620 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 
“ weasels ” (stoats). Many of the pioneers were killed or captured 
as curiosities by the work people. In 1865 they were fairly es- 
tablished a few miles into the county Dublin, they had reached 
Carrickmines about 1874, and, passing Stillorgan and Dundrum, 
they are now to be found a mile or two north of the metropolis, 
and occur at Killakee. 
Squirrels first appeared at Coronation Plantation, near Bless- 
ington, twelve or fifteen years ago. 
Southward, they have advanced into Wexford, and are found as 
far as Lord Courtown’s demesne near Gorey. The gamekeeper 
writes to me :— ‘ 
“The first I chanced to see was about twenty-five years past, for a 
long time after I could see none, however, these last five years I see 
they are increasing. I think they come from Glenart, Lord Carysford’s, 
in the county Wicklow, twelve miles north of Courtown.” 
Squirrels do not appear to have extended much south of Gorey. 
Mr. G. H. Kinahan says that he 
“ Has been through a good part of the woodland of Wexford, from 
Gorey to the town of Wexford, and did not remark any traces of the 
squirrel, and does not think they occur.” 
The squirrel is found in that part of Carlow adjoming Wicklow 
at Kilbride, Ballintemple, Aghada, Se. ; and these localities may 
probably be derived from the Wicklow centre of introduction, 
though Carlow has a separate centre of introduction for itself, of 
which I shall speak presently. 
CENTRE No. 2. 
In the year 1876 my friend, Mr. Joseph Shackleton, of Anna 
Liffey, Lucan, set free ten squirrels there, which he purchased 
from a Dublin dealer at 5s. each. No squirrels had ever been 
heard of or seen there previously. 
“Tn a few days,” says Mr. Shackleton, ‘I found two or three of the 
squirrels lying dead, and heard of one having been shot on the other 
side of the river (Liffey), from which I infer that a squirrel can swim 
across safely as there was no place where it possibly could have jumped 
or forded it. I neither heard of or saw any more of the squirrels for 
the next year, when J heard of an odd one showing itself, but the second, 
and this year (1879) they appear to be quite numerous. They ate 
nearly all iny nuts off the trees, and Lord Annaly was obliged to get 
several shot in his garden.” 
* Tn lit. to Mr. A. G. More, April, 1880 
