tg^ Patten. — Rambles on Ackill Island, 199 



It first appeared from over the top, and, dropping down 

 on the side of the wall facing me, commenced to examine 

 systematically eveT)^ nook and corner. Nothing could be 

 more interesting than to watch the daring of this little animaL 

 Predatory by nature, and intent on seizing its prey alive, it 

 shows none of the timidity so common among many other 

 animals when man appears on the scene, A rat at a stone 

 wall disappears from one's gaze at once not to return ; a 

 squirrel rushes up the tree and hides among the topmost 

 foliage* The big herbivores and even many of the carnivores 

 take to their heels at the sight of man ; but, undaunted in 

 courage and bent on business, the nimble Stoat treks along 

 the wall in and out, ever and anon disappearing and re-appear- 

 ing to the delight of the naturalist Keeping apace with 

 the little animal, I had it in view for a full hundred yards 

 until finally it jumped into a potato-field and disappeared. 



During my ramble along the beach, the only other species 

 of bird which I came across was a Whimbrel, which passed 

 overhead attracting my attention by its loud whistles. 



Saturday, September 7.1st.— ^h^Q. afternoon w^as spent on the 

 slob-lands of the Sound, where I observed a small flock of 

 Dunlins in immature plumage associating with numbers of 

 Ringed Plovers. 



Sunday, September 227id. — At 11 a.m. Mr. Williams and I 

 left the Sound. It was a hot misty day with a gentle S W. 

 wind. We took the road to Breanaskill Ba}^ thence by Der* 

 reen to Kildavnet. At the churchyard here we saw pipes, 

 some in boxes, laid on the graves, a habit still kept up in 

 numbers of remote country places in Ireland. 



Watching the birds on the beach, I saw two Hooded Crows 

 feeding with Redshanks. It is interesting to think how the 

 force of circumstances acts so instinctively among lower 

 animals. That both Crow and Redshank were hungry there 

 w^as no doubt, and that several times the former could have 

 easily seized and killed the latter was equall}^ true. But, here 

 one sees the Crow, not purel}" predatorj^ by nature, in- 

 stinctively fraternizing with shore-birds, to satisfy a common- 

 want ; though had one of the latter been even slightly dis- 

 abled, the Crow would have set upon it and torn it to pieces 

 at once. 



