., 1848";
this considerably extends its range, which is '' confined, as at present
known, to a few miles of the course of the Lififey " (Cyb. Hibern. 234).

James Bkitten.
British Museum.

The interesting record to which Mr. Britten draws attention forms part
of one of a series of foot-notes appended to a paper by Mr R. A. Pryor,
*• On Bobart's green Scrophularia " — a non-Irish form of S. nodosa for which
the writer proposed the varietal name Bobartii. The record reads " It is
worth mentioning that there is an Irish specimen of S. wnbrosa, labelled
however aquatica. in the Irish herbarium of Mr. I. Carroll, now incorpor-
ated with the British Museum collection. The previous records appear
to have been uutrustworth}'. Cf. Cyb. Hib., p. 209." Considering how
ingeniously this record is tucked away, it is little wonder that Mr.
Colgan. in publishing his discovery on the Liffey (/. N.. v., 182) over-
looked it, and treated the plant as new to Ireland, and that subseqnent
writers followed suit. It remains for our southern botanists to refind the
plant " near Limerick," and determine its range there. I may add that
a few days ago I saw S. umbrosa in abundance at Killadoon near Celbridge,
some miles higher up the Lififey than previously recorded; probably it
occurs along the greater part of the lowland course of that river.

R. Li^oYD Praeger.
Dublin.

1909- Nofes. 223

ZOOLOGY.

The Use of Domed Nests.

Mr. Moifat, in his delightfully original article, has pointed out a use
for domed nests that I have never seen suggested, namely, as safety-
cradles for large broods. The struggles of a brood of Long-tailed Tits
within the elastic walls of the nest, which yield like a bag, may be
watched. The smallest species have large clutches, and these are laid
either in holes or domed nests, or, in the case of the Goldcrest, in a
specially constructed cradle, so well described bj' Mr. Mofiat, which is of
materials very similar to the nest of the Long-tailed Tit, and in which
the young are embedded in a mass of little feathers.

This brings me to the subject of warmth, which all very small nestlings
need so vitally in our climate. The members of the large broods help to
keep each other warm, but that is not enough. The}- must either be
ensconced in holes, or have covered nests, and on this use of the dome
Mr. Moffat has not dwelt.

That the dome serves for concealment, I think there can be no doubt.
White, or nearly white eggs, being conspicuous objects, are, with few
exceptions, placed in covered nests, and, where these are not in holes,
they must have domes. This is the case with all the species named by
Mr. Moffat, except the Magpie, of which I have more to say, and these
domed nests are self-concealing from the nature of their position and
materials. Thus, a Chiff-chaff accumulates a mass of dead leaves and
rubbish, that looks as if it had been lodged among the briars or shrubs
accidentally ; the Willow Wren's nest is so buried in ground-herbage as
to be most difficult to detect ; the Long-tailed Tit's nest is like a knot on
the lichen-covered tree ; while that of the Dipper is like a moss-covered
stone, even when it is on an open rock, the buttress of a bridge, or the
branch of a tree, it resembles a mossy tussock or a lodgment of rubbish.
It is seldom accessible to the spray of a waterfall, though it is a protec-
tion against the draught of the river-course.

Nests of the House-Martin in sea-cliffs are, usually, much higher above
the spray than where the open nests of Shags and Kittiwakes are some-
times built. The protective colouring of the former makes them
difficult to distinguish against the rocky back-ground. Nests of this
species are so stuck in the caves or under overhanging rocks, which serve
as a roof, that there is seldom room for any dome, but no doubt
they serve the purposes of domed nests, and the white eggs could not be
better concealed.

It is otherwise with the Magpie, whose fortification of thorny twigs is,
probably, for a defence against crows, which wouldbe met at the entrance
by the beak of the hatching Magpie. The conspicuous plumage may
also need to be obscured from above, as Mr. Wallace has suggested, but
the covering of twigs does not protect from cold nor exclude light.
Magpies' eggs are coloured, and do not come under the category of those
which need the shade of a dome or burrow. True, the Magpie's nest-
covering may prevent " bubbling over " of her brood, which is, usually,
larger than that of other Corvidae.

224 ^^'^ Irish Naturalist. October,

I think the limit of five is exceeded by the smaller birds that build in
trees aud bushes more often thau Mr. Moffat supposes, though, in the case
of the Twite, which so commonly lays six, the nest is often ou the
ground, never far above it.

]Mr. IMofTat further has well pointed out that the large broods of ducks
game-birds, and rails, which usually breed on the ground, leave the
nest as soon as they are hatched, so that safety cradles are not needed
for them. In those exceptional cases where ducks and water-hens build
in trees, the '• bubbling over " takes place at once in a wholesale manner
and the young fall to the ground or water like elastic balls and take no
hurt.

R J. USSHER.
Cappagh, Co. Waterford.

I read, with great pleasure, Mr. Moffat's paper on Domed Nests in the
Irish Naturalist for August. As he points out, a survey of British Birds
seems to indicate that one of the functions of a domed nest is that it
enables the possessors to rear up a larger brood than the}- could other-
wise do. It may interest }our readers to know that those Indian species
which construct covered-in nests do not lay an unusually large clutch of
eggs, as the following table shows : —

Usual No.
of eggs in clutch,

Ploceinae (Weaver Birds), 2

Viduinse (Munias) 4-8

6
Nectariniidse (Sunbirds and Flower-peckers), . 2 (Sun-birds)

3 (Flower-peckers)

PittidcE (Pittas), , . 3-6

Eurykemidae (Broadbills), 5

In my opinion domed nests have not any particular significance, since
it sometimes happens that the same species builds, apparently, indis-
criminately, an open or a domed nest. Again, of the various species of
a genus, some may build open nests, while others construct domed ones,
and this may happen when the various species live in the same kind of
country and have similar feeding habits, as in the case of the Indian
Babblers.

Douglas Devvak.
Datchet.

Records of Irish Birds.

In British Birds for September, Mr. T. C R. Jourdain records the occur-
rence of an Osprey on Lough Arrow on May 29. In the same number
the Kditors, summarizing recent records of Crossbills, mention one re-
corded in the Fie.ii of July 17 as seen at Coleraine.

1909 Irish Societies. 225

IRISH SOCIETIES.

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Recent gifts include two Jacobin Pigeons from Mr. W. Lane-Joynt, two
pair of Grass Parrakeets from Miss T. T. Anderson, and Kestrels from
Messrs. W. W. Despard and T. Mason ; a Herring Gull from Mr. F.
Powell, a Grey-headed Love-bird from Miss Trumbull, a Mute Swan from
Mrs. J. Redmond, three Yellow Wagtails from Mr. W. J. Williams, two
Chestnut-eared Finches from Capt. Lepprup, a Long-eared Owl from Mr-
J. E. Ellis, a Sparrow-hawk from ]\Ir. M. Foster, two Rabbits from Mr.
R. Falkiner, a Fox-cub from Mr. R. MK. Boyd, a Macaque IVIonkey
from Mr. D. R. OVSuUivan-Beare, a Mona Monkey and a Green Moukej-
from Mrs. Cummins,

A fine Hoolock Gibbon has been purchased and placed in the large
cage with the other two Gibbons. The black coat of the new animal
contrasts strikingly with the tawny hue of his companions.

More than half the new wing of the Carnivore House has been com-
pleted and, having been occupied by a large stock of Lions, Tigers,
Leopards, and Jaguars, is now^ open to the public. The wire-fronts to
the cages, replacing the old- fashioned heavy bars allow a splendid view
of the great cats, and the house is beautifully light and airy. The seccwid
part of the wing is now being rapidly rebuilt and may be completed in
the next few months.

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

JuivY 10-13. — Annuai, Long Excursion. — Thirty-six members and
friends visited Bundoran and district. The party, which was conducted
by Robert Patterson F.L-S., in the unavoidable absence of the President
(N. H. Foster, M.B.O.U.), reached Bundoran about 2 p.m. on July 10,
where lunch was waiting at the Club's headquarters, Hamilton's Hotel.
After lunch the party proceeded by the east strand to Aughrus Head,
stopping by the Rougie Rocks, where William Gray, M.R.I. A., gave an
address on the geology of the coast, which here consists of rocks of
Carboniferous age which are highly fossiliferous, corals 'and crinoids
being very abundant. The walk was continued along the cliffs to the
Fairy Bridges, and the Finner sand-dunes and Tullan strand were
explored, a very finely worked flint arrowhead being found. At 6.30 the
return journe)' was made to headquarters. On Sunday many went to
various places of worship, while others were content to find their
'•sermons in stones," various small informal excursions being made to
Lough Melvin and Glenade. On Monday morning, immediately after
breakfast, the party mounted cars to drive to Mullaghmore. A stop was
made atBunduff Lake, where collections were made, and the promontory
of Mullaghmore was then explored. After lunch the party scattered —

2 26 The Irish Natiiralist. October,

geologists, botanists, zoologists, and archaeologists finding ample oppor-
tunities for work, and the afternoon passed all too qnickh', Bundoran
being reached in time for dinner at 7.30, After dinner a short business
meeting was held— William Gray, M.R.I. A., in the chair. Resolutions
ofs^'mpathy for recent bereavement were passed to the Club's President,
N. H. Foster, M.B.O.U., and to Mrs. Thomas Anderson. On Tuesday
morning the party drove to Ballyshannon, where the remains of the
Abbey were visited, and the 2.40 train froin Bundoran brought the mem-
bers back to Belfast. During the whole excursion the weather was
uninterruptedly fine, and a considerable amount of really excellent field
work was done by various members. At this early stage it is not pos-
sible to give anything like a full list of the finds, but a complete account
will be published in the Club's annual report. The rarest bird seen was
the Tree Sparrow, between Bundoran and Ballyshannon, four feeding
together. It is satisfactory to know that this species, first found breed-
ing in CO. Donegal in 1907, is still established there. The Grasshopper-
warbler is a new record for county Sligo, while the Corn Bunting and
Tufted Duck were apparently breeding in county Leitrim, though not
hitherto known to do so. That local bird, the Siskin, was seen near
Bundufi" Lake, while Goldfinches were noted near the same place. A
curious and striking feature was the complete absence of Missel Thrushes,
Song Thrushes, and Larks, while the Blackbird was only seen at Gleuade
and Mullaghmore.

JUI.Y 31. — A party of members and friends, numbering seventy-four,
visited Inch Abbe\ and the valley of the Ouoile, under the guidance of
J. L. S. Jackson and W. A. Green. The party travelled b}- the T.50 train
to Downpatrick Station, where vehicles were waiting. Inch Abbey was
reached about 3.30, and the part}^ proceeded to explore the ruins, which
stand on what was anciently Inis-Cumscraidh, or the Island of Cunis-
craidh, who was one of the sons of Conor Mac Nessa. Mr. Parkinson
gave the members an interesting resume of the history of the Abbey,
after which the party scattered, studying the plant and animal life of
the river and its banks. The Rev. Dr. Pooler placed two boats with
boatmen at the disposal of the party, and many spent the afternoon on
the waters of the Ouoile. At five o'clock the party drove to Quoile
Castle. Here much interest was displayed in the great square keep,
with its vaulted lower chamber. The drive was then continued to
Downpatrick, where the members and friends were entertained to tea by
the Rev. Dr. and Mrs, Pooler. The usual business meeting was held
before tea, the President of the Club, N. H. Foster, M B.O.U., in the
chair. One new member was elected, and a hearty vote of thanks was
passed to Dr. and Mrs. Pooler for their hospitalit}-. After tea most of
the members visited the Cathedral, founded by St. Patrick in 440. The
7.15 train brought the members back to Belfast. The field work done
was considerable, though full records have not yet been handed in. Julv
is about the worst month in the year for the collection of mollusca. The
water-lily leaves on the Quoile River, however, were found to be, as usual,
the habitat of good species. Avcylus laaistris, the lake limpet, with

1909 Irish Societies. * 227

Valvata cristata, and rhysafontinalis, the fountain shell, were noted. These
same water-lily leaves were covered on the under side with various
species of small leeches and planarian worms, which were also in abund-
ance under stones by the river side, with masses of fresh-water sponges,
which seem very common at Inch Abbey shores. The muddy bottom
yielded Spharium lacustre, and a number of Pisidia not yet determined.
Helix horiensis was found to be still fairl}' plentiful at its Downpatrick
habitat. The most interesting ornithological feature proA-ed to be the
observation of a pair of Sandwich Terns, whose distinctive call-notes at
once directed attention to them as they flew up the river at a short dis-
tanceoverhead. Five species of Woodlice were taken, the most interest
ing being the Pill Woodlouse, Armadillintn vulgare. This species is
common in the South of Ireland, but remained unrecorded from Ulster
until quite recently, when it was discovered at Portaferry and at Killough.
It was very numerous under stones on the sloping ground between Inch
Abbey and the Ouoile.

June 19.— Geoi.ogicai, Section.— Excursion to Scawt Hii^i,—
This volcanic neck, about six miles north of Larne, was visited to
study the metamorphism of the adjacent chalk. A few years ago one
of the members came unexpectedly on a basic dyke traversing the
"neck " dolerite, and cutting across a narrow band of chalk: the latter
near its junction with the dyke weathered so dark, that it was difficult
to tell it from the dyke itself. Microscopic sections were prepared, and
submitted to Professor Gough, who found the dyke to be a granitoid
holocrystalline rock, which may be classed as a diabase without olivine,
and the adjacent rock proved to be the chalk completely altered into a
calc-silicate horustone (^Geol. Mag., April, 1907). The members of the
Geological Section, on the 19th ult., observed the chalk in contact with
the " neck " dolerite, even at a distance from the dyke, to be similarly-
altered. No other case, we believe, has been recorded of the conversion
of ordinary white chalk, by contact with an igneous magma, into a
calc-silicate liornstone.

August 21.— Geoi,ogicai. Section.— Excursion to Bai^IvYmena. —
At Drumfane, two miles N.E. of Ballymena, fine sections of sands and
gravels of the esker type, exposed in Mr. Clyde's sand pits were first
examined ; the drive Vv'as then continued to Cloughwater, where a
protrusion of beautifully banded and fluidal rhyolite occurs. It appears
as a white boss in the midst of a bog. From Cloughwater a return was
made to Broughshane, where a magnificent section of the esker deposits
on the north side of the Ballygarvey road was visited. The stratification
of the material, with excellent examples of current-bedding was ver}-
clearly defined. From an examination of 100 boulders taken at random
both here and at Drumfane, it was evident that the deposits were mainh
derived from rocks in the district. At Broughshane rhyolite seemed to
be absent, whereas at the Drumfane pits it was common. Many beauti-
ful hand specimens were collected by the geologists at Cloughwater, and
at all the places visited a large number of geological photographic
records were made.

228 The Irish Natu7alist. October, 1909,

DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

May 15. -Excursion to Dei.gany Nurseries.- The members
travelled by the 10.15 train to Greystones, driving thence to Delgany,
where, under the guidance of I. Pennick Jones and D. Hou;iton, they
studied the interesting exotics and weeds of cultivation in the extensive
nurseries. Tea was taken in Delgany, and the members returning on
foot to Gre3-stones, travelled by the 6.5 train to Dublin.

June 12. — Excursion to Brittas Ray. — Twenty members took
part in this excursion. The majority travelled b}- the 10.15 train to
Wicklow, driving thence to Brittas Bay. while a few cycled the whole
distance from town. The party subsequently divided into two sections.
One under H. Gore Cuthbert studied the zoology of the district. The
most interesting lepidopteron noticed was Colias cdtisa, also the larvae,
in some numbers, of Smerinthiis ocellatus. Beetles were very abundant, and
included Otiorrhynchiis atroapteriis., 0. ovatiis, Philopedon geininahis, Alo-
phiis iii-giittahis^ Opatriim salmlosttni, Heliopathcs gibbus, Acgialia arenaria,
Melolontha vulgaris .

A second party, under W. B. Bruce, investigated the interesting
botany of the sand-hills. The plants collected included Saxifraga
gramilata, Festnca tmigluviis^ Trifolhivi glomeratiim^ Echium 7>ulgarc. The party
drove back to Wicklow in time for the 8.58 train.

June 26— Excursion to FaSvSaroe. — A party of nearly fifty iravelled
by the 12.45 train to Bray, where they were met by their conductor and
host, R. M. Barrington, F.L.S. Brakes and cars convej'ed the party to
Fassaroe, whence they walked to Ballyman Glen and across the fields,
returning to Fassaroe at 4 o'clock, where tea was provided. The princi-
pal plants of interest were the rare Enophoruni latifoliiiiii^ Carex
tmiricata, Senecio saraceniais, and Minmhis luteiis. The party visited Mr.
Barrington's interesting museum of Irish birds, containing several
unique specimens. A cordial vote of thanks having been passed to Mr.
and Mrs. Barrington tor their hospitality, the party drove back to Bray
in time for the 6 p.m. train to town.

July 3.— Excursion to Malahide— Owing to unfavourable weather
only ten members joined this excursion. Travelling by the i 40 train
they crossed b}' boat to the '• Island " (really a peninsula), where,
under W. B. Bruce, one section studied the sea coast plants. A second
section under R. Southern, B.Sc, dredged in the Sound, bringing the
catch on shore, where a demonstration was given. Heavy rain put a
stop to further collecting, and after tea in Malahide the members re-
turned to town. This excursion took the place of the proposed long
excursion to Omagh, which the committee had decided to abandon.

Irish Naturalist, Vol. XVIII.]

H

^^^Kf»#M

^H

P^H

fl

To face page 229. J

November, 1909. The Irtsh NaturaHsf. 229

DANIEL JOHN CUNNINGHAM.

Irish naturalists, no less than those of Great Britain, mourn
the death of Prof. D. J. Cunningham, F.R.S., who passed to his
rest, after much suffering, at Edinburgh on June 23rd of this
year. For although a Scotsman — he was born at Crieff, Perth-
shire, a "son of the manse," on April 15th, 1850 — and at the
time of his death occupant of the Chair of Anatomy in his own
University of Edinburgh, Cunningham's greatest years were
passed in Ireland ; to Ireland he devoted his best energies and
talents^ and he leaves an indelible mark on the scientific life of
Dublin.

After school days at Crieff and a short business experience
in Glasgow^ Cunningham entered the medical school of Edin-
burgh University in 1870. He had a highly distinguished
career as a student, and after his graduation he became demon
strator in anatomy under Prof, (now Sir William) Turner. In
1876 he was appointed senior demonstrator, an office which he
held through six busy years during w^hich he devoted himself
to teaching, and found time to carry on much anatomical
research.

It was in 1882 that Cunningham left Edinburgh for Dublin,
accepting the Chair of Anatomy in the Royal College of
Surgeons. But he only held that post for a year, being
appointed in 1883 to succeed Prof. Alexander Macalister (who
had been transferred to Cambridge) as professor of anatomy in
Dublin University. For tw^enty strenuous years he laboured
at the teaching and organising work of the Trinity medical
school. In the earlier part of this period, building and equip-
ment occupied much of his attention, and the present and
future efficiency of the anatomical department owes and will
owe much to his genius and foresight. In this work he was
associated with the late Rev. Dr. S. Haughton^, his close friend,
whose energetic advocacy had convinced the governing body
of the College of the needs of the medical school, and who
found in Cunningham an enthusiastic colleague and helper.

230 The Irish Nahirahst. November,

As a teacher, Cunningham was conspicuoush' successful
and inspiring, drawing out to the full the enthusiasm and
devotion of his students, who look back to his lectures and
social intercourse with feelings of deep admiration. During
his tenure of the Chair of Anatomy, Trinity College was made
famous by the publication of a number of masterh' memoirs
from his pen, in which facts of human anatoni}', new and old,
became luminous in the play of his scientific genius and
literar}' style. The human bod}^ was to him that of " the
paragon of animals," and in elucidating its structure he used
the comparative method cautiousl}^ and yet fearlessly-. In his
classical paper on the Lumbar Curve in Man and the Apes,^
he dwells on the essential similarity between the form of the
backbone in Man and the Chimpanzee, while he shows that at
no stage in the development of the human foetus does the
vertebral column resemble that of any adult ape. His equally
important paper on the Surface Anatomy of the Cerebral
Hemispheres'^ contains a thorough description of the highest
centre of the human brain at all stages of development and a
most instructive comparison of its convolutions and fissures
w^ith those of the Apes. In the great paper written by
Cunningham in collaboration with Dr. Telford-Smith, on the
Cranium and Brain of the Microcephalic Idiot'^ he argues
strongly that this cerebral condition must be regarded as an
example of reversion and not merelj^ of arrested development,
though when he started on the investigation he inclined
towards the latter view. Thus he appreciated to the full the
zoological bearings of human anatomical study. Many Irish
naturalists recall his discussion of the Pithecanthropus re-
mains when Dubois exhibited them before the Royal Dublin
Society in 1894 ; his reasoned opinion that they indeed repre-
sented a new type of Anthropoid nearer to the Hominidae
than any existing genus was a strong reinforcement to their
discoverer's advocac}* of their importance.

Cunningham's interest in zoology was shown also b}- his
services to the Ro^'al Zoological Society, of which he was for
many years secretary (succeeding the late Dr. V. Ball in J 895)
and subsequently President. He loved the gardens and the

' Cunningham Memoirs, R.I.A.^ ii., tS86,

- lb. vii., 1892.

^ Trans. K. Dub/. Snc. (2) v., 1 895.

1909. Daniel J ohv Cunninghmu. 231

animals, and man}^ of the improvements of recent years in
Phoenix Park were due to his initiative and zeal. Naturally
he took an especial interest in the Anthropoids, and many
who read these lines will recall a popular lecture in which —
taking as his text Sindbad, the orang-utan which had lived for
six j^ears in the " Zoo " — he expounded some of the far-reach-
ing conclusions to which his own researches had so signally
contributed. All the scientific life of Dublin benefited by his
services. He was a Vice-President of the Royal Irish Academy,
and for several years an Honorary Secretary of the Royal
Dublin Society. The foundation of the Anthropometrical
Laboratory in Trinity College was pre-eminently due to him.

No surprise was felt when, on the appointment of Sir
William Turner to the Principalship of Edinburgh University
in 1903, Cunningham was recalled to the Scottish capital to
occupy the vacant chair. None of his friends imagined that
his tenure of that great office would last but for a few years, and
that, at the early age of fifty-nine, in the height of his powers,
he would be called awa3^ The writer of this notice had the
sad privilege of hearing the news of his death from the lips of
his former teacher, Sir William Turner, during the Darwin
centenary celebrations at Cambridge. There was fitness in the
coincidence, for few naturalists have contributed more lasting
work than Cunningham towards the study of human relation-
ships, which Darwin initiated. A great anatomist, a great
naturalist, a mOvSt capable man of busineSvS, and a Christian
gentleman, Cunningham leaves to the men who strive to carr>'
on those varied activities to which he devoted himself while
in Dublin a manifold inspiration.

In compiling this notice acknowledgment is due to the
biography of Cunningham contributed to the Dublin Journal
of Medical Sciejice by his pupil and successor, Prof. A. F. Dixon,
who has most kindly lent the block for the accompanying
excellent photograph.

G. H. C

232 7 he Irish Naturalist. November,

A I.ATK GI.ACIAL CLAY AT TEMP^KOGUE,

CO. DUBLIN.

BY PROF. GRENVII.I.K A. J. COT.K, M.R.I.A , F.G-S.,
Director of the Geological Surve.v of Ireland.

During the work of the Geological Survej' near Belfast
several deposits of stratified drift were observed, principally on
the lower ground, and these are described in the Memoir^ on
that district, issued in 1904. The fine laminated clays of the
Lagan valley are dealt with by Mr. G. W. Lamplugh under
the name of " warp " clays, a term borrowed from the English
fenlands ; and on p. 63 of the Memoir he shows how they
accumulated in a lake during the gradual retreat of the inland
ice, and while the Scottish ice still occupied the basin of the
sea. Prof. James Geikie^ describes fluviatile clays as over-
lying the tj^pical estuarine deposits of the Scottish carses, and
remarks that "the fine tenacious brick-clays, and even the
less cohesive silty or loamy clays, cannot be likened to the
dark sludge and mud which now gathers in our estuaries.
They in some measure resemble the laminated clays of the
loo-ft. terrace. The rivers that flowed into our estuaries
whilst the Carse-deposits were being accumulated must have
been abundantly charged with the ' flour of rocks ' and finely
levigated material." Prof. Geikie uses the character of these
later Carse-clays as an argument in favour of a fresh extension
of glacial action. It is clear that the glacial sands and gravels,
particularly those grouped together to form eskers, result
from the washing of material that might otherwise have been
dumped down upon the land as boulder-clay. It is clear also
that the fine sand and clay thus removed from round the
stones must have been carried away to some other area. Now
and then these materials are found in estuaries, deposited at
some distance from the melting ice, as in the Scottish carses;
and now and then they are laid down quietly in glacial lakes,
as in the Lagan valle}^ near Belfast.

Laminated glacial clays do not seem to have been widel}^
observed during the work of the Geological Survey in the

^ p. 50, &c., and Plate v.

- " Great Ice Age," 3rd ed., 1894, p. 311.

1909. Cole. — A Late Glacial Clay at Templeogue. 233

Dublin district. The torrents descending from the mountains
during the melting of the ice were usual!}' strong enough to
carry even pebbles beyond the present coast-line.^ The con-
torted clay exposed by the flood of 1905 on the north bank of
the Cookstown River between Bnniskerry and Fassaroe^ was
distinctly stratified, and may point to a more considerable
deposit than has been yet revealed. In this case the stratified
clay is overlain by the great mass of ordinary boulder-clay
that forms the Fassaroe plateau. The occurrence now to be
described is very limited, but seems of sufficient interest to be
recorded.

In August, 1909, the construction of a drain for new
labourers' cottages led to the cutting of a deep trench through
and along the main road in the village of Templeogue. The
ground underlying the road-metal had probably not been
exposed for some centuries, though old cross-drains may be
seen in it here and there. North-west of the road, boulder-clay
has been observed, and the fine sections cut by the Dodder in
this material lie close against it on the south-east. On the
course of the road, however, the recent excavations showed
that boulder-clay extended from the north-east only as far up
the village as the north end of the tramway station — a point
where there is a gap in the houses on the north-west side. A
stiff blue-black clay was then met with, overlying the boulder-
clay, with occasional interstratified seams of a more sandy
nature. The section revealed it in places to a depth of five
feet below the ancient road-metal. About two hundred yards
farther up the village the deposit becomes much more sand}-,
with gravelly layers overlying it. The sandy beds contain
small lumps of clay, doubtless washed from the underlying
material, and these have become coated with the yellow sand.
Stratification is apparent in the sands, and layers of clay are
occasionally intercalated. In the almost pure clay of the
north-eastern and lower part of the section, very delicate
lamination occurs, indicative of times when the gentle flow of
water brought down alternately fine clay and clay mingled
with a little sand.

^ Lamplugh, " Memoir on the Country around Dublin," 1903, p. 51 ; on
stratified clay, see p. 39.
2 British Association Handbook to Dublin District, 1908, p. 37.

234 The Irish Natu7alist. November,

The deposit seems distinctl}- connected with the esker-stage
of glacial melting, and no doubt represents the track of a side
flow, here locally dammed up and checked, which descended
from the slope on which the well-known csker of Balrothery
stands. We have here preserved for us, laid down in some
chance and probably narrow backwater, a part of the material
washed out from the boulder-clay during a late glacial stage,
while the esker and the local flood-gravels represent the
coarser residue.

Seeing how readily the limestone blocks in the upper layers
of exposed boulder-clays yield up their calcium carbonate and
leave only clayej^ residues, it is somewhat surprising to find
that the very fine clay of Templeogue is still highly calcareous.
The whole material is of course much finer than the two-
millimetre grade which is selected as the upward limit of the
"fine earth" of ordinary soils. Mr. W. D. Haigh, a.r.c.sc.i.,
has kindly determined the calcium carbonate present, in the
laboratory of the Geological Survey, and finds it as high as
24*3 per cent. When sifted through the finest practicable
wire sieve, with meshes -02 mm. in diameter, a very few grains
of quartz sand remain upon the sieve. I have found no fora-
minifera or other organisms. The great mass of the material
washes through, and this, when examined microscopicall}',
appears to consist of very fine mud and sand. When treated
with hydrochloric acid, considerably more than 25 per cent, of
this fine matter is at once dissolved with effervescence, showing
that the mud consists largely of comminuted limestone. Sul-
phuretted hydrogen is evolved, doubtless from iron pyrites.
The undissolved residue seems equall}" fine, with the exception
of a few coarser sand-grains, which now assume prominence,
and one or two minute prisms of zircon. From this we may
suspect that, when our boulder-clays near Dublin are examined
from a chemical point of view, a large part of their " mud " may
prove to consist of undestroyed detrital limestone. Mr. Kilroe
informs me that such clays effervesce freely when placed in
acid.

Geological Survey Office, Dubliu.

1909. Obituary. 235

OBITUARY.

JOHN HENRY DA VIES.

John Henry Davies, of Leuaderg House, Co. Down, whose death
took place suddenly at Belfast on the 20th August, was the son of Peter
Davies, of Penketh, near Warrington, where he was born in 1838, and
educated at a private school in Penketh, conducted by members of the
Society of Friends. In early life, while his father resided at Ballitore,
Co. Kildare, Davies developed a taste for botany, and gained a good
knowledge of the plants included in the Irish flora, making from the
first a speciality of mosses, and corresponding amongst others with
Professor W. H. Harvey, of Trinity College, Dublin, and William Wilson
of Warrington ; specimens of mosses collected by him in Wicklow and
Kildare in 1857, appear in the Herbarium of Trinity College.

in business he was engaged for nearly forty years in the Messrs.
Richardson's, Glenmore Bleach-works, nearLisburn, where he was in the
position of manager up to eight years ago. P'or the last seven years he
was managing director of another linen bleach-green at Lenaderg, near
Banbridge. Owing to his long association with this branch of the linen
manufacture, he was well known throughout Ulster, and recognized as
an authority upon all matters connected with it.

In 1856, during a short visit to the Isle of Man, Davies compiled a list
of all the mosses that he could find on the island, which was subsequently
published in the Phytologist for 1857, and was his first published contri-
bution to science. He joined the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club in
1871, and took an active part in the work of the Society. He was also
a member of the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society.

During his residence of half a century at Glenmore in Antrim, and
Lenaderg in Down, Davies's botanical work was confined almost
exclusively to mosses, of which he was successful in discovering one
species new to the British Islands, and several new to Ireland. His
enthusiasm in moss-hunting for a day or an afternoon was as keen to the
last as it had been in his boyhood, and he was always provided with a
small pocket vasculum in which to place plants that he might unex-
pectedly meet with. He had a keen eye, and in his rambles in localities
close to both his places of residence he often picked up rarities which
had escaped the notice of other investigators. Those who knew him
best will not easily forget his tall and stately person, his handsome and
kindly features, his genial manners, and aptitude and readiness in
imparting information on botanical subjects, and his always having in
his pockets specimens of some unusual form of some moss or other —
what muscologists term " puzzles " — which he invariably produced and
made the subject of conversation.

His botanical work is described at length in the papers which from
time to time he contributed to the pages of the Phytologist and Irish
Naturalist, of which a list of the more important is given below.

236 The Irish NaturalisL November,

List of pArERS.
Mosses of the Isle of Man. Phyf., 1657.
Muscologia Hibernica. Phyt., 1S57.
Muscology of Colin Glen. Phy/., 1861.
flosses from North East of Ireland. /. A\il., 1900.
A new British Moss, Ditrichuni vaginalis, in Ireland. /. Nai.y 1901.
Some Mosses in Northern Ireland. /. Nat,^ 1902.
Weissia rosiellata in Ireland. /. Nat., 1902.
Moss Notes from North of Ireland. /. Nal., 1904.
Mosses from Co. Down. /. Nat., 1905.
Bryological Notes from Co. Down. /. Nat., 1907.

H. W. L.

REVIEWS.

A ZOOLOGICAL PICTURE BOOK.
The Animals and their Story. By W. Percivai, Westei.1., F.L.S.,
M.B.O.U. With 100 photographs and 8 coloured plates, by W. S.
Berridge, F.Z.S. Pp. 322. London : Robert Cully. Price 5^, net.

There seems no end to the making of " popular " books on na-
tural history, and the volume before us is a fair example of its class.
The photographs, taken in the London "Zoo," are in most cases excel-
lent, in many instances beautiful, while the plates are admirable ex-
amples of the three-colour process. The letterpress is divided into four
chapters, entitled respectively " Denizens of the Forest and Jungle,"
*' Denizens of the Plains and Deserts,"' " Denizens of the Hills and Moun-
tains," and '• Prowlers of the Night." This arrangement does not conduce
to systematic study of the Mammalia — to which class the book is
confined — but it affords the author an opportunity of telling pleasantly
many stories of wild and captive beasts, and culling accounts of their
habits from the writings of Lydekker, Hudson, Selous, and others-

When Mr. Westell discusses questions of classification and distribution,
he frequently writes so as to mislead the ignorant reader seriously.
The statement on p. 123 implies that Bovidse are absent from Southern
Europe and Asia, and on the next page we are told that animals of this
family were " introduced into the great African Continent in compara-
tively recent times." It is to be presumed that " comparatively recent "
is used in a geological sense, but, then, how are we to understand the
statement (p. 62), that the Puma " is an ancient animal, as fossil remains
have been discovered which, it is stated, probably belong to the Pleis-
tocene period " .^ And the meaning of the following passage — descrip-
tive of the jungle-haunting Carnivora — is too deep for our zoological
philosophy: "creatures who are famous for their hunting powers,
creatures who possessing .sharp teeth and sharp claws (known as the
law of correlation, and for information upon which we are very largely
indebted to the French naturalist Cuvier), live by means of stalking and
tearing to pieces their prey."

G. H. C.

1909. Reviews. 237

THE EVOLUTION PROBLEM.

The Wlaking of Species. By Dougi,as Dewar, B.A. (Cantab.),
I.CvS., F.Z.S., and Frank Finn, B.A. (Oxon.), F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.
With fifteen illustrations. Pp. 400. London : John Lane. Price
"js. 6d. net.

The authors of this book are strong champions of " discontinuous
variation," and remorseless enemies to all exaggerated belief in the
potency of Natural Selection. They pin their faith on the origin of
species through sudden jumps or "mutations," and much interesting
matter is adduced by them in support of their application to the animal
world of a modified form of the theory put forward by De Vries with
special relation to plants. The extensive and critical knowledge which
both authors possess of the natiiral history of India enables them to
supplement largel}' from their own store of observations the mass of
more generally known facts having a bearing on the question. In its
main lines the argument is well calculated to impress. Indeed, the case
for a very large pla}' of discontinuous variation in evolution has rarely, if
ever, been better put in a book adapted for general reading.

In presenting the negative side of their case the authors adopt a rather
more warlike tone than the contents of the book justif}-. They do not
make it quite clear what part they would themselves allow Natural Selec-
tion to play. We are told that she has a '•' casting vote " on the question
whether a new mutation is to survive or perish ; but the extent of any
further concession to Darwinism ('*' Neo-" or otherwise) is left obscure.
Roughly speaking, the line seems to be taken that no special contrivance
in nature can be accounted for by the favour shown to its incipient
stages. Positive utility, in many of its more marked phases, is acknow-
ledged as a fact, but held to be accidental. The authors speciall}^ attack
the doctrines of protective or obliterative colour, of warning colour, of
mimicry, and of the adaptation of flowers to secure cross-fertilisation.
Here, we think, they weaken and harm their case. The view which the
reader is asked to take is one that violates his sense of proportion.

In disputing, for instance, the view that the colours of flowers have
any special relation to the object of attracting insects to secure cross-
fertilisation, Messrs. Dewar and Finn challenge what they call the
assumption that cross-fertilisation is advantageous to plants, and bring
forward some arguments tending to show that self- fertilisation is really
the more serviceable process. On this view the workings of Nature
must have been veritably paradoxical. Self-fertilisation was undoubtedly
the primitive process throughout the floral world. The great advantages
that it does secure are obvious, so much so that it would have seemed
inconceivable in a world where no other method was followed that
plants could even depart from it. Yet we see throughout the phanero-
gamic world, and especialh' among the more highly developed orders of
plants, the most varied and elaborate contrivances to prevent it, and to
secure cross-fertilisation in its stead. Is it credible that all these com-
plex and ingenious devices, serving in so many ways the same end, have

238 The Irish Naturalist. November,

l)een not merely useless and purposeless but harmful ? They have, no
doubt, turned out harmfully in certain cases. Over-adapted plants, like
Inunan beings that "put all their eggs in one basket," have sometimes
incurred the failure ■which they courted by speculating too fiercely.
Others, more fortunate, may have saved themselves in the nick of time,
by reverting, as the Bee Orchis seems to have done, to self-fertilisation
when its insect friends, for some reason or other, failed it. But such
cases would be poor evidence to adduce as proof that the plant-world as
a whole made a huge mistake when it set out on the road to cross-
fertilisation.

Messrs. Dewar and P'inn rely on what may be a parallel to the case
of the Bee Orchis — that of the genus Viola — as evidence that the aban-
donment of cross-fertilisation should be regarded as a progressive, not
retrogressive development. For this "advanced genus" has taken to
self- fertilisation through its cleistogamous flowers, which never open, and
so cannot be visited by insects, while, " according to Bentham,the Pansy
( Viola tricolor) is the only British species of Viola in which the showy
flowers produce seeds." Attentive readers of this journal will take the
statement just quoted as to the British members of the genus Viola with
some reserve ; for Mr. G. C. Druce has in a recent number'' brought for-
ward additional evidence to that already existing^ for the well-attested
fact that Viola stagnina in different parts of its West of Ireland range
h^■bridises pretty freely with its ally V. canina. The production of
hybrids manifestly implies cross-fertilisation and insect-agency in the
case of both the parent species. But even if the facts were more in
accordance with the authors' argument, the argument itself w-ould be a
self-destructive one. The fact of one "advanced genus" having fallen
back on self-fertilisation would clearly be a much less powerful argument
for the superior usefulness of that process than the similar argument
furnished to the contrary by the many hundreds of advanced genera in
which the once general rule of self-fertilisation has been discarded.

We cannot at all agree with our authors that "a weighty objection to
the theory that the colours of flowers have been developed because they
attract insects has been urged by Mr. E. Kay Robinson, namely, that
among wild flowers the most highly coloured are the least attractive to
insects." It is true enough that insects go in swarms to many incon-
spicuous flowers like those of the ivy, spurge-laurel, and bramble, while
the showy poppies, irises, and dog-roses attract much smaller numbervS.
But surely this, instead of a "weighty objection," is precisely what
might be expected. The plants that are attractive to only a few insects
are just those that vshould need a conspicuous standard to be seen from
afar, while to those that are eagerly sought by myriads flaming advertise-
ments are unnecessary.

The attack on warning colours is, we think, vitiated by oversights
similar to that implied in the passage last criticised. Our authors
suggest, for example, that warning colour is not likely to be needed by

^ Irish Naturalist, October, 1909, p. 209.

''■ Praeger, '-Tourist's Flora of the West of Ireland," p. 123.

1909. Reviews. 239

the wasp when its cousin the hive -bee gets on perfectly well withoiit
it.

This may be taken as almost an extreme example of the readiness of
the authors to overlook important distinctions in the economy of the
animals they compare. It is easy to show that the wasp is in far greater
need than the bee of some such defence against casual enemies as a
warning livery is supposed to afford. The casual enemy, it must be
remembered, is not a wholesale destroyer, but one that snaps up an
individual now and then, through carelessness or mistake. Now no
harm can possibly come to the bee-community through an enemy of
this kind. An odd " worker," incapable of producing progeny, is all that
would be lost, and the community, if a healthy one, would not miss it.
The queen and the young perfect females, immured at home, are free
from all risk of being thus snapped up. It is, as everyone knows, far
otherwise with the queen-wasp, who flies about freely all through the
spring, when any injury to her would entail premature but certain
extinction on the community she is about to found. And the difference
does not end here. The wasp-colony, even when the workers appear,
begins as a small beginning. On the work of the few workers first
hatched the lives of the residue yet depend, and the casual enemy, if
not warned off by the bright yellow livery of the insects, might still
" nip the swarm in the bud." There is no stage analogous to this in the
life of the bee-community, which founds itself by migration with its
queen in a swarm already strong. Bearing these distinctions in mind,
one can hardly reject as a far-fetched supposition the contention that a
warning colour may be important to the wasp but cannot be needed by
the bee.

There may, of course, be something in the general objection to warning
colour as a product of the selective process, that in its early stages it
would be harmful. Still, if we suppose that in the initial stage the
animal destined to a warning coloration was merely distasteful or other-
wise formidable, and that it had no brilliant tints, there appears to be
every ground for inferring that intelligent predaceous creatures would
learn to avoid it, as they now do the bee, and we can hardly avoid sup-
posing that in doing so they discriminate it, by such markings as it
possessed, from other creatures more or less allied to it but not formidable
or distasteful. An advantage would almost certainly accrue, in such
cases, to those individuals in which the markings in question were
exceptionally vivid — provided that they did not go at a bound beyond
all recognition, in which case difficulties might, no doubt, arise. On
what the authors call the Wallaceian view, it would seem that the more
distinct such markings became the better they would serve this use, so
that in course of time they might, without ever having been harmful,
develop into conspicuous and even gaudy patterns. This is not intended
as a denial of the possible origin of many of these conspicuous colours
through mutation. But we suggest that it is to cases of origin through
mutation that the objection urged by the authors would most strongly
apply. The animal would then have suddenly assumed all the dis-
advantages of increased conspicuousness, without the compensating

240 The Irish Naturalist. November,

value of any previously impressed lessons to possible foes as to what its
bright colours signified. " Festina lente " is a maxim not to be too roughly
ruled out of court, even in the winning of the device ''Nemo me impune
I aces sit y

We must add that we are fulU' at one with the authors in urging the
need for experimental study and for a stead)' refusal to take hypotheses,
however plausible, as proved facts or " all-sufficient " explanations. In
many parts of the book before us Messrs. Dewar and Finn not only
argue acutely and convincingly on behalf of some of their contentions,
but add very materially to the sum of what the average student of
evolutionarj- problems can be supposed to have grasped in his effort to
obtain a survey of the existing data. For instance, the account given
(pp. 179-S0) of some of Mr. Finn*s experiments with mimetically coloured
Indian butterflies provides us with some of the most interesting evi-
dences we possess of the effectiveness of protective mimicry, showing,
as the}' do, not merely that such mimicry serves its purpose, but that it
does so with greater or less degrees of certainty in proportion as the
mimetic resemblance is more or less exact. It is because we think that
in the destructive part of their case they have taken an unwarrantably
confident tone and belittled extravagantly the probable influence of
Natural Selection that we have been at some pains to assail a few of
their arguments. Their book deserves not merely to be read, but to
have its contents carefully digested.

C. B. M.

IRISH SOCIETIES.

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Recent gifts include a Rabbit from Mr. H. E. Jolly. Hedgehogs
from Mr. W. E. Peebles and Mr. J. Carnell, an Otter cub from
Mr. F. Fitzmaurice, a Grey Wagtail, a Yellow Wagtail, and four
Pied Wagtails from Mr. W. J. Williams, four Japanese Pullets
from Colonel J. G. Adamson, ten Wild Ducks from Mr. J. Tones,
two young Barn Owls from Mr, M. Colgan, a pair of Long-tailed
Weaver birds from Mr. T. Bennett, a young Gannet from Mr. M.
M'Keown, a Jay and a Starling from Mr. W. W. Despard, four Domino
Finches from Miss Cree, two Kestrels from Mr. G. J. Hemmingway, a
Budgerigar from Mrs. Cullinan, and seventeen young Toads from Mr. E.
Pelly. There have also been received in exchange from Sydney, a
valuable collection of Australian marsupials, comprising four Brush-
tailed Kangaroos, a pair of Black-tailed Wallabies, a pair of Wombats and
three Vulpine Phalangers. These interesting beasts have been placed
in the enclosures of the Haughton House.

A very serious loss has been sustained by the death early in October
of the splendid female Giraffe which has lived in the Gardens for several
years. The animal succumbed to a sudden and unexpected attack of
illness despite the unwearied efforts of the vSuperintendent and staff of
keepers and the skill of Professor Mettam.

1909. Notes. 24 1

NOTES.

BOTANY.

Hygrophorus intermedius in Ireland.

In June, 1908, I gathered on the south shore of the most eastern of the
Rough Islands, Lower L/Ough Erne, a fungus which was identified at
Kew as Hygrophorus intermedius. Pass., with the remark added, " this is
the first record for Ireland." This5'ear, at the latter end of July, I found
three plants of the same fungus on Rossharbour Island, distant about
two miles from Rough Island — these also were identified at Kew.

He:rbe;rt Tre:vei,yan.
Army and Nav)' Club, London.

Trifolium glomeratum at Brittas Bay, Co. Wicklow.

The finding of this rare clover by the Dublin Field Club party who
visited Brittas Bay on June 12, is worthy of a more conspicuous notice
than that accorded to it, in the report of the Excursion on p. 228. For
long, the sandy shore near Wicklow was the only known Irish station
of this little Trefoil ; in 1897, Rev. E. S. Marshall discovered it at Rosslare
in Wexford. A third station is now added, lying between these two.
The plant was found growing in chinks of a low wall near Brittas Bridge,
but probably its head-quarters are on some part of the adjoining sandy
ground. Mr. W. F. Gunn has kindly sent me specimens.

R. LlyOYD PiiAEGER.

Dublin.

Spiranthes Romanzoffiana not in Devonshire.

In " The Country-side " for August 22, 1908, the following appeared
among the " Nature Records" : —

"Spiranthes gemmipara, found in plenty in a locality (name sup-
pressed) in East Devon. — (M. P.\GE). [This plant has been properly
identified. It has been supposed to occur only in Ireland. — Ed.]."

Other references to this important find, due in part to my enquiries,
appeared in the same Journal for vSeptember 12, p. 201, and December 5,
p. 36. In response to further enquiries, Mrs. Page has been so kind as to
send me fresh specimens whicli she states are the same as those collected
last year. They belong to Epipactis palustris.

R. IvI^OYD PraEGER.

Dublin.

Irish Thymes.

In a note on Thymes in the Journal of Botany for October, Mr. G. C.
Druce records T. glaber Mill. {T. Cha?)i<Edrys Fr.) from Brandon, Kerry
S. ; T. ovatus Mill. {T. Chavicedrys auct.) from Derrynane, Kerry S. ; and
T.prcecox, Opiz. from Cave Hill, Co, Antrim.

242 The Irish Natvrahst. November,

Cichorium Intybus and Mimulus guttatus in Co. Armagh.

lu Julj' last, I noticed some plants growing in hay fields which were
strange to me. Presently the hay was cut and the plants flowered and
were available for examination. They proved to be Cichorium Intybus L.
I observed it in several places near Poyntzpass and it seemed to me to be
introduced with grass seed.

Along the canal bank between ( Po^-ntzpass and Goraghwood I have

observed quantities of a Mimulus which I presume is Mimulus guttatus,

DC. It is growing very freely and seems quite established though I

did not observe it till lately, and as I have been along that part of the

canal many times it could hardly have escaped me.

W. F. Johnson.
Po3'ntzpass.

ZOOLOGY.

Hymenoptera in Ulster and Oonnaught.

My captures of aculeates this year adds no species new to the Irish List.
The following are, I believe, all new county records. I am indebted to
Mr. Edward Saunders, F.R.S., for their identification : —

Crabro dimidiattis , Gleuade, Leitrim ; C. cephalotes, Bloomfield, Down ;
Vespa vulgaris, Asseroe Abbey, Donegal ; V. austriaca^ Cave Hill, Antrim ;
Odyjterus pai'iatum. Cave Hill, Antrim ; Sphecndes affinis, Strandtown,
Down ; Halictus cylindricus, Strandtown, Down ; H. leucopus, Strandtown,
Down ; Andretia clarkella, Shaw's Bridge, Antrim ; Belmont, Down :
Psithyrus rupestris^ Mullaghmore, Sligo ; P. vestalis, Donaghadee, Down ;
P. campestris, Belmont, Down ; Bombus smithianus, Donaghadee, Down ; B.
agrortim, Glenade, Leitrim ; Richhill, Armagh ; B. horfensis, Glenade, Lei-
trim ; B. derhamellus, Mullaghmore, Sligo ; Richhill, Armagh ; Rostrevor,
Down ; Cave Hill, Antrim ; B. jortellus, Cave Hill, Antrim ; Knock, Down ;
Mullaghmore, Sligo ; Gleuade, Leitrim ; B. turrestris, Mullaghmore, Sligo ;
Glenade, Leitrim ; Asseroe Abbey, Donegal ; Richhill, Armagh.

Hugh L. Orr.

Belfast.

Paludestrina confusa in Kilkenny and Clare.

During the past month (June) I have seen this species in abundance

below Rosbercon, on the Kilkenny side of the Barrow, and on the Clare

side of the Shannon below Limerick.

Cork.

R. A. PHii^rjPS.

Helix nemoralis in North-West Donegal.

Mr. Edward Collier contributes to the July number of the /omnal of
Conchology a paper on this subject, dealing with the forms of the
species found on an excursion with G. W. Chaster, C. E. Wright, and
A. W. Stelfox last September.

1909. Notes, 243

Mayo Bird Notes.

To the Zoologist for Februar)', 1909, Robert Warreu records from P.allina
the passage of fourteen snow-geese in December, 1906, and of four in
December, 1908, while in the same magazine for June, he contributes
some miscellaneous notes dealing with birds observed near Ballina
during the spring.

Buff at Inch; Co. Donegal.

On 23rd September, Mr. Ashmead Bond shot a RufF {Machetes pugnax)

at Inch, Co. Donegal. It was an adult female in good plumage. This is

the third record from Inch.

D. C. Campbei,!,.
I,ondonderr\\

Food of Birds.

Ivy Berries (see I,N., September, p. 207) are occasionally eaten by
Mistle-Thrushes, and no doubt others ; but I have long been accustomed
to look upon them as in a peculiar sense the property of the Blackbird,
and have sometimes even been tempted to go so far as to speculate on a
possibly more than accidental correlation in colour between the bird
and the berries. The injury to Primrose blossoms (p. 203) is most
probably the work of Greenfinches.

W. B. Hart.

Kilderry, Londonderr5\

Primrose Blossoms eaten by Sparrows.

In the September number of the Irish Naturalist (p. 203, supra)^ Mr.
W. P. Westell asks for information with regard to primrose blossoms
nipped off in pieces in the spring. I have several times seen the
common House Sparrow {Passer domesticus) busily engaged in this work
and have known a row of plants to be deflowered by them.

F. C. R. JOURDAIN.

Clifton, Ashburne, Derbyshire.

Supposed Poisoning by ' Cuckoo-spittle."

Has any one noticed or heard that young birds, such as chickens,
ducklings, or pheasants are poisoned by eating the insect commonly
known as cuckoo-spittle? There seemed to be a great deal of it
last spring, and it has been announced that in a certain midland district
in Ireland young pheasants, fowls , and ducks were poisoned, and
" frothed at the mouth " from picking cuckoo-spittle off" the grasses and
weeds. As in the case referred to 15 per cent, of these young pheasants
and a number of young wild-ducks and common fowl died, it is believed,
from this cause, it would be of importance to poultry-farmers and game-
rearers to investigate the matter.

E. Shaw.

Bushy Park, Terenure.

244 The hish Nahcralist. November,

Former occurrence of the Goshawk in Ireland.

The position of this bird in ancient Ireland, as recorded in books of

falconry (see Ussher, " List of Irish Birds." page 28), is very vague and

uncertain. It may be, therefore, well to have recorded in the pages of

the Irish Naturalist the mention of an eyrie said to exist, in 1583, in

Glenmurlane, Cleanglas, County Limerick, as recorded in the Survey of

the Confiscated Estate of Gerald, Earl of Desmond, and preserved in the

Public Record Office, Dublin. This is alluded to by Westropp in

his recent paper on the Forests of the Lower Shannon Valley, Proceedings

Royal Irish Academy, page 293, April, 1909. I give the record for what it

is worth, without expressing opinion as to the identity' of the bird.

G. E. H. Barrett-Hamii^ton.
Kilmanock, County Wexford.

Occurrence of the Osprey in Sligo.

About mid-day on Saturday, May 29, 1909, while fishing on Lough

Arrow, I saw a fine adult Osprey circling slowly over the lough within

gunshot. I called Mr. H. B, Greenfield's attention to it, and we both

had a good view of it before it sailed away towards the north. The

occurrence so late in the spring seems remarkable in view of the fact

that there is no record of the breeding of this species in Ireland.

J. Henderson.
Clifton House, Ashbourne, Derb)- shire.

Records of Hawks.

A female Honey Buzzard in adult plumage was trapped on Lord Ash-
town's property at Glenahiery, Co. Tipperary, on the 12th June. A
Montague's Harrier, male, in adult plumage, was shot near Rathdrum,
Co. Wicklow, on August 27th ; his stomach was empty, but grouse

feathers were adhering to his talons.

W. J. Wl 1,1,1AM s.
Rathgar, Dublin.

Birds of Skerries, Co. Dublin.

In Prof. Patten's notes on Skerries (p. 185 supa), I was rather surprised
to see he has evidently overlooked the Tree Sparrow, or failed to
identify it. It breeds in places along the shore between Skerries and
Balbriggan, and I have met it in small parties in the corn-fields
bordering the Balbriggan road. I should hardl}' think the Wood-
pigeon would feed on the undigested droppings of the Herring Gull,
when the stubbles were full of grain. I have seen Wood-pigeons leave
corn-fields to fly to the beach to get salt, which all pigeons like, and
I have often flushed them from rock-pools close to the road.

W. J. WlI^UAMS.

Rathgar, Dublin,

Crossbills near Dublin. J ^

A flock of twenty Crossbills were observed by me in Palmerston Park
on the i6th July.

W. J. WlI.T,IAMS.

Rathgar, Dublin.

December. 1909. The hish Naturalist. 245

THE SURVEY OF CLARE ISLAND.

RKPORT OF PROGRESS DURING 1909.
BY R. LI^OYD PRAEGER.

(A report laid before the Ro3al Irish Aca leuiy, Sth November, and
before the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, 23rd November, 1909.)

The h'ish Naiiiralist for June, 1908, contains a report of a
meeting held in the National Museum on April 23 preceding,
at which it was decided to organize a natural history survey
of Clare Island, h'ing off the coast of County Mayo. On
account of the work consequent upon the visit to Dublin of
the British Association in September, 1908, operations were
not commenced till the present 3'ear ; during the season now
closed, work has gone on vigorousl^^ The number of persons
who have visited the island or neighbouring district in con-
nection with the survey during the 3'ear has been over 60, of
whom, however, about 10 must be reckoned as non-com-
batants, being friends or relations who accompanied the
workers,' and themselves often rendered excellent service.
While the majorit}- paid only one visit to the district during
the seasou; several of our workers went down twice, and the
majority of this year's visitors will take the field again next
year, as well as a large bod}^ of additional recruits.

The season's work opened at Easter, when a party of seven,
namely Major Barrett-Hamilton (Mammals), J. Bayley Butler
(Protozoa), A. D. Cotton (Marine Algie), Arthur Skinner
(Photography, &c.), A. W. Stelfox (Mollusca), Isaac Swain
(Geology), and R. LI- Praeger (Phanerogams), spent five to
eight days upon the island. In the groups of Seaweeds and
Terrestial Mollusks especially good progress was made, not
only on the island, but subsequently on the mainland
adjoining. H. Bassett and W. L. Hicks, both of Liverpool
University, members of a cave-exploring party who had been
working at Cong, joined the party before the week was out,
and reinforced the photographic detachment.
I Our May party was small, consisting of Nevin H. Foster
(Birds), Rev. Canon Lett (Mosses and Liverworts), R. Southern
(Worms), and the writer. In all the groups mentioned, good

246 The Irish NaturaJisf, December,

lists and collections were made on the island, and subse-
quently in the surrounding district, where Canon Lett worked
Achill and Curraun, and Mr. Foster the Louisburgh area; while
the welcome arrival of the Fisheries steamer " Helga" gave
Mr. Southern an opportunity of dredging in the local waters
in company with G. P. Farran, S. W. Kemp, and W. M.
Tattersall, who were on board ; the result being considerable
collections of marine animals. Great progress was made
during May with the Mosses and Liverworts, as Canon Lett
was reinforced by W. H. Pearson from Manchester and the Rev.
C. H. Waddell from County Down, and among them much
exploration was carried out.

Karl}' in June a party often went to the island, including J.
N. Halbert (Insects, &c.), W. F. de V. Kane (Lepidoptera,
&c.), C. F. Rousselet (Rotifera), D. J. Scourfield (Entomos-
traca), R. F. Scharff (Mollusca, Woodlice, &c.), and R. LI.
Praeger. The co-operation of two such authorities in their
respective groups as Messrs. Rousselet and Scourfield was
especially welcome, and their contribution to the final report
will be of much value. As regards insects, the prevalence of
cloud and wind durir.g the visit caused very little to be on the
wing, Lepidoptera being especially few ; but good collections
of beetles, &c.; were made. On leaving the island after a five-
days sojourn, the majorit}^ of the part}' worked the Achill
Sound district.

On June 19 Miss Knowles went west to collect Lichens and
Flowering Plants, and spent a fortnight in the Louisburgh
and Westport districts, and on the island.

Two parties were organized in July. The first one, crossing
on July 8, included D. R. Pack-Beresford, who w^orked the
spiders, first of the island and subsequently of the Mallaran}^
neighbourhood ; Prof. J. Wilson, who studied the agricultural
conditions of the island, past and present; and the writer,
who pushed on wiih a vegetation map. The second party,
crossing on July 16, included V. Balfour-Browne (Water-
beetles), A. D. Cotton (Seaweeds), N. Colgan (Marine Mol-
lusca), J. de W. Hinch (Glacial Geology), A. W. Hill
(Botany), W. F. de V. Kane (Lepidoptera), A. R. Nichols
(Polyzoa, &c.), and Miss J. Stephens (Sponges, &c.).

1909- Praeger. — The Survey of Clare Island. 247

The marine fauna and flora received much attention during
this trip ; considerable collections were made, and some
inshore dredging was carried out by N. Colgan and R. LI.
Praeger. Messrs. Balfour-Browne, Kane, Cotton and Colgan
subsequent!}^ carried out further work around Louisburgh
and Westport ; and Miss Stephens, revisiting the district
almost immediately, explored the shores of Acliill, Belclare,
and Louisburgh.

At the end of July we were most fortunate in securing the
assistance of Dr. Eugene Penard, of Geneva, the well-known
authority on the Rhizopoda. He spent a week in the district,
collecting on the island, and in the Louisburgh and Achill
neighbourhoods.

On August 20 a strong party went to the island for a week's
work, chiefly at the flora. It included H. C. Hawley (Fungi),
J. Adams (^Marine i\lgae), Rev. Canon Lett (Mosses and
Hepatics) ; also Dr. Otto Stapf of Kew and Miss Saunders of
Newnham College: Dr. G. Fogerty and T. J. Westropp
(Archseolog}), W. Rankin (Crustacea) and the writer. The
" Helga" came in on August 23, with G. P. Farran and S. W.
Kemp on board, and joined by Messrs. Rankin, Adams, and
Praeger three daj^s were devoted to dredging. Messrs.
Westropp and Fogerty were very successful in their anti-
quarian work, and their results will form an interesting chapter
of the report. An excellent preliminary survey of the fungus
flora was made, and dredging added some important species
to the fine list of Algae already made by A. D. Cotton. Mr.
Hawley subsequently worked the Westport district for Fungi.

Early in September the last expedition of the year was sent
down. G. W. Chaster, Edward Collier, A. W. Stelfox, R.
Welch, and J. N. Milne worked Achill Sound, the island (espe-
cially), Louisburgh, Westport, and thence to Castlebar. Land
and fresh- water Mollusca particularly engaged their attention,
but many insects, &c., were also collected, and Mr. Welch
secured a very fine series of photographs on the island. D.
M'Ardle, who went down with them, spent ten days working
the Mosses and Hepatics of the island and of the Louisburgh
district.

During the season the geology of the island has engaged
the attention of the staff of the Geological Survey. J. R.

2J.8 Ui<- Irish Naturalist. Deceuiber,

Kilroe, R. Clark, and T. Hallissy have all been at work, and
the revision of the " solid " map, as well as new drift and soil
maps, are well forward.

On the whole, substantial progress has been made during
the year with the working out of the fauna and flora. Among
the animal groups, the lists of Mollusca, both land and marine,
are well advanced ; the same may be said, among the
Arthropods, for the beetles, spiders, v;oodlice, and decapods ;
also some of the groups of worms. On the other hand, owing
to one chance or another, some large groups have hardly been
touched yet. The birds and fishes need further attention ;
Lepidoptera hang back, owing to the unsuitable weather;
Diptera and other orders of insects have as 3^et hardly been
touched ; and the vast marine fauna has been onh^ very par-
tialh' examined, though here and there good lists have been
compiled.

The flora has on the whole advanced more than the fauna.
The mosses and liverworts stand outpre-eminently, having had
the service of four skilled workers, and an aggregate period of
about seven weeks of work. The Phanerogams are up to
date, the marine Algae far advanced, the Fungi well begun.
The Lichens alone hang back, but extensive collections of
them have been made.

As regards new or rare species, there are indications that
the report will be not devoid of interest. Several of the species
collected appear to be new to science, and already a number
are reported which have not previously been recorded from
Ireland, and others from the British Islands.

In conclusion, it may be stated that in a number of groups
the Committee will be glad of further assistance. The district
over which their operations extend is a large one, and time
is short. The secretar}- (the WTiter of the present report)
will be pleased to receive communications from any fresh
volunteers, and to give information as to the conditions under
which ttie survey is being carried out.

National Library of Irelaud, Dublin.

1909. Kkw. — Notes 071 the Irish False Scorpions. 249

NOTES ON THE IRISH FALSE-SCORPIONS IN THE
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND.

BY H. WALLIS KEW.

In connection with a " Synopsis of the False-Scorpions of
Britain and Ireland " now nearl}^ completed, I recently
examined the animals of this order belonging to the National
Museum ; and at the suggestion of Dr. Scharflf, to whom I am
indebted for permission to make the examination, the present
note is submitted to the Irish Natztj-alist. I wish to thank Dr.
Scharff, and also Mr. J. N. Halbert, w^ho helped me in various
ways. Man}' of the specimens were collected on trips orga-
nised by the Fauna and Flora Committee of the Royal Irish
Academy. Most of the specimens are in spirit, and most of
them had been named some years ago by Professor G. H.
Carpenter. With the exception of a few from extra-Britannic
localities (not criticall}^ examined by me), the collection con-
sists of seven species as follows : —
Chcllfer cancroidcs, Irina. — Limerick ; 1894 (F. Neale).
Chelifer (Cherries) dubius, Canibr. (?). — Ovoca, Co. Wicklow ; 1895
(J. N. Halbert), Reported in Irish Naturalist, V. (1896), p. 215. as
Chernes phaleraltis Simon, by which is intended, no doubt, the animal
so named by Mr. Cambridge (= C. scorpioides, Herni.). I believe,
however, that this identification is erroneous, and that the animal is
C. dubius, Canibr. ; but I cannot refer it to that species with certainty
because one should examine the galea in lateral view, the ventral as
well as the dorsal surface of the body, and note the presence or
absence of certain tactile-hairs, and this cannot be done in the case
of the present carded, somewhat damaged specimen.
Cheiridium museorum, Leach. — Duudrum, Co. Dublin; 1903 (R. P\

Scharff).
Obisium museorum, Leach.— Lucan, Co. Dublin ; 1892 (R. F.
Scharff). Lough Gilly, Co. Armagh ; 1893 (W. F. Johnson). Killar-
ney, Co. Kerry ; 1893. Ovoca, Co. Wicklow ; 1894. Bray, Co. Wick-
low; 1895. (R. F. Scharff). Glandore, Co. Cork; 1896 (J. N. Hal-
bert). Poyntzpass, Co. Armagh ; 1896 and 1897 (W. F. Johnson).
Leenane, Co, Galway ; J897 (J. N. Halbert). Delphi, Co. Mayo ; 1897
(J. N. Halbert}. Kinbane, Co. Antrim ; 1897 (R. Welch). Kenmare,
Co. Kerry ; 1899 (J. N. Halbert). Ballycastle, Co. Antrim ; 1900
(R. Welch). [Edinburgh ; 1892 (W. Evans).]
Obisium maritimum, Leach.— Kenmare Bay, Co. Kerry; 1909 (H.
W. Kew). The Museum also possesses examples of this species froni
Jersey, which it was of interest to compare with those from Kenmare

250 The h'ish Naiiiralisi. December,

Ba}- ; they were labelled 0. littorale, Moniez : a name already placed
as a synonym under O. rnaritimtim, Leacli.

Chthonlus Ray I, L. Koch. — Lucan, Co. Dublin ; 1892 (R. F. ScharfF).
Ovoca, Co. Wicklow; 1894 (R. F. Scharff). North Bull. Co. Dublin :
1894 and 1898 rj. N. Halbert). Bray Head, Co. Wicklow ; 1895 (G. H.
Carpenter). Tallaght, Co. Dublin; 1895 (J. N. Halbert). London-
derry; 1S95 (J. N. Milne). Borris, Co. Carlow ; 1895 (J. N. Halbert).
Glandore, Co. Cork ; 1898 (J. N. Halbert). Howth, Co. Dublin ; 190^
(J. N. Halbert ^.

Chthonius tctrachelatus. Preys.— Dublin ; 1894 (J. N. Halbert).
Belfast; 1896 (A. G. Wilson). [Edinburgh; no dale (W.Evans)].
These specimens had been referred erroneousl}- to Ckihoiiuis ortho-
daclylus, Leach ; and those from Belfast and Edinburgh have been
recorded under that name. {Guide to Belfast, etc. British Association, 1902,
p. 220 ; and Proc. Royal Physical Society, Edinburgh, xiv., (1900), p. 180.)

12 Herndon Road, Wandsworth, London S.W.

SOME ADDITIONS TO MY PAPER ON THE IRISH

FLORA.

BY G. CI^ARIDGE DRUCE, M.A., F.I^.S.

Euphrasia brevipila, B. & G.— Blackhead, Co. Clare.

Taraxacum obllquum, Dahlst.— Near Loughrea, Co. Galway.

T. udurrijjord. — Ben Bulben, Sligo.

T. erythrosperiYium, Andrz.— Wicklow.

T, paludosum, Schlecht.— Gort, Co Galway.

Hleraciutn cymbifolium, Purchas.— Ballyvaughan, Co, Clare, and

Gleucar, Sligo. (Ref No. 4205.) Apparently new to Ireland.
Hlcraclum britannlcum, F. J. Hanb.— Bally vaughan, Co. Clare j

Ben Bulben rare.
H. Somerfeltll, Lindeb. van— A form, as Mr. Ley says, with much more

glandular heads, occurred in some quantity near the canal, Glasnevin,

Co. Dublin.
Lapsana communis L., van pubcscens, Reichb.— This appears

to be the Muckinish plant alluded to in my last papen Not given in

our British Floras.
Bromus hordcaccus L., van microstachys (Duval -Jouve).— Sown

grass fields, Burren, Co. Clare, and Roo, Co. Galway.
B. hordcaccus L., van leiostachys.— Wicklow.
Fcstuca rubra L., van commutata, Gaud. {F.fallax Thuill.)— Beu

Bulben, .Sligo.
NItcIIa opaca, Ag.— This is the plant I wrongly recorded as T. glomcrata
from near Gort, Galway, in the Irish Naturalist for Octoben

High Street, Oxford.

1 See Irish Nat,, October, 1909.

1909- Irish Societies. 251

IRISH SOCIETIES.

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

Geoi,ogicaIv Section. — Septembkr ii.— Excursion to Island-
MAGEE. — The rocks investigated belong to the Cretaceous series, and
comprise Glauconitic Sands, Yellow Sandstones, Chloritic Sands, and
Chalk.

The mineral beekite was found on a Pecten quinqiiecostatus, and the
minerals levyne, gmelinite, and aualcime in the basaltic rocks at
Blackhead.

Geologicai, Section.— September 25. — Excursion to Woodburn-
GivEN. — A fine section of Cretaceous rocks at the Woodburn river wa»
examined. Tlie Glauconitic Sands were well exposed in the west bank
of the river, but the water was so deep they were inaccessible to most of
the party. These beds had a special interest for the members of the
Geological Section, as it is to the late Professor Ralph Tate, the distin-
guished founder of the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club, that we owe their
earliest comprehensive exposition. A little higher up, on the west side
of the river, a basalt dyke was noted, traversing the Chalk, which in its
vicinity was converted into marble, some specimens showing a beautifully
bande 1 structure.

Geologicai. Section.— October 9.— Excursion to Moira.— The
fine chalk quarries at Maghaberry, about three miles N.E. of Moira,
were visited. The first quarry showed about fifty feet of Chalk, capped,
by about thirty feet of rudely columnar basalt, surmounted by from eight
to twelve feet of Boulder cla}-. In the second quarry, two to twenty feet
of Bjulder clay was found, capping the Chalk directly. Many very fine
paramoudras were noted in this quarr}^ one in situ, measured fifty inches
by eighteen ; and others forming a vertical series in the Chalk cliff
appeared to be as large, but were inaccessible.

In the last quarry visited at least fifty feet of Chalk was visible, sur-
mounted by about twent3--five feet of rudely columnar basalt, capped by
Boulder clay averaging twenty feet in depth. The erratics from the
Boulder clays included granite, gabbro, quartzite, mica schist, and Ailsa
Craig riebeckite-eurite ; a specimen, the last found in the first quarry,
measured twelve inches by seven inches, the largest specimen yet found
in our Boulder clays.

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB.

May 12. — The Club met at Leinster House. Dr. G. H. Pethybridgs
(President) exhibited the fungus Alelatwspora leucocricha, Corda, which is
new to the British Islands. It was found growing on decaying Cherry-
laurel leaves from the neighbourhood of Monaghan.

252 The Irtsh NaturalisL December,

October 13. — The Club met at Leiuster House. Dr. G. H. Pethy-
BRIDGE (President) exhibited the fungus Verticiliinn alboatrian, Reiuke et
Berthold, which he had obtained by culture from potato plants growing
near Dublin attacked with one of the forms of •' leaf-curl " or " roll."
The fungus is of very considerable economic importance, and this is the
first time it has been recorded for the British Islands. The wood vessels
of everj' part of the attacked plants, leaves, stems, roots and rhizomes,
were permeated by the mycelium of this fungus, and it also enters the
tubers, having been traced in one instance to a distance of two and a halt
inches from the heel end. Owing to the choking of the vascular system
of the plant it wilts and dies, and the fungus then spreads into other
tissues than the wood and destrojs them. The mycelium then becomes
black and passes into a hibernating condition, and is capable of renewing
its growth again in the following season under suitable conditions.
Healthy potato plants can be art^ficiallj' inoculated with the fungus
through wounds. In one such case the mycelium travelled up the stalk
in the wood vessels to a distance of about eight inches in the course of
a few weeks. How infection occurs under natural conditions in the
field is not known wnth certaint}', but planting affected "seed" would
seem to be one means of propagating the disease. Further experiments
with this fungus are in progress.

J. N. Halbert showed the larval and adult forms of the hemipteron
Nobis lativentris, found commonly under clumps of Matricaria, &'c., on
the south shore of Howth. The larva of this species is 'highly chitinised
and well pigmented with dark colour, and in general structure bears a
superficial resemblance to the common black ant Fortuica fusca, which
abounds in the same locality. The resemblance between the two insects
was especially' striking when they were seen rimning about in company.
The hemipteron is apparently common in England, but in this country
it is rather local, occurring chief!}' in maritime localities.

R. Southern exhibited a living specimen, with tube, oi Lanicecoiuhi-
lega (Gall.) The tubes of this polychaete, with their opercular flaps
fringed with long filaments, are amongst the commonest sights of the
littoral region. The tubes penetrate into the sand for a considerable
distance, and hence the worms are seldom seen. The specimen exhibited
•was obtained from a rock-pool at Howth, Co. Dublin.

F. W. Moore exhibited the fructifying stage of Stevionitis ferrtiginea,
one of the Myxomycetes. It was found growing on a damp shaded bank
in the Botanic Gardens. The plasmodium stage covered a large space,
adhering to leaves of grass, Campanala, and dead H0II3' leaves, soft j'el-
lowish irregular plastic masses. The sporangia were dark brown on
short stalks.

1909. Notes. 253

NOTES.

BOTANY.

Cluster-Cups on Barberry.

On the 3id of August last I noticed a specimen of the Common Bar-
berry {/yerhen's 7'iilgaris. Linn.) growing on a hedge near Skerr}-, co.
Antrim. The leaves -were covered with the cluster-cup stage of the
fungus Puccinia graininis, Pers. In connection with the relation between
this stage of the fungus and wheat rusts, its occurrence seems worth

recording.

J. Adams.

Royal College of vScience, I)ui)lin.

Fusicladium dendriticum on Wild Crab.

On the 2ist ot July, near the Hill of Tara, in Co. Meath, I observed a

number of fruits of the Wild Crab, covered with Apple Scab {Fusicladium

dtndriticum, Fuckel). This disease is rather common in orchards on the

cultivated Apple, but I have seen no previous record of its occurrence on

the Wild Crab. It is supposed to have been introduced with Apple

trees, but its occurrence on Crab makes it possil)le that it is a native

species of fungus,

J. Adams.
Royal College of Science, Dublin.

Bartsia viscosa in Connemara.

]\Ir. A. R. Sanderson, whose discovery of Sisyrinchiuin angiisiifoliiim in
Donegal is referred to in a recent number (p. 222), writes me that when
camping with a party of English botanists at Dog's Bay, in August, about
a dozen plants oi Barisia viscosa were noticed in a potato field, a quarter
of a mile east* of Dog's Bay. The find is very interesting. The plant
is admittedly native in the South of Ireland (Kerry to Waterford). Its
only other Irish stations are two, situated on Lough vSwill}-, W. Donegal ;
and while its wide western range in Great Britain (Sussex and Cornwall to
Argyll) offers no obstacle to its being native in Donegal (as held by H. C.
Hart), the Editors of Cybelc Hibernica inclined to the view that it may have
been introduced from S. Scotland, the evidence quoted in favour of that
view being the wide gap between its Donegal and southern stations. While
the Connemara station is in itself unsatisfactory, by reason of its being
on cultivated land, and of the small quantity of the plant observed, it
nevertheless bridges the gap and strengthens the case for Bartsia viscosa
being native throtighout its Irish range. And if the plant has only now
been detected in the comparatively well-known Roundstone district, it
seems possible that the future will reveal other stations in unexplored
portions of Galway or of Mavo.

R. L 1,0 YD Praicgbr.

Dublin.

254 ^'^'^' ^^'^^^^ Nahiralist. Deceuiber,

Scrophularia vernalis in Irekind.

INIr. R. ^I. Barriiigton sends us an old letter, containing an unpublished
locality for this plant, which appears to be unrecorded for Ireland even
as a casual. It is from Prof. W. H. Harvey to Mr. Thomas Noble Cole,
of Ballitore, co. Kildare, is dated 26th May, 1858, and runs as follows : —

" The plant from the " Ruins of Ballitore " is the Scrophularia vernalis —
rather a suspicious habitat for a rare British plant — not hitherto found
in Ireland. But in England it only grows on rubbish. I have no objec-
tion to your drying me a good specimen, or bringing one with you
for me to dry when you come."

Asparagus officinalis in Co. Londonderry.

Mr. D. C. Campbell has sent me a specimen of Asparagus collected last
August by his brother, Rev. W. N. Campbell, on the sands at the mouth
of the Bann. This being just the kind of place in which the plant is
found as an indigenous species, I have made inquiries, which show that
the Asparagus cannot on the strength of this discovery be added to the
northern flora. The specimen submitted belongs to the large cultivated
form, not to the smaller procumbent native type. One specimen alone
was found, and this was only a few feet above high water mark, suggest-
ing casual importation by the river, aided by a high tide and perhaps by
a oale. The spot where the plant was found was on the northern bank
of the river, three quarters of a mile from its mouth, and one-third of a
mile from the nearest point of the open sea.

National Librar\ of Ireland.

R. Ll,OVD Praegek.

ZOOLOGY.

Fossil Foraminifera.

The Report and Proceedings of the Belfast Natural History and
Philosophical Society for 1907-8, recently issued, contains a paper by
Mr. Joseph Wright, F.G.S.,. on Foraminifera obtained in sands and clays
from several localities near Belfast.

Water Beetles at Armagh.

In the April number of the Etitoinologist's Monthly Magazine, the Rev. W.
V. Johnson notes the capture of the local Water-beetle Hydroporus dorsalis,
P., in the Armagh district, and gives reasons for believing that the species
has become common there since the year 1895.

Micropeplus coelatus in Ireland.

In a combined note {Entomologists Monthly Magazine^^wXy, 1909), Messrs.
N. H. Joy and J. R. C. B. Toinlin record the occurrence of Micropeplus
coilatus, P:richson, in Ireland. It was taken sparingly at the end of Apri:
in marshy ground near Cloghane, in the County Kerry. The species had
not been previously noticed in the Britannic area.

1 909. Notes* 255

Beetles in Birds' Nests.

In a paper eutitled " A New Method of Collecting Coleoptera " {Ento-
viologisis' Mouthly Magazine, January, 1909), INIr. Norman H.Joy, INI.R.C.S.,
F.E.S., records the results of a careful examination of the debris of various
sea-birds' nests, chiefly with a view of ascertaining their beetle inhabi-
tants. The following notes refer to Irish localities : —

Bull Rock, S. W. Ireland, August 7th, 1906. Ganuets's nests, consisting
of rotting seaweed : — PhilontJms cephalotes Grav. ; Gjiathonciis rotinuiatzis,
Kugel. Three puffins' nests, Choleva Watsoni Speuce.

Valencia Island, vS.W. Ireland : Puffins' nests : — Bradycellusverbasd, Duft ;
Pteroslichus iitgcr, Schall., fragments ; Amara triviales : HomaJota circellotis
Grav : Atomaria atncapilla, Stephs. In tufts of grass from the same locality
were found several Otiorrhynchus blandus, Gyll.

Irish Hymenoptera.

In the E)i[oniologisls' Motitlily Magazine for December, 1908, Mr. Claude
Morley records various Hymenoptera collected by Mr. H.W. Andrews in the
counties of Cork, Kerry, and Waterford during the seasons of 1907 and
1908. Fourteen species of Ichneumonidae, twelve of the Aculeata, and
six Terthredinidse are recorded. Amongst the Aculeates we notice the
capture of the local wasp Vespa austriaca at Kenmare in August, 1907.

Sirex gigas in Co. Carlow.

A part}' camping out near here were surprised one morning in August to

find their bell tent invaded by numbers of Sirex gigas, which were found

to proceed from an old larch log which was perforated in scores of places,

and used to prop up one of the beds ; some of the larvae were secured.

Perhaps some of your readers may report if they have met with a colony

of this fly in Ireland. Though individuals are captured occasionally, the}-

are generally supposed to be rare, and to effect no material damage ou

our trees, but it should seem, from the evidence here given, that they

are far more numerous than usually suspected, and must be prevalent in

the locality from which this larch log was obtained.

T. Harti^ky.
Borris.

[For many years past Sirex gigas has not been scarce in Ireland. — Eds.]

Irish Fossil Molluscs.

Mr. Longstaff contributes a paper to the Quarterly lonrnal of the
Geological Society (vol. Ixv.), May, 1909, on the Palaeozoic marine gastropod
Loxonema. Several new English species are described and figured.
Among the Eoxonemas in the Museum of Practical Geology in London,
Mr. Eongstaft found two specimens which had been named Z. striatissi-
mum by Mr. Cowper Reed. Both of these came from the Silurian (Upper
Bala) of the Chair of Kildare, and were found to be new species. Mr.
Eongstaff now redescribes them under the names of Zf?;r(?w^;//a AV^^/e and
Styhnema (?) hibernicuvi.

2t^6 The Jri^sh Naivralist. December, 1909.

The Warty Newt presumably introduced into Dublin.

In digging a drain at the back of the new Royal College of Science in
Dublin the workpeople noticed a creature walking about which inspired
Iheni with wonder. After having indnced it to creep into a bottle, they
>)rought it to the Musenni, where it was identified bv Mr. Halberc and
myself as a female specmien of the Warty Newt {Molgc cnstata). As this
species is not known as a native of the Irish fauna, I sent it to Mr.
Boulanger, of the British IMusenm, who kindly confirmed our identifica-
tion. He lemarked, at the same time, that he had no doubt of its
having been introduced. This supposition seems to be strengthened by
the fact that at the end of the new drain alluded to, the workmen dis-
covered an ancient well. The new't had possibly lived in it, and may
perhaps have been deposited there by one of the former tenants of the
houses now occupied as offices by the Department of Agriculture and
Technical Instruction. In any case, it is important to place the occur-
rence on record.

R. F. SCHARFF,

National Museum, Dublin.

Marked Birds.

For some time past I have taken a great interest in the ringing of
birds so as to obtain information in regard to their migration and general
movements. During the present N'ear a number of readers of Country Life
have marked birds, and we are now desirous of establishing a corre-
spondence in all parts of the world with all wdio w'ould let us know
should they come across the birds we have marked and identify our
rings. The rings we have used are engraved Coimtfy Life and a
number; and I would be ver}' grateful if those who are interested in
birds will, as far as possible, help us to trace the birds. It is only by co-
operation, not only with people in England, but in foreign countries,
that we can hope to obtain results.

P. AndeRvSOn Graham.

20 Tavistock-street, London, W.C.

Glossy Ibis in Cos. Donegal and Derry.

Kvidentl}' a flock of Glossy lh\^{r/egadisfa/Li7ieiIus, Linnaeus) has visited
our north coast. About October 12 one was shot at Malin Head, Co.
Donegal, and one at Straidarran, Co. Derry, about thirteen miles inland
from Derry City, by Mr. Samuel H. M'Candless. Both specimens seemed
to be immature ; the back, wings, and tail were beautifully glossed with
greenish purple; the under parts were brownish black; the head and
neck streaked with greyish white, and the legs and feet light grey. One
of the specimens is now in our city Museum. These are the first records
I have for this north-west district

D. C. CA:tfPBgi<i..

Londonderry.

vOL. XVIII. No. I.
JANUARY, 19C9.

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The Warble Ily.

Out of Print.

Out of Print.

Workmen's Compenaatioa Act.

Out of Print.

Charlock Spraying.

Fluke in Sheep.

Timothy Meadows.

The Turnip Fly.

Wire worms.

Prevention of White Scour in Calves.

Out of Print.

Contagious Abortion in Cattle.

Prevention of Potato Blight.

Fertilizers and Feeding Stulfs Act.

1906, Regulations.
Sheep Scab.

The Use and Purchase of Manures.
Swine Fever.
Early Potato Growing.
Calf Rearing.

Diseases of Poultry : — Gapes.
Basic Slag.
Dishorning Calves.
Care and Treatment of Premium

Bulls.
Fowl Cholera.
Winter Fattening of Cattle.
Breeding and Feeding of Pigs.
Blackleg, Black Quarter, or Blue

Quarter.
Flax Seed.
Poultry Parasites — Fleas, Mites, and

Lice.
Winter Egg Production.
Rearing and Fattening of Turke3'S.
Profitable Breeds of Poultry.
The Revival of Tillage.
The Liming of Land.
Field Experiments — Barley.

„ „ Meadow Hay.

,, „ Potatoes.

„ „ Mangolds.

Oats.

,, „ Turnips.

Permanent Pasture Grasses.
The Rearing and Management of

Chickens.
" Husk " or " Hoose " in Calves.
Ringworm on Cattle.
Haymaking.

The Black Currant Mite.
Foul Brood or Bee Pest.
Poultry Fattening.

No.

50

>>

51

i»

52

>>

53

tt

54

it

55

it

56

It

57

1)

5^.

It

59.

II

60.

K

61

II

62

II

63

tl

64

»»

65

»»

66

tt

67

f

68

>l

69

>>

70

>»

71.

>l

72.

tt

73.

»l

74.

II

75.

II

70.

II

77.

II

78.

II

79.

II

80.

H

81.

tl

82.

II

83.

II

84.

II

85.

»>

86.

II

87

>>

88.

>>

89.

Portable Poultry Houses.

The Leather-.Facket Grub.

Flax Experiments.

The Construction of a Cowhouse.

Calf Meal.

The Apple.

Cultivation of the Root Crop.

Fruit Packing.

Sprouting Seed Potatoes.

Seed Testing Station for Ireland.

The Packing of Butter.

The Care of .Milk for Creameries.

Plans for Creamer v Buildings.

"Redwater" or "'Blood-Murrain"

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Varieties of Fruit suitable for

cultivation in Ireland.
Forestry : The Planting of Waste

Lands.
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Forestry : Trees for Shelter and

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The Prevention of Tuberculosis in

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Forestry : Planting, Management,

and Preservation of Shelter-Belt

and Hedgerow Timber.
Forestrv : The xManaofament of Plan-

tations.
Forestry : Felling and Selling Tim-
ber.
The Planting and Management of

Hedges.
Some Common Parasites of the

Sheep.
Barley Sowing,

American Gooseberry Mildew.
Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle.
Home Buttermakinsc.
The Cultivation of Small Fruits.
Catch Crops.

Potato Culture on Small Farms.
Cultivation of Main Crop Potatoes.
Cultivation of Osiers.
Ensilacre.

Some Injurious Orchard Insects.
Dirty Milk.
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The Constructiou of Piggeries.

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Vol. xviii., No. 1.

January, 1909.

CONTENTS.

The Biological Sub-division of Ireland.— John Adams, M.A.,v
The Char of Ireland. — C. Tate Regan, M. A.,
The Lower Polaezoic Rocks around Killary Harbour. — R. G.
Carruthers, and H. B. Muff, . . . . . .

Bryological Notes from Cos. Down and Louth. — J. H. Davies,

Reviews : —

Sir Digby Pigotf s *' Changeling."— (G. H. C. ),

M. Hiesemann's " How to attract and protect Wild Birds."— (R.P. ),

R. Kearton's "British Birds' Nests."— (G.H.C.), .. ..

Irish Societies:

Royal Zoological Society, Belfast Naturalist's Field Club,

Dublin Microscopical Club,..

Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, . , . , , .

Notes :

Barbula Hornschuchiana in Cos. Down and Armagh ; Archidium
alternifolium. — A correction. — J. H Davies.

Freshwater Crayfish in Munster and Ulster. — R, D. O'Brien,
Rev. A. H. Delap, E. Crawford, Rev. C. E;. Y. Kendai.1.,

H. Al^LINGHAM. . .
Orthetrum coerulescens in Co. Wexford — C. B. Moffat,
Lepidoptera in Co. Westmealh. — Mrs. C. B. Levinge, . .
Hymenoptera from Cos. Antrim and Down. — H. L Orr,
Lacerta vivipara on Scariff Island — S. W. Kemp, B.A., ,^

The Irish Vertebrate Fauna. Crossbill breeding in Co. Dublin,
Black Redstarts in Co. Waterford. — R. J. Ussher, D.L.,
Ringed Plover 700 miles from land.— J. Trumbui^i,, 1, R.C.S., «.
Mice devouring Snails. — H. E. Coghii^l, ..• ..

Booming of lyough Neagh — Rev. W. S. Smith,

Page

I
3

7

12

18
16
16

17
22

23

23

24

24

25

25
26

26

26

27

27
27

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ALKX. THOM AMD CO., LIMITED, DUBLIW

VOL. XVIII. No. "2.'
FEBRUARY, 1909.

,»rlS

!'#:•.

m^'

a iWomtlB Sotirnal

OF

GENERAL IRISH NATURAL HISTORY,

ORGAN OF THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB,

FELFAvST NATURAL HISTORY & PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY,

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LIMERICK FIELD CLUB,

ULSTER FISHERIES AND BIOLOGY ASSOCIATION.

TYRONE NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

EDITED BY

Prof. GEORGE H. CARPENTER, B.Sc, M.R.I.A.
R. LLOYD PRAEGER, B.A., B.E., M.R.I.A.,

AND

ROBERT PATTERSON, F.L.S., M.R.LA.

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•«l.

'■rffTrMfBBS;;

DEPAllT.M KNT OF AClllCULTURE AND TECHNrCAL
INSTRUCTION Foil IRELAND.

LIST OF THE DEPARTMENT'S LEAFLETS.

No. 1.
o

,, .>.

.. 'i.

.. 5.

,. 0.

.. 7.

,, 8.

„ 9.

„ 10.

.. 11.

„ 12.

.. 13.

,. 14.

„ 15.

.. Ifi.

.. 17.

„ IS.

„ 10.

.. 20.

„ 23.

., 24.

o.-t

,, ^.).

20

I. 27.

II 28.

I, 29.

,1 30.

„ 31.

., 32.

. X).

I, 31.

I, 3.').

,1 37.

.1 3S.

I. 3!).

.. 40.

.. 41.

.1 42.

,. 43.

I. 44.

I, 4ry.

.. 4(>.

II 47.

„ 4S.

.. 4\).

The. Warble Fly.

Out of Print.

Out of Print.

Workmen's Compensation Act.

Out of Print.

Charlock Spraying.

Fluke in Sheep.

I'iinothy Meadows.

The Turnip Fl}'.

Wire worms.

Prevention of White Scour in Calves.

Out of Print.

Contagious Al)ortion in Cattle.

Prevention of Potato Blight.

Fertilizers and Feeding Stuffs Act,

1900, Regulations.
Sheep Scab.

The Use and Purchase of Manures.
Swine Fever.
Early Potato Growing,
Calf Rearing.

Diaeases of Poultry : — Gapes.
Basic Slag.
Dishorning Calves.
Care and Treatment of Premium

Bulls.
Fowl Cholera.
Winter Fattening of Cattle.
Bleeding and Feeding of Pigs.
Blackleg, Bhiek Quarter, or Blue

Quarter.
Flax Seed.
Poultry Pcirasites

Ijice.
Winter Egg Production.
Rearing and Fattening of Tiu'keys.
Prolitable Breeds of Poultry.
'J'iie Revival of Tillage.
The Liming of Land.
Field i<]x[jeriments— Barley.

,, „ Meadow

Potatoes.
„ :Mangold.s.

Oats.
Turnips.
Permanent Pasture Grasses.
The l^earing and Management of

Chickens.
" Husk " or " Hoose " in Calves.
Pvingworm on Cattle.
JIavmaking.
The P,laek Currant
Foul iirood or Bee
Poultry Faltenincc.

-Fleas, Mites, and

Hay

Mite.
Pest.

No.

50.

51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

56.

57.

5S.

59.

()0.

(■)1

02.

03.

04.

05.
CO.
07.
08.
09.
70.

71.
72.
73.
74.

75.

70.
77.
7S.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
80.
87.
S8.

sy.

Portable Poultry lu)u>es.

The Leather-Jacket Llruh.

Flax Ex]»(,'riMients.

I'he Construction of a Cowhouse.

Calf i\Ieal.

Tlie Apple.

Cultivation of the Root Crop.

Fruit Packing.

Sprouting Seed Potatoes.

Seed Testing Station for Ireland.

The Packing of Butter.

The Care of ^Milk for Creameries.

Plans for Creamery Buildings.

" Redwater " or "'Blood-:\lurrain "

in Cattle.
Varieties of Fruit suitable for

cultivation in Ireland.
Forestry : The Planting of Waste

Lands.
Forestry : The Proper Method of

Planting Forest Trees.
Forestry : Trees for Poles and Tim-
ber.
Forestry : Trees for Shelter and

Ornament.
The Prevention of Tuberculosis in

Cattle.
Forestry : Planting, INIanagement,

and Preservation of Shelter- Belt

and Hedgerow Timber.
Forestry : The Management of l^lan-

tations.
Forestry : Felling and Sellinor Tim-

ber.
The J'lanting and Management of

Hedges.
Some Common Parasites of the

Sheep.
Barley Sowing.

A)nerican Gooseberry Mildew.
Scour and ^^'astim!; in Youno; Cattle.
Hotne Bultermaking.
The Cultivation of Small Fruits.
Catch Crops,

Potato (.^ulture on Small Farms.
Cultivation of Main Crop Potatoes.
Culti\ation of Osiers,
iMisilano.

Some Injurious Orchard Insects,
Dirty Milk.
Barley Tlircshinc;.
The Home Bottlii-.'^ of Fruit.
The Construction of Piggeries.

Copies of the above haflets can he ohtnincd free of charge and post free, on application
to the Secretary, Department of Agricvlture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, Upper
Merrion-streel, DuUin. Letters of a]iplication so addressed need not be stamped.

^vsr I jlm jlj, ijik. isa: a ss ^ o re

Natnralista, Farriers, aaA Taxidermists,

2, DAME-STREET, DUBLIN,

Designers of the Life Groups in the National Musenm, Eildare-street.

HEAD AND ANTLERS OF THE GREAT EXTINCT IRISH DEER, CERVUS

GIGANJEUS, GENERAIvIrY IN STOCK.

TO SUBSCRIBERS, 7s. 6d. PER ANNUM, POST FREE.

TUE ANNALS OP SCOTTISH NATUllAL HISTORY-

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE,

EDITED BY

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R.S.E., F.Z.S.,

Member of the British Ornithologists' Union ;

JAMES W. H. TRAIL, M.A., M.D., F.R.S-, F.L.S.

Professor of Botany in the University of Aberdeen f

WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.L.S., &C.,
Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

This Magazine— a continuation of "The Scottish Naturalist,' founded in 1871 — is entirely devoted
to the publfcation of Original Matter relating to the Natural History of Scotland, and includes Papers
cont.ributing to the eluei(£ition of the Fauna and Flora recent and fossil. Observations on Life Histories,
etc., and Notes recoi-dingthe occurrence of uncommon species and other useful and interesting facts.

Edinburgli : DAVID DOUGLAS, 10, CflSTLE-STEEET.

NOTICE.
CONTRIBUTIONS (Articles or Notes) on all branches of Irlsn
Natural History are Invited. Articles must reach the EDITORS, on
or before the lOth of the Month, for Insertion In the succeeding
number. Short Notes will be Inserted, If space permit. If received
before the I5th of the Month. Contributors are earnestly requested
not to write their communications on Postcards.

Authors of Papers In the IRISH NATURALIST can be supplied
with 50 Reprints at the foliow^Ing prices : —

s. d. s. Cu

2 pp. ^ .„ 4 O I 6 pp. ^ —80

4 pp. .- ...6018 pp. ... .►. 90

Authors should apply for Reprints when returning proofs to
the Editors. But any subsequent correspondence regarding
Reprints should be sent to the PRINTERS, MESSRS. A. THOM & CO.,
87 MIDDLE ABBEY-STREET, DUBLIN, and NOT to Messrs. Eason &Son,
NOR TO THE EDITORS.

Natural History Specimens sent to the Editors will be referred
to authorities for Identlflcatlono

G. H. Carpenter,

Royal ColUge of Science^ Dublin,

R. Lloyd Praegkr,

National Library ^ Dublin,

Robert Patterson,

Glmba?iki Holywood^ Co^ Dovm.

Ytl. ivin^ N*. 2.

February, 1909,

CONTENTS,

Page

George Henry Kin aha u (with portrait). — R. Ci,ark, . . . . 29

Botanical Notes, chiefly from Lough Mask and Kilkee. — R. lyi^.

Praeger, . . . . . • . • • • • • ... . • 32

Cryptothrips dentipes ; a Genus and Species of Thysanoptera

new to the British Isles. — Richard S. Bagnai^i,, F.E.S., -. 4c

On some Terrestrial Isopods from the Glasnevin Botanic

Gardens, Dublin. — Richard S. Bagnai,!,, F.ES 42

Irish Societies:

Royal Zoological Society, . . . . • . . . . . . . 44

Dublin Microscopical Club,. . ►. .. .. .. .. 44

Dublin Naturalists* Field Club, . . . . . • . . . . 46

Limerick Field Club, .. .. .. .. .. ... 47

Irish Field Club Union, . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Reviews :

Ussher's *-List of Irish Birds. "—(C, B- M.),

Patterson's "Ulster Nature Notes."— (G. H. C),
Wright's " St. Gilbert."— (C. B. M-).

Notes :

The Biological Subdivisions of Ireland— R. F. Scharff, Ph.D.,

Allium oleraceum in Ireland, , .

Agrostis nigra not in Ireland. — R. Ll- PraeGKR,

Helleborine longifolia in Co. Derry — ^J. Adams, M.A..

Erica Mackaii on Urrisbeg. — R. Ll*. PraEGBR,

British Vegetation Committee,

Armadillidium pictum—a Correction.— N^vin H. Foster, . .

Armadillidium nasatum and A. pictum. — R. S. Bagnai,!,^

Dragon Flies in Co. Kerry.— S. W. Kemp, B.A.,

Rhagium biiasciatum in Co. Leitrim. A Late Butterfly.— Rev. W.

Johnson, M.A., . . —

Late Abundance of Pyrameis atalanta.— ErnEST H. BenniS,
Sligo MoUusca, . . . . . . • . • »

Pisidium persona\um, an addition to the Irish Fauna,
Pleurophyllidia Loveni — a correction. — W. H. Gai^lway,

Late Stay of the Swallow W. J \Vii,i.iams, . . . .

Turtle Dove near Londonderry.— D. C CampbeIvI., . .

49
51

52

52

53

53

53

53-

54

54

55

55
35
55
56
56
56
56

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?V^OL. XVIII. No. 3.SB

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-vii

^

gl ffiloiui)!!} Journal

OF

GENERAL IRISH NATURAL HISTORY,

ORGAN OF THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB,

BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY & PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY^

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

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CORK NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

LIMERICK FIELD CLUB,

ULSTER FISHERIES AND BIOLOGY^ ASSOCIATION.

TYRONE NATURALIvSTS' FIELD CLUB.

EDITED BY

Prof. GEORGE H. CARPENTER, B.Sc, M.R.I.A.
R. LLOYD PRAEGER, B.A., B.E., M.R.I.A.,

AND

robert patterson, f.l.s., m.r.la.

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Edited by T. SHEPPARD, F.C.S., and T. W. WOODHEAD, F.L.S.,

Museum, Hull. Technical College, Huddeksfield

with the assistance as kbferees in special departments of

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNICAL
INSTRUCTION FOR IRELAND.

No.

»<

»>

LIST OF THE DEPARTMENT'S LEAFLETS.

Portable Poultry Kou-e?.

The Leather-Jacket (jirub.

Flax Experiments.

The Construction of a Cowhouse.

Calf Meal.

The Apple.

Cultivation of the Root Crop.

Fruit Packing.

Sprouting Seed Potatoes.

Seed Testing Station for Ireland.

The Packing of Butter.

The Care of JMilk for Creameries.

Plans for Creamery Buildings.

" Redwatcr " or "^Blood-Murrain "
in Cattle.

Varieties of Fruit suitable for
cultivation in Ireland.

Forestry : The Planting of Waste
Lands.

Forestry : The Proper Method of
Phmting Forest Trees.

Forestry : Trees for Poles and Tim-
ber.

Forestry : Trees for Shelter and
Ornament.

The Prevention of Tuberculosis in
Cattle.

Forestry : Planting, Management,
and Preservation of Shelter- Belt
and Hedgerow Timber.

Forestry : the Management of Plan-
tations.

Forestry : Felling and Selling Tim-
ber.

The Planting and Management of
Hedges.

Some Common Parasites of the
Sheep.

Barley Sowing.

American Coosebcrry Mildew.

Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle.

Home Buttermaking.

The Cultivation of Small Fruits.

Catch Crops.

Potato Culture on Small Farms.

Cultivation of Main Crop Potatoes.

Culti\ation of Osiers.

Ensilacre.

Some Lijurious Orchard Insects.

Dirty Milk.

Barley Ti.roshing.

The Home Bottling of Fruit.

Tlic Construction of Piggeries.

Copies of the above leaflets can he obtained free of charge and post free, on application
to the Secretary, Department of Agricnltiire and Technical Instruction for Ireland, Upper
M err ion- street, Dublin. Letters of application so addressed need not be stamped.

\.

The Warble Ily.

^0.

50.

2.

Out of Print.

tt

51.

3.

Out of Print.

1)

52.

4.

Workmen's Compensation Act.

>>

53.

6.

Out of Print.

II

54.

6.

Charlock Spraying.

>>

55.

7.

Fluke in Sheep.

II

56.

8.

Timothy Meadovrs.

II

57.

9.

The Tmrnip Fly.

II

58.

10.

Wii'e worms.

II

59.

IL

Prevention of White Scour in Calves.

II

60.

12.

Out of Print.

i>

61

13.

Contagious Abortion in Cattle.

II

62.

14.

Prevention of Potato Blight.

II

63.

15.

Fertilizers and Feeding Stulfs Act,

190G, Regulations.

II

64.

16.

Sheep Scab.

17.

The Use and Purchase of Manures.

»»

65.

18.

Swine Fever.

19.

Early Potato Growing.

>>

66.

20.

Calf Rearing.

21.

Diseases of Poultry : — Gapes.

II

67.

22.

Basic Slag.

23.

Dishorning Calves.

n

68.

24.

Care and Treatment of Premium

Bulls.

>l

69.

25.

Fowl Cholera.

20.

Winter Fattening of Cattle.

n

70.

27.

Breeding and Feeding of Pigs.

28.

Blackleg, Black Quarter, or Blue

Quarter.

II

71.

29.

Flax Seed.

30.

Poultry Parasites — Fleas, ]\Iites, and
Lice.

II

72.

31.

Winter Egg Production.

II

73.

32.

Rearing and Fattening of Turkeys.

33.

Profitable Breeds of Poultry.

II

74.

3i.

The Revival of Tillage.

35.

The Liming of Land.

II

75.

30.

Field Exj)eriment3 — Barley.

II

70.

37.

„ „ ]\Ieadow Hay.

II

77.

38.

„ „ Potatoes.

II

78.

39.

„ „ Mangolds.

II

79.

40.

Oats.

II

80.

41.

Turnips.

n

81.

42.

Permanent Pasture Grasses.

• 1

82.

43.

The Rearing and Management of

II

83.

Chickens.

II

84.

44.

" Husk " or " Hoose " in Calves.

l>

85.

45.

Ringworm on Cattle.

II

80.

40.

Haymaking.

If

87.

47.

The Black Currant Mite.

)>

88.

48.

Foul Brood or Bee Pest.

))

89.

49.

Poultry Fattening.

^OSr I JLm JL, I A. lyL 3 &! S O IC

ITataralUts, Furriers, and Taxidermists,

2, DAME-STEEET, DUBLIN,

Designers of the Life Groups in tke National Museum, Kildare-street.

HEAD AND ANTLERS OF THE GREAT EXTINCT IRISH DEER, CERVUS

GIGAN7EUS, GENERAIvLY IN STOCK.

TO SUBSCRIBERS, 7s. 6cl. PER ANNUM, POST FREE.

THE ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY.

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE,

EDITED BY

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R.S.E., F.Z.S.,

Member of the British Ornithologists' Union ;

JAMES \V. H. TRAIL, M.A., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S.

Professor of Botany in the University of Aberdeen ,

WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.L.S,, &c.,
Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

This Magazine— a continuation of "Tbe Scottish Naturalist,' founded in 1871— is entirely devoted
to the publication of OriRinal Matter relating to the Natural History of Scotland, and includes Papers
contributing to the ehicidation of the Fauna and Flora recent and fossil. Observations on Life Histories,
etc.. and Notes recording the occurrence of uncomnion species and other useful and interesting facts.

Edinburgh : DAVID DOUGLAS, 10, CflSTLE-STREET.

NOTICE.
CONTRIBUTIONS (Articles or Notes) on all branches of Irlsn
Natural History are Invited. Articles must reach the EDITORS, on
or before the lOth of the iVIonth, for Insertion In the succeeding
number. Short Notcs-wlII be inserted. If space permit, If received
btifore the I5th of the IVIonth. Contributors are earnestly requested
not to write their communications on Postcards.

Authors of Papers In the IRISH NATURALIST can be supplied
with 50 Reprints at the following prices :—

s. d. S, d.

2 pp. .^...40 j 6 pp. ... .-80

4 pp. .- ...6018 pp. ... ... 9 O

Authors should apply for Reprints when returning proofs to
the Editors. But any subsequent correspondence regarding
Reprints shouJd be sent to the PRINTERS, lYIESSRS. A. THOIVI & CO.,
87 IVIIDDLE ABBEY-STREET, DUBLIN, and NOT to IVICSSrs. Eason &Son,
NOR TO THE EDITORS.

Natural History Specimens sent to the Editors will be referred
to authorities for Identification^

G. H. Carpenter,

Royal College of Science^ Dublin.

R. Lloyd Praf.cer,

National Library ^ Dublin,

Robert Patterson,

Gle7ibank^ Holy woody Co. Down

Vol. XViii., No. 3. .Alarcli, 1909.

CONTENTS-

Page

A Botanical Tour in the Islands of the Fergus Estuary and
Adjacent Mainland. — Miss M. C. Kxowles and R. D.

V-/ JD is-H^yiNj' •« •• •• •• «« ,» •• i« -^7

l-Intomological Notes during 190S. — Rev. \V. F. Johnson, M.A., 69

News Gleanings, 68

Irish Societies:

Royal Zoological Society, . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Dublin Microscopical Club, .. .. .. .. .. ., 75

Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, . . . . . . . . . . 76

Notes :

Mortality of Birds during Migration R. H. ScovEiX, . . . . 78

Extracts from a Lighthouse Diary. — B. R. Jeffers, .. ... .. 78

Migration of Birds in Sligo, ... . . . . . , . . 79

Records of Irish Birds, . . . . . , . . . . . . 79

Birds seen from the " Helga " off the south-west Coast.— R.J. Usshkr,

xJ.Lt.j .. .. ,. ., ,. ,. ,, __ gQ

TERMS FOR ADVERTISEMENTS IN "IRISH NATURALIST."

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Whoj.e Page, .. .. .. From 10 o]

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Quarter Page, . . . . „ 4 6 I Position.

A Reduction given for a Number of Insertions

kX:VX. THOM />UD CO.. TIMITED, DUBLIN

^'"'->.

VOL. XVIII. No. 4iU

APRIL, 1909.

...^

f~ ^

HM.

SI iSontijlB Journal

/-'/./.

IX^

OF

GENERAL IRISH NATURAL HISTORY,

ORGAN OF THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB,

BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY & PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

CORK NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

LIMERICK FIELD CLUB,

ULSTER FISHERIES AND BIOLOGY ASSOCIATION.

TYRONE NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

EDITED BY

Pkof. GEORGE H. CARPENTER, B.Sc, M.R.I.A.

R. LLOYD PRAEGER, B.A., B-E., M.R.I.A.,

AND

ROBERT PATTERSON, F.L.S., M.R.LA.

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,/ I

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THE IRISH NATURALIST for 1909 (twelve parts) will be sent to any
Address for 5s. Subscriptions should be sent to Messrs. Eason and
Son, Ltd.. 40 Lower SackvlIIe-street, Dublin.

--/ Monthly Illustrated fournal of "3^1

NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

Edited by T. SHEPPARD, F.C.S., and T. W. WOODHEAD, F.L.S,,

MusECM, Hull. Technicai. College. Huddersfield

WITH THE ASSISTANCE AS REFEREES IN SPECIAL DEPARTMENTS OP

J. GILBERT BAKER, F.R.S., F.L.S., GEO. T. PORRITT, F.L.S., F.E.S.

PERCY F. KENDALL, F.G.S., JOHN W. TAYLOR,

T. H. NELSON, M.B.O.U., WILLIAM WEST, F.L.S.

This Journal is one of tlie oldest Scientific Periodicals in the British Isles, dating back to 183S.
London : A BROWN & SONS, LTD., 5, FARRINGDON AVENUE, E C.

PRICE SIXPENCE NET. BY POST SEVENPENCE.

Annual Subscription, (is. Od., post free; throtigh Jioohsellers, (is. Net.

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NATURE.

A WEEKLY ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF SCIENCE.

I'JRICJE SIXPENCE.

" NATURE " contains Original Ailicles on all subjects coming within
tho domain of Science, contributed by tlie most eminent scientific writers
of tlie day. It also contains Reviews of all recent scientific works ;
Correspondence Columns, which form a medium of scientific discussion
and of intercommunication among men of Science ; Accounts of the
leading Scientific Serials ; Abstracts of the more valuable papers which
appear in foreign journals ; Reports of the Proceedings of the Principal
Scientific Societies and Academies of the Worid ; and Notes on all matters
of current scientific interest.

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(Miequea RuJ Money Orders to be made payable to Macmillan & Co., Ltd, St. Martin's-st.,

London, W.C.

THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

OF THK

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

PHCEIMIX PARK, DUBLIN.

Open daily tVom 9 a.iri. {Sundays from 12 ^toon)

till dusk.

Admission, Is., except Saturdays, 6d., and Sunday

Afternoons, 2d.

Children, Half-price.

SPECIAL RATES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AND

EXCURSION PARTIES.

FINEST COLLECTION OF LIONS IN EUROPE

MANY LION-CUBS NOW ON VIEAV.
Otters, Seals and Sea-lions en their New Pond.

THREE CHIiYlPANZEES ARE NOW IN THE GARDENS.

VULTUEE3 ON THE ROCKERY.

Bear-cubs from Canada.

INDIAN PIGMY CATTLE.

BEFllESHMENT liOOM OFE^ ALL TUE YEAH.

Donations of Animals (Irish or Foreign) thankfully received.
SURPLUS STOCK OF BEASTS AND BIRDS FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE.

For particulars, and also for Terms and Privileo^es of Membership
of the Society, apply to —

R. F. SCHARFF, Jlon. Sec, li.Z.S.,

The Museum, Tublin.

DEPARTMENT OF AnraCULTlTRE AND TECHNICAL
Il^STRUCTION FOR IRELAND.

LIST OF THE DEPARTMENT'S LEAFLETS.

Jio.

1. The Warble Ily.

2. Oat of Print.

3. Out of Print.

4. Workmen's Compensation Ast.

5. Out of Print.

6. Charlock Spraying.

7. Fluke in Sheep.

8. Timothy Meadows.

9. Tlie Turnip Fly.

10. Wire worms.

1 1. Prevention of White Scour in Calves.

12. Out of Print.

13. Contagious Abortion in Cattle,

14. Prevention of Potato Blight.

15. Fertilizers and Feeding Stulis Act,

1906, Regulations.

16. Sheep Scab.

17. The Use and Purchase of ISIanures.

18. Swine Fever.

19. Early Potato Growing.

20. Calf Rearing.

21. Diseases of Poultry : — Gapes.

22. Basic Slacj.

23. Dishorning Calves.

24. Care and Treatment of Premium

Bulls.

25. Fowl Cholera.

26. Winter Fattening of Cattle.

27. Breeding and Feeding of Pigs.

28. Blackleg, Black Quarter, or Blue

Quarter.

29. Flax Seed.

30. Poultry Parasites— Fleas, Mites, and

Lice.

31. Winter Egg Production.

32. Rearing and Fattening of Turkej's.

33. Profitable Breeds of Poultry.
3i. The Revival of Tillage.

35. The Liming of Land.

36. Field Experiments — Barley.

37. „ „ Meadow Hay.

38. „ „ Potatoes.

39. „ „ INlangolds.

40. „ „ Oats.

41. ,, ,, Turnips.

42. Permanent Pasture Grasses.

43. The Rearing and Management of

Chickens.

44. " Husk " or " Hoose " in Calves.
4.5. Ringworm on Cattle.

46. Haymaking.

47. The Black Currant Mite.

48. Foul Brood or Bee Pest.

49. Poultry Fattening.

N'o.

50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.

.. 64.

„ 65.

M 66.

.. 67.

,. 68.

.. 69.

.. 70.

.. 71.

.. 72.

,. 73.

,. 74.

75.

70.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
8().
87.
SS.
89.

Portable Poultry Houses.

The Leather-Jacket Grub.

Fhax Experiments.

I'lie Construction of a Cowhous*.

Calf Meal.

The Apple.

Cultivation of ths Root Crop.

Fruit Packing.

Sprouting Seed Pototoes.

Seed Testing Station for Ireland.

The Packing of Butter.

The Care of ]\rilk for Creameries.

Plans for Creamery Buildings.

" Redwater " or ""^Blood-Murrain "
in Cattle.

Varieties of Fruit suitable for
cultivation in Ireland.

Forestry : The Planting of Waste
Lands.

Forestry : The Proper Method of
Planting Forest Trees.

Forestry : Trees for Poles and Tim-
ber.

Forestry : Trees for Shelter and
Ornament.

The Prevention of Tuberculosis in
Cattle.

Forestry : Planting, Management,
and Preservation of Shelter-Belt
and Hedgerow Tiinber.

Forestry : The Management of Plan-
tations.

Forestry : Felling and Selling Tim-
ber.

The Planting and Management of
Hedges.

Some Common Parasites of th<j
Sheep.

Barley Sowing.

American Gooseberry IMildew.

Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle.

Home Buttermaking.

The Cultivation of Small Fruits.

Catch Crops.

Potato Culture on Small Farms.

Cultivation of Main Crop Potatoes.

Cultivation of Osiers.

Ensilage.

Some Injurious Orchard Insects.

Dirty Milk.

Barley Threshing.

The Home Bottling of Fruit.

The Construction ot Piggeries.

Copies of the above leaflets can he ohtained free of charge and 'post free, on application
to the Secretary, Department of Acjricnlliire and TecJtnical Instruction for Ireland, Upper
M err ion- street, Dublin. Letters of application so addressed need not be stamped.

•^AriTLM tlm I j^ isa: s &: s o ixr

ITatnraUsts, Farriers, a&d Tazl&ermists,

3, DAMB-STEEET, DUBLIN,

Designers of the Life Groups in the National Museum, Kildare-street.

HEAD AND ANTIyERS OF THE GREAT EXTINCT IRISH DEER, CERVUS

G1GAN7EUS, GENERAI^LY IN STOCK.

TO SUBSCRIBERS, 7s. 6cl. PER ANNUM, POST FREE.

THE ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATDRAL HISTORY.

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE,

EDITED BY

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R S.E., F.Z.S.,

Member of the British Ornithologists' Uniofi ;

JAMES W. H. TRAIIy, M.A., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S.

Professor of Botany in the University of Aberdeen ,

WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.L.S,, &c.,

Natural History Department^ Royal Scottish Museum^ Edinburgh.

This Masazine— a continuation of "The Scottish Naturalist,' founded in 1871 — is entirely devoted
to the publication of Original Matter relating to the Natural History of Scotland, and includes Papers
tKsntributing to the elucidation of the Fauna and Flora recent and fossil. Observations on Life Histories,
etc.and Notes recordingthe occurrence of uncommon species and other useful and interesting facts.

Edinburgh : DAVID DOUGLAS, 10, CASTLE-STREET.

NOTICE.
CONTRIBUTIONS (Articles or Notes) on all branches of Irtsn
Natural History are Invited. Articles must reach the EDITORS, on
or before the lOth of the Month, for Insertion In the succeeding
number. Short Notes will be Inserted. If space permit. If received
before the 15th of the Month. Contributors are earnestly requested
not to write their communications on Postcards.

Authors of Papers In the IRISH NATURALIST can be supplied
with 50 Reprints at the following prices :—

s. d. s. d.

2 pp. ^ .» 4 O I 6 pp. ^ «. 8 O

4 pp. .. ... 6 O I 8 pp. ... .» 9 0

Authors should apply for Reprints when returning proofs to
the Editors. But any subsequent correspondence regarding
Reprints should be sent to the PRINTERS, MESSRS. A. THOM & CO.,
87 MIDDLE ABBEY-STREET, DUBLIN, and NOT to Messrs. Eason Ac Son,
NOR TO THE EDITORS.

Natural History Specimens sent to the Editors will be referred
to authorities for identification^

G. H. Carpenter,

Royal College of Science^ Dublin.

R. Lloyd Praecer,

National Library^ Dublin,

Robert Patterson,

Glenbank^ Holywood, Co. Down

Vol. xvlfi., No. 4. . .,

April, 1909.

CONTENTS.

On some Irish Hawkweed and Pondweed Records.— R. Ll.

Praeger, B.A.,

* * * * • •

News G1.EANINGS,

Additional Notes on the Land and Freshwater Mollusca of
N.W. Donegal. -A. W. Stelfox, A.R.I.B.A.,

On the Distribution of Woodlice in Ireland as known at tlie end
of 1908.— D. R. Pack-Berespord, B.A., and N. H. Fostfr
M.B.O.U., .,

Reviews :

Lankester's *' Treatise on Zoology." (Protozoa I.)— (R.F.S.)
Fry's "British Mosses."— (F. J. Lewis.)

Irish Societies:

Royal Zoological Society,
Dublin Microscopical Club, . .
Dublin Naturalists' Field Club.

Notes :

Montia lamprosperma in Co. Down.— G. Ci^aridge Druce, F.L.vS..

Doris flammea from the Clare coast— N. Coi^gan, M.R.I. A.',

Little Gull in Co. Meath — R. M. Barrington, M.A.,

Herrings at Killala Bay,

vSome unrecorded Birds of Prey.— R. J. Ussher, D.L.,

Vane

86

92

97
95

96
97
97

99
99
99
99

IOC)

TERMS FOR ADVERTISEMENTS IN "IRISH NATURALIST."

S. (.1.

According
to

Whole Page, .. .. .. From 10 o^

Half Page, .. .. ., „ 60;

QuakTER Page, .. .. „ ^61 Position.

A Reduction given for a Number of Insei'tions

ALEX. THOM AJTD CO.. LIMITED, DUUI.IN

•::-x^>^K-

VOL. XVIII. No. 5-

MAY, 1909.

r^ «'/.'!

a ilHoiitt)li) Journal

OF

GENERAL IRISH NATURAL HISTORY,

ORGAN OF THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB,

BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY & PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY,

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

DUBLIN NATURALLSTS' FIELD CLUB,

CORK NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

LIMERICK FIELD CLUB,

ULSTER FISHERIES AND BIOLOGY ASSOCIATION.

TYRONE NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

EDITED BY

Prof. GEORGE H. CARPENTER, B.Sc, M.R.I.A.
R. LLOYD PRAEGER. B.A., B.E., M.R.I.A.,

AND

ROBERT PATTERSON, F.L.S., M.R.I.A.

Price 6d.

^1

'

THE IRidH NATURALIST for 1909 (twelve parts) will be sent to any
Address for 5St Subscriptions should be sent to Messrs. Eason an0
Son, Ltd.f 40 Lower Sackvllle-streett Publtn.

A Monthly Illustrated /onrnal of

NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

Edited by T. SHEPPARD, F.C.S., and T. W. WOODHEAD, F.L.S.,

Museum, Hull, Technical College. Huddersfield

with the assistance as referees in special departments of

J. GILBERT BAKER, F.R.S., F.L.S., GEO. T. PORRITT, F.L.S., F.E.S.

PERCY F. KENDALL, F.6.S., JOHN W. TAYLOR,

T. H. NELSON, M.B.O.U., WILLIAM WEST, F.L.S.

This Journal is one of the oldest Scientific Periodicals in the British Isles, dating back to 1833.
London : A BROWN & SONvS, Ltd., 5, FARRINGDON AVKNUE, E C.

PRICE SIXPENCE NET. BY POST SEVENPENCE.

Aunual Subscription, 6s. 6d., post free; through lioohsellers, 6s. Net.

Comniunicatioustobe addressed to the Editorsof the Naturalist, The Museum, Hull.

NATURE.

A WEEKLY ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF SCIENCE.

JfJlICB SIXFJENCJE.

"NATURE" contains Original Articles on all subjects coming within
the domain of Science, contributed by the most eminent scientific writers
of the day. It also contains Reviews of all recent scientific works ;
Correspondence Columns, which form a medium of scientific discussion
and of intercommunication among men of Science ; Accounts of the
leading Scientific Serials ; Abstracts of the more valuable papers which
appear in foreign journals ; Reports of the Proceedings of the Principal
Scientific Societies and Academies of the World ,* and Notes on a!l matters
of current scientific interest

SUBSCRIPTIONS TO "NATURE."

£ .V. d- I ( To all places Abroad.) £«.«?.

Yearly 18 0 1 Yearly 1 10 6

Half-Yearly 0 14 6 | Half- Yearly .. - 0 15 C

Quarterly 0 7 6 1 Quarterly .. ►. 0 8 0

»*» A charge of Sixpence is made for changing Scotch and Irish Cheques.
Chequea and Money Ordora to be made payable to Macmillan & Co., Ltd., St. Martin's-st.,

London, W.C.

THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

OF THK

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

PHCENIX PARK, DUBLIN.

Open daily from 9 a.iYi. iSuadai/s from 12 noon)

till dusk.

Admission, Is., except Saturdays, 6d., and Sunday

Afternoons, 2d.

Children, Half-price.

SPECIAL RATES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AND

EXCURSION PARTIES.

FINEST COLLECTION OF LIONS IN EUfJOPE

MANY LION-CUBS NOV/ ON VIEW.
Otters, Seals and Sea-lions in their New Pond.

THREE CHIIYIPANZEES ARE NOW IN THE GARDENS.

VULTURES ON THE ROCKERY.

Tapir from South America.

INDIAN PIGMY CATTLE.

BEFliESHMENT HOOM OPEN ALL THE TEAR,

Donations ot Animals (Irish or Foreign) thankfully received.
SURPLUS STOCK OF BEASTS AND BIRDS FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE.

For particulars, and also for Terms and Privileges of Membership
of the Society, apply to —

R, F. SCHARFF Hon. Sec, B.Z.S.,

The Museum, Dublin.

DEPAKTMKXT OF AaillCULrailE AND TECHNICAL
INSTRUCTION Foil IRELAND.

LIST OF THE D E PART IVI E NT'S LEAFLETS.

Xo. 1. The Warble I<\v.

„ 2. Out of Print.

„ 3. Out of Print.

„ 4. ' ut of Print.

„ 5. Out of Print.

„ G. Charlock Spraying.

„ 7. Fluke in Sheep.

„ 8. Timothy Meadows.

„ 9. The Turnip Fly.

,, 10. Wire worms.

,, 11. Prevention of White Scour in Calves

„ 12. Out of Print.

,, 13. Contagious Abortion in Cattle.

,, 14. Prevention of Potato Blight.

,, 15. Fertilizers and Feeding Stuffs Act.

1900, Regulations.

,,16. Sheep Scab.

,, 17. The Use and Purchase of Manures.

,, 18. Swine Fever.

,, 19. Early Potato Growing.

,, 20. Calf Rearing.

,,21. Diseases of Poultry: — Gapes.

„ 22. Basic Slag.

,, 23. Dishorning Calves.

, 24. Care and Treatment of Premium

Bulls.

,. 25. Fowl Cholera.

„ 26. Winter Fattening of Cattle.

„ 27. Breeding and Feeding of Pigs.

„ 28. Blackleg, Black Quarter, or Blue

Quarter.

„ 29. Flax Seed.

„ 30. Poultry Parasites— Fleas, Mites, and

Lice.

,, 31. Winter Egg Production.

,, 32. Rearing and Fattening of Turkeys.

„ 33. Profitable Breeds of Poultry.

„ 34. The Revival of Tillage.

,, 35. The Liming of Land.

,, 36. Field Experiments — Barley.
„ 37. „ „ Meadow Hay.

„ 38. „ „ Potatoes.

.. 39. „ „ Mangolds.

„ 40. „ „ Oats.

„ 41. „ „ Turnips.

,, 42. Permanent Pasture Grasses.

,. 43. The Rearing and Management of

Chickens.

, 44. " Husk " or " Hoose " in Calves.

,, 45. Ringworm on Cattle.

,, 46. Haymaking.

„ 47. The Black Currant Mite.

„ 48, Foul Brood or Bee Pest.

,, 49. Poultry Fattening.

No. 50. Portable Poultry Houses.
,, 51. Tlie Leather-Jacket Grub.
,, 52. Flax Experiments.
,, 53. The Construction of a Cowhouse.
„ 54. Calf Meal.
,, 55. The Apple.

,, 5ii. Cultivation of the Root Crop.
,, 57. Fruit Packing.
,, 58. Sprouting Seed Potatoes.
,, 59. Seed Testing Station for Ireland.
,, GO. The Packing of Butter.
,, 61. Out of Print.
,, 62. Plans for Creamery Buildings.
„ 63. " Redwater " or "^Blood-Murrain "

in Cattle.
„ 64. Varieties of Fruit suitable for

cultivation in Ireland.
„ 65. Forestry : The Planting of Waste

Lands.
,, 66. Forestry : The Proper Method of

Planting Forest Trees.
,, 67. Forestry: Trees for Poles and Timber.
,, 68. Forestry : Trees for Shelter and

Ornament.
,, 69. The Prevention of Tuberculosis in

Cattle.
„ 70. Forestry : Planting, Management,

and Preservation of Shelter-Belt

and Hedgerow Timber,
,, 7L Forestry: The Management of Plan-
tations.
,, 72. Forestry : Felling and Selling Timber.
,, 73. The Planting and Management of

Hedges.
,, 74. Some Common Parasites of the Sheep.
,, 75. Barley Sowing.
„ 76. American Gooseberry Mildew.
,, 77. Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle.
,, 78. Home Buttermaking.
„ 79. The Cultivation of Small Fruits.
„ 80. Catch Crops.

,, 81. Potato Culture on Small Farms.
,, 82. Cultivation of Main Crop Potatoes.
,, 83. Cultivation of Osiers.
,, 84. Ensilane.

,, 85. Some Injurious Orchard Insects.
„ 86. Dirty Milk.
„ 87. Barley T. rcshing.
„ 88. The Home Bottling of Fruit.
„ 89. The Construction ot Piggeries.
„ 90. The Advantages of Early I'luughing.
,, 9L Black Seal) in Potatoes.
,, 92. Home Preservation of Eggs.
„ 93. Marketing Wild Fruits.

Copies of the above leaflcte can he obtained free of charge and post free, on application
to the Secretary, De'jtartment of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, Upper
yhrrion- street, Dublin. Letters of application so addressed need not be stamped.

■VSr X Xm ILm I A. JML S &: S O IC

ITatnralUts, Furriers, and Taxidermists,

2, DAME-STEEET, DUBLIN,

Designers of the Life Groups in the National Museum, Kildare-street.

HEAD AND ANTLERS OF THE GREAT EXTINCT IRISH DEER, CERVUS

GIGANJEUS, GENERAIvIvY IN STOCK.

TO SUBSCRIBERS, 7s. 6cl. PER ANNUM, POST FREE,

THE ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATUllAL HISTOEL

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE,

EDITED BY

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R.S.E., F.Z.S.,

Member of the British Ornithologists' Union ;
JAMES W. H. TRAIL, M.A., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S.

Professor of Botany in the University of Aberdeen ,

WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.L.S,, &c.,
Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

This Magazine— a continuation of "The Scottish Naturalist,' foundedin 1871 — is entirely devoted
to the publication of Orifrinal Matter relating to the Natural History of Scotland, and inoludep Papers
(^3ntribut^ng to the elucidation of the Fauna and Flora recent and fossil. Observations on Life Histories,
etc., and Notes reeordingthe occurrence of uncommon species and other useful and interesting facts.

Edinburgh: DAVID DOUGLAS, 10, CASTLE-STREET.

NOTICE.
CONTRIBUTIONS (Articles or Notes) on all branches of Irlsn
Natural History are Invited. Articles must reach the EDITORS, on
or before the lOth of the Month, for Insertion In the succeeding:
nnniber. Short Notes will he Inserted. If space permit. If received
before the 1 5th of the Month. Contributors are earnestly requested
not to write their communications on Postcards.

Authors of Papers In the IRISH NATURALIST can be supplied
with 50 Reprints at the following prices :—

s. d. s. Ci.

2 pp. .„ ... 4 O j 6 pp. «. ^80

4 pp. .« ... 6 O I 8 pp. ... .^9 0

Authors should apply for Reprints when returnlngr proofs to
the Editors. But any subsequent correspondence regarding
Reprints should be sent to the PRINTERS, MESSRS. A. THOM & CO.,
87 MIDDLE ABBEY-STREET, DUBLIN, and NOT tO Messrs. Eason 6c Son,
NOR TO THE EDITORS.

Natural History Specimens sent to the Editors will be referred
to authorities for identlflcatlona

G. H. Carpenter,

Royal College of Science^ Dublin*

R. Lloyd Praeoer,

National Library, Dublin,

Robert Patterson,

Glenbank^ Holywood, Co. Down.

Vol. xviii., No. 5, May, 1909.

CONTENTS.

Page

Spinther oniscoides, Johnston. — W. Riddell, M.A., (Plate I.) loi
Reviews :

Cooper's " Trees and Shrubs of the British Isles."— (A. C. F.), . . 3o8

Escherich's "DieTermiten."— (G. H. 0, .. .. .. .. 109

Conwentz's " Care of Natural Monuments." — (G. H. C), -• .- no

On the Occurrence of Allium oleraceum in Ireland. — ^J. Adams?

XtX • AJL * y m • ar* *«-• ft* «« »• •• «» J.1X

lyand shell Rain-wash at Horn Head, Co. Donegal. — R. \Vei.ch,

The Gordii of Ireland. — Rowi^and Southern, B.Sc, ., . . 115

Irish Societies:

Royal Zoological Society, ., ,, . . ., ., .. 117

Dublin Microscopical Club, . . «• .. .. .. ,, 118

Notes:

Ptilidium ciliare in Co. Antnra — Rev. C. H. Waddei^i,, B.D., ., 119

A new Irish Moss. — Rev. Canon ] I. W. LETT, M. A., .. .. .. 120

Chenopodium polyspermum on the shore of Lough Neagh — J. Adams,

JtVXv/jtaa t ** ••• •• '• ** ■* ** ■* ^^

risidium persouatum, — ^A correction. — R. Wei^ch, M.R,LA. ... 120

TERMS FOR ADVERTISEMENTS IN "IRISH NATURALIST."

s. d.

Whole Page, .. ... •• From 10 o^| According

Hale Page, . . - . • ' » 6 o J to

*-v -r. .. ^ 1 Position.

Quarter Page, . . • • « 4 o 1

A Reduction given for a Njimber of Insertions.

ALEX. TllOil AKD CO-, LIMITED, DUBLIS.

vol.. XVIIT. No. e.fSi
JUNE, 1909.

o.'i

^v^^^\

.•i^*>

■iiCl

1;'. •-,?•»

.\

M

^i

//

a Jfitoiitlili? Jtournal

OF

GENERAL IRISH NATURAL HISTORY,

ORGAN OF THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB,

BELFAvST NATURAL HISTORY & PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY,

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

CORK NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

LIMERICK FIELD CLUB,

ULSTER FISHERIES AND BIOLOGY^ ASSOCIATION.

TYRONE NATURALIvSTS' FIELD CLUB.

EDITED BY

Prof. GEORGE H. CARPENTER, B.Sc, M.R.I.A.
R. LLOYD PRAEGER B.A., B.E., M.R.LA.,

AND

ROBERT PATTERSON, F.L.S., M.R.LA.

Price 6d.

•i-^

7,/ J

'ys

DUBLIN : EASON & SON, Ltd.
80 Mid. ABBEY-ST.&40 Lk vSackville-st.

BEI.FAST: 17 DONKGALL-ST. ^»^,

London <
SiMPKiN, Marshall, Hamilton,
Kent & Co.. Ltd.

>

r

mymz .Htfimn^^

Wffffrfrfffinirfiiiiinifr^'niiliiirr

I

THE IRISH NATURALIST for 1909 (twelve parts) will be sent to any
Address for 5s. Subscriptions should be sent to Messrs. Eason ana
Son, Ltd.* 40 Lower Sackvllle-street. Dublin.

A Monthly Illustrated loumal of

NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

Edited by T. SHEPPARD, F.C.S., and T. W. WOODHEAD, F.L.S.,

Museum, Hull. Technical Collbqe. Huddersfikld

"with the assistance as ubfbrees in special departments op

J. GILBERT BAKER, F.R.S., F.L.S., GEO. T. PORRITT, F.L.S., F.E.S.

PERCY F. KENDALL, F.G.S.. JOHN W. TAYLOR,

T. H. NELSON, M.B.O.U., WILLIAM WEST, F.L.S.

This Journal is one of the oldest Scientific Periodicals in the British Isles, dating back to 1833.
Loudon: A BROWN & SONS, Ltd., 5, FARRINGDON AVKNUE, EC.

PRICE SIXPENCE NET. BY POST SEVENPENCE.

Jtiuual Subscription, lis. (id,, post free; through BooksellerSf 68, Net,

Communications to be addressed to the Editors of the Naturalist, The Museum, Hull.

NATURE.

A WEEKLY ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF SCIENCE.

riilCE SIXPENCE.

((

NATURE" contains Original Articles on all subjects comins withiii
tht domain of Science, contributed by the most eminent scientific writers
of the day. It also contains Reviews of all recent scientific works ;
Correspondence Columns, which form a medium of scientific discussion

and of intercommunication among men of Science ; Accounts of the
leading Scientific Serials ; Abstracts of the more valuable papers which
appear In foreign journals ; Reports of the Proceedings of the Principal
Scientific Societies and Academies of the Worid ; and Notes on all matters
of current scientific interest

SUBSCRIPTIONS TO "NATURE.

>»

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C To all places Abroad.)

£ s. d.

Yearly

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Yearly

1 10 6

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»*« A charge of Sixpence is made for changing Scotch and Irish Cheques.
Chequea and Money Orders to be made payable to Macmillan & Co., Ltd, St. Marwn's-st.,

London, W.C.

THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

O? THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

PHGENIX PARK, DUBLIN.

Open daily "from 9 a.m. (^Sundays from 12 nooii)

till dusk.

Admission, Is., except Saturdays, 6d., and Sunday

Afternoons, 2d.

Children, Half-price.

SPECIAL RATES EOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AND

EXCURSION PARTIES.

FINEST COLLECTION OF LIONS IN EUROPE

MANY LION-CUBS NOW ON VIEW.

otters, Seals and Sea-lions in their New Pond.

THREE CHIIYIPANZEES ARE NOW IN THE GARDENS.

YOUNG LEMURS BORN IN THE MONKEY-HOUSE.

VULTURES ON THE ROCKERY.

Tapir from South America.

INDIAN PIGMY CATTLE.

BEFBESHMENT BOOM OPEN ALL THE YEAB,

Donations of Animals (Irish or Foreign) thankfully received.
SURPLUS STOCK OF BEASTS AND BIRDS FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE.

For particulars, aud also for Terms and Privileges of Membership
of the Society, apply to —

R, F. SCHARFF Hon, Sec, B.Z.S.,

The Museum, Dublin.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRLCULTiJRE AND TECHNICAL
INSTRUCTION FOR IRELAND.

LIST OF THE D EP A RT IVl ENT'S LEAFLETS.

No

X

1.

t9

2.

f$

3.

i>

4.

$9

5.

99

6.

$9

7.

»l

8.

*t

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ft

10.

If

11.

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»l

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41.

42.

■•

43.

44

45

46

47

48.

49

The Warble Fly.

Oul of Print.

Out of Print.

Cut of Print.

Out of Print.

Charlock Spraying.

Fluke in Sheep.

Timothy Meadows.

The Turnip Fly.

Wii'e worms.

Prevention of White Scour m Calve.*;.

Out of Print.

Contagious Abortion in Cattle.

Prevention of Potato Blight.

Fertilizers and Feeding Stutis Act

1906, Regulations.
Sheep Scab.

The Use and Piurchaso of Manures.
Swine Fever.
Early Potato Growing.
Calf Rearing.

Diseases of Poultry : — Gapes.
Basic Slag.
Dishorning Calves.
Care and Treatment of Premium

Bulls.
Fowl Cholera.
Winter Fattening of Cattle.
Breeding and Feeding of Pigs.
Blackleg, Black Quarter, or Blue

Quarter.
Flax Seed.
Poultry Parasites — Fleas, Mites, and

Lice.
Winter Egg Production.
Rearing and Fattening of Turkeys.
Profitable Breeds of Poultry.
The Revival of Tillage.
The Liming of Land.
Field Experiuients — Barley.

Meadow Hay.
Potatoes.
Mangolds.
Oats.
Turnips.
Permanent Pasture Grasses.
The Rearing and Management of

' Hu.sk ' or " Hoose " in Calves.

Ringworm on Cattle.

Haymaking.

The Black Currant Mite.

Foul Brood or Bee Pest.

Poultry Fattening.

No.

50.

i>

51.

>*

52.

)>

53.

ti

54.

9>

oo.

1 i

56.

ft

57.

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58.

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70.

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77.

78.

79.

80.

81.

82.

83.

84.

85.

86.

87.

88.

M

89.

))

90.

1 «

91.

f «

92.

»

93.

Portable Poultry Houses.

The Leather-Jacket Grub.

Flax Experiments.

I'he Construction of a Cowhouse.

Calf Meal.

The Apple.

Cultivation of the Root Crop.

Fruit Packing.

Sprouting Seed Potatoes.

Seed Testing Station for Ireland.

The Packing of Butter.

Out of Print.

Plans for Creamery Buildings.

" Redwater " or "'Blood-Murram "

in Cattle.
Varieties of Fruit suitable for

cultivation in Ireland.
Forestry : The Planting of Waste

Lands.
Forestry : The Proper Method of

Planting Forest Trees.
Forestry: Trees for Poles and Timber.
Forestry : Trees for Shelter and

Ornament.
The Prevention of Tuberculosis in

Cattle.
Forestry : Planting, Management,

and Preservation of Shelter-Belt

and Hedgerow 'Tijnber.
Forestry : The Management of Plan-
tations.
Forestry : Felling and Selling Timber.
The Planting and Management of

Hedges.
Some Common Parasites of the Sheep.
Barley Sowing.

American Gooseberry JNIildew.
Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle.
Home Buttennaking.
The Cultivation of Small Fruits.
Catch Crops.

Potato Culture on Small Farms.
Cultivation of Main Crop Potatoes.
Cultivation of Osiers.
Ensilajre.

Some Injurious Orchard Insects.
Dirty Milk.
Barley Tiireshing.
The Home Bottling of Fruit.
The Construction of Piggeries.
The Advantages of Early Ploughing.
Black Scab in Potatuc:-.
Home Preservation of Eggs.
Marketing WiU Fruits.

Copies of the above leaflets can be obtained free of cfiarge and post free, on application
lo the Secretary. Department of Agriculture and TecJtnical instruction for Ireland. Upper
ilerrion- street, Dublin. Letters of application so addressed need not be stamped.

JTV IJL, X^ X J^ IS/Z a &! SOPS'

UatualUts, rnrri«rs, an& Taxld«rmiati,

2, DAME-STEEET, DUBLIN,

Designers of the Life Groups in the National Museum, Kildare-street.

HEAD AND ANTLERS OF THE GREAT EXTINCT IRISH DEER, CERVUS

GJGAN7£ US, .GnNURAhhY IN STOCK.

TO SUBSCRIBERS, 7s. 6d. PER ANNUM, POST FREE.

TttE AMALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY.

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE,

EDITED BY

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R S.E., F.Z.S.,

Member of the British Ornithologists' Union ;

JAMES W. H. TRAIL, M.A., M.D , F.R.S., F.L.S.

Professor of Botany in the University of Aberdeen ,

WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.L.S., &c.,
Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

This Magazine— a continuation of "The Scottish Naturalist,' founded in 1871 — is entirely devoted
to the publication of Original Matter relating to the Natural History of Scotland^ and includes Papers
contributing to the elucidation of the Fauna and Flora recent and fossil. Observations on Life Histories,
etc.. and Notes recordingthe occurrence of uncommon species and other useful and interesting facts.

Edinburgh : DAVID DOUGLAS, 10, CASTLE-STREET.

NOTICE.
CONTRIBUTIONS (Articles or Notes) on all branches of Irlsn
Natural History are Invited. Articles must reach the EDITORS, on
or before the lOth of the Month, for Insertion In the succeeding
number. Short Notes will be Inserted. If space permit. If received
b<?fore the 15th of the Month. Contributors are earnestly requested
not to write their communications on Postcards.

Authors of Papers In the IRISH NATURALIST can be supplied
M^lth 50 Reprints at the following prices :—

s. d. s. d,

2 pp. .. .» 4 O I 6 pp. ^ .« 8 0

4 pp. ,. ...6018 pp. ... .„ 9 O

Authors should apply for Reprints when returning proofs to
the Editors. But any subsequent correspondence regarding
Reprints should be sent to the PRINTERS, MESSRS. A. THOM & CO.,
87 MIDDLE ABBEY-STREET, DUBLIN, and NOT to Messrs. Eason &Son,
NOR TO THE EDITORS.

natural History Specimens sent to the Editors will be referred
to authorities for Identification.

G. H. Carpenter,

Royal College of Science^ Dublin.

R. Lloyd Praeger,

National Library ^ Dublin,

— Robert Patterson,

Gle7ibank^ Holywood^ Co. Dowti.

Vol. xvili., No. 6. Juue, 1909.

CONTKNTS.

Page

The White Wagtail in Co. Dublin. —Alexander Wtluams,

AV'XiiX») •• .. .. * ,, ,, ,. ,, 121

On the Possibility of distinguishing between Native and Alien

Species of Plants in Ireland. — J. Adams, M. A., .. .. 123

Obituary :

Frances Margaret More.— C B. M., .. ^ .. .. .. 132

Reviews :

Caiman's "Crustacea" — (R. F. S.), .. ., .. .. .. 133

West's " British Desmidiacese." — (J. A.), .. .. .. .. ,134

Sedgwick's "Birds' Nests aud Eggs."— (C. B. M.), .. .. .. 135

Wilkinson, M'Henry, Kilroe, and Seymour's "Geology of Londonderry."

(I. Swain). , . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Irish Societies:

Royal Zoological Society,

Dublin Microscopical Club, «.

Belfast NaturaUsts' Field Club,

Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, ^ •,

Notes :

Ascidicola rosea in Belfast Lough — W. Riddeli*, ^

Early Appearance of Macroglossa stellatarum. — Miss M. J. Dici,ap, ».

TERMS FOR ADVERTISEMENTS IN ** IRISH NATURALIST-^

Whole Page, . .
Half Page,
Quarter Page,

A Reduction given for a Number of Insertions.

s.

d.

From

10

°^,

According

})

6

0 >

to

i>

4

6

Position.

Al.KX. TIIOM AND CO., LIMITED, DUBLIN.

VOL. XVIII. No. 7.IK

JULY, 1909.

<>:,

a iWtinrtlg Jotitnal

OF

GENERAL IRISH NATURAL HISTORY,

ORGAN OF THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB,

BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY & PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY,

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

DUBLIN NATURALIvSTS' FIELD CLUB,

CORK NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

LIMERICK FIELD CLUB,

ULSTER FISHERIES AND BIOLOGY ASSOCIATION.

TYRONE NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

EDITED BY

Prof. GEORGE H. CARPENTER, B.Sc, M.R.I.A.
R. LLOYD PRAEGER, B.A., B.E., M.R.I.A.,

AND

robert patterson, f.l.s., m.r.i.a.

Price 6d.

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^'^®^~ ^ - Kent & Co., Ltd.

wWwiiiinMiiiimiWBiiiiia

THE IRISH NATURALIST for 1909 (twelve parts) will t>e sent to any
Address for 5s. Subscriptions should be sent to Messrs. Eason and
Son, Ltd., 40 Lower Sackvllle-street. Dublin.

THE! 3Xr.A.*XJDa^flLIjIST

A Monthly Illustrated fournal of

NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

Edited by T. SHEPPARD, F.C.S., and T. W. WOODHEAD, F.L.S,,

Museum, Hull. Technical College. Huddersfield

with the assistance as referees in special departments of

J. GILBERT BAKER, F.R.S., F.L.S., GEO. T. PORRITT, F.L.S., F.E.S.

PERCY F. KENDALL, F.G.S., JOHN W. TAYLOR,

T. H. NELSON, M.B.O.U., WILLIAM WEST, F.L.S.

This Journal is one of the oldest Scientific Periodicals in the British Isles, dating back to 1833,
London: A BROWN & SONS, Ltd., 5, FARRINGDON AVENUE, EC

PRICE SIXPENCE NET. BY POST SEVENPENCE.

JuHunl Subscrijition, tis. 6d., post free; through Booksellers, 6s, Net.

Comuiuuicatious to be addressed to the Editors of the Naturalist, The Museum, Hull.

NATURE.

A WEEKLY ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF SCIENCE.

I'MICE SIXPJSNCl^.

" NATURE " contains Original Articles on all subjects coming within
the domain of Science, contributed by the most eminent scientific writers
of the day. It also contains Reviews of all recent scientific works ;
Correspondence Columns, which form a medium of scientific discussion
and of intercommunication among men of Science ; Accounts of the
leading Scientific Serials ; Abstracts of the more valuable papers which
appear sn foreign journals ; Reports of the Proceedings of the Principal
Scientific Societies and Academies of the World ; and Notes on all matters
of current scientific interest

SUBSCRIPTIONS TO "NATURE."

£ s. d.

( To all places Abroad.)

£ s.

d.

Yearly ••

18 0

Yearly

1 10

6

Half-Yearly

0 14 6

Half-Yearly

0 15

6

Quarterly

0 7 6

Quarterly

0 8

0

»'« A charge of Sixpence is made for changing Scotch and Irish Cheques.
Cheques and Money Orders to be made payable to Macmillak & Co., Ltd., St. Martin's-st.,

London, W.C.

\

THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

OF THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND

PHC£NIX PARK, DUBLIN.

Open daily from 9 a.ni. {Sundays from 12 noon}

till dusk.

Admission, Is., except Saturdays, 6d., and Sunday

Afternoons, 2d.

Children, Half-price.

SPECIAI. RATES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AND

EXCURSION PARTIES.

FINEST COLLECTION OF LIONS IN EUROPE

MANY LION-CUBS NOW ON VIEW.

YOUNG INDIAN ELEPHANT.
Otters, Seals and Sea-lions in their New Pond.

THREE CHIIYIPANZEES AND TWO GIBBONS
ARE NOW IN THE GARDENS.

YOUNG LEMURS BORN IN THE MONKEY-HOUSE.

VULTURES ON THE ROCKERY.

Tapir from South America.

INDIAN PIGMY CATTLE.

JIEFIIESIIMENT JIOOM OTEN ALL THE YE All,

Donations ot Animals (Irish or Foreign) thankfully received.
SURPLUS STOCK OF BEASTS AND BIRDS FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE.

For particulars, and also for Terms and Privileges of Memberihi])

of the Society, apply to —

R. F. SCHARFF lion. Sec, B.Z.S..

The Museum, Dublin.

DEPAllTMKNr OF AORICULraRE AND TECHNICAL
INSTRUCTION FOR IRELAND.

1

LIST OF THE D E P A RT IVi ENT'S LEAFLETS.

\o. 1.
o

„ 3.

.. 4.

„ 5.

„ G.

.. 7.

.. 8.

.. 0.

„ 10.

„ 11.

„ 12.

.. 13.

„ 14.

„ 16.

.. 17.

,. IS.

„ I'J.

.. 20.

.. 21.

., 22.

., 23.

.. 24.

.. 2r,.

., 2Ck

27.

„ 2S.

.. 29.

,. 30.

.. 31.

„ 32.

„ 33.

.. 31.

,, oo.

.. 36.

.. 37.

., 38.

.1 "J-

.. 40.

.. 41.

„ 42.

.. 43.

, 44.

., 45.

., 40.

.. 47.

„ 48.

,, 49.

i'he Warble Fly.

Oal of Print.

Out of Print.

' ut o) Print.

Out of Print.

Charlock Sfiraying.

Fluk'c in Sheep.

Timothy Meadows.

The Turnip Fly.

Wire worm?*.

Prevention of White Scour in Calve-

Out of Print.

Contagious Abortion in Cattle.

Prevention of Potn.to Blight.

Fert li#»Ts and Feeding Stutls Act

190<>, Regulations.
Sheep Scab.

The Use and Purchase of INIanuree.
Swino Fever.
Early Potato Growing.
Calf Hearing.

Diseases of Poultry : — Gapes.
Basic Slag.
Dishorning Calves.
Care and Treatment of Premium

Bulls.
Fowl Cholera.
Winter Fattening of Cattle.
Breeding and Feeding of Pigs.
Blackleg, Black Quarter, or Blue

Quarter.
Flax Seed.
Poultry Parasites — Fleas, Mites, and

Lice.
Winter Egg Production.
Rearing and Fattening of Turkeys.
Profitable Breeds of Poultry.
Tiie Revival of I'illage.
The Liming of Land.
Field Experiments — Barley.

,, ,, Meadow Hay.

„ „ Potatoes.

Mangolds.
„ Oats.

,, ,, Turnips.

Permanent Pasture Gras.^es.
The Rearing and Management of

Chickens.
" Husk " or " Hoose " in Calves.
Ringworm on Cattle.
Haymaking.

The Black Currant Mite.
Foul Brood or Bee Pest.
Poultry Fattening.

No. 50. Portable Poultry Houses.
„ 5L The Leather- Jacket Grub.
,, 52. Flax Experiments.
„ 53. I'he Construction of a Cowhouse.
,, 54. Calf Meal.
„ 53. The Apple.

„ 5(3. Cultivation of the Root Crop.
,, 57. Fruit Packing.
„ 58. Sprouting Seed Potatoes.
,, 59. Seed Testing Station for Ireland.
,, 60. The Packing of Butter.
,,61. Out of Print.
,, 62. Plans for Creamery Buildings. v

„ 63. "Red water" or "Blood-Murrain"!

in Cattle. 1

„ 64. Varieties of Fruit suitable for j

cultivation in Ireland. i|

„ 65. Forestry : The Planting of Waste '

Lands. .;

„ 66. Forestry: The Proper Method of |

Planting Forest Trees. j

„ 67. Forestry: Trees for Poles and Tim her. j
,, 68. Forestry : Trees for Shelter and :)

Ornament. 'I

,, 69. The Prevention of Tuberculosis in

Cattle.
,, 70. Forestry : Planting, Management,

and Preservation of Shelter-BeU:

and Hedgerow Tijuber.
„ 71. Forestry: The Management of Plan-
tations.
„ 72. Forestry : Felling and Selling Timber.
„ 73. The Planting and Management of

Hedges.
,, 74. Some Common Parasites of the Sheep.
,, 75. Barley Sowing.
„ 70. American Gooseberry Mildew.
., 77. Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle.
,, 78. Home Buttermaking.
,, 79. The Cultivation of Small Fruits.
,, 80. Catch Crops.
,, 81. Potato Culture on Small Farms.
,, 82. Cultivation of Main Crop Potatoes.
,, 83. Cultivation of Osiers.
,, 84. Ensilace.

,, 85. Some Injurious Orchard Insects.
„ 80. Dirty Milk.
,, 87. Barley Threshing.
„ 88. The Hume Bottlini,' of Fruit.
„ 89. Tlie Construction of Piggeries.
„ 90. The Advantages (.f Early I'lougliiiig.
,, 9L Black ^'cali in Potatoes.
,. 92. Hon.e Pie.servation of Eggs.
„ 93. Marketing Wild Fruits.

Copies of the above leaflets can he ohlnined free of charge and post free, on application
to the Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, Upper
Mfrrion- street, Dublin. Letters of application so addressed need not be stamped.

-1

ITaturalists, Furriers, aad Taxidermists,

2, DAME-STEEET, DUBLIN, i

Designers of the Life Groups in the National Museum, Kildare-street. 1

HEAD AND ANTLERS OF THE GREAT EXTINCT IRISH DEER, CERVUS \

G2GAN7EUS, GENERALLY IN STOCK. "{

TO SUBSCRIBERS, 7s. 6cl. PER ANNUM, POST FREE, >

THE ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY.

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE,

EDITED BY

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R.S.E., F.Z.S.,

Member of the British Ornithologists' Union ;
JAMES W. H. TRAIL, M.A., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S.

Professor of Botany in the University of Aberdeen ,

WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.L.S., &c.,
Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

This Magazine— a continviation of "The Scottish Naturalist,' founded in 1871 — ^is entirely devoted
to the publication of Original Matter relating to the Natural History of Scotland, and includes Papers
contributing to the elucidation of the Fauna and Flora recent and fossil. Observations on Life Histories,
etc.and Notes recordingthe occurrence of uncommon species and other useful and interesting facts.

Edinburgh : DAVID DOUGLAS, 10, CASTLE-STREET.

NOTICE.
CONTRIBUTIONS (Articles or Notes) or\ all branches of Irlsn
Natural History are Invited. Articles must reach the EDITORS, on
or before the lOth of the Month, for Insertion In the succeedlni;
number. Short Notes will be Inserted. If space permit* If received
before the 15th of the Month. Contributors are earnestly requested
not to write thefr communications on Postcards.

Authors of Papers In the IRISH NATURALIST can be supplied
with 50 Reprints at the folIOAVing prices:—

s. d. s. d.

2 pp. ^ ^ 4 O I 6 pp. ^ .80

4 pp. .« .„ 6 O I 8 pp. ... ^ 9 0

Authors should apply for Reprints when returning proofs to
the Editors. But any subsequent correspondence regrardlng
Reprints should be sent to the PRINTERS, MESSRS. A. THOM & CO.,
87 MIDDLE ABBEY-STREET, DUBLIN, and NOT to Messrs. Eason &Son,
NOR TO THE EDITORS.

Natural History Specimens sent to the Editors will be referred
to authorities for identification.

G. H. Carpenter,

Royal College of Science^ Dublin.

R. Lloyd Praeger,

National Library, Dublin,

Robert Patterson,

Glenbajik^ Holywoady Co* Down.

Vol. xviii., No. 7. July, 1909.

CONTENTS.

Page

On the Occurrence of a Speckled Otter i,n Ireland. — R. F.

ScHARFF, M.R. r.A., (Plate 2), .. ., 141

Paludestrina confusa, an addition to the Irish Fauna. — R. A.

X HlL,r«IPSj •• •• •• .. •• .. ., a, ^4-^

Mosses and Liverworts from Co. Fermanagh and Slieve League,

Co. Donegal. — David M'Ardle, .. 144

On some Irish Hawkweeds. — Rev. C. H. WaddeIvL, B.D., .. 149

Lastrea remota in Ireland. — R. Ll. Praeger, .. .. .. 151

Reviews :

Theobald's ''Insect Pests of Fruits " (G. H. C.) .. .. .. 153

Praeger's '• Flora of West of Ireland."— (Rev. E. S. Marshal!,.) . . 154

Notes :

British Vegetation Committee, .. .. .. .. ,. 156

Splachnum vasculosum not an Irish Plant.— Rev. C. H. Waddeli,, . . 156

Habenaria intacta in West Galway. — W. J. C. Tomlinson, . . . . 156

Do Rabbits eat Arum maculatum .^— R. M. Barrington, FX.S., G. H.

Pethybridge, Ph.D., .. .. .. .. .. .. 157

Lankester's Treatise on Zoology. — F. A. Bather, D.Sc. F.R.S., .. 158

Viviparus (dead shell) in Co. Limerick. — Harry Fogerty, . . . . 159

Nests of Land Birds in Holes on Marine Islands. — R. J. Ussher, D.L, 159

The Snowy Owl— A Correction. — R. J. Ussher, D.L., . . . . 160

Irish Stoat with Nine Young.— R. F. Scharff, Ph. D., . . . . 160

Irish Societies:

Royal Zoological Society, . . . . . . . . . . ,., 160

Belfast Naturalists' Field Club, ,^ . . ... .... . . i6o

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ORGAN OF THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

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EDITED BY

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AND

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the: 3Nr^5LTXJH-.A.i:jIST

.-/ Monthly Illustrated /onnial of

NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

Edited by T. SHEPPARD, F.C.S., and T. W. WOODHEAD, F.L.S,,

Museum, Uull. Technical Collbgb. Huddeksfield

with the assistance as referees in special departments of

J. GILBERT BAKER, F.R.S., F.L.S^ GEO. T. PORRITT, F.L^S., F.E.S.

PERCY F. KENDALL, F.G.S., JOHN W. TAYLOR,

T. H. NELSON, M.B.O.U., WILLIAM WEST, F.L.S.

This Journal is one of the oldest Scientific Periodicals in the British Isles, dating back to 1833.

London: A BROWN & SONS, Ltd., 5, FARRINGDON AVENUE, EC.

PRICE SIXPENCE NET. BY POST SEVENPENCE.

Annual Stibscription, 6s. 6d., post free; through Jioolcsellers, 6s, Net,

Communications to be addressed to the Editorsof the Naturalist, The Museum, HuU.

NATURE.

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l^JtlCE SIX FENCE.

" NATURE " contains Original Articles on all subjects coming within
the domain of Science, contributed by the most eminent scientific writers
of the day. It also contains Reviews of all recent scientiix works ;
Correspondence Columns, which form a medium of sciuntinc discussion
and of intercommunication among men of Science ; Accounts of the
leading Scientific Serials ; Abstracts of the more valuable papers which
appear in foreign journals ; Reports of the Proceedings of the Principal
Scientific Societies and Academies of the World ; and Notes on all matters
of current scientific interesL

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-liequett and Money Orders to be made payable to Macmillan & Co., Ltd., St. Mabtin's-st.,

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THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

OF THR

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND

PHCENIX PARK, DUBLIN.

Open daily -from 9 a.m. {Sundays front 12 noon}

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SPECIAL PATES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AND

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FINEST COLLECTION OF LIONS IN EUROPE

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of the Society, apply to —

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The Museum, Dublin

DEPARTMENT OF AaRICULTlTRE AND TECHNICAL
INSTRUCTION FOR IRELAND.

LIST OF THE DEPARTMENT'S LEAFLETS.

0.

1.

»l

2.

If

3.

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4.

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The Warble ¥\y.

Out of Print.

Out of Print.

f'Ut of Print.

Out of Print.

Charlock Spraying.

Finkc in Sheep.

Timothy Meadows.

Tlie Tmnip Fly.

Wire worms.

Prevention of White Scour in Calves

Out of Print.

Contagious Abortion in Cattle.

Prevention of Potato Blight.

Fertilizers and Feeding Stall's Act

1900, Regulations.
Sheep Scab.

The Use and Purchase of Manures.
Swine Fever.
Early Potato Growing.
Calf Rearing.

Diseases of Poultry : — Gapes.
Basic Slag.
Dishorning Calves.
Care and Treatment of Premium

Bulls.
Fowl Cholera.

Winter Fattening of Cattle.
Breeding and Feeding of Pigs.
Blackleg, Black Quarter, or Blue

Quarter.
Flax Seed.
Poultry Parasites — Fleas, Mites, and

Lice.
Winter Egg Production.
Rearing and Fattening of Turkeys.
Profitable Breeds of Poultry.
The Revival of Tillage.
The Liming of Land.
Field Experiments — Barley.

„ „ Meadow Hay.

„ „ Potatoes.

„ „ Mangolds.

,, ,, Turnips.

Permanent Pasture Grasses.
The Rearing and Management of

Chickens.
" Husk " or " Hoose " in Calves.
Ringworm on Cattle.
Haymaking.

The Black Currant Mite.
Foul Brood or Bee Pest.
Poultry Fattening.

0.

50.

5L

52.

53.

54.

br:>.

56.

57.

58.

59.

00.

01.

02.

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Portable Poultry Houses.

The Leather-Jacket Grub.

Flax Experiments.

The Construction of a Cowhouse.

Calf Meal.

The Apple.

Cultivation of the Root Crop.

Fruit Packing.

Sprouting Seed Potatoes.

Seed Testing Station for Ireland.

The Packmg of Butter.

Out of Print.

Plans for Creamery Buildings.

" Redwater " or " Blood-Murrain "

in Cattle.
Varieties of Fruit suitable for

cultivation in Ireland.
Forestry : The Planting of Waste

Lands.
Forestry : The Proper Method of

Planting Forest Trees.
Forestry: Trees for Poles and Timber.
Forestry : Trees for Shelter and

Ornament.
The Prevention of Tuberculosis in

Forestry : Planting, Management,

and Preservation of Shelter-Belt

and Hedgerow Timber.
Forestry : The Management of Plan-

tations.
Forestry : Felling and Selling Timber.
The Planting and Management of

Hedges.
Some Common Parasites of the Sheep.
Barley Sowing.

American Gooseberry Mildew.
Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle.
Home Buttermaking.
The Cultivation of Small Fruits,
Catch Crops.

Potato Culture on Small Farms.
Cultivation of Main Crop Potatoes.
Cultivation of Osiers.
Ensilacre.

Some Injurious Orchard Insects.
Dirty Milk.
Barley Threshing.
The Home Bottling' of Fruit.
The Construction ot Piggeries.
The Ad\autuges of Early Ploughing.
Black Scati in Potatoes.
Hume Preservation of Eggs.
Marketing Wild Fruits.

Copies of the above leaflets can be obtained free of cfiarge and post free, on application
to the Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, Upper
Merrion- street, Dublin. Letters of application so addressed need not be stamped.

"w X Xj. tlm I jA. isa: s &: s o ic

Naturalists, Furriers, and Tazilermists,

3, DAME-STEEET, DUBLIN,

Designers of the Life G-roups in the National Museum, Kildare-street.

HEAD AND ANTI^ERS OF THE GREAT EXTINCT IRISH DEER, CERVUS

GIGANTEUS, GENERALITY IN STOCK.

TO SUBSCRIBERS, 7s- 6d. PER ANNUM, POST FREE.

THE AMALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY.

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE,

EDITED BY

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R S.E., F.Z.S.,

Member of the. British Ornithologists' Union ;

JAMES W. H. TRAIL, M.A., M.D , F.R.S., F.L.S.

Professor of Botany in the University of Aberdeen ,

WM. EAGLE CLARKE. F.L.S., &C.,
Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum^ Edinburgh.

This Magrazine— a coctinuation of "Tte Scottish Naturalist,' founded in 1871 — is entirely devoted
to the publication of Original Matter relating to the Natural History of Scotland, and includes Papers
contributing to the elucidation of the Fauna and Flora recent and fossil Observations on Life Histories,
etc., and Notes recordingthe occurrence of uncommon species and other useful and interesting facts.

Edinburgh : DAVID DOUGLAS, 10, CASTLE-STREET.

NOTICE.
CONTRIBUTIONS (Articles or Notes) on all branches of Irfsn
Natural History are Invited. Articles must reach the EDITORS, on
dr before the lOth of the Month, for Insertion In the succeedlns
number. Short Notes will be Inserted. If space permit. If received
before the 1 5th of the Month. Contributors are earnestly requested
not to write their communications on Postcards.

Authors of Papers In the IRISH NATURALIST can be supplied
with 50 Reprints at the follo^vlngr prices i—

s. d. s. d.

2 pp. ... ... 4 O j 6 pp. «. -.8 0

4 pp. .- 6' O I 8 pp. ... ,^ 9 0

Authors should apply for Reprints when returnlniT proofs to
the Editors. But any subsequent correspondence regrardlng
Reprints should be sent to the PRINTERS, MESSRS. A. THOM & CO.,
87 MIDDLE ABBEY-STREET, DUBLIN, and NOT to Messrs. Eason &Son,
NOR 70 THE EDITORS.

Natural History Specimens sent to the Editors will be referred
to authorities for Identification.

G. H. Carpenter,

Royal College of Science^ Dublin,

R. Lloyd Praecer,

National Library ^ Dublin,

Robert Patterson,

Gle7ibank^ Holywood^ Co, Down

Vol. xvlH., No. 8. August, J909.

CONTENTS.

Page

The Use of Domed Nests. — C. B. Moffat, * 161

Dublin Marine Biological Committee Report for 1908. —

Nathaniel Colgan, M.R.LA., .. .. .. . . 166

Irish Societies :

Royal Zoological Societ}', ,. .. ., .. .. .. 177

Belfast Naturalists' Field Club, .. .. .. .. .. 178

Reviews :

Goodrich's *' C3'clostotnes and Fishes." — (R. F. S.) .. .. .. iSi

Arber's " Fossil Plants."— (I. S.) .. .. .. .. .. 1S2

Notes :

White Wagtail on the East Coist. — R. Patte^rson, F.Iv S, . . . . 183

Golden Oriole in Co. Cork.— F, R. RoHU, .. .. .. .. , iH^

The Little Gull.— F. R. Rohu, R. M. Barrtngton, . . . . .. 1S3

Turtle-doves in Co, Waterford. — R. J. Usshkr, D.L., . . . . 184

TERMS FOR ADVERTISEMENTS IN "IRISH NATURALIST."

Whole Page, .. .. .. From 10 oj According

Half Page, . . * . . • „ 6 o > to

Quarter Page. .. .. ,, ^ ■ 5 T ^"^^^^^^^

A Reduction given for a Number oJ Insertions.

ALEX. THOM AXD CO., LI.MITED, DUBLIN.

>^1
VOL. XVIII. No. 9.

SEPTEMBER, 1909.

■r-.'

■■Mt

f:i •;*..

m

*»t

.£».-** V-..,
^M^.

a ifttomi)li) Sonvnal

OF

GENERAL IRISH NATURAL HISTORY,

ORGAN OF THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB,

BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY & PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY,

BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB

CORK NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB

LIMERICK FIELD CLUB,

TYRONE NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

EDITED BY

Prof. GEORGE H. CARPENTER, B.Sc, M.R.I.A.
R. LLOYD PRAEGER, B.A., E.E , M.R.I.A.,

AND

robert patterson, f.l.s., m.r.i.a

Price 6d.

vX^^

DUBLIN : EASON & SON, Ltd.

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Kent & Co., Ltd.

mv^^\:. mmmuv

7

WW/tniWMillinilllMliiiiiiiSliiiiiiifinii^

»>9rfc^«i

THE lAlSH NATURALIST for 1909 (twelve parts) will be sent to any
Address for 5s. Subscriptions should be sent to Messrs. Eason and
Son, Ltd., 40 Lower Sackville-street, Dublin.

3sr-<gLTXJn.j9LXjisn7

--/ Monthly Illustrated /oiiriial of

NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

Edited by T. SHEPPARD, F.C.S., and T. W. WOODHEAD, F.L.S,,

Museum, Hull. Technical Collkqe.Huddersfield

.vith the assistance as referees in special departments op

J. GILBERT BAKER, F.R.S.. F.L.S., GEO. T. PORRITT, F.L.S., F.E.S.

PERCY F. KENDALL, F.G.S., JOHN W. TAYLOR,

T. H. NELSON, M.B.O.U., WILLIAM WEST, F.L.S.

Ttiis Journal is one of the oldest Scientific Periodicals in the British Isles, dating back to 1833.
London : A BROWN & vSONS, Ltd , 5, FARRINGDON AVENUE, E C.

PRICE SIXPENCE NET. BY POST SEVENPENCE.

Annual Snhsvviption, (is. Otl., post free ; thvotiffh liitoUsellers, 6s. Net.

Communications to be addressed to the Editors of the Naturalist, The Museum, Hull.

NATURE.

A WEEKLY ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF SCIENCE.

I'BKJE SIXPENCE.

"NATURE" contains Original Articles on ail subjects coming within
the domain of Science, ccntributed by the most eminent scientific writers
of the day. It also contains Reviews of all recent scieniit.c works ;
Correspondence Columns, which form a medium of scibniirx oiscussion
and of intercommunication among men of Science ; Accounts of the
leading Scientific Serials ; Abstracts of the more valuable papers which
appear en foreign journals ; Reports of the Proceedings of the Principal
Scientific Societies and Academies of the World ; and Notes on all matters
of current scientific interest.

SUBSCRIPTIONS TO "NATURE."

£ •<•■• (/■ ( Tu all places Abroad.) £ «. d.

Yearly . .. 18 0 Yearly 1 10 6

Half-Yearly 0 14 fi Half-Yearly .. .. 0 15 G

Quarterly 0 7 6 Quarterly .. 0 8 0
A chi:r^'c of Sispenee is made for changing Scoleh and Irish Cheques.

Chequetj aua .Muaey Orders to be made payable to Maomillan <fe Co., Ltd., St. Martin's-st.,

LOKDON, W.C.

,

THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

OF THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND

PHCENIX PARK, DUBLIN.

Open daily from 9 a.iri. (^Sundays from 12 noon)

till dusk.

Admission, Is., except Saturdays, 6d., and Sunday

Afternoons, 2d.

Children, Half-price.

SPECIAL RATES EOR SCHOOL CH1LDR.EN AND

EXCURSION PARTIES.

FINEST COLLECTION OF LIONS IN EUROPE

MANY LION-CUBS NOAV ON VIEW.

YOUNG INDIAN ELEPHANT.
Otters, Seals and Sea-lions in their New Pond.

A PAIR OF CHIIVIPANZEES AND TWO GIBBONS
ARE NOW IN THE GARDENS.

YOUNG LEMURS BORN IN THE MONKEY-HOUSE.

VULTURES ON THE ROCKERY.

Tapir from South America.

INDIAN PIGMY CATTLE.

BEFIITISHMENT BOOM OBEN ALL THE YEAR.

Donations ot Animals (Irish or Foreign) thankfully received.
SURPLUvS STOCK OF BEASTvS AND BIRDS FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE

For particulars, and also for Terms and Privileges of Membership

of the Society, appl}' to —

R. F. SCHARFF IToir. Sec, Jl.Z.S.,

The Museum, Dublin

DErAllT.AfENT OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNECAL
INSTRUCTION FOR IRELAND.

LIST OF THE DEPARTMENT'S LEAFLETS.

No. 1. The Warblo Hy.

2. Old of Print.

3. Out of Print.

4. Gut oj Print

5. Out of Print.

6. Charlock Spraying.

7. Fluke in Sheep.

8. Timothy Meadows.

9. The Turnip Fly.

10. Wireworms.

1 1 . Prevention of White Scour in Calves

12. Out of Print.

13. Contagious Abortion in Cattle.

14. Prevention of Potato Blight.

15. Fertilizers and Feeding Stutfs Act
1900. Regulations.

16. Sheep Scab.

17. The Use and Purchase of Manures.

18. Swine Fever.

19. Early Potato Growing.

20. Calf Rearing.

21. Diseases of Poultry: — Gapes.

22. Basic Slag.

23. Dishorning Calves.

24. Care and Treatment of Premium
Bulls.

25. Fowl Cholera.

26. Winter Fattening of Cattle.

27. Breeding and Feeding of Pigs.

28. Blackleg, Black Quarter, or Blue
Quarter.

29. Flax Seed.

30. Poultry Parasites — Fleas, Mites, and
Lice.

31. Winter Egg Production.

32. Rearing and Fattening of Turkeys.

33. Profitable Breeds of Poultry.

34. The Revival of Tillage.

35. The Liming of Land.

36. Field Experiments — Barley.

37. ,, „ Meadow Hay.

38. ,, „ Potatoes.

39. ,, „ Mangolds.
40 „ „ Oats.

41. ,, „ Turnips.

42. Permanent Pasture Grasses.

43. The Rearing and Management of
Chickens.

44. " Husk ' or " Hoose " in Calves.
, 45. Ringworm on Cattle.
, 4(1. Haymaking.
. 47. The Black Currant Mite.
, 48. Foul Brood or Bee Pest.
, 49. Poultry Fattening.

No.

50

61

52

53

54

oo.

56.

57

58

59.

60.

61.

62

63.

64

65

66

67

68

69.

70

.. 71.

,. 72.
„ 73.

„ 74.

.. 75.
., 76.
.. 77.
„ 78.
„ 79.
,. 80.
,. 81.
.. 82.
., 83.
„ 84.
., 85.

., 87.
„ 88.
„ 89.
„ 90.
„ 91.
,, 92.
,. 93.

Portable Poultry Houses.

The Leather- Jacket Grub.

Flax Experiments.

The Construction of a Cowhouse.

Calf Meal.

The Apple.

Cultivation of the Root Crop.

Fruit Packing.

Sprouting Seed Potatoes.

Seed Testing Station for Ireland.

The Packing of Butter.

Otit of Priyit.

Plans for Creamery Buildings.

" Redwater " or " Blood-Murrain "

in Cattle.
Varieties of Fruit suitable for

cultivation in Ireland.
Forestry : The Planting of Waste

Lands.
Forestry : The Proper Method of

Planting Forest Trees.
Forestry: Trees for Poles and Timber.
Forestry : Trees for Shelter and

Ornament.
The Prevention of Tuberculosis in

Cattle.
Forestry : Planting, Management,

and Preservation of Shelter- Belt

and Hedgerow Timber.
Forestry : The Management of Plan-
tations.
Forestry : Felling and Selling Timber.
The Planting and Management of

Hedges.
Some Common Parasites of the Sheep.
Barley Sowing.

American Gooseberry Mildew.
Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle.
Home Buttermaking.
The Cultivation of Small Fruits.
Catch Crops.

Potato Culture on Small Farms.
Cultivation of Main Crop Potatoes.
Cultivation of Osiers.
Ensilane.

Some Injurious Orchard Insects.
Dirty Milk.
Barley Threshinj^.
The Home Bottiin^' of Fruit.
The Construction of Piggeries.
The Advantages of Early Ploughing.
Black Scab in Potatoe.s.
Home Preservation of Eggs.
Marketing Wild Fruits.

Copies of the above leaflets can he obtained free of charge and post free, o)i application
If) ihf SrcTftary, Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, Upper
Memon-atreet. Dublin. Letters of application so addressed need not he stamped.

"w X Xu. Hm ij^ :d^ a &: s o ic

ITaturalists, Furriers, a&d Taxidermists,

3, DAME-STBEET, DUBLIN,

Designers of tlie Life Groups in the National Museum, Kildare-street.

HKAD AND ANTLERS OF THE GREAT EXTINCT IRISH DEER, CERVUS

G1GAN7EUS, GENERALLY IN STOCK.

TO SUBSCRIBERS, 7s. 6d. PER ANNUM, POST FREE.

THE ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATORAL HISTORY.

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE,

EDITED BY

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R.S.E., F.Z.S.,

Member of the B^ritish Ornithologists' Union ;

JAMES W. H. TRAIL, M.A., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S.

Professor of Botany in the University of Aberdeen ,

WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.L.S., &C.,
Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

This Masazine— a continuation of "The Scottish Naturalist,' founded in 1871 — is entirely devoted
to the publication of Original Matter relating to the Natural History of Scotland, and includes Papers
oontributing to the elucidation of the Fauna and Flora recent and fossil, Observations od Life Histories,
etc., and Notes reeordingthe occurrence of uncomTnon species and other useful and interesting facts.

Edinburgh : DAVID DOUGLAS, 10, CASTLE -STREET.

NOTICE.
CONTRIBUTIONS (Articles or Notes) on all branches of Irlsn
Natural History are invited. Articles must reach the EDITORS, on
or before the lOth of the IVIonth, for Insertion In the succeeding
number. Short Notes will be Inserted. If space permit. If received
b«?fore the I5th of the IVIonth, Contributors arc earnestly requested
nTot to write their communications on Postcards.

Authors of Papers In the IRISH NATURALIST can be supplied
with 50 Reprints at the following prices :—

s. d. s. d.

2 pp. ._ ... 4 O I 6 pp. ... ._ 8 O

4 pp. ._ ... 6 0 I 8 pp. ... ... 9 O

Authors should apply for Reprints when returning proofs to
the Editors. But any subsequent corresponaence regarding
Reprints shouBd be sent to the PRINTERS, IVIESSRS. A. THOIVl &c CO.,
87 IVIIDDLE ABBEY-STREET, DUBLIN, and NOT to lYlessrs. Eason &Son,
NOR TO THE EDITORS.

Natural History Specimens sent to the Editors will be referred
to authorities for IdentlflcatlonB

G. H. Carpenter,

Royal College of Science, Dublin.

R. Lloyd Praeger,

National Library ^ Dublin,

Robert Patterson,

Glenbmik', Holy woody Co, Down

Vol. xvtii., Ntt. 9.

September, 1909.

CONTENTS,

Page
The Ornitholog}^ of Skerries, Co., Dublin. —Pkof. C J. Patten,

)

Notes :

Truffles in Co. Kildare.—EGERTON Hamjmoi^d, .. .. .. 205

Do Rabbits Eat Arum maculatum?— Spencer H. Bickham, W.

Percivai. WesteIvI,, F.L.S., .. .. ,. .. ... 203

Campylopus brevipilus in Fruit, . . . . . . . . . . 203

The Botanical Analysis of a Feeding-stiifF. — J. Adams, M.A., . . . . 204

Additional Localities for the New Irish Vitriua. — A. W. Stelfox, . . 204

Vertigo moulinsiana in Queen's Co. — Limnaea involuta in Co. Cork. —

iv. A. X HILfl^IPS, •• «• .. '. .. .. 203

Helix horteusis in Co. Down R. Wei^CH, M.R.I.A., .. .. 205

The Nudibranch Genus Lomanotus, .. .. .. ... .. 205

Locomotion and the use of Slime Threads in the Irish Marine Mollusca - 206

The Char of Lough Currane.— C. Tate Regan. M.A., . . ... 206

Blackbird Eating Ivy -berries. — J. Adams, M. A., .. ... .. 207

A Summer Fieldfare in Co. Down. — Ross L. Langtry, 207

Wood-Wren at Londonderry. — D. C. Campbell, ... ... .. . 207

Long-tailed Field-Mice.— Capt. G. E. H« Barf ett- Hamilton, F.Z.S., 207

The Irish Otter : Number of young of Stoat.— Capt. G. E. H. BarreTT-

Hamilton, ... .. .. ..- ... .. .. 208

Irish Societies: •

Royal Zoological Society . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

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':^yJi

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NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

Edited by T. SHEPPARD, F.C.S., and T. W. WOODHEAD, F.L.S,,

MUSEUM, HULL. TECHNICAL OOLLBOE. HUDDERSFIELD

f^ini THE AS8ISf ANCE a3 REFEREES IN SPECIAL DEPARTMENTS OF

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTITRE AND TECHNICAL
INSTRUCTION FOR IRELAND.

LIST OF THE DEPARTMENT'S LEAFLETS.

No.

1.
o

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

.. 16.

.. 17.

„ 18.

.. 1».

„ 20.

,. 21.

.. 22.

.. 23.

„ 24.

.. 25.

,. 26.

.. 27.

„ 28.

,. 29.
„ 30.

.. 81.
., 32.
„ 33.
.. 84.
i> 3o.
„ 36.
.. 37.
,, 38.
,, «jy.
.. 40.
.. 41.
.. 42.
.. 43.

.. 44.
., 45.
.. 46.
.. 47.
„ 48.
.. 49.

The Warble Ily.

Out of Print.

Out of Print.

Out of Print.

Out of Print.

Charlock Spraying.

Fluke in Sheep.

Timothy Meadows.

The Turnip Fly.

Wireworms.

Prevention of White Scour in Calves.

Out of Print.

Contagious Abortion in Cattle.

Prevention of Potato Blight.

Fertilizers and Feeding Stuffs Act.

1906, Regulations.
Sheep Scab.

The Use and Purchase of Manures,
Swine Fever.
Early Potato Growing.
Calf Rearing.

Diseases of Poultry : — Gapes.
Basic Slag.
Dishorning Calves.
Care and Treatment of Premium

Bulls.
Fowl Cholera.
Winter Fattening of Cattle.
Breeding and Feeding of Pigs.
Blackleg, Black Quarter, or Blue

Quarter.
Flax Seed.
Poultry Parasites — Fleas, Mites, and

Lice.
Winter Egg Production.
Rearing and Fattening of Turkeys.
Profitable Breeds of Poultry.
The Revival of Tillage.
The Liming of Land.
Field Experiments — Barley.

„ ,^ Meadow Hay.

„ „ Potatoes.

„ „ Mangolds.

Oats.

,, „ Turnips.

Permanent Pasture Grasses.
The Rearing and Management of

Chickens.
" Husk " or " Hooee " in Calves.
Ringworm on Cattle.
Haymaking.

The Black Currant Mite.
Foul Brood or Bee Pest.
Poultry Fattening.

No. 50.

>>

61

ft

52

>>

53

»»

54

»>

oo

»l

56

It

57

»»

58

>I

59

I>

60.

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61

f >

62

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63

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65

>>

66

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67

>>

68

.. 69.
M 70.

„ 71.

tt

72.

tl

73.

tt

74.

tl

75.

»»

70.

• J

77.

It

78.

It

79.

»»

80.

It

81.

>>

82.

It

83.

M

84.

It

85.

It

86.

II

87.

)>

88.

>»

89.

»

90.

»»

9L

1'

92.

l»

93.

Portable Poultry Houses.

The Leather-Jacket Grub.

Flax Experiments.

The Construction of a Cowhouse.

Calf Meal.

The Apple.

Cultivation of the Root Crop.

Fruit Packing.

Sprouting Seed Potatoes.

Seed Testing Station for Ireland.

The Packing of Butter.

Out of Print.

Plans for Creamery Buildings.

" Red water " or " Blood-Murrain "

in Cattle.
Varieties of Fruit suitable for

cultivation in Ireland.
Forestry : The Planting of Waste

Lands.
Forestry : The Proper Method of

Planting Forest Trees.
Forestry: Trees for Poles and Timber.
Forestry : Trees for Shelter and

Ornament.
The Prevention of Tuberculasis in

Cattle.
Forestry : Planting, Management,

and Preservation of Shelter- Belt

and Hedgerow Timber.
Forestry : The Management of Plan-
tations.
Forestry : Felling and Selling Timber.
The Planting and Management of

Hedges.
Some Common Parasites of the Sheep.
Barley Sowing.

American Gooseberry Mildew.
Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle.
Home Buttermaking.
The Cidtivation of Small Fruits.
Catch Crops.

Potato Culture on Small Farms.
Cultivation of Main Crop Potatoes.
Cultivation of Osiers.
Ensilace.

Some Injurious Orchard Insects.
Dirty Milk.
Barley Threshing.
The Home Bottling of Fruit.
The Coustruction of Piggeries.
The Advantages of Early Ploughing.
Black Scab in Potatoes.
Home Preservation of Eggs.
Marketing Wild Fruits.

Copies of the above Jeafleta can be obtained free of charge and post free, on application
(o the Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, Upper
Mtrrion- street, Dublin. Letters of application so addressed need not be stamped.

T7V I 3Li H. I .A. IVE S Sc S O PC

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WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.L.S., &c.,
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This Magazine— a continuation of "The Scottish Naturalist,' founded in 1871 — is entirely devotM
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etcand Notes recordingthe occurrence of uncommon species and other useful and interesting facts.

Edinburgh : DAVID DOUGLAS. 10, CASTLE-STREKT.

NOTICE.
CONTIRIBUTIONS {Articles or Notes) on all branches of Irlsn
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Reprints should be sent to the PRINTERS. MESSRS. A. THOM & CO.,
87 MIDDLE ABBEY-STREET, DUBLIN, and NOT to Messrs. Eason dcSon,
NOR TO THE EDITORS.

Natural History Specimens sent to the Editors will be referred
to authorities for Identification.

G. H. Carpenter,

Royal College of Science^ Dublin.

R. Lloyd Prabgbr,

National Library^ Dublin.

Robert Patterson,

Glenbank, Holywcod^ C^ Doxtm.

Vdl. xvfll., Us. 10. October, 1909

CONTENTS.

Notes on Irish Plants. — G. Claridge Druce, M.A., F.L.S.,
Additional Records of Irish Coleoptera. — Rev. W. F.Johnson,

News Gleanings, .. .. .... ^^ . .^. ^. .. 214

A new Thymus for Ireland. — Rev. K. F. Linton, M.A., ►« 215

Observ^ations on the Weights of Birds' Eggs. — N. H. Foster,

M..B.(J.u., . • • ■ . . . . . . - ... . . 216

Reviews :

Morley's "Natural History of the Isle of Wight, "—(G.H. P.) ... ... 219

Westell's " Young Naturalist."— (G.H C.) .. .. .. .. 220

Obituary :

T. Mei.i,ard Reade, F.G.S.— (J. de W. H.) . . .. ... .. 221

Notes :

Sisyrinchium angustifolium in Donegal. — R. Lr*. Praeger, M.A., ... 222

Scrophularia umbrosa in Limerick. — James Britten, F.L.S. — R. Li..

Praeger, .. .. .. . . ,. .. .. 222

The Use of Domed Nests.— R.J. Ussher, D.L.- D. Dewar, B.A., ... 223

Records of Irish Birds, ... .„ .. .« ,, .. 224

Irish Societies:

Royal Zoological Society, ... .. .. ., .. ,. 225

Belfast Naturalists' Field Club, . . . . ... . , . . 226

Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, .. ^. ».. .. ,. 228

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Position.

vol.. XVIII. No. ii.lB
NOVEMBER, 1909.

i'\ Vim

a JWonttlB Journal

OF

GENERAL IRISH NATURAL HISTORY,

ORGAN OF THE

ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND,

DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB,

BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY & PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY,

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AND

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Museum, Hull. Technical College, hudderspield

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This Journal is one of the oldest Scientific Periodicals in the British Isles, dating back to 1833.
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" NATURE " contains Original Articles on all subjects coming within
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Correspondence Columns, which form a medium of scientific discussion
and of intercommunication among men of Science ; Accounts of the
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REFliESHM ENT liOOM OPE^ ALL THE YEAH,

Donations ot Animals (Irish or Foreign) thankfully received.
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For particulars, and also for Terms and Privileges of Membership

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R, F. SCHARFF Hon, Sec, R.Z,S.,

The Museum, Dublin.

DEPAHTMEXT OF AGRTCULTUEE AND TECTTNTCAL
INSTRUCTION FOR IRELAND.

LIST OF THE DEPARTMENT'S LEAFLETS.

No. 1.

., 3.

„ 4.

,. .").

„ *i.

,. "•

., s.

., i).

,. 10.

., 11.

„ 1-2.

.. 13.

„ 14.

,. 15.

•»
»»

16.
17.
18.
19.
•20.
•21.
22.
23.
24.

25.

2().
27.
2S.

20.
30.

31.
32.
33.
34.
3.').
30.
37.
3S.
31).
40.
41.
42.
43.

44.
4.").
4H.
47.

4S.
41>.

The ^^'a^ble Fly.

Out of Print.

Out of Print.

Out of Print.

Out of Print.

Charlock Sprayino;.

Fluke in Sheep.

Tiiiiothv Meadows.

1'he Tiirnii) Fly.

\\'ire\vonii8.

Prevention of White Scour in Calves.

Out of Print.

Contagious Abortion in Cattle.

Prevention of Potato Blight.

Fertilizers and Feeding Stuffs Act,

1906, Regulations.
Sheep Scab.

The Use and Purchase of Manures.
Swine Fever.
Early Potato (irowing.
Calf Rearing.

Diseases of Poultry : — Gapes.
Basic Slag.
Dishorning Calves.
Care and Treatment of Preniium

Bulls
Fowl Cholera.

Winter Fattening of Cattle.
Breeding and Feeding of Pigs.
Blackleg, Black Quarter, or Blue

Quarter.
Flax Seed.
Poultry Parasites — Fleas, Mites, and

Lice.
Winter Egg Production.
Rearing and Fattening of Turkeys.
Profitable Breeds of Poultry.
The Revival of Tillage.
The Liming of Land.
Field Ex ])erLments— Barley.

„ „ Meadow Hay.

„ „ Potatoes.

Mangolds.

„ „ Oats.

„ ,, Turnips.

P<-rinanent Pasture (Jrasses.
The Rearing and Management of

Cliickens.
" Husk"' or " Hoose" in Calves.
Ringworm on Cattle.
Haymaking.

The Black Currant .Mite.
Foul Brood or Bee Pest.
Poultry Fattening.
l*ortai)le I'oultry Hou.ses.
The Leather-.Iacket (!rul>.

No

'52.

>>

53.

>,

54.

j>

55.

j>

56.

»»

57.

5>

58.

>J

59.

^J

60.

?*

61.

>»

()2.

>»

63.

95

64.

9?

65.

., 67.

„ 68.

,. 69.

,. 70.

,. 71.

„ 72.

„ 73.

„ 74.

/o.

76.

/ /.

78

79.

80.

81

82

83

84.

85,

86

87

88

89

90

99

91

92

93

94

95

Flax Experiments.

The Construction of a Cowhouse.

Calf Meal.

The Apple.

Cultivation of the Root Crop.

Fruit Packing.

S})routing Seed Potatoes.

Seed Testing Station for Ireland.

The Packing of Butter.

Out of Print.

Plant for Creamery Buildings.

" Redwater" or ""Blootl-Murrain "

in Cattle.
Varieties of Fruit suitable foi-

cidtivation in Ireland.
Forestry : The Planting of Waste

Land^•.
Foi-estry : The Proper Method of

Planting Forest Trees.
Forestry: Trees for Poles and Timber
Forestry : Trees for Shelter and

Ornament.

The Prevention of Tuberculosis in
Cattle.

Forestry : Planting, Management,
and Preservation of Shelter-Belt
and Hedgerow Timber.

Forestry : The Management of
Plantations.

Forestry: Felling and Selling Timber

The Planting and Management of

Hedges.

Some Common Parasites of the
Sheep.

Barley Sowing.

American (looseberr}^ ^lildew.

Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle.

Home Buttermaking.

The Cultivation of Small Fruits.

Catch Cro])s.

Potato Culture on Small Farms.

Cultivation of Main Crop Potatoes.

Cultivation of Osiers.

Ensilage,

Some Injurious Orchard Insects.

Dirty .Alilk,

Barley Threshing.

T'he Home Bottling of Fruit.

The Construction of Piggeries.

The Advantages of Early Ploughing.

Black Scab in Potatoes.

Home Preservation of Eggs.

Marketing Wild Fruits.

Cost of Forest Planting.

Store Cattle, or Butter, Bacon, '"and

J

^^ggs.

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Member of the British Ornithologists' Union ;

JAMES W. H. TRAIL, M.A., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S.

Professor of Botany in the University of Aberdeen ,

WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.L.S. , &c.,
Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

This Magazine— a coc^inuation of "Tbe Scottish Naturalist,' founded in 1871— is entirely devoted
to the publication of On ^inal Matter relating to the Natural History of Scotland, and includes Papers
contributing to the elucidation of the Fauna and Flora recent and fossil. Observations on Life Historiee,
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EdiBbUrgh : DAYID BOUeiAS, 10, CASTLE-STBEET.

NOTICE.
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G. H. Carpenter,

Royal College of Science, Dublin.

R. Lloyd Praeger,

National Library ^ Dublin,

Robert Patterson,

Gknb^nk^ H<jlywood^ Cq. Dowti.

Vol. XVlil., No. 11. November, 1909-

CONTENTS

Page

Daniel John Cunningham (G. H. C.) . . . . . . . . . . 229

A Late Glacial Clay at Templeogue, Co. Dublin. — Prof. Grenvii.i«e

Xx. J • L>OZ,£); X^ • vjr«0« .. •• .. •• •• .. •• 23^

Obituary :

J. H. Davies (H. W. Iy,)r — .« — • ... ... ... 235

Reviews :

Westell's "Animals and their Story."--(G. H. 0, ... ... .. 236

Dewar & Finn's " Making of Species."— (C. B. M.), . . . . . . 237

Irish Societies:

Royal Zoological Society, ... ., ... .,. .. .. 240

Notes:

Hygrophorus intermedins in Ireland. — Major H. Trevei^yan, ... 241
Trifolium glomeratum at Brittas Bay, Co. Wicklow. Spiranthes Roman-

zoffiana not n Devonshire. — R. Li«. Praeger, , .. ... .. 241

Irish Thymes, .. .. ... .._".. .. ., 241

Cichorium Intybus and Mimulus guttatus in Co." Armagh. — Rev. J. W.

Johnson, ... .... .. ... ... ... .. 242

Hymenoptera in Ulster and Connaught. — H. L. Orr, . . . . . . 242

Paludestrina confusa in Kilkenny and Clare. — R. A. Phii^i^ipS, . . 242

Helix nenioralis in North-west Donegal, .., . . . ,. ... 242

Mayo Bird Notes, ... .. .. ... .... .. « 243-

Ruff at Inch, Co. Donegal. — D. C. Campbei*!*, ... .. .. 243

Food of Birds.— W. B. Hart, ... «- .. ... ... . 243

Primrose Blossoms eaten by Sparrows. — F. C. R. Jourdain, . . 243

Supposed poisoning by *• Ciickoo-spittle." — Lady Shaw, ... ... 243

Former occurrence of the Goshawk in Ireland — Major G. E. H.

Barrett-HamiIvTon, . . . . . . ... . . — . 244

Occurrence of the Osprey in Sligo. — J. Henderson, . . . . . . 244

Records of Hawks. Birds of Skerries, Co. Dublin. Crossbills near

Dublin.— W. J. Wll,i,iAMS, . . . . . . .... 244

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LIST OF THE DEPARTMENT'S LEAFLETS.

No. 1.
o

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4.

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The Warble Fly.

Out of Priut.

Out of Print.

Out of Print.

Out of Print.

Ciiarlock Sprajang.

Fluke in Sheep.

Timothy Meadows. * -

The Turnip Fly.

AVireworms.

Prevention of Wiiite Scour in Calves.

Out of Print.

Contagious Abortion in Cattle.

Prevention of Potato Blight.

FertiUzers and Feeding Stuffs Act,

1906. Regulations.
Sheep Scab.

The Use and Purchase of Manures.
Swine Fever.
Early Potato Growing.
Calf Rearing.

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Basic Slag.
Dishorning Calves.
Care and Treatment of Premium

Bulls
Fowl Cholera.

Winter Fattening of Cattle.
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Rearing and Fattening of Turkeys.

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The Revival of Tillage.

The Liming of Land.

Field Experiments — Barley.

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„ „ Mangolds.

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„ „ Turnips.

Permanent Pasture Grasses.

The Rearing and Management of
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" Husk " or " Hoose "

Ringworm on Cattle.

Haymaking.

The Black Currant Mite.

Foul Brood or Bee Pest.

Poultry Fattening.

Portable Poultry Houses,

The Lea ther- Jacket Grub.

in Calves.

No.

52.

»>

53.

..

54.

»»

,)0.

>>

56.

>)

57.

;»

58.

>>

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61.

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62.

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64.

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P— o

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81.

82.

83.

84.

85.

86.

87.

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90.

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92.

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95.

Crop.

Flax Experiments.

The Construction of a Cowhouse.

Calf Meal.

The Ap]ile.

Cultivation of the Root

Fniit Packing.

Sprouting Seed Potatoes.

Seed Testing Station for Ireland.

The Packing of Butter.

Out of Print.

Plant for Creamery Buildings.

" Redwater" or " Blood-Murrain"

in Cattle.
Varieties of Fruit suitable for

cultivation in Ireland,
Forestry : The Planting of Waste

Lands.
Forestry : The Proper Method of
Planting Forest Trees.

Forestry: Trees for Poles and Timber

Forestry : Trees for Shelter anfl

Ornament.

The Prevention of Tuberculosis in
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Forestry : Planting, Management,
and Preservation of ShtLer-Belt
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The Planting and Management of

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Some Common Parasites of the
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Barley Sowing.

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Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle.

Home Buttermaking.

The Cultivation of Small Fruits.

Catch Crops.

Potato Culture on Small

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Cultivation of Osiers.

Ensilage.

Some Injurious Orchard Insects.

Dirty Milk.

Barley Threshing.

The Home Bottling of Fruit.

The Construction of Piggeries.

The Advantages of Early Ploughing.

Black Scab in Potatoes.

Home Preservation of

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Farms.
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\fSr I X^ TL, IJ^ IML a &: S O IV

ITatualists, Farriers, anl Tazilermists,

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THE AMALS OP SCOTTISH NATUEAL HISTOM.

A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE,

EDITED BY

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R S.E., F.Z.S.,

Member of the British Ornithologists' Union ;
JAMES \V. H. TRAIL, M.A., M.D , F.R.S., F.L.S.

Professor of Botany in the University of Aberdeen ,

WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.L.S., &c.,
Natural History Department^ Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

This Magazine— a continuation of "The Scottish Naturalist,' founded in 1871 — is entirely devoted
to the publication of Original Matter relating to the Natural History of Scotland, and includes Papers
contributing to the elucidation of the Fauna and Flora recent and fossil. Observations on Life Histories,
etcand Notes recordingthe occurrence of uncommon species and other useful aad interesting facts.

Edinburgh : DAVID DOUGLAS, 10, CASTLE-STREET.

NOTICE.
CONTRIBUTIONS (Articles or Notes) on all branches of Irlsn
Natural History are Invited. Articles must reach the EDITORS, on
or before the lOth of the Month, for Insertion in the succeedlnf;
nnmber. Short Notes will be Inserted. If space permit. If received
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Reprints should be sent to the PRINTERS, MESSRS. A. THOM &l CO.,
87 MIDDLE ABBEY-STREET, DUBLIN, and NOT to Messrs. Eason &Son,
NOR TO THE EDITORS.

Natural History Specimens sent to the Editors will be referred
to authorities for identification.

G. H. Carpenter,

Royal College ofSciencey Dublin.

R. Lloyd Praeger,

National Library ^ Dublin.

Robert Patterson,

Glenbank^ Holywood^ Co* Down.

Vol. xvlif., No. 12. . December, 1909.

CONTENTS.

Page

The Survey of Clare Ireland : Report of Progress during 1909. —

R. Lloyd Praeger, 245

Notes on the Irish False-Scorpions in the National Museum of

Ireland. — H. Wai^lis Kew, -• •• 249

Some additions to my Paper on the Irish Flora. — G. Claridge

Druce, F.L.S., . . .. 250

Irish Societies:

Belfast Naturalists' Field Club. Dublin Microscopical Club, ^ .- 251

Notes :

Cluster-cups on Barberry. Fusicladium dendriticum on Wild Crab. —

J. Adams, M.A., ^^ «. .. .- .. .. •• 253

Bartsia viscosca in Connemara.— R. Li^oyd Praeger, ~. •• 253

Scrophularia vernalis in Ireland, .. .. .. .* — 254

Asparagus officinalis in Co. Londonderry. — R. L1.0YD Praeger, . . 254
Fossil Poraminifera, Water-beetles at Armagh. Micropep^us coelatus

in Ireland, .,. .. ». ... .• ... •• 254

Beetles in Birds' Nests. Irish Hymenoptera, .. ... .. 255

Sirex gigas in Co. Carlow. — T. HarTI^EY, . . . . . . . . 255

Irish Fossil Molluscs, ... ... .. .. •• •• 255

Warty Newt presumably introduced into Dublin.—R. F. Scharff, PH.D. 256

Marked Birds.— -P. Anderson Graham, . . . . . . 256

Glossy Ibis in Cos. Donegal and Derry.— D. C. Campbei.1., M.B.O.U., . . 256

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