442 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
abroad, and in caves of the earth. * * * The hawks of 
Treland called Goss-hawks are (as I said) much esteemed in 
England, and they are sought out by money and all means to be 
transported thither.” 
On the subject of Reptiles he says:—‘‘I may not omit the 
opinion commonly received that the earth of Ireland will not 
suffer a snake or venomous beast to live, and that the Irish wood 
transported for building is free from spiders and their webs. 
Myself have seen some (but very few) spiders, which the inhabi- 
tants deny to have any poison, but I have heard some English of 
good credit affirm by experience the contrary.” 
In the Commentary of Peter Lombard, ‘ De Regno Hiberniz,’ 
1632, we find but a brief allusion to the Natural History of 
Ireland in the chapter ‘‘ De generibus animalium tam mansue- 
torum quam ferarum,” and even in this there is no great origin- 
ality, the author quoting freely from the older works of Bede and 
Giraldus. After naming deer, for which Ireland was celebrated, 
wild boars, wolves, foxes, hares, and rabbits, of which there was a 
great store in his day, he especially refers to the Marten (p. 99), 
and to the value set upon its fur: “ Preecipue martes,” he says, 
“quorum pelles plurimum estimantur, et in universum in ani- 
malium pellibus magna pars est sita divitiarum hujus regionis.” 
Irish Marten-skins seem to have been formerly much sought 
after. In Charles the First’s time Lord Deputy Stratford, in a 
letter to Archbishop Laud, dated Dublin, 27th November, 1638, 
wrote :— 
‘** Before Christmas your Lordship shall have all the Marten 
skins I could get either for love or money since my coming forth 
of England, yet not to the number I intended. The truth is that 
as the woods decay, so do the Hawks and Martens of this king- 
dom. But in some woods I have, my purpose is by all means I 
can to set up a breed of Martens; a good one of these is as much 
worth as a good wether, yet neither eats so much or costs so 
much attendance; but then the Pheasants must look well to 
themselves, for they tell me these vermin [i.e., Martens] will 
hunt and kill them notably. Perchance you think now I learn 
nothing going up yonder amongst them into the forests and 
rocks.”’* 
* Strafford’s ‘Letters and Despatches’ (1638), vol. ii., p- 249. 
