156 The hish Naturalist. August, 1910. 



what quantity is not stated {Cybclc, 2ii(l Ed , p. 513). Towards the end of 

 April last a flowering specimen was sent to me by my friend, Miss Amy 

 Warren, from the latter station, Monkstown, where she informed me she 

 found it growing in great abundance in many places along the roadside. 

 In further correspondence I learned from Miss Warren that the plant 

 grows literally in thousands at intervals for a space of about three miles 

 along the sea road at Monkstown, but that she failed to find any trace of 

 it inland or farther south along the shores of Cork Harbour at Ring or 

 Crosshaven. For at least 14 years the plant has persisted at Monkstown 

 where in all probability it first appeared as an outcast or escape from 

 garden culture. It is evidently so fully established there at present as to 

 merit admission to the Irish flora as a naturalized alien. 



In Southern Europe this onion has a marginal or coastal distribution 

 chiefly along the Mediterranean. At Monkstown it no doubt spreads 

 chiefly by seed, which it freely ripeus there. 



N. CoiyGAN. 



Sandycove, Co. Dublin. 



In 1899 I saw this plant growing in wooded ground away from houses 

 near Kenmare, Co. Kerry, and looking naturalized. 



R. Ivi,. Prakger. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Common Tern near Kingstown in March. 



On Wednesday, ]\Iarch i6th, 1910, I observed a Common Tern {Sterna 

 fluvialilis) two miles outside Kingstown Harbour. The bird came close 

 astern of the steamer on which I was a passenger, and after keeping to 

 port for three or four minutes it headed away in the direction of Dublin, 

 passing through a large gathering of Herring-Gulls which were feeding 

 on floating garbage. The appearance of this tern so early in the Spring 

 is, I believe, unusual, though it is interesting to note that its larger 

 congener, the Sandwich Tern {Sterna cantiaca) sometimes makes its 

 appearance in British waters towards the end of March. I should 

 mention that the above-mentioned Common Tern was in mature 

 plumage. 



Sheffield. 



C. J. Patten. 



Walrus reported from Clew Bay. 



Mr. Ussher draws our attention to a note in the Field of 30th October, 

 1909, in which the writer, Mr. E. Thomas O'Donel of Newport House, 

 Mayo, reports a Walrus as seen by him in Clew Bay in about four feet of 

 water, the long tusks coming down from the upper jaw being con- 

 spicuous. In a letter to Mr. Ussher, Mr. O'Donel adds that a few 

 hours later a man fishing four miles away also saw a Walrus. 



