OCCASIONAL NOTES. 291 
Barnes, a rocky pass ten miles from this, and one at Lough Talt. The 
Pipistrelle, Vespertilio pipistrellus, is the only Bat I have seen hereabouts. 
I have seen one flit about church on Sunday, and it proved more successful 
in securing the attention of the people than the eloquent divine in the 
pulpit. With regard to birds, Ardea cinerea is always spoken of as the 
“Crane.” Both Anser torquatus and A. leucopsis are known as Bernicle 
Geese, although the name belongs properly to the latter. As far as my 
observation goes, both species occur in about equal numbers on Lough 
Swilly. The owl mentioned as the Tawny Owl agreed best with the 
description of that species as given in such books as I had at hand. It was 
not the Long-eared Owl. The Thrush, singing in the gloaming and on 
“ till night’s dark mantle has covered all,” has probably earned for it here the 
honourable title of the “Irish Nightingale.” I myself saw fully-developed 
specimens of Echinus sphera frequently on the fronds of Laminaria digitata 
while looking over a boat's side in calm water. I have no information as to 
“the difficulty” they may have experienced in “ prowling over the fronds,” 
but there they were. I presume I am not to be held responsible for the 
typographical errors in the spelling of Chylocladie and Echinus.—James A. 
Manoney (Ramilton). 
[We alone are to blame for the typographical errors referred to, and 
which escaped us when revising the proof of the article in question. We 
shall be very glad to receive a specimen of the ‘smaller member of the 
Stoat genus,” which from the description we cannot doubt will prove to be 
a Weasel. Notwithstanding the generally aécepted opinion of Thompson 
that the Weasel is not found in Ireland (see p. 224), we have evidence to 
the contrary in the following note from a very accurate observer.—ED. ] 
OceuRRENCE OF THE WEASEL IN InrLAND.—Observing by your editorial 
note, at p. 224, that there is some doubt whether the Weasel is found in 
Treland, I write to say that on the 5th November last, when visiting a 
friend in the County of Mayo, I saw a Weasel one afternoon hunting about 
a stone wall at Currawn, near Achill Sound, and as I watched it for some 
time at the distance of only a few yards, I could not possibly have been 
mistaken as to the species. I know both the Stoat and Weasel too well to 
mistake the one for the other, and had I been aware at the time of the 
existence of any doubt on the subject, I could easily have shot and forwarded 
the specimen.—WItLIAm Borrer (Cowfold, Horsham). 
Marren-cat IN Enotanp and Wa tzEs.—It is perhaps worth noticing 
that the Marten-cat is still plentiful in the wilder parts of Cumberland 
and the immediately adjoining portions of Lancashire and Westmoreland. 
Owing to the destruction wrought by the Marten-cat amongst the lambs, all 
available means are employed to exterminate the race, and, in addition to 
traps and guns, many of the farmers in the Lake District employ fox-hounds, 
with which these animals as well as foxes are hunted at all seasons of the 
