232 The Irish NaturalisL t)ecembei% 



THE DARTFORD WARBLER IN IRELAND. 



BY R. M. BARRINGTON, M.A., F.L.S. 



Although birds of greater rarity have been obtained at Irish 

 hght-stations, such, for example, as the Antarctic Sheathbill 

 (Chionis alba) of the southern ocean, and Pallas' Grass- 

 hopper Warbler {Locustella certhiola) from E. Asia, probably 

 no more interesting bird has occurred than the Dartford 

 Warbler {Sylvia undata dartfordiensis), which was caught at 

 the Tuskar lighthouse, Co. Wexford, by Mr. A. OTeary, 

 lightkeeper, on the 27th of October last, and forwarded to 

 me as an unknown bird, in the flesh. In the ordinary 

 sense, this bird is a resident species in S. England, and in the 

 more extended sense of the word " migratory" it is not 

 even an occasional wanderer across the sea, for, though it 

 has twice occurred in Heligoland, it has never been obtained 

 at any light-station in Great Britain or Ireland. It is 

 the " Furze -wren " of southern England, concealing itself 

 so easily that it is said a small patch of furze may contain 

 several without the birds attracting attention. 



The specimen received was an adult, in rather bad con- 

 dition ; however, with care, a very good skin was made. 

 Mr. W. P. Pycraft, of the British Museum, kindly dissected 

 the body, and it proved to be a female. 



Two European races have been distinguished by Dr. Har- 

 tert,^ Sylvia undata undata, inhabiting the south of France, 

 Spain, Portugal, Corsica, vSardinia, and South Italy ; and 

 Sylvia undata dartfordensis, to which the Irish specimen 

 belongs, being resident in the South of England and North- 

 western France. This latter is slightly smaller, and browner 

 on the back and flanks than the more southern variety. 



In Newton's edition of Yarrell, 1871-74, the bird is 

 said to remain in England throughout the whole year and 

 never to fly more than fifty yards at a time. Howard 

 Saunders, in his " Handbook," 1899, says that " allowing 

 for a little wandering, it is a resident species in the South of 

 England," and in the most recent " Hand List of British 

 Birds," 1912, it is given as "resident." In Rodd's "Birds of 

 Cornwall," 1880, it is said to have been formerly rare in that 

 county, but is " now known not to be uncommon on furzy 



i " Vogeln der Pal. Fauna," page 600. 



