1899.] Notes. 231 



Calls of Owls. 



Referring to C.B.M.'s mention of the above on page 1S4 of the current 

 volume, I have syllableised the shriek of the Barn Owl at different times 

 as " schkree — r " and "ske — r— arke." The snore of the young I render 

 as " skee — rep " or " see — rep " pronounced as if with an indrawn breath. 

 The resemblance to a snore increases as the nestlings grow older. 



I have a note giving the call of the young Tawny Owl as a kitten-like 

 "mew." 



I should be glad of opinions as to the correctness of my rendering of 

 the Barn Owl's calls, and also as to whether the mewing is a call used by 

 the young of both the Tawny and Long-eared Owl. 



I should be glad of any observations which would act as "aids to 

 identification without slaughter," with the view of incorporation in the 



next edition of my Dictionary of Bird Notes. 



Chas. Louis Hett. 

 Springfield, Brigg. 



Wood Sandpiper In Co. Watcrford. 



A Wood Sandpiper (To/anus glareola)'\vas obtained on the 26th of 



August, by Mr. J. F. Knox, on the Back Strand, Tramore, Co. Waterford. 



This is the fifth recorded occurrence of this species in Ireland, three 



having been obtained in Calary Bog, Co. Wicklow, and one near Lough 



Cullin, Co. Mayo, Sept. 5, 1898. 



E. Wl 1,1,1 am s. 

 Dublin. 



Wood Pigeon cooing by Moonlight. 



A Wood Pigeon seemed to have mistaken the bright moonlight of 

 the night of February 26th for daylight, as I heard him cooing in 

 the trees near the house here at 10.45 P- m - Again on the night of April 

 23rd one was cooing very distinctly at 11.20 p.m. Lastly on August 

 25th the moonlight seemed to have an exciting effect on a bird of 

 this species, for he began to coo loudly at 11 p.m., but only continued 

 to do so, as far as I am aware, for a few minutes. I am a good deal 

 away from home, so that it is possible that the habit of cooing at night 

 is more universal among Wood Pigeons than I imagine it to be. My 

 experience is not an isolated one for this county, as Mr. C. B. Moffat, 

 to whom I mentioned the subject, wrote me that at Ballyhyland, near 

 Fynniscorthy, "the Wood Pigeons cooing at night have been one of 

 the sensations here this spring. When I came down here on March 

 25th I was told that they were to be heard at all hours, and the 

 statement was fully confirmed to me the same night, when I heard them 

 in full voice at twenty minutes after midnight. I have heard them at it 

 frequently since." (Lit. of 16th May, 1899). I may add that the thunder 

 and heavy rain which we experienced here from about 5 to 9 a.m. on 

 August 18th, 1898, in no way interrupted the cooing of Wood Pigeons, 

 whose voices could be very distinctly heard between the claps. 



G. K. H. Barrett-Hamilton. 



Kilmanock, Arthurstown, Co. Wexford. 



