I9IO. \JssunR.—/^osa/)c?ma Confere7ice. — Birds. 171 



The Cormorant was seen on Mulroy Bay, but the Shag was 

 much more numerous, as it is on the west coast generally. 

 On Melmore Head, Shags were nesting near the top of the 

 cliff in more exposed sites than I had seen before. Oyster- 

 catchers were found in several places where they doubtless 

 breed, and Ringed Plovers (which had eggs or young) were 

 numerous at Rosapenna and on the strands of Rosguill. Above 

 one of these the sand}^ tract extended up the slope of the land, 

 and here five pairs of Little Terns were uttering the cries of a 

 nesting-colon5\ Common or Arctic Terns were flying over 

 Sheep Haven. A few adult and immature Black-headed Gulls 

 were on the flats of the golf-links, where there was a large 

 assemblage of Common Gulls (^L. canus) in the evenings, 

 evidently seeking slugs. I saw no Common Gulls on the sea- 

 cliffs, but there is a ver}^ fine colony of Herring-Gulls on 

 Melmore Head, where the sloping, rock}- point is separated 

 from the hill behind b}- a chasm not eas)^ to pavSS. The 5^oung 

 were beginning to fl}' (13th July) but had not quitted the 

 breeding-piace, A pair of Great Black-backed Gulls were at 

 home at Melmore Head, and another pair with two j^oung on 

 Rough Island at the Murder Hole. Kittiwakes had vast 

 colonies at Horn Head, and some on Tory Island, and the Auk 

 family were breeding as usual in both localities. On Tor}' 

 Island the Puffins had scattered colonies along the cliffs and 

 slopes on the north side, which present views of such marvel- 

 lous stacks and tors. Our view of Tormore was obscured by 

 a dense fog. 



We had a fine view of the Horn Head cliffs as the steamer 

 took us close under them on the 12th, but the bird life there 

 did not seem to me as numerous as when I visited Horn Head 

 in 189 1. We saw a Black Guillemot at the mouth of Dun- 

 fanaghy Ba3^ On Tor}' Island a boy brought in four eggs of 

 Peregrine that he had taken some time before, and said that 

 other pairs breed on the island. We heard that the Petrels' 

 breeding-places were difficult to approach, and the fog rendered 

 this impossible. 



Bones of Great Auk had been found by Dr. Scharff among 

 the kitchen-middens at Rosapenna, and additional evidence 

 was now discovered by Miss Weir and myself in the shape of 

 five humeri representing four individuals (Plate 10). 



Cappagh, Co. Waterforrl, 



