THE STOAT AND WEASEL. 327 



than thirteen Martens from different parts of Ireland 

 for preservation. Not one of these had the white 

 breast, which is characteristic of the Beech Marten 

 (Maries foina] ; and it appears to be now the general 

 opinion amongst naturalists that the Pine Marten 

 (Maries sylvatica) is the only species of this genus 

 which occurs in the British Islands. 



THE STOAT is well known to game preservers in 

 many parts of Ireland, but THE WEASEL, it is said, 

 does not occur there. The former animal may 

 always be known by its larger size and by the black 

 tuft at the end of the tail, which appendage is also 

 longer than in the Weasel. 



Any reader who may have the opportunity of 

 securing an Irish-killed specimen of the true Weasel 

 (Mustela vulgaris) will render a service to zoological 

 science if he will forward it, for examination and 

 report, either to the editor of The Zoologist or of 

 The Field newspaper. 



It is somewhat remarkable that, besides the 

 Weasel, the following animals, well-known in other 

 parts of the British Islands, are absent from Ireland, 

 viz., the Mole, the Dormouse, the Harvest Mouse, 

 the Short-tailed Field Vole, and the Bank Vole. 

 Several species of Bat, also described as British, 

 have not yet been detected in the sister isle. 



THE SQUIRREL, which in some parts of Ireland is 

 numerous and increasing, is thought to be not origi- 

 nally indigenous, but to have been introduced at no 

 very recent date, and to have extended its range 

 from different so-called " centres of introduction." 



Mr. R. M. Barrington, who has been at consider- 

 able trouble to collect statistics on this subject, has 



