202 The Irish Naturalist October, 



ZOOLOGY. 



Selection of Plants by Animals. 



A Cottony scale-insect, which Mr. R. Newstead has kindly identified 

 as Cryptococcus fagi, occurs in the Trinity College Botanic Gardens. It is 

 curious in its habitat. We have a Weeping Beech that was originally 

 grafted upon the Common Beech as a stock, and the curious fact is that 

 the Cryptococcus exists on the stock portion only, rarely, if ever, spreading 

 over the grafting-line, that is to say, on to the adjacent bark of the scion, 

 or weeping variety above. 



This is, of course, only one of the countless instances where " selection " 

 of the most discriminating kind is made by insects, molluscs, and even 

 fungi, as to their food or habitats. 



We grow here, for example, two dwarf Narcissi, which ordinary visitors 

 often mistake for the same plant, though an expert at once can see a 

 difference. 



The common Grey Slug also discriminates between them, andeatsoff the 

 flowers of the one (N. nirnar), while rarely or never touching those of the 

 other (TV. narrus). There are varieties of fruiting Hollies here which closely 

 resemble each other in early winter, and yet the endemic fruit-eating 

 birds of the garden — Blackbirds, Thrushes, etc., and the Mistle Thrushes 

 Fieldfares, etc. — that come down from the hills on approach of frost and 

 snow, clear off ever)' berry on some bushes, and leave those of others 

 untouched! In this case my own experience tells me that they eat 

 those berries containing most sugar, aud leave the acid or astringent 

 ones alone as long as possible short of absolute starvation. 



But as even the plants show great discrimination in selecting food, 

 support, shelter, shade, or sunshine, etc., one need not wonder at beings 

 higher in nature's scale doing so as well. 



F. W. Burbidgh;. 



Dublin. 



Agrotis cinerea — a new Irish Moth. 



I captured at light, on June 21st, 1897, at Tullylagau, Co, T} T rone, what 

 I supposed at the time was a variety of Agrotis corticea. 



Subsequently examining it more closely, I came to the conclusion that 

 it could hardly be a variety of that species, as the markings did not agree 

 in any way with that insect. On coming to Dublin I brought it to the 

 Kildare-street Museum, to make sure about it, where Mr. Carpenter 

 identified it as Agrotis cinerea. It agrees more with the continental than 

 with the British specimens in the Museum collection. 



T. Greer. 



Blackrock, Co. Dublin. 



