July, I9I2, The Irish Nafiiyahst* 125 



WRENS ON MIGRATION OBSERVED AT THE 

 TUSKAR ROCK x\ND LIGHTHOUSE. 



BY PROFESSOR C. J. PATTEN, M.A., M.D., SC.D. 



During many years, extending from 1881 to 1897, Mr. 

 Barrington, in his " Migration of Birds " (Analysis of 

 Reports, p. 90 et seq.), records but a solitary example of a 

 Wren as having been taken at the Tuskar, Co. Wexford, the 

 date being October i6th, 1888, and only four examples alto- 

 gether as having struck the lanterns on the east coast of 

 Ireland, the remaining three being from the Maidens, Co. 

 Antrim. Of these one was obtained on November 

 19th, 1898, one on May 8th, 1890, and the third 

 on May 12th, 1S99. Mr. Barrington then says, " it 

 is remarkable that as many as three of them are from 

 the Antrim coast. This may mean that the Wren chooses 

 the route between Antrim and the S.W. of Scotland as 

 the shortest passage from Ireland to Britain — a selection 

 not unnatural in the case of the shortest winged British 

 Bird." I am bound to say that I think Mr. Barrington 

 has launched his hypothesis in regard to the migration route 

 on insufficient data ; there was far too meagre an amount of 

 material obtained. From what I have witnessed at the 

 Tuskar I make bold to sa}^ that in all likehhood the Wren 

 passes that rock in as large numbers as an}/ other lighthouse 

 round the east coast of Ireland. I put it down to chance 

 on the part of the lightkeepers' observation more than 

 anything else that the ratio of captures at the Maidens 

 turned out to be 3 to i at the Tuskar. The reason why this 

 bird has not been captured in greater numbers at the 

 lantern, I should say, largely depends on the fact that it 

 comes along very quietly, makes little, almost no noise at 

 the glass, and straight away settles down to rest in a recess 

 or on a sash of the window pane. Thus, if the hghtkeeper 

 on his watch happens not to be continuously out on the 

 balcony, the bird might remain all through the hours of 

 darkness at the lantern free from observation. When I 

 went up to the lantern to study migration, it was my 

 custom to remain all night out on the balcony. Thus when 



