i82 The Irish Xa hi) alist. Septeinber, 



Zoolo'^y is given 114 pages, and opens with an excellent but too brief 

 introduction by the sectional editor, Professor Carpenter. For non-Irish 

 readers, this part might have been extended. Mammals, by C. B. Moffat, 

 occupy four pages, and, as might be expected, are well done. The 

 Grey Seals of Lanibay are illustrated by Mr. Baring's photographs, 

 in fact this small section is given three plates and one wood-cut, one of 

 which (Plate IX.") could have been omitted with advantage. The birds 

 of the district were left in the experienced hands of R. M. Barrington, 

 and his excellent account of them runs to sixteen pages. Ninety species 

 that appeared in the 1878 Guide are dropped for reasons given, so that the 

 number dealt with is only 145. On page 114 is a slight error — the " 41 

 species " omitted as not having been observed for 30 years, total up to 

 43. Can the Wood-Lark really " now be counted among our breeding 

 species ?" Considering that the record rests on one isolated occurrence 

 in 1894, we doubt it. We are informed three times in two pages that the 

 Woodcock breeds in every Irish County. The Lapland Bunting occurred 

 in January, 1906, not in 1907, and the Osprey in 1896, not 1898. 

 Throughout the list we do not observe any reference to the recent 

 account of the Birds of Lambaj^ {In'sh Nat., 1907, pp. 23-30.) 



Reptiles and Amphibians are dealt with by Dr. Scharff, who reiterates 

 his opinion on the status of the Frog as a native of Ireland, and gives 

 Sfood reasons for his contention. Mr. Farran writes on the Fishes and 

 Cyclostomes of the district, and no better qualified authority could have 

 been found. He treats the subject in an interesting manner, dealing 

 only with " the more interesting or important Fishes," amongst which 

 we note the Stickleback is included. The scientific name of the Opali 

 in the text differs from that on the plate. It is curious that H. J. 

 Buchanan-Wollaston, writing on the Tunicates, ignores his own list of 

 seven Laniba}- species published last 3'ear {/risk Naturalist, 1907, p. 'x>o)'> 

 all of which seem to be additions to the county fauna. 



In INIollusca, which occupy twelve pages, N. Colgan writes on the 

 Marine, while Dr. Scharff gives information on the Land and Fresh- 

 water species. Both review the progress made in recent times, correcting 

 old errors. Their method of treatment suggests the lines on which 

 further work should be carried out, Colgan drawing attention to southern 

 tvpes absent in the Dublin area which occur further north ; he gives a 

 bibliography, which is wanting in the Land and Fresh-water section. 

 The latter, however, is illustrated by a most interesting map showing the 

 distribution of that local species. Helix pi sana. 



J. N. Halbert describes the Hymenoptera, mentioning that no local 

 list of the Sawflies has ever been published. He gives the result of the 

 late researches into relationships between Vespa aiistriaca and V. riifa. 

 Professor Carpenter follows with the Diptera ; it is evident from his 

 remarks that little has been done here since Haliday's time. In his list 

 of che rarer Lepidoptera of the district, W. F. de V. Kane gives an 

 introduction dealing with distributional details, mentioning some inter- 

 esting members of the Howth fauna. For the Coleoptera, Neuroptera, 

 Hemiptera and Orthoptera J. N. Halbert is responsible. In the first group 



