296 Alexander Goodman More. [i882 



species," not unlikely to have occurred at intervals and 

 been confounded, the one with the Great Shearwater (Puf- 

 finus major), and the other with the Greenland Falcon 

 (Hierofalco candicans). Their almost simultaneous addi- 

 tion to the Irish List, under circumstances so similar, 

 was another symptom of the great uncertainty which 

 still reigned in the most popular branch of Irish Natural 

 History. 



The " cares and plans for the future " were therefore 

 complex enough ; and at this time an article in the 

 " Zoologist," by its Editor (Mr. Harting), drew special 

 attention to the want of " a good modern comprehensive 

 work on the fauna of Ireland." Taking his ground on the 

 hardly deniable proposition that "the standard work of 

 Thompson, published a quarter of a century ago, now stands 

 in need of revision," Mr. Harting urged that the British 

 Association should deal with the matter, and appoint a 

 "committee of specialists," who in three years were "to 

 collect and arrange materials for a practically exhaustive 

 work on Irish Zoology. 3 ' This article (published Dec. 1881} 

 evidently in part suggested the letter to which the follow- 

 ing is a reply: 



Sc. & ART MUSEUM, December 9, 1881. 



DEAR MR. USSHER, I have read your letter with much interest, 

 and quite agree with you that it is very desirable to try and do some- 

 thing to collect the. scattered items relating to the Nat. Hist, of Ire- 

 land, but I fear that the plan which you suggest is too comprehensive, 

 and would be difficult to work. Thompson did all his work single- 

 handed, having large means for travelling, and so of conversing with 

 his many correspondents. But his great advantage was that he was 

 so placed as to manage everything himself and keep the management 

 altogether in his own hands. My experience of committees is that 

 there is a deal of talk and little done, and if one member is especially 

 zealous he is sure to be thwarted by some of the others. So that I am 

 afraid any association for exploring the Irish Fauna would only end, 

 like the two Nat. Hist. Societies in Dublin have done, in premature 

 dissolution. 



I do think that much might be done if local observers, in their own 

 districts, would collect facts and observations, and specimens, and 

 publish their results, from time to time, in the Proceedings of Dublin 

 Society, or in the R. Irish Academy, or in the " Zoologist." In this way 

 the materials would be gathering for a future Fauna. And I most 



