148 DFBLTN NATTTRAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



frost of that year, as seen in the destruction of many of our birds, were 

 made ; and as they may be of interest to some of your Members, I ven- 

 ture to lay them before your Society. This frost began the second 

 week in January, and continued for four weeks. It was succeeded by 

 a heavy fall of snow, accompanied by frost. This lasted up to about 

 March 10th. After the frost and snow had disappeared, the dead bodies 

 of the following birds might be met, in greater or lesser numbers, lying 

 scattered about : — 



"Water ouzel (C. aquaticus) : in numbers. 



Song thrush (Jf. mitsica) ; blackbird {M. vulga/ris) ; redwing (Jf. 

 iliaca) ; fieldfare (Jf. pilaris) : in great numbers. 



Hedge-sparrow {A. modularis) ; robin {K ruhecula) ; stonechat 

 {S. rulicola) : in numbers. 



Tits {Pari) ; either two or three species ; I forgot to note the parti- 

 cular species : in numbers. 



Titlark {A, pratensis); skylark (A. arvensis); common bunting or 

 bush lark {U. miliaria) ; yellowhammer (U. citrinella) ; black-headed 

 bunting {JE. schceniclus) ; chaffinch {F. coelehs) ; common sparrow {Pas- 

 ser domesticus), rare in district ; greenfinch {C. chloris) ; goldfinch 

 ( G. elegans) ; common linnet {L. cannahina) ; lesser redpole {L. minor) ; 

 mountain linnet {L. flavirostris) ; starling ( S. vulgaris) : in great num- 

 bers. 



Chough {F. graculus) ; raven {C. comix) ; Royston crow (C corax) ; 

 jackdaw {G. monedula) ; rook (C frugilegus) ; magpie (P. melanolewa) : 

 a few only. 



Red grouse {T. scoticus) ; partridge {P. cinerea) : in numbers. 



Golden plover {G. pluvialis) : a few. 



Sandlark {Tringa variabilis) : a few. 



Lapwing ( Vanellus cristatus) ; in great numbers. 



Curlew {N. arquata) : a few. 



Whimbrel {N. phceopus) : a few. 



Godwit {Limosa rufa) ? I am not quite sure of the species ; both 

 may have occurred : a few. 



Snipe {S. gallinago) ; jack-snipe {S. gallinula) : nearly extermi- 

 nated. 



"Wnd duck {A. hoschas) : a few. 



"Widgeon {M. penelope) : a few. 



Gulls {Lari) ; either three or four species : a few. 



I have omitted in the above list one or two species which I met 

 dead, but which I had not means of identifying. Some of these had 

 seldom or ever been seen in the neighbourhood before. 



After the frost had lasted three weeks, the birds could be knocked 

 down with a stick, they had become so tame and listless. Small boys 

 and women might be seen hawking snipe about at a penny a dozen, but 

 as the birds were mere feathers and bone, they were not worth even that. 

 In the street of Castletown Berehaven I myself have seen them caught. 

 In Cahirciveen the starlings came down the chimneys at night, and 



