574 Alexander Goodman More Scientific Papers. 



7th to the I4th of January, and anyone looking at the hares now hang- 

 ing in the poulterers' shops in Dublin will notice that in most cases 

 their ears are bordered more or less broadly with white, and there is a 

 wide patch of greyish fur on the rump. I have seen one in which the 

 white has extended half-way down the hind-legs. 



[The above note was signed " G."] 



THE DECREASE OF THE QUAIL IN IRELAND. 

 [IRISH SPORTSMAN, May 2isf, 1892.] 



It seems pretty well agreed among sportsmen that the Quail, for- 

 merly a common bird, has now become very rare in Ireland. Some say 

 it is fifteen, others twenty, years ago, since this decrease was first 

 noticed. But it is not so easy to find an explanation. In the Rev. 

 H. A. Macpherson's excellent little book, ' Introduction to the Study of 

 British Birds,' it is suggested that the number of quails which visit us 

 may depend, to a certain degree, upon the quantities netted on the 

 Mediterranean ; but Mr. Macpherson adds that the Quail seems as 

 abundant as ever in the Rhine Valley, and I am disposed to agree with 

 your correspondent's suggestion that the reason is rather to be sought 

 in some change that has taken place in the climate. The country 

 people often say that the summers used to be much hotter and drier 

 than they are now. Readers of 'Thompson's Natural History of Ire- 

 land ' will not fail to notice that he has much more to say about the 

 Quail remaining throughout the winter, in various parts of Ireland, than 

 of its occurrence as a summer visitor. Whether these winter birds 

 were all reared in this country, or whether they may not rather be con- 

 sidered as winter immigrants, as in Portugal, would be an interesting 

 inquiry. 



RUBUS CHAMAEMORUS AS AN IRISH PLANT. 

 [JOURNAL OF BOTANY, y^/y, 1892.] 



Since first recorded by Professor Murphy in London's ' Magazine of 

 Natural History' (vol. I., p. 436, 1829), this alpine bramble has not been 

 gathered in Ireland by any other botanist. Search has been made by 

 two excellent observers, Mr. H. C. Hart and Mr. S. A. Stewart, but 

 hitherto this most interesting plant has escaped the eyes of two of the 

 most practical and skilful of our field botanists. In view of the 

 approaching publication of a second edition of ' Cybele Hibernica,' I 

 will now recapitulate all that I know about the locality given in Mr. 

 Murphy's paper, and in Mackay's ' Flora Hibernica.' In Loudon's 

 Magazine (1829) the station is given as " Plentiful on Glen Garro 



