50 The hisJi Naturalist. March, 



subject it to further critical examination, and report again 

 on it.^ 



The second species whose occurrence I wish to 

 record is the Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus strepems). On 

 September 19th I obtained two of these birds out of a 

 party of five. While we have been supplied with hearsay 

 evidence of the occurrence of this warbler in Ireland, 

 I cannot find a record of the existence of any Irish specimen 

 other than the two now secured on the Tuskar. 



The third species I obtained on October 5th. It is a lark, 

 which from comparison answers to the description of Alan da 

 cantarclla, the Mediterranean Skylark. Indeed, when the 

 bird was undergoing critical examination at the British 

 Museum on October 17th last, Mr. Ogilvie-Grant seemed 

 quite definite in his opinion that the bird in question is 

 Aland a cantarella. While the pattern of the plumage bears 

 a close resemblance to that of our Common Skylark {Alauda 

 arvensis), the shade is quite different. In A. cantarella it 

 is ashy grey, and presents somewhat the sam^e relation 

 to the rich rufous shading of the Skylark's plumage as does 

 the winter plumage of a Dunlin or of a Ruff to the autumn 

 garb of these respective birds. But in the shorter and more 

 slender beak, with a stronger upward curvature of the 

 lower segment, the hindermost end or angle of the gonys 

 being more projecting ; in the conspicuous v/hite eye-stripe ; 

 and in the dark ear-coverts circumscribed below and behind 

 by a definite light band, A. cantarclla is at once dis- 

 tinguishable from A. arvensis. 



It is necessary to state that in contributing these brief 

 but important notes to the pages of the Irish Naturalist 

 for the benefit of Irish ornithologists, I desire it to be 

 understood that my w^ork carried out on the Tuskar Rock 

 last autumn forms only the beginning of a comprehensive 

 task which I have em.barked upon in connection with the 

 study of bird-migration at Irish Lighthouses. Aided by a 



1 In his 'Migration of Birds,' p. 99, Analysis of Reports, 1881, 

 1897, Mr. Barrington records the occurrence from the Tnskar of an 

 immature Ray's Wagtail in that state when it is difficult to tell it from 

 the Blue -headed Wagtail. I certainly think that the plumage of this 

 doubtful specimen should be carefully described. 



