54 The Irish Naturalist. May, 



according to 0' Flaherty the Squirrel still lived in Connaught 

 in 1684 while K'eogh alludes to it in his list of birds, beasts, 

 fishes, reptiles and insects commonly known and propagated 

 in this kingdom in 1739. Is it possible that the Squirrel 

 survived the next hundred years until an impetus was given 

 to the replantation of demesnes and tracts of forests ? The 

 possibility and even probability of such a survival cannot 

 be denied for in the i8th century there still existed large 

 woods scattered about the country in which a few Squirrels 

 may have survived. The extinction of the ancient Irish 

 Squirrel may therefore not have been complete. The 

 question could possibly be settled by carefully comparing 

 skins from all parts of Ireland with a series of English ones. 

 And this could best be accomplished in the National 

 Museum. If any survival of the old Irish Squirrel has taken 

 place some of the Irish skins and skulls may exhibit dis- 

 tinctive features from the British ones. As yet no material 

 is available for such a study, and it is to be hoped that 

 all those interested in a knowledge of our fauna will send 

 any skins they may be able to obtain to the Museum in 

 Dublin for further critical examination. 



Knockranny, Bray. 



NOTES. 



Humming-bird Hawk-Moth in December. 



On December loth my servant called me to see a " big fly " that 

 was buzzing in the staircase window. When I went the " fly " was a 

 Humming-bird Hawk-moth {Macroglossa stellatarum). It must have 

 been hibernating and had been enticed from its hiding-place by the 

 mildness of the day. That same evening thrushes were singing and the 

 Dor Beetle (Geotrupes) was flying about, a sure indication of a warm 

 evening. 



W. F. Johnson. 

 Killincoole Rectory, 



Castlebellingham. 



