1898.] Notes, 171 



Spring" IVIIgrants at Poyntzpass. 



The Chiffchaff and Willow Wreu were later than usual this year. The 

 former did not arrive till April 9th, and the latter till April i4tli. The 

 Swallow appeared on April 13th, the Corncrake on the 2rst, the Cuckoo 

 on the 24tli, and the Swift on May 7th. I had no opportunity of noting 

 the arrival of either the House or the Sand Martin, as neither build in 

 the immediate neighbourhood. 



W. F. Johnson. 



Poyntzpass. 



The Loner-talled Duck In Belfast Lough. 



I have read with much interest in the May issue of the Irish Naturalist 

 Mr. Warren's description of the appearances of this rare and beautiful 

 Duck in Killala Bay ; and, now that attention has thus recently been 

 drawn to it, I wish to add some scant and brief notes of its occurrence in 

 Belfast Lough and two other localities in the North-east. I shot one in 

 this (Belfast) Lough in March, 1869, and another a few years later. My 

 nephew, Mr. Robert Patterson, shot one near this in October, 1SS8. 

 A few years ago, perhaps about 1890, I was staying at a friend's house 

 near Strabane, when I was shown a " strange Duck " that had been shot 

 at a small mountain lake in that locality (Co. Tyrone). It was a Long- 

 tailed Duck. On 29th November, 1895, Colonel Bruce of Castledawson, 

 sent me one ; and on 2nd November, 1896, his son. Major Bruce, of 

 Toomebridge, sent me another ; the latter one of five, both of which had 

 been shot on Lough Beg, Cos. Antrim and Derry. They were sent 

 to me for identification, thus showing that they are not commonly met 

 with there. The above were all immature birds ; these occurrences of 

 the species inland are interesting, for it is generally considered a marine 

 duck. 



I saw one near this on 31st October, 1897 ; but my most recent, and 

 certainly most interesting record is that twice this week, namely, on 

 9th and nth May (1898), I saw three mature birds near Strandtown 

 (between Belfast and Holywood) in this county. On the first occasion 

 they were swimming near the land ; on the second they were standing 

 on a small patch of the bank just awash above the ebbing tide. 



R. LTvOyd Patterson. 



Holywood, Co. Down. 



MAMMALS, 



Breeding of the Wlarten In Co. Waterford. 



I am informed by Miss Louisa Fairholme, of Comragh House, that 

 on the i8th April, 1897, a Marten and her cubs were taken in the vicinity. 

 Some boys were near a stone-faced bank forming the boundary of a 

 wood when they heard a sound like the crying of kittens proceeding 

 from the bank. They set to work to make a hole, and pulled out three 



young blind Martens. There was a fourth, but they failed to reach it. 



The three little cubs were put in a cage and a trap set beside it, in which 

 the mother was soon caught. 



