Notes. 



171 



(Prof. C. J. Patten in "Zoologist," March, 1915, pp. 81-92, plate i) ; 

 " Late Stay of Fieldfares in North of Ireland '* (W. H. Workman, Ibid., 

 July, p. 271); "Notes on the Tree-Sparrow in Donegal" (Rev. J. M. 

 M'William, Ibid, August, pp. 297-302). 



The Basking Shark. 



In the June number of this Journal I alluded to the fact that the 

 Basking Shark Fishery had been abandoned because this species has 

 become less common in Irish waters. From the notes now furnished me 

 by Mr. F. W. L. Keane of Youghal, it appears that the Basking Shark in 

 certain districts at any rate is on the increase. Although practically 

 unknown in Ardmore Bay before 191 2 altogether ten specimens were killed 

 during the past three years in this neighbourhood varying in length from 

 13 to 24 feet. All these were captured in Salmon nets, and Mr. Keane 

 states that they have caused so much damage to the nets that the fishing 

 industry had to be practically abandoned. Many more of these Sharks 

 have been seen in the bay without being caught. Whether any use was 

 made of the oil contained in the liver I did not ascertain, but this is unlikely 

 as I am not aware of any facilities existing on the south coast of Ireland 

 for extracting the oil. If it should be ascertained that a general increase 

 in the numbers of this fish has taken place in Irish waters it may perhaps 

 be possible to resuscitate the long -lost Irish industry of the Basking Shark 

 Fishery. 



R. F. SCHARFF. 



Dublin. 



Bees and Colour Selection. 



I am very glad that Mr. Cuthbert has been making such interesting 

 and valuable notes on this subject, and I am glad that he bears me out so 

 well in regard to the general accuracy with which both Hive and Humble 

 Bees stick to one kind of flower during a journey ; though I see that he 

 differs from me in regarding the Hive -Bee as somewhat less exact than 

 its wilder brethren, whereas I have generally found the Humble -Bees more 

 prone to error than Apis. This is a point on which further observation 

 may possibly alter either Mr. Cuthbert' s opinion or my own. His notes 

 on the marked bees are particularly suggestive as tending to prove that it 

 is an actual practice with these insects, though limiting themselves during 

 a journey to one kind of flowers, to change to another after each visit to 

 the nest. 



I would like, however, to raise the question whether Mr. Cuthbert' s 

 observations really point to " colour selection," or whether " species 

 selection" would not be the happier term. The flowers at which he 

 watched his bees working differed in colour, but they also differed in other 

 respects, though not, perhaps, very widely. Can we be sure that the 

 workers of Botnbus hortorum which distinguished so well between pink 

 flowers of one species {Oxalis fioribunda) and yellow flowers of another 

 (though allied) species (C. valdiviana) would have distinguished with like 



