18 4 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



been alleged that the Frog is a comparatively recent introduction into Ireland, 

 and that it has spread rapidly across the country from its new centre of 

 dispersal. 1 have always maintained that it was a true native in the Irish 

 fauna. Its remains occur in great abundance in the Irish caves mixed with 

 those of extinct animals, while the story of its supposed introduction is by no 

 means clear, as I have pointed out in the " Irish Naturalist." 1 



The fact that the Frog is absent from Clare Island as well as from Inish- 

 turk and Inishbofm might lend credence to the view of its recent introduction 

 to the mainland. But the explanation of its absence is probably of quite a 

 different nature. 



The Frog abounds in the mainland district included in the Clare Island 

 Survey, as it does everywhere in tho western counties of Ireland ; and it agrees 

 with the Lizard in not possessing any distinctively Irish characters. 



The [rish Newt (Molgc vidgaris) has been recorded from almost everywhere 

 in Ireland, except, strange to say, from the district of the Survey ; but there 

 can be no doubt of its occurrence there on the mainland, and probably also in 

 Achill. It is absent, as I remarked above, from Clare Island, Inishturk, and 

 Inishbofm. 



The total absence of Amphibians from Clare Island and the other islands 

 is significant. Why should the Frog inhabit Achill and not Clare Island ? 

 The theory of the recent introduction into Ireland of the Frog would supply 

 us with an answer, but so would many other hypotheses. If we supposed, for 

 instance, that the west coast had been submerged for a certain depth beneath 

 sea-level, all the usual breeding haunts of Amphibians might have been 

 destroyed on many of the islands, thus impoverishing the aquatic fauna in 

 certain areas. Questions of that kind must be considered when the faunistic 

 results, as a whole, can be taken into account. 



1 Scharff, R. F. : " Is the l r rog a native of Ireland ? " Irish Naturalist, vol. ii. 



