184 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



rare union between Lagopm scoticus and Lyrurus telrix. It was therefore 

 with great pleasure that I recently identified no fewer than four birds of 

 this curious cross." These birds were secured at Shalloch, Kirkcudbright- 

 shire — a moor of less than 3000 acres — and included a beautiful female 

 hybrid. Two of these birds, male and female, were exhibited before the 

 British Ornithologists' Club in November of last year, and their identification 

 as hybrids between the Red and Black Grouse was accepted by all the 

 members present. 



At the March meeting of the Zoological Society of London Mr. Sclater 

 called attention to the two specimens of Otters now living in the Society's 

 Gardens, which had been received from Co. Down, Irelaud, last year, and 

 pointed out that they differed in several respects from the Common Otter. 

 The Irish Otter had been separated specifically from Lutra vulgaris by 

 Ogilby in 1834, under the name of Lutra roensis, and Mr. Sclater thought 

 it was worthy of enquiry whether Ogilby was not right in his views. 



Ar a February meeting of the Zoological Society of London Mr. G. A. 

 Boulenger, F.R.S., read a paper entitled "A Catalogue of the Reptiles and 

 Batrachiaus of Celebes, with special reference to the collections made by 

 Drs. P. and F. Sarasin in 1893-1896." This memoir gave a complete list 

 (with descriptions) of all the Reptiles and Batrachians, with the exception 

 of the marine species, known to occur in the Celebes. The number of species 

 of Reptiles enumerated was 83, and of Batrachians 21. 



In the 'Irish Naturalist' for February, Mr. II. Lyster Jameson has 

 written a paper on the " Bats of Ireland," giving as far as possible a complete 

 range of the species. 



" Seven species of Bats are known to inhabit Ireland, six of which 

 belong to the family Vespertilionida, represented by three genera, Plecotus, 

 Vespertilio, and Vesperugo, the seventh to the family Rhinolophida." 



In the 'Proceedings of the Cotteswold Naturalists' Field Club,' vol. xii. 

 part 1, is an interesting paper, by Mr. E. B. Wethered, on " The Depths of 

 the Sea in Past Epochs." This is not so purely geological as its title might 

 imply, and refers more to the organic life that then ensued and to the 

 remains now found in the then sea bottoms. As the author remarks : — 

 " Generally speaking, geologists have been content with fossils which could 

 be detected without the aid of the microscope." The preliminary summary 

 of results relates to the Silurian, Carboniferous, and Jurassic limestones: — 



