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. 



