34 The Irish Naturalist. February, 



increased in numbers since. I think the more minute particulars of 

 introduction there may be obtainable from Mr. Robert Sewill, or Mr. 

 F. W. Gladstone, or from Sir Herbert Maxwell. It might be desirable 

 to place all such facts in chronological procession. 



J. A. Harvie-Brown. 

 Larbert, N.B. 



The Jay in Ulster. 



Mr. R J. Ussher in his interesting notes on " Ja3S in Ulster" {supra, 

 p. 13), remarks that " Mr. Thompson in the middle of the [nineteenth] 

 century knew of none in the North of Ireland." In reference to this, a 

 vivid recollection of my childhood may perhaps be permitted. It was, 

 I think, about the year 1853, that a Jay appeared in our garden and 

 remained through part of the autumn, feasting on the ripe pears. It 

 was bold and pugnacious, allowing no other birds to come near the 

 fruit, except the little Titmice, which might be seen clinging to and 

 boring into the pears. No one, however, thought of grudging the fruit. 



W. B. Hart. 

 Kilderry, Co. Donegal. 



Crossbills in Donegal. 



On the last day of December, my daughters brought in an account of 

 certain birds, new to them, that they had seen ; which, from their des- 

 cription, could evidently be nothing else than Crossbills; a conjecture, 

 I have now had the satisfaction of verifying ; having been able to watch 

 them for a considerable time, so near that, with the binocular, the 

 peculiar form of the mandibles was quite distinguishable. It w^as 

 amusing sometimes to see one of the little creatures clip off a twig with 

 a larch-cone attached, and fly with it to a more convenient perch. 



W. B. Hart. 

 Kilderry, Co. Donegal. 



Kingfisher in Co. Dublin. 



On December 30 and 31, I saw a Kingfisher {Alcedo ispida, Ivinn) on 



the Dodder between Rathfarnham Road and Orwell Road. In Ussher's 



"Birds of Ireland" it is mentioned as a scarce bird, so I thought it 



worth recording. 



Norman B. Stephens. 

 79, Rathmines Road, Dublin. 



[The presence of Kingfishers in this locality is well known to several 

 Dublin Naturalists. We hope that our readers will protect these 

 interesting birds so near the City. — Bds.] 



Phoca vitulina oflf Co Wicklow. 



I saw a full-grown specimen of the dark variety of this seal at Grey- 

 stones last July. It appeared several times on the rocks during the day 

 till finally hunted away by the report of a gun. 



Norman B. Stephens. 



Rathmines-road, Dublin. 



