42 The Irish Naturalist. [February, 



Thus, as in the case of the English Hare, I have been able 

 to give notes of a series of attempts to introduce the black 

 game, which took place in widely separated parts of Ireland, 

 which met with similarly varied success, but which, unlike 

 the case of the hare, have in no case had any lasting effect. 

 As in the case of the hare, no unimportant factor in the 

 extermination of the introduced eggs or birds has probably 

 been want of care in conveying the former from Scotland, and 

 the evil influence of poachers on the birds, even when safely 

 reared. And it is well to note that there are no cases in which 

 the birds, after having first obtained a secure footing amidst 

 their new surroundings, become extinct, in which their 

 extinction is not directly attributed to the hostile hand of 

 man, to which their own wandering habits rendered them 

 peculiarly vulnerable. I then fail to see why the black game 

 should not thrive in Ireland, provided its introduction be 

 carefulty carried out and the birds properly protected in their 

 new homes. 



In connection with this subject I have brought together a 

 few records of the introduction of other species into Ireland. 

 These may be useful for comparison with the notes on the 

 hare and black game, but must not be regarded (nor are they 

 intended to be) in any sense complete. 



Of game birds the Red-legged Partridge has probably been 

 introduced as in England on many occasions, but I am not 

 aware that any such introductions have been successful, nor 

 have I been able to add to the matter published by Thompson 

 {op. cit., vol. ii., pp. 65 & 66), except that 1 Professor A. Newton 

 informs me that he thinks he remembers the sending of eggs 

 of the Red-legged Partridge from Suffolk to Ireland (? Dartrey, 

 Co. Monaghan), but he never heard whether the result was 

 successful or not. 



Mr. H. C. Hart 2 has recorded an unsuccessful attempt to 

 introduce the Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) into Co. Donegal. 

 Mr. John Olphert 3 has turned down Scotch Grouse (L. scoticus) 

 near Letterkenny in the same county about the year 1889 

 " with very good results," but the attempted establishment of 

 Partridges in the same locality has been a failure, as has also 



1 In lit. of 20th March, 1898. 

 1 Zoologist, 1 89 1, p. 379- 

 3 In lit. of 5th Nov., 1895. 



