266 The Irish Naturalist. [December, 



So much of the valuable space of the Irish Naturalist has already been 

 taken up with the discussion of my book on the European Fauna that I 

 cannot here enter fully into the criticisms which appeared in last 

 month's issue of this journal. Perhaps, however, I may be allowed to 

 make a few remarks which seem to me of special importance. The 

 reviewer regrets that I should have considered it necessary to "ignore 

 the latest views in revised nomenclature." I cannot really see any cause 

 for such regret. My work was not so much addressed to the specialist as 

 to those generally interested in the history of the living things sur- 

 rounding us. It would have made the book very cumbersome and, I 

 think, confusing to most readers to have had to explain in the case of 

 almost every Latin name used what particular reviser of nomenclature I 

 had followed ; for the latest views on revised nomenclature are not at 

 once adopted by all zoologists, since the revisers themselves are by no 

 means agreed as to the extent and manner of revision. 



The reviewer thinks that I should have given an account in my book 

 of the theory which bases the occurrence of the Glacial Period on a 

 variation in the position of the earth's axis. But had I done so the many 

 other views as to the origin of the Glacial Period, especially that which 

 attributes the phenomena of glaciation to changes in the eccentricity of 

 the orbit should have been discussed, which would scarcely have been 

 within the scope of my work. 



As regards my statement that the Reindeer often cross the Behring or 

 Bering Straits (I believe the hardy Dane who discovered the straits did 

 not know himself whether to spell his name with or without an " h" — see 

 Encyclopedia Britannica), I can only refer the reviewer to the paper by 

 Brauer (quoted in my bibliography), in which full references are given. 



R. F. SCHARFF. 



Science and Art Museum, Dublin. 



INSECTS. 



Irish Fleas. 



Dr. Scharff very kindly forwarded me last year some fleas. It may 

 possibly be of interest to the readers of the Irish Naturalist to record the 

 species. I received a large series of Ctenopsylla musculi from Dublin taken 

 off the House Mouse, and a pair of Ceratopsylla jubata taken off the Hairy- 

 armed Bat (Scotophilus Lcisleri) from Bray River, September 7, 1898. In 

 addition to these there were some others which I hope to record later. 



So very little is known of even our British fleas that many new species 

 must be forthcoming. I should much like to receive any Irish fleas 

 collectors may be disposed to part with, and can give British birds and 

 lepidoptera in exchange. 



N. Charges Rothschild. 



Tring, Herts. 



