7^6 The Irish Naturalist. 



and frequent, at least in parts of Ireland. Sir Douglas 

 Brooke has an albino example, obtained in Fermanagh. 

 Mr. L3^dekker's statement with regard to Shrews that " during 

 the winter they retire beneath the roots of trees or bushes, to 

 the deserted holes of other small mammals or other secure 

 nooks, where they pass the cold months in a state of profound 

 torpor" can hardly be regarded as a serious one in the face of 

 the receipt b}^ the writer of several specimens of the I^esser 

 Shrew from the Co. Wexford during the recent severe frost. 

 Mr. Oldfield Thomas also writes that he has received four 

 Common and one I^esser Shrew from Norway, caught on three 

 feet of snow, with the thermometer below zero ! Among the 

 synonj^ns of the I^esser vShrew we do not note that of Sorex 

 hiber?iicus given to it by Jenyns. Quite recently a note has 

 been published by Mr. Oldfield Thomas^ in which he shows 

 that the correct names for the two British species of Shrews 

 are Sorex araiietis, Linn., for the Common Shrew, and 6*. 

 mi^iutiis, Linn., for the Lesser or Pygmy Shrew. Mr. 

 Lydekker, however, retains the name of ^S. vulgaris, Linn., 

 for the Common Shrew. 



The first of the Carnivora, in Mr. Lydekker's book, which 

 has been found in Ireland, is the Wolf, and we are glad to be 

 able here to give a word of praise to Mr. Lydekker for having 

 included in his book notices of the extinct members of our 

 fauna, which are undoubtedly entitled to their place beside 

 their more fortunate survivors. As is so often the case in this 

 book, Mr. Lydekker has given no reference for his statements 

 with regard to the Wolf, and our readers ma}' be glad to refer 

 for further details to Mr. Harting's article on the extinct 

 British Wolf," also to an interesting note by Mr. G. H. 

 Kinahan\ It is a pity that Mr. Lydekker has omitted any 

 reference to the Wolf-dogs, for which Ireland Avas famous, and 

 for accounts of which the writings of Prof. Leith Adams, 

 Sir William Wilde, Dr. V. Ball and others should be consulted, 

 as well as Captain Graham's work on the Irish Wolthound-'. 



As in the case of the Wolf, so with regard to the Wild Boar 

 in Ireland (pp. 255-257) Mr. Lydekker's statements are not 

 quite satisfactory, and he has given no reference to prove the 



^ Zoologist, Feb., 1895, pp. 62-4. ^ Popular Science Review, 1878, pp. 396-406. 

 8 Land and Water, November 3rd, 1894. '^ Dursley, 1885. 



