140 The Irish Naturalist. August, 1917. 



Hoopoes in the County Waterford. 



About three weeks ago, two birds were observed by the servants in 

 the rectory here. The birds were quite close to the house, hardly twenty 

 yards away, on the avenue, and the description given by them so closely 

 corresponded with a pair of Hoopoes that I went at once, and got " British 

 Birds" by Stonham, and the volumes of "British Birds" illustrated 

 by Frohawk, and turned to the illustrations in both works. On my 

 showing the pictures to the servants, they said at once that the birds 

 they saw were Hoopoes. They appeared to be quite tame, and were only 

 frightened away by the sudden appearance and running near them of 

 two horses in an adjoining field. One of them kept bowing and erecting 

 his crest to the other. I deeply regret that I had not the opporutnity 

 of seeing them myself. 



William W. Flemyng. 



Portia w, Co. Waterford. 



Carrion Crow nesting at Ireland's Eye. 



On the 23rd May last, Mr. J. P. Brunker, a close observer of birds, 

 informed me that a black Carrion Crow was nesting at Ireland's Eye 

 and apparently hatching. On the 4th June I visited the Island, and found 

 the Crow sitting on her nest, which was placed in a miniature cavern, 

 in the face of a steep cliff, a little to the south of the Stack-rock. I had 

 a good opportunity of seeing the bird, through a very strong pair of Goerz 

 field-glasses, and feel sure that it was a Carrion Crow. On my approaching 

 the top of the cliff, the bird slipped off her nest, in the furtive way one 

 notices in the case of a raven. As far as I c^uld see, looking down from 

 above, there were no young birds in the nest, nor eggs. I again went 

 to the place, on the i8th June, but the Crow was nowhere to be seen, 

 and the nest was empty. It did not, however, appear to have been 

 disturbed, and there were no signs of anyone having got to it from above 

 or from below — by no means an easy thing to do. It seems strange that 

 the bird should have sat so close as she did, when I saw her on the first 

 occasion, without having eggs, and if there were any, I cannot account 

 for her deserting the nest. Mr. Brunker tells me there were two crows 

 when he was at the island in May last. 



The appearance of a Carrion Crow at Ireland's Eye has been recorded 

 by me in the Irish Naturalist in 191 4 and 19 16. The nest was made of 

 roots, twigs and dried grass. The Crow has not been seen since, although 

 the place has been visited by ^Messrs. Williams and Brunker. 



G. C. May. 

 13 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin. 



