176 The Irish Mahcralist. tJ^ly> 



crest at Glenshesk, and a nest of the Wild Duck on Fairhead. 

 Several pairs of Oyster-catchers and Ringed Plovers had nests 

 at Whitepark and Murloiigh. Rev. S- A. Brenan has 

 observed the following less common species nesting about 

 Cushendun : — Barn Owl, Pied Flycatcher, Dipper, Ring- 

 Ouzel, Grasshopper Warbler, Grey Wagtail, Bulfinch, Night- 

 jar, Heron, and Rock Dove — which nests in the " Pigeon 

 Cave" — but we did not meet with any of these. The sea- 

 birds on Rathlin are well worth a special visit, but I have not 

 the space to devote to their adequate description, especially as 

 that has already been well done elsewhere. 



The date of our visit was somewhat early for any but the 

 usual spring species of butterflies, but, judging from the num- 

 ber of larvae met with, there appears every likelihood of the 

 district proving a prolific hunting-ground for L<epidoptera 

 later on in the season. E^ichloe cai'damines was especially 

 abundant in the wood adjoining the railway, and a fine series 

 of both sexes was obtained, just emerged from the chrysalis, 

 and in the choicest condition, flying in the " rides" cut 

 through the wood, in company with Paj'arge cegeria, and 

 Pteris rapcB ; whilst Pieris brassicc^^ Vanessa urticcs, and Chry- 

 sophanus phloeas were fairly common elsewhere, along with the 

 above, both on the mainland, and on Rathlin. Man}^ species 

 of bees were observed, and captured, as well as other insects, 

 but so far we have not had time to work through any of this 

 material, with the exception of the coleoptera captured on 

 Rathlin, of which Mr. Hardy has prepared a list for this 

 paper. 



Near the harbour at Ballycastle, and at Murlough, the rock- 

 pools swarm with anemones, and many pretty varieties of 

 corallines and seaweeds, and would prove a capital collecting 

 ground for those specially interested in these pretty objects. 

 A few seaweeds we brought away have been identified by Mr. 

 Harold Murray, of the Botanical Department, Owens College. 

 They are Laurencia piimatifida^ L. ccsspitosa, Polysiphonia 

 urccolata^ P. Brodicei, Callithamnion arbzisaila, Entcromorpha 

 intcstinalis, E. linsa, Porphyra ciliaris, P. laciniatay Gigartina 

 maviillosa^ Urospora speciosa, Nitophylhim lace7'atuin, Derino- 

 carpa prashia (on Lanre7icia), Cladophoi^a 7'upestriSy Himaii- 

 thalia lorea^ Lithocystis Allmanni^ and Cerauuiwt rubrum> 



