Miscellaneous, 157 



Owl. From his evident knowledge of both species, I have perfect 

 reliance on the accuracy of my informant. 



Redstart. Sylvia Phamicurus, Lath. — Since the article was writ- 

 ten which appeared in the first number of this work (p. 17), I am 

 enabled to add the following note on this species : — Some years ago 

 in the autumn, a specimen which was shot in the neighbourhood of 

 Belfast, was, when quite recent, obtained by Dr. J. D. Marshall, who 

 informs me that it proved identical with English specimens of S. 

 Phcenicurus in his collection. It has been unfortunately destroyed 

 by moths. 



Spotted Redshank. Totanus fuscus, Leis. — As I did not give any 

 particulars of this bird when it was first recorded as Irish in the 

 Magazine of Natural History, vol. v. p. 578, it may be here men- 

 tioned that the specimen alluded to fell by my own gun in Belfast 

 Bay, on August 22, 1823. It was in immature plumage, as admi- 

 rably represented by Bewick. 



Night Heron. Nycticorax Europaus, Steph. — In the Proceedings 

 of the Zoological Society of London for 1834 (p. 30), I noticed a 

 specimen of this bird, which was stated to have been sent from 

 Letterkenny to Dublin, and received there in a recent state at the 

 beginning of that year. Subsequently, one of these birds, in the 

 plumage of the first year, or that of the Gardenian Heron, was shot 

 in the county of Armagh, and presented to the Belfast Museum. 



Fork-tailed Gull. Larus Sabinii, Sab. — I have to record the 

 occurrence of a fourth individual of this species in Ireland. It was 

 shot in company with Terns (Sterna) in the bay of Dublin, on 

 September 12, 1837, and came into the possession of H. H. Dom- 

 brain, Esq., of that city. This gentleman has kindly informed me 

 that the specimen corresponds with the description of the L. Sabinii 

 in the plumage of the first year (Mag. Zool. andBot., vol. i. p. 460) 

 in every respect but one, that of having " the under part of the 

 throat and the upper part of the breast" white, instead of " pale ash 

 colour," as in the bird originally described. Having just seen the 

 notes of the late Mr. Montgomery on the first of these gulls ob- 

 tained in Ireland, I am enabled to add the colour of the bill, legs, 

 &c, which in the immature bird has not been described. Under 

 the name of ".Larws minutus", which it was considered to be, it is re- 

 marked of this individual, " irides dark, bill black, legs pale flesh 

 colour, weight b\ ounces." The dates of the occurrence of the L. 

 Sabinii in Ireland approximate very closely, though they were all 

 obtained in different years. In Belfast Bay they were shot on the 

 15th and 18th of September, and in Dublin Bay on the 12th of the 



