I900.J Moffat. — The Birds of h'cland. 253 



eyrie of that bird ivS most graphic. Some readers may think 

 the account of the Chough's home even better. A conspicuous 

 feature of the book is its frequent references to Mr.Barrington's 

 recently published Migration Reports, and in this connection 

 it is right to point out that Mr. Ussher's inferences from the 

 Reports are the result of his own independent analj^sis, and 

 are not in any way based on Mr. Barrington's, though in the 

 main the two sets of deductions accord very well. Where they 

 differ, the source of disagreement will usually be found in 

 some uncorroborated light-keeper's observations which Mr. 

 Ussher has accepted and Mr. Barrington doubted ; this being 

 so, it is, perhaps, not a subject for regret that both points of 

 view should be before the public. 



Mr. Ussher includes in the Irish list 288 species of birds, of 

 which 134 breed in Ireland, or have done so within the ex- 

 piring centur}^ while 37 others visit us annually, and the 

 remaining 117 are irregular visitants. The above total does 

 not include any of the following 15, which are relegated to the 

 Appendix : — 



American Robin, Belted Kingfisher. Egyptian Goose. 



Reed-Warbler. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Canada Goose. 



Gold-vented Thrush. Black-billed Cuckoo. Passenger Pigeon. 



Purple Martin. American Goshawk. Green-backed Gallinule. 



Ortolan. Black-winged Kite. Yellow-billed Sheathbill. 



It is not disputed that some of these 7nay have been bona 

 fide migrants, but it has been thought safer to take the 

 sceptical side of the question in each instance. 



The additions which have been made to the list since 



Thompson's day are numerous, and include the following, 



which were added since the 2nd edition of More's list was 



published in 1890 ; — 



Lesser Whitethroat. Lesser Kestrel. 



Barred Warbler. Lesser Golden Plover. 



Yellow-browed Warbler. Sociable Plover. 



Rufous Warbler. Spotted Sandpiper. 



Woodchat Shrike. Red-breasted Snipe. 



Serin. Wilson's Petrel. 

 Short-toed Lark. 



Apart from these, the Crested Lark, which was included by 

 Thompson but rejected by More, has been re-admitted, on 

 grounds which we propose to discuss before concluding this 



A 2 



