52 



The Ifish Naturalht, 



March, 



Squirrel. 



lOjixJk fu^t) (3), peo|\65 (6), Of\^ (10), \o\\^ (6). 

 The word ex\f 65 often applied to the squirrel is obviously 

 wrong. (See Stoat). 



The question whether the Squirrel is a true native of 

 Ireland has often been debated, and Barrington has written 

 a valuable paper^ in which he maintains that this species 

 was only introduced into this country at the beginning of 

 the last century. On the other hand we have O' Flaherty's 

 authority for the existence of the Squirrel in Connaught in 

 the 15th century, and in view of the fact that there are 

 two good Irish names for this mammal, it seems to me 

 more probable that it is indigenous. At the time when 

 the forests were so extensively cut down it would have 

 become very local and may only have spread again when 

 the introduction referred to infused new life and vigour 

 into the old stock. 



Irish Stoat (so-called Weasel"). 



e-Af O5, e>Af (2), ne^r (1); blittixiic (12), 1^^65(6). 

 The Irish Stoat is quite peculiar to Ireland. It somewhat 

 resembles the English Stoat but is smaller and different in 

 other respects. It is often called "weasel" in Ireland. 

 The true Weasel is not an Irish species and a much smaller 

 animal than the Irish Stoat which might be called "assogue." 



Walrus. 



Ca^p^^U m^xfiA (1), c^pxxlt |:^ipp5e (1), c-Ap-i^ll nime(l), 

 tiofUxxlc (fide Best from the old Norse " rosualt "). 



I am in doubt whether Alston is correct in identifying 

 these names with the Walrus, as there is no evidence of 

 the occurrence of this animal off the Irish coast. It is 

 possible, however, that this great marine carnivore 

 frequented the Irish seas in former times, as it is still 

 occasionally met with off the coast of Scotland. 



Weasel (see Stoat). ^ 



1 Pyoc. R, Dublin Soc, 1880. 



