1922. ScHARFF. — Is the Squirrel a Native Irish Species ? 53 



was used for trimming the robes of Irish officials. The 

 actual prices paid for the skins are known and clearly 

 distinguished from those of the Marten and " Weasel." 

 We now know that the Irish Stoat was always known as 

 the " Weasel " which is really not found in Ireland. In 

 the " Libel of English Policie," written about 1430, a list 

 of Irish fur-bearing animals is given among which figure 

 the Otter, Squirrel, Hare, Sheep, Lamb, Fox, Goat, and 

 Rabbit. Skins of Squirrels were largely exported at the 

 time from Ireland, and it must be assumed that this animal 

 was quite abundant in the country. 



The mere fact that there are several Irish-Gaelic names 

 for Squirrel implies that the latter was probably a native 

 species. The w^ord at present is use is " iora ruadh," but 

 other terms which have been applied to it, some being 

 apparently obsolete, are " feorog," " ora,'' " iora," " ir " 

 and " easog" The latter is clearly the Irish Stoat (or 

 so-called " Weasel "), as I pointed out in my notes^ on the 

 Irish names of mammals. 



Whether the word " cricharan," which appeared in 

 the list of wild Irish animals produced before the King at 

 Tara long ages ago, is another word for " Squirrel," as 

 suggested in Barrett-Hamilton and Hinton's monograph, 

 I am not qualified to determine. It was mooted by a 

 linguistic contributor that this word might be a mis-reading 

 of " craobharan," which would have meant " tree-animal." 



At the present time Squirrels are known from the following 

 counties : — Wicklow^ Dublin, Kildare, Wexford, Water- 

 ford, Tipperary, Kerry, Carlow, Kilkenny Queen's, King's, 

 Galway, Roscommon, Longford, Westmeath, Donegal, 

 Antrim, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Monaghan, Londonderry, 

 Down, Armagh, Louth and Meath. There is no evidence 

 as yet of their occurrence in Leitrim, Cavan, Sligo, Mayo, 

 Clare, Limerick and Cork. 



There can be no doubt that once the extensive forests 

 of Ireland were being cut down Squirrels must rapidly 

 have diminished in number. I have mentioned that 



^ Scharfi, R. F. — " On the Irish Names of Mammals." Irish Naturalist, 

 vol. xxiv. 19 1 5. 



