114 ^^^ Irish Naturalist. November, 



was done with the perfect insects when they emerged. 

 The reply was " Oh ! we let them out ! " 



It is of course always urged by those who introduce 

 species that their particular brand is quite harmless, 

 " because it is so rare in its own country/' The reason 

 that it is so rare in its native haunts may very often be 

 due to the fact that it has a most efficient parasite or enemy, 

 and if relieved of the presence of this foe in its new haunts, 

 the rarest species may well become a pest, though in the 

 case of the Dublin Zoo, it is more the likelihood of false 

 records for rare insects arising, than danger of a pest, 

 that has prompted the writer to make this protest. 



He has also recently been informed that on an island 

 off the east coast of Ireland, in order to give some 

 introduced species of birds a better chance to multiply, 

 the owner has permitted the " shooting of hawks." It is 

 to be hoped that the islanders, owing to this misguided move, 

 will not suffer as the inhabitants of Rathlin Island are 

 said to be doing from the depredations of the Brown Rats 

 and Rabbits. Nevertheless I think our ornithologists 

 could inform the owner of the island that this is more 

 than likely to be the only result which will arise from the 

 shooting of hawks. 



An Irish Naturalist. 



A PLEA FOR MOSS STUDY. 



BY REV. W. R. MEGAW, B.A. 



An impetus to the study of Mosses and Hepatics has been 

 given by the recent formation of the British Bryological 

 Society, with Mr. H. N. Dixon, author of the valuable 

 " Handbook," as first President. Added to this we have 

 Mr. J. A. Wheldon's exhaustive investigation of that 

 difficult group of Hypna, the Harpidia. 



It has been felt for some time that the classification 

 of the Harpidia required overhauling. Mr. Wheldon set 

 himself to the task and the results are to be found in his 



