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. 



