58 The Irish Naturalist. [IFeb., 



Tachypus palllpes, a Beetle new to Ireland. 



I may mention that in June last, at Coolmore, Co. Donegal, I took 

 this species, which I believe to be new to Ireland, in numbers. 



C. IvANGHAM. 



AMPHIBIANS. 



Is the Frog a native of Ireland ? 



We are gradually becoming better acquainted with the early history 

 of the Frog in Ireland. Mr. de V. Kane's note in last month's Irish 

 Naiuyalist^ containing an additional, though somewhat vague, record of 

 the introduction of the Frog into this country, is very interesting. But 

 as I have shown before, the fact of an}' one introducing an animal into a 

 country, does not necessarily prove that the same kind of animal did not 

 previousl}' exist there. Many people at the present moment would deny 

 that the freshwater crayfish inhabits Ireland, if they were show^n one, 

 but nevertheless, that animal is common enough in brooks and rivers in 

 most parts of the country. Their denying the existence of the species 

 therefore only proves their ignorance — nothing more. INIoreover, even 

 Saint Donatus's graphic description of Ireland on which we mainly found 

 our belief in the former absence of the Frog can be interpreted in two 

 ways. ** Nee conquesta canit garrula rana lacu" which might be trans- 

 lated by " no noisy frog croaks in the lake," may merely indicate that 

 Saint Donatus, not being accustomed to be annoyed by noisy frogs in his 

 native Ireland, was particularly struck by the very different habit of the 

 Italian Frog. The Irish Frog is silent — even during the breeding season 

 it calls to its mate in a scarcely audible voice, whilst the common 

 Italian Frog, which belongs to a different species, makes the air in the 

 evening loudly ring with a tremendous uproar. Hence when Laurenti 

 first described the two species of frogs, he called the Irish Frog, which 

 of course also occurs on the Continent, Rana vuUa — the mute Frog. 



R. F. SCHARFF. 



BIRDS. 



The Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) in Ireland. 



In the Irish Naturalist of last December, Mr. Standen drew attention to 

 the occurrence in the North of Ireland of the Carrion Crow. I am ^lad 

 to hear that the publication of this note has been productive of a more 

 lively interest being taken in the Crow famil}-. Through Mr. Ussher's 

 efforts, the Dublin Museum has been enriched by an undoubtedly Irish 

 specimen of the Black or Carrion Crow, Mr. Hardy, of the Manchester 

 Museum, having kindly presented a specimen shot in 1863 in the Gap of 

 Ikiuloe (Kerry). 



