64 [Proc. B.N.F.C, 



in the New Siberian Islands. The finding of the bones of similar 

 "tropical" animals in Ireland would not necessarily, therefore, 

 point to tropical conditions being prevalent. 



Mr. Robert J. Welch spoke in support of Dr. Scharff's idea 

 of a land connection between England and Ireland, and said he 

 failed to believe absolutely in accidental introduction, not only 

 for the reasons pointed out by the lecturer, but also on account of 

 the failure of numerous experiments which have been made to 

 introduce animals. He mentioned that there are many caves yet 

 to be explored in Ireland, especially around the Antrim coast and 

 in Fermanagh, and he hoped for some future research in this 

 direction. 



Mr. Charles Oldham, in a delightful little speech, remarked 

 how interesting Dr. Scharff's address had been, and continuing, 

 told how the problem of the Irish fauna had been impressed upon 

 him when he was over in Anglesey, and looking westward across 

 the Irish Sea he began to think of all the common English 

 animals — the Grass Snake, the Viper, the Mole, the English Hare, 

 the Slow-Worm, and even many Birds, like the Pink-footed Goose 

 which occurs commonly in North Wales and England — that were 

 absent from Ireland. Mr. Oldham then referred to the Blind 

 Woodlouse, Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii, as "an admirable illus- 

 tration for the necessity of a land-connection," and suggested that 

 the apparent discontinuous distribution of this local species 

 might be due to lack of interest by English Naturalists to this 

 group of animals which had received much attention in Irelarrd. 



Mr. Reginald Smith wished to know if any remains of Man 

 had been found contemporaneous with the animals mentioned in 

 Pleistocene times, as such had been found to be the case in 

 Britain. 



Mr. J. B. Masefield considered that a land-bridge was neces- 

 sary to account for the present and past distribution of animals. 

 He also went into the question of how an adequate food-supply 

 controlled the distribution of animals, giving as an example that 



