SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



observations go, been largely noticed in the 

 winter. Thirdly, and in some way perhaps 

 probably, these albinos are the productions of 

 direct hereditary influence. An albino individual 

 pairing with a normally-coloured specimen of its 

 own species would probably produce some parti- 

 coloured descendants. The only objection to the 

 last theory is, that albino varieties do not as a rule 

 get the opportunity in these days of precise fire- 

 arms, of propagating their species. 



However, whether all the albinos fall victims to 

 the destructive instinct which we inherit or not, 

 there can be no doubt whatever of the extent of 

 hereditary influence, and the way in which 

 hereditary traits crop up after a lapse of perhaps 

 several generations, and there is no abnormality 

 for which this is more true than albinism. In 

 some recent observations made upon albinism in 

 mollusca, I demonstrated very clearly the mar- 

 vellous extent to which albino peculiarities are 

 transmitted from one generation to another, and 

 everyone is aware how they are transmitted in man 

 and other mammalia. 



There are several questions which we ought to 

 put with regard to the condition, apart from its 



origin. Are pseudo-albino sparrows, and of course 

 other birds as well, born pseudo-albinos, or have 

 they the capability of becoming so later in life ? 

 If pseudo-albino varieties have changed at some 

 time in their existence, later than their fledging, 

 how did they get rid of the melanin granules from 

 their feathers ? This last question is complicated 

 by the fact that there is no circulation in the 

 plumules of the feather, or in the shaft. Thirdly, 

 can a pseudo-albino revert to the normal type, and 

 if so, how does the colouring matter become 

 deposited ? Fourthly, if the uncoloured feathers 

 are removed, will those which grow in their places 

 be uncoloured or typical ? There are several other 

 things I should like to add, but I am afraid I am 

 already taking up too much space. These notes are 

 confessedly hastily put together, and very crude, but 

 I hope that I have said enough to make it plain to the 

 readers of Science-Gossip that there is work to be 

 done, and observations are worth making on this very 

 neglected subject. I hope we shall hear more 

 about this question in future pages, so that as our 

 knowledge increases, we may get nearer to the 

 truth. 



St. Bride's Rectory, Manchester ; Feb. nth, 1895. 



THE FAUNA AND FLORA OF IRELAND. 



By E. L. Layard, C.M.G., F.Z.S. 



T HAVE been much interested in Mr. R. F. 

 Scharff's article on this subject, as it has 

 deepened the impression left on my mind by a 

 visit to Ireland last autumn. 



Being my first visit to the " Emerald Isle," 

 things connected with my favourite pursuits 

 naturally most attracted attention. My son and 

 I travelled from Dublin, right across to the 

 opposite side of the island, to the sea coast of 

 the wilds of Connemara. From Dublin to Gal way 

 we went by rail, so there was not much oppor- 

 tunity for observation, but from Gal way to the 

 west coast the journey was performed on outside 

 cars, so we had plenty of time to notice things as we 

 drove along. We remained six weeks on the coast. 

 Both my son and myself have been assiduous bird 

 collectors, and we were both struck with the dearth 

 of bird life throughout the country. Perhaps our 

 surroundings were not well fitted for it. There was 

 nothing but bog and rock, and the usual plants 

 of such a region. "Where we lived there was not 

 a tree for many miles in any direction, though 

 formerly there must have been timber, for large 

 tree-trunks and roots are constantly found by the 

 peat cutters while cutting peat, the sole fuel used 

 in the place. These tree-trunks — chiefly, we were 

 informed, pine— are wonderfully preserved in the 

 bog, and are perfectly sound and much harder than 



the same kind of timber of the present era. We 

 saw large logs being sawn into boards for boat- 

 building purposes, for which they are preferred. 



We noted especially the absence of all swallows 

 and swifts. Only once, after leaving Galway, did 

 I see one of the former — not hawking for flies, but 

 hurrying along as if he wished to " get out of that." 

 It never greeted my sight again. We saw crows, 

 sparrows, and an occasional lark. A couple of 

 pairs of stone-chats evidently had nested in a 

 stone wall we constantly passed. Wind -hover 

 hawks were generally visible, and we once or 

 twice saw a peregrine falcon, probably the same 

 bird, or one of a pair nesting in the neighbourhood. 

 These were about all the land birds we noticed. 

 Of water-birds and sea-birds there were rather more. 

 Herons, curlews, ducks, plover, snipe, gulls and 

 terns, oyster-catchers, sanderlings, guillemots and 

 cormorants are all I can remember, and they did 

 not by any means abound. 



Of frogs there was a small species common 

 enough, and I should think hardly an introduction 

 in such an out-of-the-way place. With the ex- 

 ception of grasshoppers, I noticed a great scarcity 

 of insects ; humble bees were very rare ; butter- 

 flies were also scarce. I noted the grayling — two 

 or three examples, — the common meadow-brown, 

 a painted-lady or two, a small blue, and once I saw 



