152 The Irish Naturalist. [June, 



Little Bittern In Wexford, 



I am iuformed by my friend Mr. K. A. Gibbon, that a specimen of the 

 Little Bittern {Botaurus stcllaris) was recently brought to Wheelocke's of 

 Wexford, by a farmer who lives near Taghmou, in which district it was 

 killed sometime in 1897. It was seen by Mr. E. A. Gibbon, but all our 

 efforts to find out something more about its history have been fruitless, 

 owing to the wish of the owner of the bird to remain unknown. 



G. P:. H. BARRKTT-HAMII/rON. 



Kilmanock, New Ross, 



Ferruginous Duck and Buzzard in Ireland. 



In view of the record in the Zoologist for January, 1S98, of an occurrence of 

 the Ferruginous Duck {FiiHgida nyroca) in Ireland, it is of interest to note 

 that another specimen is stated to have been shot recently at Baronston, 

 in Co. Westmeath, where it is now preserved. A note of the occurrence 

 of this rare duck, together with that of a Buzzard at Baronston, were 

 sent by Mrs. F. J. Battersby to " Knowledge,'" and she informs me that the 

 Editor of that journal alluded to her note in the issue of January, 1898, 

 I have not seen the issue of " Knowledge''^ referred to, and as I suspect 

 that not all Irish naturalists have access to that journal, I send this note 

 with Mrs. Battersby's permission. The Buzzard, as I am informed by 

 Mrs. Battersby, is in the hands of Messrs. Williams & Sons, of Dublin, 

 for preservation. It is stated to have "just killed a fine cock pheasant" 

 before it was shot. No doubt full details of the capture of both birds 

 could be obtained by application to Colonel Malone, the owner of 

 Baronston. 



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



Kilmanock, New Ross. 



MAMMA/.S, 



The IVIIce of the North Bull, Dublin Bay. 



\\\M\Q Journal of the Li}inca)i Society {Zoology, vol. xxvi., pp. 465-473, ])1. 30), 

 Mr. H. L.Jameson gives a valuable account of the colony of the House 

 Mouse {Mus miiseiihis) which inhabits the sandhills of the North Bull. The 

 great majority of these mice are rufous grey above and pale buff benearh, 

 harmonising remarkably with the colour of the dry grasses among 

 which they live. There is a perfect gradation to these pale individuals 

 from the ordinary dark type of the .species. This fact taken in con- 

 junction with the nature of the enemies of the mice which frequent the 

 sandhills— hawks, and owls hunting by sight— has led Mr. Jameson to 

 conclude that he has discovered a variety or sub-species in process of 

 differentiation by means of natural .selection. From old maps and 

 records it appears that the North lUill first ajipcared above the water about 

 a century ago, and haw gradually increased in size during the present 

 century. A time-limit is thus given for the development of this remark- 

 able race of mice 



