A GERMAN VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF IRELAND. 845 
the clergy, in order that St. Patrick might not be deprived of the 
credit he enjoyed as banisher of snakes. Mr. Davis, writing from 
Clonmel, Tipperary, in February, 1846, informed Thompson that 
the Ringed Snake, “had been several times introduced, but 
seldom, if ever, survived the first winter.” Some hundreds were 
said to have been liberated in a demesne near Clonmel a few 
years before, but not one was to be met with within twelve 
months after. 
Of Newts, Triton cristatus is seldom seen.* ‘Triton teniatus 
is common near Dublin. Schreiber considers this to be the 
species referred to by Thompson (p. 68) as Lissotriton palmipes, 
Bell, on account of its high crest, plain tail, and the large spots 
on its back and belly. ‘There is also a third Triton, at least, in 
Treland, which Thompson identifies with Lissotriton punctatus, 
Bell. The specimens described by him (p. 68) remind me most 
of Triton Blasii of Bretagne, though the latter is very rare; it is 
not unlike 7’. cristatus, and almost as warty. Nor is Ireland yet 
exhausted, for 7’. helveticus, Razoumowsky, and 7’. vittatus, J enyns, 
might be noticed. The genus Salamandra is unrepresented. 
The Edible Frog is not found, but Rana temporaria, Linn., 
may be seen in various places. I myself observed a dozen fine 
specimens in the damp garden of the Lake Hotel at Killarney, in 
the month of June. This frog, however, does not seem to be of 
very common occurrence in Ireland, for I met with many country 
people who absolutely denied, in the name of St. Patrick, that 
frogs were to be found in Ireland at all. In Stuart’s ‘ History of 
Armagh’ the following passage occurs :—“ The first frog that was 
ever seen in this country made its appearance on pasture-land 
near Waterford about the year 1630, and is noticed by Colgan in 
a work printed in 1647.” Itis stated in Rutty’s ‘ Natural History 
_ of Dublin’ (vol. i. p. 290), that the frog was brought to Ireland in 
1699, by Dr. Guithers. Guithers was a Fellow of Trinity College, 
Dublin, and is said to have procured frog-spawn from England, 
and placed it in a ditch in the University Park. Others give 1696 
as the date of introduction. A gentleman in the County Antrim 
writes :—“ My grandmother, who was born 8th January, 1726, used 
to tell me that when a girl at school she was taken some distance 
to see a frog, which was exhibited as a curiosity. Her father lived 
at Ballycorr, Antrim, so this applies to the North of Ireland,” 
* It was unknown to Thompson.—Ep. 
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