Notes. 277 



ZOOLOGY. 



SPONGES. 

 Spongrllla fluvlatllls In the Barrow.— Mr. Carpenter has handed 

 me over a very fine fresh-water sponge {Spongilla fitiviatilis, Johnst.) which 

 was sent to him by Mr. T. Greene, of Mageney, Co. Kildare, for the 

 Museum collection. He had obtained it on an old piece of wood in the 

 river Barrow. Three species of fresh -water sponges have been recorded 

 for Ireland, of which Spon^illa laciistris seems to be the commonest, having 

 been found in the Killarney and Wicklow lakes, and also at Roundstone 

 in Connemara, whilst Sp. parfitti has only been taken in some of the Kerry 

 lakes. Sp. fluviatilis although hitherto only recorded from the north of 

 Ireland is likely to be found in other parts as well. It is more hispid 

 than the other species and the pores are larger. — R. F. Scharff, Dublin. 



I N S E C T S. 



Thcra firmata in Co. Dublin. — I was fortunate in taking a 

 specimen of Thera firmata here, which Mr. Carpenter, who kindly identi- 

 fied it, informs me has not been previously recorded from Ireland. — 

 George B. Low, Dundrum, Co. Dublin. 



Corrections.— Mr. H. K. G. Cuthbert writes that the insect taken on 

 the April excursion of the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, and recorded 

 (p. 173) as Anunophila sabtdosa, turns out to be a large female Pompilius ftiscus. 



Rev. S. A. Brenan writes that the insects recorded by him, in last 

 month's issue (p. 252), from Cushendun, were not taken there. Sirex gigas 

 occurred at Parkmore, Glenariffe, and Macroglossa stellatanun at Arboe 



Rectory, Stewartstown. 



MOLLUSCS. 



lanthina rotundata at Portrush. — It may interest some readers 

 of the Lrish Naturalist to know, that towards the end of last month, 

 this somewhat rare shell was washed ashore in considerable numbers 

 near Portrush; a few were broken, but in nearly every case the shell was 

 perfect, with the animal still living. Some were among seaweed, float- 

 ed in at the White Rocks, but the greater number along the sands, 

 between the White Rocks and Portrush, where on the 30th of August, a 

 young friend collected upwards of twenty. I found one large specimen 

 in the sands west of the harbour. The species is figured in Sowerby's 

 "Illustrated Index of British Shells." Large numbers of Vdella were 

 found at the same time and place on the shore. — W11.1.IAM Kennedy, 

 Londonderry. 



Helix rufescens in Belfast.— W. Thompson states in his " Natural 

 History of Ireland," vol. iv., p. 292, that this species is not found north 

 of Banbridge, Co. Dowm ; and it maybe of interest to conchologists in the 

 north to know that this southern "'shell does occur also in the north of 

 Ireland. The indefatigable collector, Mr. R. Welch, has recently dis- 

 covered it in- the northern suburbs of Belfast, and also at Dunluce Castle, 

 Co. Antrim. Both Mr. Milne and Mr. Standen have also taken it in the 

 Co. Donegal.— R. F. Scharff, Dublin. 



MAMMA LS. 

 Hairy-armed Bat (Vesperugo leiisleri) in Co. Dublin.— 



While shooting in the vicinity of Buckley's Hill, near Carrickmines, I 

 observed a few large bats flying about some trees early in the evening. 

 I procured one specimen which proved to be the above-mentioned species. 

 I mention this, as the locality of this bat might be of interest to our 

 readers.— Edward C. Barrington, Dublin. 



The Rabbit on the Irish Islands.— Information is wanted by 

 me on the occurrence of the Rabbit on any of the smaller islands sur- 

 rounding Ireland. I should feel greatly obliged to readers oi\.\i&Lish 

 Nattiralist, who possess information on this subject, if they will kindly 

 let me have particulars.— R. F. Scharff, 22 Leeson-park. Dublm. 



