ii6 The Irish Naturalist. November. 



it sparingly at the Silver Strand, south of Wicklow Head ; also 

 quite abundantly in damp hollows of the dunes at Brittas, east 

 of the school. 



Carex curta Good. — Abundant in the Blessington area, especially in the 

 marshes of Blessington deerpark and along the east side of Dowry 

 Hill. Mr. Stelfox has also pointed it out to me in the bog between 

 Lough Bray and Sally Gap, at 1,650 feet. 



* Carex teretiuscula Good. — In a marsh to the north-east side of the 

 swampy wood on the east side of Blessington demesne, about three- 

 quarters of a mile due north of the ruined courthouse. 



Lastraea spinulosa Presl. — In a cut-out bog near the Little Slaney, between 

 Coan and Knockanarrigan, Glen Imaal, 



Dublin. 



CORRIGEENDAUV— A HAUNT OF THE LESSER 



BLACK-BACKED GULL. 



BY ROBERT F. RUTTLEDGE.' 



The late Robert Warren long ago discovered this island 

 as a nesting haunt of the Lesser Black-backed Gull, and 

 perhaps some notes about it may be of interest with regard 

 to the colony which still exists there. The island is one 

 of the most isolated in Lough Mask, being just over a 

 mile from the nearest shore. It is covered with rank 

 vegetation and small bushes, while it is bordered by bare 

 rocks on its shores. Mr. Warren found that about twenty 

 pairs were breeding there when he visited it in the nineties. 

 Owing to the state of the weather it was not practicable 

 to visit the island this year during the early summer. 

 However, I took the chance on July 26th, and give ;Tiy 

 observations on the colony. 



Although there was a dead calm, when at 100 yards 

 distance one discovered that the island was going to be 

 pretty " strong " when one was ashore ! I counted the 

 birds when I landed and found that, young and old 

 together, they numbered roughly eighty. Proceeding to 

 examine the island I found that there were the remains 

 of close on twenty nests ; no doubt there were more which 



