1901. Notes. 93 



Corn-Crake in January. 



On the 8th January, 1901, a Corn-Crake (jCrex pratensis, Bech.) was 



caught alive, not far from the sea at Sydenham, Co. Down. It was turned 



out of a hedge by a dog, and only captured after a long chase. It was in 



excellent condition when caught, but was so injured by the dog that it 



only lived a few days. I examined it in the flesh. It was the cause of 



a somewhat humorous correspondence in one of the local papers. 



Robert Patterson. 

 Belfast. 



Black-tailed Godwit in Co. Wexford. 



In Wexford the Black-tailed Godwit seems to deserve the reputation, 

 as given to it by Mr. R.J. Ussher (''Birds of Ireland," pp. 306-7), of being 

 an "occasional visitant" — "a scarce and uncertain bird, much rarer than 

 the Bar-tailed Godwit." Thus it does not seem to be at all well known 

 in this county, although Thompson wrote (".Natural History of Ireland," 

 i., p. 226) that "in the first week of November, and at other times, a few 

 have been met with on the coast of Wexford," Of late years the only 

 record which I can lay hands on of the occurrence of this bird in the 

 county is that of my friend Mr. E. A. Gibbon, who {Irish Naturalist, 1895, 

 p. 319) reported one shot on August 24, and another on September 17, 1895, 

 both near Rosslare, the former on the same day as an Avocet. The last 

 two occurrences accord well with Mr. Ussher's statement that " August 

 and September are the months in which Black- tailed Godwits chiefly 

 find their way to Ireland." " In winter," he adds, " these birds are very 

 rare, and there is no record for February." It will, therefore, be of some 

 interest to Irish ornithologists to know that during the past winter 

 Black-tailed Godwits had been quite numerous in certain parts of the 

 south-east of Wexford. On December 10th the Rev. Paul F. Kehoe sent 

 me a specimen with the information that it was "shot in Kilmore last 

 week. They are very plentiful there at present, and they feed with the 

 Teal and Widgeon. The men around have not seen it previously, and 

 sent the specimen to me for identification." These birds seem to have 

 found congenial quarters in this country, for so late as the 24th January 

 my correspondent wrote me that having been at Kilmore on the previous 

 da} r he had seen "a flock of Godwits, numbering perhaps three hundred, 

 flying around with Plover in all directions-" 



This visitation of Black-tailed Godwits seems to have terminated at 

 about the end of January, for my correspondent wrote me under date of 

 February 14th that they had " not been seen during the past fortnight." 



Enniskillen. G. E. H. Barrett-Hamii/ton. 



Smew on Lough Neagh. 



Captain Bruce, of the Lodge, Toomebridge, Co. Antrim, has sent me 

 a female Smew which had been shot on Lough Neagh near that place 

 in the last week of February. 



Holywood. R. L,i«oyd Patterson. 



