146 
The Irish Naturalist, 
June, 
each winter has at any rate not yet been disproved, and would agree 
with what is known of the Dormouse, in which species the older animals 
hibernate much more successfully than the young ones. On this point, 
also, the ground for further investigation is open. Though it has been 
shown that young Shrews are active during the winter, the conclusion 
may have been too hastily arrived at that the old ones would be equally 
active if they were alive. 
The Lesser Horse -shoe Bat [Rhinolophus hipposideros minutus, as the 
Britannic form is styled in the work before us) is another animal to which 
it is clear that Irish naturalists ought to pay more particular attention. 
Its range in this island is confined to the limestone regions of the West, 
where F. J. Foot and J. K. Kinahan made some meritorious observations 
on its history half a century ago, and it has in more recent times been 
thoroughly well studied in one of its British resorts — ^the Cefn Cave, 
Denbighshire — by those indefatigable naturalists, Messrs. Charles Oldham 
and T. A. Coward. 
The Rabbit or Cony — Major Barrett -Hamilton was a stickler for the 
revival of old English names — is the subject of a long and very interesting 
chapter in which the author's views on protective and warning colours 
are shown to be not altogether in harmony with those of Darwin and 
Wallace. The difference, however, does not seem to be very vital. 
Wallace probably made a mistake in writing as though he thought the 
white upturned tail of the retreating rabbit was meant to be followed by 
other members of the colony. But that the " signal -flag " has a value 
as a warning to run — though each of the warned animals runs its own 
way— is admitted by the author to be at least possible. And in treating 
of the Hedgehog Major Barrett -Hamilton practically adopts the theory — 
originated by Mr. Pocock — that it is endowed with properties (some 
appealing to the ear and some to the nose) corresponding to the warning 
colours of more diurnal creatures. 
If the remaining parts of this work (which Mr. Hinton has undertaken 
to complete) attain anything like the high level of excellence of those 
already published it will indeed be an invaluable addition to the scientific 
literature already existing which treats of the subject of European 
Mammals. 
C. B. M. 
THE BADGER. 
The Life and Habits of the Badger. By J. Fairfax Blakeborouqh 
and Sir A. E. Pease, Bart. Illustrated. London : " The 
Foxhound " Offices. 
This volume consists of 112 pages of large type and thick paper, divided 
into an introduction, seven chapters, and an index. Written by a sports- 
man, it does not profess to deal with the Badger from a scientific stand- 
point. It adds little to our knowle dge since the smaller and more original 
book entitled " The Badger " was v/ritten in 1898 by Sir A. E. Pease, M.P. 
