4 The Irish Naturalist. January, 



Mr. Barrington's data of the arrivals of Woodcocks make me 

 realize more fully than when I wrote in the " Birds of Ireland,'' 

 that the early appearance of these birds in western Kerry and 

 Cork points to their having come down the west coast, rather 

 than from the south-east of Ireland and the direction of Wales. 



My remarks in the above work on trans-marine migration 

 were made from my separate examination of the reports, at the 

 cost of much time and labour, and they generally agree with 

 the statements in Mr. Barrington's volume. I had, however, 

 written on the Passcres and some other groups before the later 

 reports were printed, and I was unable to digest exhaustively 

 the migration records, being more occupied with the inland 

 distribution and other aspects of our ornithology. Therefore, 

 I wish to state that if discrepancies are found between us, Mr. 

 Barrington's work upon migration should carry the greater 

 weight to which his superior acquaintance with his branch 

 of the subject entitles him. 



The west coast, Donegal to Kerry inclusive, has also been 

 shown to be that most frequented in autumn or winter by the 

 Greenland Falcon, Mealy Redpoll, Snow-Bunting, Common 

 Snipe, Whimbrel, Glaucous and Iceland Gulls, and Barnacle 

 Goose ; while the Twite, Water-Rail, and Purple Sand-piper 

 are considered by Mr. Barrington to have a tendency to strike 

 on the north and west coasts, though for proof of this more 

 instances are desirable. Most of the above species breed out 

 of Ireland — in Iceland or in arctic countries, and the Water- 

 Rails and Snipes that occur on our north-west coasts probably 

 arrive in autumn from the same direction. 



The spring occurrences of Wagtails at Inishtrahull, one of 

 which proved to be a White Wagtail, are very interesting, for 

 when taken in connection with the repeated captures of this 

 bird in Co. Mayo in April, we may infer that it uses the 

 western coast of Ireland on its journey to the north. Mr. 

 Eagle-Clarke has shown that it travels up the west coast of 

 Britain at the same season (Report of British Assoc, 1900). 



The Wheatears which strike western lighthouses at the end 

 of April, are supposed by Mr. Barrington to De also on their 

 journey to the far north. 



The records of the numbers of birds that strike the lanterns 

 are influenced by a circumstance hitherto unnoticed, which 



