396 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
these creatures amongst “ sea-food.” The Common Seal (Phoca 
vitulina), and the Grey Seal (Halichwrus gryphus) are shot, or 
killed with cudgels. ‘There are endless legends relating to these 
animals. One family, the Macnamaras, are said to be descended 
from a ‘‘ Cu-mara” (= Seal). Salmon and Trout are still caught 
abundantly, though not quite in such numbers as formerly. In 
a holy well near an ancient ruined church there is a sacred Trout 
which the sick people come to visit. If they find it swimming 
upon its back they will die; if not, recovery follows. Another 
spring contains two of these sacred Trout, of which it is said 
that a heretic soldier intending to cook them, they sprang out of 
the gridiron and jumped back into the water. From that time, so 
the legend says, they have borne traces of the hot iron on their 
backs! Maurice O'Connor, the Irish Orpheus, is said to have 
made not only fishes and crabs, but even snails and mussels dance 
after his music. 
In concluding these remarks I need only observe that my 
object will have been attained should they serve to induce other 
German naturalists to study, in Ireland, a country, a people, and a 
fauna so well worthy of their attention. 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
Tne Ferrer ann tae Porecar.—lIt is, I believe, generally admitted 
now that the Ferret is nothing more than a domestic variety of the Polecat ; 
yet, with the exception of the late Dr. Gray (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 110), 
all the writers, from Buffon downwards, whose books I have had an oppor- 
tunity of consulting, make the two specifically distinct. Cuvier allowed 
that the Ferret was perhaps only a variety. Bewick and Bingley both 
mention a cross-breed between the two animals as an every-day fact that 
required no proof. Bell (Brit. Quad., 1st ed., p. 162) says of this that he 
“can obtain no authentic verification,” and in the second edition, p. 207, 
“they are said to breed freely with one another.” My friend Mr. J. 8. B. 
Borough has bred several litters between a wild-caught male Polecat and a 
female Ferret, the latter being, I believe in each instance, of the brown or 
Polecat variety. He has further bred between the Polecat male and hybrid 3 
female. I use the word “hybrid” for convenience sake, but if the Ferret 
and Polecat are specifically identical the term would not, I suppose, be — 
strictly correct. I have this year, from avimals bred and given by him, 
bred between a hybrid male and three-fourths Polecat female—i.e. the 
