108 The Irish Naturalist. Sept. 



Black-tailed Godwits in Co. Mayo. 



Early in September I shot, on the estuary of the River Moy, which 

 flows by our island, a couple of Blacktailed Godwits. None of us have 

 ever seen one here before, and my father, who has used a shooting-canoe 

 for over fifty years and has often bagged large numbers of Godwits, never 

 found one of the Black-tailed amongst them, while the late Mr, Robert 

 Warren, a great friend of ours, only observed them on a few occasions. 



Maud Kirkwood. 

 Bartra Island, Co. Mayo. 



OBITUARY. 



REV. COSSLETT HERBERT WADDELL, B.D. 



Death has been busy lately among the ranks of Irish naturalists, and 

 our pages recently have recorded many losses. The decease last May 

 of C. H. Waddell, stiU in the full vigour of manhood, causes a gap in 

 Irish botany which no one can at present fill. Graduating in Trinity 

 College, and ordained in 1880, his was the quiet Ufe of the Irish country 

 clergyman — first as curate at Lurgan and Warrenpoint, then as vicar of 

 Saintfield (1890), and finally as rector of Greyabbey (1912), where he re- 

 mained until his death. He early showed an interest in systematic 

 botany, in which he was encouraged and aided by that most helpful 

 and generous of North of Ireland workers, S. A. Stewart. He became 

 expert both as regards the Flowering Plants and the Higher Cryptogams, 

 and from 1893 onwards was an occasional contribut r to the Journal of 

 Botany and a frequent contributor to the Irish Naturalist from its founda- 

 tion in 1892. He was especially interested in Mosses and in the critical 

 genera of Flowering Plants, such as Brambles, Roses, Hawkweeds and 

 Knotweeds, and contributed many specimens in these groups to the 

 Watson Botanical Exchange Club. He was not a profuse writer, his 

 contributions generally taking the form of short notes ; and these were 

 confined, so far as I am aware, to the two journals named. He maintained 

 for forty years, since his election in 1879, a warm interest in the Belfast 

 Naturahsts' Field Club ; he served long on the Committee, and occupied 

 the Presidential chair in 1898-99 and 1 899-1 900 ; he made numerous 

 contributions to its Proceedings, being especially active in lectures of 

 instruction connected with the Club's Botanical Section. 



Gifted with an enquiring mind and a critical eye, he obtained a thorough 

 knowledge of the more obscure groups in the local flora, and it is to be 

 regretted that he did not to a larger extent push his enquiries to the point 

 of pubhcation. A pleasant and helpful companion, his loss will be deeply 

 felt by all who had the advantage of spending days in his company among 

 the hills and vales of County Down. 



R. Ll. p. 



