1898.] Warrkn. — The White Wagtail in Ireland. 163 



the sides of the neck, almost to the shoulders. One of the 

 specimens was very badly injured, but the other two were sent 

 to my friend Mr. H. Saunders of I^ondon, who presented 

 them to the Natural History Museum there. 



Both these flights of wagtails met by Mr. Kirkwood only 

 remained the one day, but a day or two after the birds seen on 

 May loth had left the island, they were succeeded by a third 

 flight of five birds, which, owing to the N.N.W. wind, remained 

 up to the 19th May, when I had the pleasure of seeing three 

 of them 



It is a strange fact that up to the present (except on the 

 island of Achill, where Mr. J. R. Sheridan obtained a specimen 

 in 1893) there is no authentic record of the capture of Motacilla 

 alba in any other part of Ireland than the island of Bartragh ; 

 why this island should be so favoured it is difficult to say. 

 However, I may suggest that the birds met with on Bartragh 

 were on their way to their breeding-haunts in Iceland, and the 

 direct course from their winter-quarters in Spain to Iceland 

 would be across the sea, and right over Ireland, the straight 

 line of flight passing over Bartragh and Killala Bay. Is it 

 not more likely that the tired birds would rest on Bartragh, 

 the last point of land between them and Iceland, rather than 

 on any of the more inland parts of the country ? It must be 

 evident that these birds holding such a westerly course were 

 going direct to Iceland, for birds making Norway and Lap- 

 land their destination would keep more to the eastward, a few 

 skirting England, while the bulk of the flight would keep 

 along the Dutch and Danish coasts. 



Moyview, Ballina. 



