I897-] Notes. 27 



and valued friend, the late A. G. More, and afterwards showed him some 

 plants taken from that site, and growing in the garden here. The Cybele 

 mentions this fern as growing only in the Counties of Antrim, Galway, 

 Leitrini, and Kerry, and in the appendix, I^. Talt, Co. Sligo, as reported 



by me. 



Robert Warrrn. 



ZOOLOGY. 

 Irish Notes from the Zoologist. 



In the September number, Mr. Charles Langham records the capture 

 of a Whiskered Bat in Co. Fermanagh last June. The same observer 

 writes confirming his note on the occurrence of an Iceland Gull in Co. 

 Sligo on June 5th. Mr. C. B. Horsbrugh writes in the October issue 

 that he has examined a specimen of a Night Heron {Nycticorax griseus) 

 shot near Fermoy in March, 1894. Mr. R. Warren states that he received, 

 on September 4th, a Ruff shot near Easky, Co. Sligo, and remarks that 

 there appears to have been a small flight of Ruffs to Ireland last autumn, 

 as Mr. E. Williams received three specimens for preservation, and Mr. 

 Ussher had two sent him from Belmullet, Co. Mayo. In the same 

 number mention is made of a large Pike, forty nine inches long and 

 35 lbs. in weight, taken with a spoon-bait in Lough Conn. 



AMPHIBIANS. 



Is the Frog a native of Ireland ? 



It is curious that the question propounded by Dr. Scharff (/. Nat., vol. ii.) 

 relative to the introduction of the Common Frog into this country has 

 not elicited more information. Mr, Ussher's explanation that the 

 remains of frogs found in Ballynamintra cave were found in the surface 

 stratum, removes one possible evidence of their antiquity in this 

 country. But no one has alluded to an attempt at colonisation made 

 previously to the one mentioned by Thompson in the grounds of Trinity 

 College — namely, that which is referred to by O'Halloran in his " History 

 of Ireland," published 1772. He gives the Latin verses in full, from which 

 Dr. Scharff quotes (after Camden), headed " An account of Ireland given 

 by Donatus Bishop of Fesulae (or Fiesoli), near Florence, above iioo 

 years ago" {sic.) After the lines 



" Nulla venena nocent, nee serpens serpit in herba 

 Nee conquesta canit garrula rana lacu," 

 he adds a note as follows : — "We must here remark that we never had 

 frogs in Ireland till the reign of King William. It is true some mighty 

 sensible members of the Royal Society in the time of Charles XL 

 attempted to add these to the many other valuable presents sent us from 

 England, but ineffectually ; as they were of Belgic origin, it would seem 

 they could only thrive under a Dutch Prince, and these with many 

 other exotics were introduced at the Happy Revolution." 



