18 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Dr. Giinther, as suggested by Mr. Rump, the doubt as to the 
existence of one or more species of this fish would have been 
settled. The absence of the anterior elongated rays of the dorsal 
fin, position of the vent, the great disparity in size, and the 
absence of the two blackish spots mentioned by Dr. Giinther, 
seem to indicate that such is the case. 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
Pine Marren in Ingtanp.—The Pine Marten is, I think, very much 
rarer in Ireland than it used to be, owing I presume to the war waged 
against it by gamekeepers and others. About eight years ago a specimen 
was trapped with a broken leg at Avondale, County Wicklow. I had it sent 
up to the Zoological Society, but it died on the journey. A gamekeeper 
killed one about fifteenyears ago at Luggielaw, in the same county; and 
those are the last I have heard of from that neighbourhood. It still 
occurs in Donegal (I saw one at Glenalla last year), though in decreasing 
numbers, and is invariably known by the name of “ Madaidh crainn,” not 
“Cat crainn”” (a name which I never heard). ‘‘ Madaidh crainn ” means 
“‘tree-dog.” Whether tree-cat or tree-dog is the better name is another 
question. Henry CuicHEsTeR Harr. 
EXTRAORDINARY ARRIVAL OF SKUAS ON THE YORKSHIRE Coast.— 
A most remarkable flight of Pomatorhine Skuas took place on this part of 
the north-east coast on the 14th and 15th October—an occurrence which 
I imagine has not before been known, at least J have not met with any 
account of a similar visitation. During the month of September an 
unusual number of Richardson’s Skua were observed in the Tees Bay and 
neighbourhood, and as many as forty or fifty were shot, to my knowledge. 
Great numbers of Terns also visited the Bay, following the shoals of sprats 
and small herrings. On the 6th October, while off in a boat, I obtained 
three Pomatorhine Skuas, one adult and two immature, and saw about fifty 
others not near enough for a shot. On the 13th I procured another 
immature specimen in the Tees. On the same day an adult bird was shot 
by a Redcar fisherman, and brought by him for my examination; but the 
next day, the 14th, I witnessed a most marvellous irruption of these birds. 
About 11 a.m. a gale from the north, changing to north-east, with heavy 
rain, began to blow with great violence, and soon after noon the first flight 
of Pomatorhine Skuas made their appearance, coming from eastward and 
