I9IO. Campbp^i,!,. — Birds of Inch and Upper Lough Swilly. 19 



the shores of Lough Swilly one winter, and was seen at 

 Buncrana. 



The Starling i^Sturnus vulgaris^ Linn.) has increased ver}' 

 much of late years. I can remember thirt3'-five years ago 

 when a Starling's nest was a great prize — now the Starlings 

 breed commonly and in numbers all over the district. 



On Qth June, 1899, Mr. John Hunter shot a Rosy Pastoi 

 {Pastor 70set(s, Linn.) between Bridge End and Inch. It was 

 an adult female in fine plumage. It had frequented the neigh- 

 bourhood for some days, and was much chased by other birds. 



The Chough {Pyj-rhocorax gracnhis^ Linn.), although a coast 

 bird, occasionally comes up the Swilly, and has been seen near 

 Rathmullan. I have the following note on this species. The 

 sons of Mr. P. Johnston climbed over the cliffs near Dun- 

 fanagh}" and brought up two young birds from a Chough's 

 nest. Their father was much annoyed, and made the boys 

 take back the birds and leave them on the top of the cliffs. 

 Much to his surprise the parent birds managed to convey the 

 young ones down to the nest. 



The Magpie {Pica rusiica^ Scopoli), Jackdaw (Corv7is vionc- 

 diila, Linn.), and Rook {C. JnigHegiis, Linn.), are ver\' common : 

 the -Hooded Crow^ (C comix^ Linn.) is fairly so. 



The Skylark {A/aiida arvensis, Linn.) is very abundant and 

 his exuberant song may be heard from July to August. I 

 have frequent!}' noted the period of song while on the wing 

 and found the average time to be from 2^ to 5 minutes, excep- 

 tionally 5 to 7 minutes, and very rarely up to 10 minutes. 



The Picarine group is represented by five species. The Swift 

 {Cypselns apns, Linn.) arrives with wonderful regularity usually 

 from 5th to lotli Ma}'. I have noticed that often one or two 

 birds precede the main body. These pioneers seem to wander, 

 as they may frequent a place for a day at time and then dis- 

 appear. The Nightjar {Cap^inndgns cuivpcens^ Linn.) visits 

 different parts of Donegal, and has been shot at Portsalon and 

 heard at Fahan. It has been repoited to me from Burtwoods, 

 Inch. One of the rarest birds found at Inch was the Roller 

 {Coracias gam(h{s, Linn.) : one was shot by Mr John M'Connell 

 on Burt slob in October, 1891. It frequented a field of beans 

 in stooks — but I should think it was searching for beetles rather 

 than beans. Another Roller was shot by Mr. T. Steen at 

 Ture, Co. Donegal, on 27th September, 1900 (/A^., vol. x, p. 23). 

 It frequented the neighbourhood for some days and was 



