J50 The Irish Naturalist, 



also saw Tufted Ducks, which in 1 893 appeared to be much 

 more numerous. Several of their nests were taken on I^ough 

 Arrow in June, 1892, by Mr. H. L. Jameson, who also took three 

 eggs of Great Crested Grebe, and discovered between I^ough 

 Arrow and Bally mote many Whinchats, some with young, 

 a species reported to me by Colonel Ffolliott, but which I did 

 not see there. I saw, however, Great Crested Grebes, and a 

 Woodcock sitting on her eggs. Reed Buntings are always to 

 be found hatching at this season on the islands in Irish lakes. 

 It was reserved for my second visit to Hollybrook, in 1893, 

 to discover there the Garden Warbler singing in two parts of 

 the demesne. I observed it morning and afternoon and on 

 successive days, so that it is evidently a regular visitor there. 



On June 12th, accompanied by Colonel Ffolliott, I visited 

 lyough Key, contiguous to the demesne of Rockingham, Co. 

 Roscommon, an exceedingly beautiful, wooded lake, with 

 numerous islands abounding in bird-life, being preserved. 

 We passed a Lesser Black-backed Gull perched on a stone, 

 and visited two small islets crowded as thickly as possible 

 with nests of the Black-headed Gull, which had hard set eggs 

 or young : among these I found a nest of Tufted Duck contain- 

 ing thirteen eggs with some flags growing round it. In every 

 part of the lake we saw Tufted Ducks and Mergansers, usually 

 paired, showing that the females had not begun to hatch. 

 We also put up three male Shovellers, and in a reed-bed saw a 

 Great-crested Grebe. On a small islet within a short distance 

 of Rockingham House and terrace-garden I found five nests, 

 with two and three eggs each, of Common Tern among large 

 stones at the verge of the scanty soil of the island, and 

 backed by the bushes growing thereon. 



On Hermitage Island a colony of Cormorants were breeding 

 in Ash-trees, which preponderate there and form a dense dark 

 grove. I reckoned fourteen nests (but there were probably 

 more) placed from thirty to forty feet above the ground ; most 

 contained fully fledged j^oung. Several of the old Cormorants 

 remained on their nests while we were beneath. I was 

 informed that Herons breed on this island along with 

 Cormorants, as they do at Lough Cutra in Co. Galway, 

 where a much larger colony of both species build in high 

 trees. 



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