144 Ihe Irish Naturalist. [June, 1899 



BIRDS. 



Crccn Woodpecker in Ireland.— A Correction. 



In Swann's " Handbook of British Birds, " 1896, it is stated that this 

 species had only twice been obtained in Ireland previously to October, 

 1889, "when an extensive immigration occurred." 



Again, Afialo's " Sketch of the Natural History of the British Islands,'' 

 1898, speaks of a " recent immigration into Ireland, where previous to 

 the appearance of the last edition of Mr. Saunders' admirable manual 

 but two examples have been recorded." 



The above immigration never occurred, and neither edition of Mr. 

 Saunders' manual is responsible for such a statement as regards he 

 Green Woodpecker, though in the last quarter of 1889 six Great Spotted 

 Woodpeckers were shot in Ulster, two in Leinster, and one in Munster a 

 tenth was shot in Kerry in January, 1890. The species referred to should 

 therefore be Dendrocopits major. I make this correction in a friendly 

 spirit, as I hope any similar mistakes of mine hereafter may be imme- 

 diately corrected. 



R. J. Ussher 

 Cappagh, Co. Waterford. 



Spring Arrival of Sandwich Terns at Killala. 



The wet and excessively stormy weather evidently delayed the arrival 



of the Sandwich Tern in the bay and estuary, for although I saw a 



solitary bird flying over the estuary on the 26th of March, and three on 



the 5th of April, yet they did not appear in any numbers until the nth 



inst., when Mr. A. C. Kirkwood saw a fair number fishing in the sheltered 



channel near Partragh Island. 



Robert Warren. 

 Moyview, Ballina. 



Iceland Cull at Londonderry. 



On 17th April I noticed an Iceland gull {larus leucopterus) among the 



usual flock of common gulls which frequent the river Foyle along our 



quay. Fortunately it flew quite close to where I stood. It w r as the 



size of a small specimen of the Herring Gull, with wings extra long, and 



plumage was entirely white, showing that it was just passing into the 



mature state 



D. C CaMPBE^I,. 



Londonderry. 



MAMMALS. 



Capture of Live Bats. 



I should be glad if any readers of the Irish Naturalist could give me 

 some hints as to taking bats alive. I am desirous of photographing our 

 common ones. I have searched likely places for roosts without success. 

 I have been told that bats will settle on anything white, such as a sheet ; 

 but once tried it without success. 



Chas. Louis Hett. 



Brigg. 



