GLEANINGS 



143 



was only the other day that they came to light again. I at once 

 sent three of them to Mr E. Ernest Green, who tells me they are 

 undoubtedly Sulc's Ortheziola vejdovskyi, described in 1894 from 

 Bohemia. In the Ent. Mo. Mag. (191 1, p. 179), Mr Green has 

 recorded four specimens one of which is figured taken by Mr 

 Donisthorpe in April 191 1 from an ants' nest in Somerset. I 

 cannot recall any circumstance tending to associate my specimens 

 with ants; but these certainly occur in the locality. The above 

 records would appear to exhaust our knowledge of the distribution 

 of this curious little insect. William Evans, Edinburgh. 



GLEANINGS. 



Zoological Nomenclature. The discussion of this vexed 

 question formed an important feature of the recent International 

 Congress of Zoology at Monaco, and naturally so, since the adoption 

 of its recent rules of nomenclature by a number, but not the 

 majority, of zoologists is largely responsible for the present reign 

 of chaos which it is most desirable should cease, in the best interests of 

 the science. We are glad to know that a via media has been found, and 

 that plenary power has been conferred upon the Commission on Nomen- 

 clature to suspend the rules as applied to any given case where, in its 

 judgment, the strict application of such rules is likely to result in greater 

 confusion than uniformity. We note that the Hon. Walter Rothschild 

 declared that he was willing to see, in cases where confusion was likely 

 to arise, that names for a long time employed for one genus or species, 

 and which under the rules must be transferred to another, should be 

 dropped altogether. 



A paper, entitled "Wild Cats in Ireland," from the pen of Robert 

 Warren, and appearing in the Irish Naturalist for May (pp. 94-96), is of 

 interest to Scottish zoologists. Many reputed occurrences of this species 

 have from time to time been referred to in literature, but in the author's 

 opinion there has never been any reliable evidence that these animals were 

 other than " wild-bred house cats, run wild." The shooting of an old male 

 at Moyview, Co. Sligo, of the true Wild Cat colour and with a thick coat 

 of coarse fur, astonished the author by its size and weight ; but even this 

 was an undoubted descendant of the domestic species. 



In the February issue of the Glasgow Naturalist (vol. v., No. 2, 

 pp. 49-65) appears a paper on "The Birds of Possil Marsh," by William 

 Rennie. Notes are given on 111 species which occur in the marsh, and 

 a photographic plate giving two views accompanies the paper, which 

 should be of interest to Scottish lovers of bird-life. 



