On the Introduction of the Squirrel into Ireland. 625 
lough on the borders of Tyrone and Monaghan. Many inquiries 
were made as to the centre of introduction from which all these 
localities originated. By careful examination of the surrounding 
districts, I had fairly isolated this group of localities; they 
appeared to be surrounded by a squirrel-less area, and I have to 
thank Mr. F. W. Egan (Geological Survey), Coleraine, for what 
may be termed the Lough Neagh centre. It supplied, as it were, 
the last link in a chain, which made it possible to solve the origin 
of the squirrel in every district in Ireland, where I had been 
made aware of its existence. Mr. Egan states that :— 
“Mr. Jones, brother of the present proprietor of Moneyglass (near 
Toome, county Antrim), now dead, introduced squirrels at Moneyglass 
from England, and that they spread thence to Craigmira, thence to 
Shane’s Castle, and lastly to Massereene Park, at Antrim. They came 
to Shane’s Castle from six to ten years ago.” 
The keeper at Shane’s Castle writes :— 
“The squirrel has been in this place for about ten years, and is 
numerous in this demesne.” 
Mr. Egan was unable to ascertain the date at which ‘quirrels 
were introduced at Moneyglass, but it must certainly have 
occurred since Thompson’s time, for no one was better acquainted 
with the natural history of the north-eastern counties. Thompson 
had explored them better than any part of Ireland, and does not 
mention finding the squirrel. 
CENTRE No. 10. 
Squirrels occur at Mount Pleasant, north of Dundalk, and at 
Ravensdale Park, Newry, both in the county Louth ; at Slieve 
Gullion and Camlough in southern Armagh, and at Newry and 
Castlewellan, county Down. These localities may all be traced 
to a centre of introduction at Ravensdale Park, being the last I 
am aware of. For the particulars I am indebted to Lord Cler- 
mont, who writes :— 
“The common squirrel was first turned out at Ravensdale Park in 
the year 1851, when ten adults were set free in the woods; in 1856 
fifteen squirrels were turned out. From them a large stock have sprung. 
and many strayed to other woods three and four miles distant. In one 
instance, at the base of Slieve Gullion, a high mountain in the south of 
Armagh in this neighbourhood, the people living near a wood re- 
marked that they saw very small young foxes, which, to their surprise, 
