22 The Irish Naturalist* January, 



judged by their appearance and demeanour to be males, which 

 otherwise, except for some dark, dorsal blotches on the posterior 

 part of the body, are of an uniform dingy yellow colour. Seals, 

 judged by their slighter build and more graceful movements to 

 be females, are a good deal darker above than below. A third 

 type (unless it is an accidental variation) seems to be represented 

 by a full-grown seal, from its actions evidently mature and inde- 

 pendent ; dark slate-coloured above, including the head, on 

 which no markings show ; irregularly splashed and spotted with 

 white below, the white predominating on the throat, sides of 

 head, and chest and extending to the extremity of the fore limbs. 

 The foregoing abstract of locally made observations has 

 been written without opportunity of consulting the published 

 literature on the subject. It is possible that many of the 

 facts are already and more completely known. 



Rats and Mice. 



Lambay has not escaped visitation from the Brown Rat. That 

 they are not very numerous nor apparently increasing may be 

 due, Mr Patterson thinks, to the watchful and ever-hungry 

 Herring Gulls — in whose pellets and on rock stacks he found 

 many remains of young rats. On the othei hand the many young 

 gulls found dead and partly eaten point to retributive action 

 on the pait of the rats. A Long-Tailed Field Mouse {fide R. 

 Patterson) was caught on the furthest point of Lambay Head, 

 3rd December, 1905. The House Mouse flourishes in the 

 dwellings and out-houses. 



Rabbits. 



Rabbits abound on Lambay. When they were brought over is 

 unknown ; but they were being caught for sale in 1749, and have 

 probably been ?.o treated without much intermission since that 

 date. Notwithstanding which, the absence of four-footed foes, 

 a mild climate, plenty of food and good covert, have conspired 

 to inciease their numbers faster than the agriculturist would 

 wish. Latterly an attempt has been made to keep them within 

 reasonable limits. An idea of their numbers can be gained from 

 the fact that between September, 1904, and the end of December, 

 1906, about 24,000 were killed. Black Rabbits are not rare, 



