258 NOTES AND COMMENTS [apeil 



yet another, were observed. They vary from broad, flat, simple plates, 

 without any cusp, to narrow, sickle-shaped teeth, armed with three 

 cusps. At the 50th tooth from the centre a tiny brush of hairs 

 makes its appearance, which in the succeeding teeth is more and more 

 developed, the cusps decreasing at the same time till in the 109th the 

 brush alone surmounts a slender and nearly straight tooth. These 

 brush-teeth seem peculiar to the genus. 



The nervous system of Pleurotomaria is far too complicated to be 

 treated of in the limits of this notice even in abstract, and it must 

 suffice to say that our authors believe, and give good grounds for their 

 belief, that in Pleurotomaria the clue will be found to the relationship 

 of the nervous system of the Amphineura to that of the Gastropoda, 

 the pedal cords of the Ehipidoglossa originating by the fusion of the 

 pedal and pleural cords of the Amphineura, as evinced, amongst other 

 things, by the presence of grooves along the under surface of these 

 " pedal " cords in Pleurotomaria. 



It is an open secret that a more perfectly preserved animal of P. 

 beyrichii, from Japan, is at present being investigated by Mr. Martin 

 F. Woodward, so that further interesting details concerning the genus 

 may be expected. 



Bats and Black Grouse of Ireland. 



The current (February) number of the Irish Naturalist contains 

 two papers of more than ordinary interest — the first on the Natural 

 History of Irish Bats, by Dr. Alcock, and the second on the intro- 

 duction of the Black Grouse, by Mr. Barrett-Hamilton. With regard 

 to bats, the present communication is only the first of a series of 

 papers, and deals chiefly with the general characteristics of the order 

 Chiroptera, with a few notes on the habits of particular species. The 

 detailed history of the Irish forms will follow in due course. In the 

 meantime we may express regret that the author (as we gather from a 

 note on page 30) does not apparently intend to follow modern views 

 of nomenclature. Personally we detest such changes, but as they are 

 made by the advanced zoologists, the only sensible thing to do is to 

 follow the lead. In starting with a misprint (Atalaphe for Atalapha), 

 the author scarcely does himself justice. 



Mr. Hamilton, who has previously contributed interesting informa- 

 tion with regard to the introduction of the brown hare into Ireland, 

 accepts the evidence of a fossil bone as entitling the black grouse to 

 be regarded as an indigenous Hibernian bird. He then discusses the 

 records of its alleged early occurrence in the island, and follows on 

 with an account of the numerous later attempts to rehabilitate the 

 species. Unfortunately, these efforts have not, thus far, been 

 attended with the success they merit. 



