December, 1920. The Irish Naturalist. 



125 



THE PINE MARTEN IN IRELAND. 



BY ROBERT F. RUTTLEDGE. 



The following is a collection of notes referring to the dis- 

 tribution of the Pine Marten (Maries martes Linn.) in 

 Ireland which I have extracted from letters received from 

 those in Ireland who very kindly replied to my inquiries in 

 1917 ; and I must thank Miss Pitt, of Bridgnorth, England, 

 for whom I collected the information, for permission to 

 publish it in the Irish Naturalist for the benefit of those in 

 this country whom it may interest. 



These notes must be regarded as supplementary to the 

 papers^ of Harting, Barrett-Hamilton, and Patterson, and 

 to subsequent notes in the Irish Naturalist, summarised last 

 October (p. 107) by Mr. D. R. Pack-Beresford. They only 

 extend to 1917, and cover some years previous, so that the 

 present-day status of the Pine Marten cannot be fully pre- 

 sented in this paper. It is hoped, however, that further 

 investigations may take place, and that the status of this 

 interesting mammal may be brought up to date. 



In addition to the places hereafter mentioned, I find 

 Mr. J. G. Millais^ states that a few still exist in the ancient 

 forests of Sligo, Wexford, Wicklow, Waterford, Kilkenny, 

 Ballykyne near Cong in Mayo, round Loughs Mask and 

 Corrib in Mayo and Galway, in Clare, in the Mourne moun- 

 tains, Killarney woods, Kenmare and other places in Kerry ; 

 reports received by me show that they still exist in a great 

 many of the above-mentioned places. 



1 have placed the counties in the following list, giving 

 precedence to those in which the Pine Marten seems most 

 plentiful : — 



Co. Waterford. — I am informed that at Curraghmore, 

 m this county, they are fairly numerous as a result of the 

 protection afforded them by the late Lord Waterford. I 

 heard from the keeper at Gardenmorris that he had shot 



^ Zoologist, March and April, 1894. 



2 " Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland," 1900. 



