450 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Henry Wheelwright, better known as a writer on Natural History 

 under the signature of " The Old Bushman," has asserted just 

 the reverse, stating that he had proved it by keeping specimens 

 in confinement.* This was also the opinion of the late Edward 

 Blyth, one of the most experienced zoologists of modern times. 

 On this subject the reader may be referred to an interesting 

 communication " On the Colours of Arctic Animals," published 

 by Prof. Meldola in ' Nature ' of April 2nd, 1885 (p. 505). 



In Bell's work, which for want of a better still remains the 

 text-book on British Quadrupeds, nothing is said about the 

 absence of the Weasel from Ireland. The late Mr. Andrew 

 Murray, in his * Geographical Distribution of the Mammalia '' 

 (p. 114), says the Weasel formerly inhabited Ireland, but is no 

 longer found there. Macgillivray states that it is " generally 

 distributed in Ireland " ;f but Thompson J says he has never met 

 with it there, nor does he consider that it has been proved to be 

 a native, though it may be so. On the other hand, the Stoat, 

 which is called the Weasel in Ireland, is common there. The 

 late Col. J. J. Whyte, of Sligo, a well-known sportsman and 

 excellent out-of-door observer, writing on this subject in ' The 

 Field' (July 11th, 1874), observed:— 



" I am aware that it is the right thing to say that we have no Weasels 

 in Ireland ; certes, I never saw an animal of the sort without the black tip 

 to the tail. Many of them, — I may say most of them, — however, are so 

 small, that a man who does not profess to be a naturalist is left in doubt 

 whether he is not looking at a Weasel with a black tip. I have one before 

 me now, an old bitch, giving suck, — whose size is exactly that given by 

 Bewick as that of the Weasel, — 7£ in. from nose to tail; tail 2 in., 

 brush | in. I do not remember ever seeing any so small in England, 

 though common enough here, as well as the larger size." 



Another correspondent, resident at Acomb, near York, on the 

 5th Dec, 1885, on his return from Ireland wrote as follows : — 



" Whilst travelling in County Mayo last summer, I found the Weasel 

 — by name at any rate — very well known on the west coast, and held in 

 great respect by the peasantry, to whom no greater offence could be given 



* ' Ten Years in Sweden,' 1865, p. 219. 



f ' British Quadrupeds,' in Jardine's ' Naturalists' Library,' vol. vii. 

 p. 164. 



J * Nat. Hist. Ireland,' vol. iv., pp. 6, 7» 



