1898.] iNotes. \2l 



BIRDS, 



Ferruginous Duck In Ireland. 



J\Ir. F. Coburn records in the Zoologist for January, 1898 (p. 25) the 

 discovery of a specimen of the Ferruginous Duck [Ftdigula nigroca) from, 

 some unknown locality in the south of Ireland, offered for sale in the 

 Market Hall, Birmingham. 



Spotted Crake in Co. Wexford. 



On November 2nd, 1897, a Spotted Crake {Porzana maniettd) was shot 

 in the marsh lands of Ballymagir, near Kilmore, Co. Wexford. The Rev. 

 Paul E. Kehoe, to whose gun it fell, sent it to Wheelocke's of Wexford, 

 and it was by that firm sold to an unknown person who happened to be 

 passing through Wexford at the time. I regret that I am unable to 

 trace the bird further, as it is an interesting addition to our Wexford 

 avifauna. I have no doubt whatever as. to its having been correctly 

 identified, since it was seen not only by the above-named persons, but 

 also by my friend, Mr. G. A. Gibbon, in whose identification of the 

 species I have perfect confidence. 



G. E. H. Barrett-Hamii^ton. 



Kilmanock, New Ross. 



MAMMALS. 



The Harvest Mouses 



It is stated by '*R. F. S." in the last number of the Irish Naturalist 

 (p. 107), that the Harvest Mouse is not a native. A lad, who is a servant 

 of mine, tells me he found, in the autumn of 1894, in the townland of 

 Balleeghan, Lough vSwilly, Co. Donegal, a nest of young mice in a 

 thistle growing in a field of oats— the nest, my informant states, was 

 like a wren's— he recognised it at once when I showed him Fig. 4 

 Cassell's ** Natural History." 



S. A. Brenan. 



Knocknacarry, Co. Antrim. 



The occurrence of the Harvest Mouse in Ireland has frequently been 

 reported, but when the specimens were carefully examined, they always 

 turned out to be either the Shrew or the Field Mouse. Both of these 

 often construct nests, and though the situation of the one described by 

 Mr. Brenan would be a very unusual one for either of these species, 

 we are not warranted in including the Harvest Mouse among the Irish 

 animals on the strength of this evidence. I wish Mr. Brenan would 

 send the next nest he finds to the Dublin Museum, so that it may be 

 critically examined. 



R. F. SCHARFF 



Science and Art Museum, Dublin. 



