1901. Notes. 14*7 



Breeding of Wigeon in Ireland. 



Early in May, 1901, Mr. John Cottney sent me some duck's eggs and 

 down which he took near a lake within thirty miles of Belfast. Not 

 having any similar down for comparison, on the 18th May, accompanied 

 by two friends, I visited the lake and we were fortunate enough to find 

 a clutch of exactly similar eggs, and flushed the female off the nest. 

 When on the lake I saw several pairs of Wigeon. I sent the eggs and 

 down to Mr. Ussher, and he, after careful comparison with authentic 

 Wigeon's down and eggs, informs me he has no doubt whatever that 

 they are Wigeon's. It is most satisfactory to be now able to include the 

 Wigeon with certainty among the breeding birds of Ireland, and I have 

 to thank Mr. Ussher for the great trouble he took in the matter. 



Belfast. Robert Patterson. 



The Dunlin breeding in Ireland. 



In the latter end of May, 1885, I obtained evidence for the first time of 

 the Dunlin (Tringa alpinci) breeding in Ireland, in County Westmeath, 

 on the shores of L,ough Sheelin. The eggs were submitted by me to 

 authorities in Dublin and in London, and wefe not recognised by them as 

 Dunlins, but stated to be varieties of the Common Sandpiper. Since 

 then by adopting other measures I have unquestionably verified my first 

 observations of the Dunlin breeding on this lake. On May 22nd, 1901, I 

 found quite a colony of Dunlins breeding on another Westmeath lake. 

 Twenty pair, at least, would be a minimum estimate if anything of the 

 actual number. I had them under observation for a week, and had the 

 opportunity of photographing the adult birds both beside the nest and 

 sitting on their eggs • they were very tame, and had a most pleasant and 

 melodious little twittering song, somewhat resembling the distant 

 clicking of a fishing-reel, only much softer in tone. I saw as many as 

 twelve birds together at a time in one place. The nests were built in 

 exceedingly short grass, some twenty paces from the lakeshore, and lay 

 midway between the shingle on which Ringed Plover were nesting and 

 the longer grass in which Redshank and Sandpipers were breeding. 

 Although there was heather and marsh}* ground in the vicinity no 

 Dunlin appeared to be breeding there. In looking up the literature on 

 the subject of the Dunlin breeding in Ireland I was surprised at its scanty 

 nature. Howard Saunders states—" In Ireland it is only known to nest 

 in small numbers in the north-west." Mr. More that — "A few breed on 

 the bogs and moors in the west and north of Ireland." Mr. Ussher — "The 

 Dunlin has a wide range in the breeding "season, and has been found 

 nesting on elevated mountains, as well as on low-lying lake-shores in the 

 centre of Ireland and marshes near the sea." 



Mr. K. Williams very kindly came down to see the colony on receipt 

 of a telegram from me. On minute examination of the birds he was of 

 opinion that their plumage was different from that found at the same 

 time of year among Dunlin on the sea-coast. These breeding birds were 

 also of the long-billed variety of Patten. 



Bray. K. Bl<AKS KNOX. 



