34 The Irish Naturalist. March, 



Ravens at Lambay. 



I think the Ravens which Mr. Pack Beresford [Irish Nat. Nov., 1921 

 p. 136) says that he saw on September 20th at Howth were probaby, 

 the pair which make their home at Lambay. These birds were at first 

 taken for Carrion-crows, and were so reported in the Irish Naturalist 

 of February 1913. The identification was (very properly) called in 

 question by ornithologists, and it may now be dismissed as erroneous. 

 The Ravens have been observed as frequenting Lambay since 191 2 ; in 

 1920 and 192 1 they nested on the island and on each occasion reared 

 two young ones, which were able to fly early in May, and are driven away 

 from their home by their parents in September. On the 4th of June, 

 192 1, one of this year's birds (a male) had the misfortune to be caught 

 in a rabbit-trap. The two old birds can be seen or heard daily at Lambay. 

 Through the winter they help themselves to the rats and rabbits that 

 are caught in gins. 



Cecil Baring. 

 Bishopsgate, London, E.C. 



Notes on the Birds of Inishbofin. 



I had an opportunity of spending three days on Inishbofin in the second 

 week in June, 1920. As it is a somewhat out-of-the-way spot, the following 

 notes may be of interest. 



Chough {Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax). — Fairly numerous. Several pairs 

 are breeding. I was shown two nests, one in the old " Signal Tower " near 

 the harbour, and the other in the cliffs on the north of the island. 



Wheatear [Oenanthe c. oenanthe). — Exceedingly common all over the 

 island, and breeding in large numbers in the crevices, under the rocks, etc. 



Corncrake {Crex crex). — Very numerous. These were to be heard 

 calling from every part of the island, especially in the evening. I found 

 one nest with eggs in the bank of a little stream in the centre of the island. 



Manx Shearwater [Puffimis p. puffinus). — 1 was shown one nesting 

 hole in the north, which contained one egg. (Recorded in " British Birds," 

 vol. xiv., page 188). There were several other disused burrows, but I was 

 unable to see any other birds. 



Other species seen on the island were : — Hooded Crow (Corvus c. cornix). 

 Starling {Sturmis v. vulgaris), House Sparrow {Passer d. domesticus), 

 Yellow Bunting (Emberiza citrinella) , Reed Bunting [Eniberiza s. schoeniclus) 

 Skylark [Alauda a. arvensis), Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis), Rock Pipit 

 {Anthus spinoletta petrosus) , Pied Wagtail {Motacilla alba lugubris), Greater 

 Whitethroat {Sylvia c. communis), Blackbird (Turdus m. rnerula). Stone- 

 chat {Saxicola torquata hibernans). Wren {Troglodytes t. troglodytes). 

 Cuckoo {Cucuhis c. canorus). Kestrel {Falco t. tinnunculus), Gannet {Sula 

 bassana). Cormorant {Phalacrocorax carbo). Shag {Phalacrocorax graculus). 

 Ringed Plover {Charadrius h. hiaticula). Curlew {Numenins arquata). 

 Oyster Catcher {Haematopus 0. ostralegus), Artie Tern {Sterna paradisaea). 

 Guillemot {Uria t. troille). Black Guillemot {Uria grylle). Herring Gull 

 {Larus argentatus). Lesser Black-backed Gull) Lams fiiscus). Greater 

 Black-backed Gull {Larus marinus). 



