96 The Irish Naturalist* May, 
wild-bred male of the grey colour, which would be quite 
powerful and savage enough to do the injury to the rabbit- 
catcher. 
This statement by Maxwell was written eighty years 
ago, and yet since then no true Wild Cat has turned up. 
Thompson, who mentions the names of his correspondents 
who wrote to him about Wild Cats, and who had every 
opportunity of investigating the statements, never got 
satisfactory evidence, and in the fourth volume of his 
Natural History of Ireland he cautiously says — " Cannot be 
given with certainty as a native animal." We can now 
come to ten or twenty years later, when the late Robert 
Ball was custodian of the Trinity College Museum ; he never 
saw a true Wild Cat, neither did Dr. Carte, Director of 
the Dublin Museum, nor his successor, A. G. More ; nor, 
if I am correct, has my friend Dr. Scharff, the present 
obliging Keeper of the National Museum. Looking 
over the Proceedings of the Dublin Natural History 
Society for 1862, I came on some interesting notes by the 
late F. G. Foot, on the mammalia of the west coast of 
Clare. Speaking of the Marten he says — " It is known 
by the country people as Cot Krine — the cat of the woods." 
Of the Wild Cat (Felis catus) " I have not been able to 
ascertain for certain of the existence of the Wild Cat in 
Clare. I have often been told of its existence in different 
places, but on close enquiry, they turned out to be Martens, 
or tame cats run wild." 
Ardnaree, Moukstown. Co. Cork. 
IRISH SOCIETIES. 
ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
Recent gifts include a Macacque Monkey from Capt. A. W. A. Irwin, 
two Guinea-Pigs from Miss D. Summers, an African Grey Parrot from 
Mr. T. Fox, a Roseate Cockatoo from Mr. Hills, and a Tortoise from Mrs. 
Griffin. Two Wallabys have been born in the Gardens. A Brown 
Capuchin Monkey, three Tree Porcupines, a pair of Squirrels, two Indian 
Rollers, Nine pairs of American Homer Pigeons, a pair of Brent Geese, 
and three pairs of Shoveller Ducks have been acquired by purchase. 
