ON THE FAUNA OF IRELAND. 359 
Fam. Talpide. 
Treland. Great Britain. 
0 Talpa europea, L. 
Fam. Soricide. 
Ireland. Great Britain. 
Sorex rusticus, Jenyns. + 
»  tetragonurus, Herm. 
0 Sorex fodiens, Gmel. 
0 »  Ciliatus, Sower. 
0 »  castaneus, Jenyns. 
S. rusticus is the common Shrew of Ireland from north to 
south; of S. tetragonurus I have seen but one native speci- 
men, which was procured by the Ordnance Survey near the 
Giant’s Causeway. 
Order 3.—FrErz#. 
Fam. Urside*. 
Ireland. Great Britain. 
Meles Taxus, Flem. + 
In suitable localities throughout 
the island. 
Fam. Felide. 
Ireland. Great Britain. 
Lutra vulgaris, Eraleb. (?) + + 
Mustela vulgaris, Z. (?) + 
»  erminea, LZ. + 
0 Mustela Putorius, L. 
Martes foina, Bell. + 
AA Abietum, Ray. + 
0 Felis Catus, L. 
Vulpes vulgaris, Briss. + 
The Irish Otter, named provisionally Lutra Roensis by Mr. 
Ogilby, is not now considered by that gentleman distinct from 
L. vulgaris; it is not uncommon. Of the Mustele, M. Puto- 
rius is unknown to me as Irish; and of M. vulgaris, which is 
noticed as common by Templeton and others, I have not seen 
a native specimen: M. ermineais common from north to south, 
and passes under the name of ‘ Weasel’. Martes Abietum 
is found throughout the island; of M. foina, but one native 
example (killed in the county of Antrim) is known to me. The 
* Ursus Arctos, L. I am not aware of any written evidence tending to show 
that the Bear was ever indigenous to Ireland; but a tradition exists of its having 
been so, and it is associated with the Wolf as a native animal in the stories 
handed down through several generations to the present time. 
+ The note of interrogation within brackets (?) marks species doubtfully Irish. 
a 
