302 The Irish Naturalist. 



Helix ai*K>ustoi*uin, L. In Leltrim. — Mr. William Kennedy, of 

 Londonderry, having recently informed me that he had collected Helix 

 arbustorum at Glencar Waterfall ; in response to a request for further in- 

 formation in respect to this important find, Mr, Kennedy forwards speci- 

 mens, and detailed information of his discovery. The specimens are 

 three in number, and Dr. Scharff considers them very fine examples of 

 the typical form. As Antrim, Down, and North Donegal (a single dead 

 specimen) are the only authenticated stations in Ireland for this hand- 

 some snail, Mr. Kennedy's careful and accurate notes are of interest: — 

 "On referring to my memoranda in connection with this species, I find 

 that I got altogether at the same place five specimens ; the dates are : — 

 4th June, 1863, one immature specimen; 19th August, 1864, two living, 

 mature; 28th September, 1865, one living, and one dead specimen. All 

 were found in the long grass growing among the trees and shrubs at 

 Glencar Waterfall, not more than three or four yards from the waterfall, 

 and in the bottom at the glen. On the occasion of my first visit to the 

 locality, 4th June, 1863, the late Dr. Samuel Brown, Inspector of National 

 Schools, then much interested in land and fresh-water molluscs, was with 

 me, and he got, I think, one or two specimens." — R. Li*oyd Praegkr. 



Helix fusca In Co. Dublin. — The only record we possess of this 

 rare species for the county, is that in Turton's work who mentions merely 

 " wood in Dublin." No one else seems to have found it since, and I am 

 glad to be able to confirm the record, as my brother took it abundantly 

 after the recent heavy showers in the Lucan demesne. — R. F. Scharff, 

 Dublin. 



A new Irish species of Arion. — In the Annals and Mag. of Nat. 

 Hist. (6th s.) vol. xii. Oct. 1893, Mr. W. B. Collinge, the editor of the 

 Conchologist, describes a new species of Avion. It was discovered at 

 Schull, Co. Cork, by Mr. Phillips, and is named Arion flagelhis by the 

 describer. Mr. Collinge very kindly allowed me to examine the type 

 specimens. The external characters do not differ materially from the 

 typical Irish Arion sitbfusms except that the colour is darker, but it has 

 this in common with almost all the specimens found on the west coast. 

 The two principal anatomical characters on which the species is based, 

 are the constrictions of the oviduct and the presence of a flagellum. 

 With regard to the former, it is not different from the shape assumed by 

 an oviduct during and after the passage of the ova. The flagellum is of 

 more importance, and would in itself be sufficient to specifically dis- 

 tinguish A. flagellns from allied species. As far as I could ascertain, 

 however, without cutting sections of the flagellum, it appears to be but 

 a portion of the extractor muscle, which is attached at that point to 

 the oviduct. I cannot therefore convince myself that the species referred 

 to, is anything else than a variety of the variable A. subfiiscus, — R. F. 

 Scharff, Dublin. 



BIRDS. 



Redbreasted Snipe (lYIacrorhamphus griseus, Cmel.) In 

 Ireland, a new American Visitor.— On the 29th September I 

 obtained a specimen of the American Redbreasted Snipe, which was 

 forwarded from Maryborough, Queen's Co., along with a lot of Common 

 Snipe. The bird is a female in the immature autumn plumage, and has 

 not hitherto been recorded from Ireland. — E. WiiyiviAMS, Dublin. 



Great Snipe (Callinagro major), and Sabine's Snipe (C. 

 coelestis, var. sabinii) in Ireland. — I have received a fine Great 

 Snipe, shot by Mr, T. L. Mason, at Ballycroy, Co. Mayo, on the 13th 

 October. The bird weighed seven ounces, and looks fully half as large 

 again as a Common Snipe. On the 28th September, Mr. R. W. Peebles 

 shot a particularly dark example in Co. Tyrone, of the variety called 

 Sabine's Snipe. The whole bird is dark smoky-black, legs greenish- 

 black, and wanting the longitudinal stripes on back, — E. Wii<];iams, 

 Dublin. 



