1 86 Tlic Irish Naturalist. [August, 



White Wagtails at Bartragh, Co. IVlayo. 



It may be of interest to note that the White Wagtails \Motacilla alba) 



have again visited the island of Bartragh (Killala Bay) on their northern 



migration this season. Mr. A. C. Kirkwood. on the 27th of April, met a 



solitary bird in the stable-yard at Bartragh, and a few days later saw 



another. This bird disappeared in a day or two, but was succeeded 



by another pair that were observed on the 4th of May feeding on a 



manure heap in the stable-yard. From the fact of these birds having 



been observed during the spring migration on the island of Bartragh in 



1851, 1893, 1S97, 1898, and in April and May of the present year, it is 



more than probable that they pass over Bartragh every spring on their 



way to Iceland, but they are not seen, unless strong northerly winds 



occur at the time of their passage, causing a few birds to rest and feed 



on Bartragh before continuing their northerly flight. 



Robkrt Warrkn. 

 Ballina. 



Rose-coloured Pastor near Inch, Co. Donegal. 



On 9th June Mr. John Hunter obtained a specimen of this bird, Pastor 



roscits, L,., in fine plumage, between Bridge-end and Inch, about five miles 



from Londonderry. 



D. C. Campbei^. 

 Londonderry. 



Quail in Co. Dublin. 



On May 27th last a Quail was whistling in the same field, near Temple- 

 ogue, in which I heard one in the last Quail year, 1896. 



G. P. Farran. 



Cormorants breeding in trees. 



I have just visited a lonely lake in the Mayo mountains which at one 

 end contained some islands. One of these is overgrown with yew, birch, 

 and holly of great age. Before reaching this island we heard the cries 

 of a large bird colony, and on rowing round it we found all the trees on 

 the south side and the east end laden with Cormorants' nests, tier above 

 tier, three and four deep, supporting both old and young birds. The 

 former did not take flight until we had a good look at them, and when 

 they did, some tumbled down into the water below before they could get 

 under weigh. One was hanging from the fork of a tree in which its neck 

 was caught. The young, three and four in each nest, were mostly of 

 large size, showing the wing-feathers, but several nests contained eggs or 

 newly-hatched young. The nests were compact and small for so many 

 large birds to stand on. They were built of coarse heather-stems. Several 

 of the trees were dead or dying from the droppings of the birds which 

 covered everything beneath the] nests. From the water the array of 

 nests laden with birds looked most striking. I counted eighty, but 

 allowing for others I could not see from the water there may have been 

 a hundred. When the old birds had taken flight on our nearer approach 



