t9o8. Vh'tt'E^.— Rambles on Achill Island. 195 



was a Common Gull in the interesting brownish nestling 

 plumage. 



Sunday^ September i^th. — Mr. Williams and I left the Sound 

 at 10 a.m. I took with me the prism-binocular, but as the 

 day was misty and the weather unsettled I left the camera at 

 the house. We walked along the main road to Mweelin 

 valley, and then commenced the ascent of that mountain. 

 Pait of the ground at the foot of the mountain was swampy 

 and harboured numerous dark-coloured frogs, while higher 

 up several beautiful Stonechats, perching on the heather- 

 tops, attracted our attention. It was a delightful ascent; 

 vegetation was luxuriant, and insects abundant, judging from 

 the enormous numbers entangled in the geometrical webs of 

 the fat mountain spiders set over the furze and heath. 

 Towards the summit the mountain became so steep that with 

 each step we clutched the heather-stems to aid us in our 

 ascent. Now, and again, after a stiff climb we halted, and 

 from our pronograde position rolled over on our backs and 

 lay at full stretch almost breathless. With active exercise 

 and a sultry day the heat proved too much for us, so off went 

 not only our coats, but our waistcoats, collars, and ties. In 

 our lighter attire we scambled up, and after half an hour's 

 hard climbing reached the summit. 



During the ascent the midges proved very troublesome, and 

 it was not until we traversed the top and came in sight of the 

 mighty Atlantic and felt its refreshing breeze that the tiny 

 pests left off attacking us. Here the atmosphere was sur- 

 prisingly different from that of the leeward side which we had 

 just left. The breeze from the ocean w^as so sharp that we 

 quickly attired ourselves in our discarded garments, and even 

 while making a rapid descent we were none too warm. Far 

 beneath us lay Keel beach in full view; the gulls which 

 lined the fringe of the breakers appeared as little white dots, 

 and 3^et their harsh scolding cry was audible 1,500 feet above 

 the sea. Otherwise the beautiful stretches of sand appeared 

 void of bird-life, for the greyish shore-birds, whose colours so 

 admirably harmonize with their surroundings, were as yet 

 undiscernible by the naked eye. But the powerful binocular 

 revealed the presence of numbers of Redshanks, Oyster- 

 catchers, and Ringed Plovers, pattering about or flitting 



