254 '^^^^ Irish Nahiralist. [November, 



notice. Another change is the displacement of the Dusky 

 Shearwater {Piiffimis obsairtis^ Gmel.), by the I^ittle Dusky 

 Shearwater {P. assimilis, Gould), the bird caught off Valentia 

 having been re-examined and found to belong to the latter 

 type. 



Of more interest than such stragglers are the regular 

 visitants and resident species, and the fluctuating character of 

 our fauna is well illustrated by the numerous changes which 

 Mr. Ussher shows to have taken place in the distribution and 

 relative abundance of these since the publication of Thomp- 

 son's ^vork. The disappearance of our larger birds of prey has 

 been rapid. The Golden and Sea Eagles are nearly gone, and 

 the Buzzard, as a breeding species, quite so. The Hen Harrier, 

 common in the western counties fift}^ years ago, has become 

 scarce ; and scarcer still is the Marsh Harrier, though in 1853 

 this was the most abundant of all our larger Accipitres. With 

 the Eagles and Harriers we are quickly losing the Raven, and 

 the range of the Chough is much more restricted than formerl}-. 

 From unascertained causes the Quail has nearl}^ ceased to 

 visit us, and the Roseate Tern is no longer known to breed. 

 It would also seem that the Common Tern is losing ground, 

 since it has now no known breeding station on the east coast 

 of Leinster. The Wood- Lark, Mr. Ussher thinks, has in most 

 of its haunts been exterminated by bird-catchers, and the 

 Marsh Titmouse, which was perhaps resident in ver}^ small 

 numbers in Thompson's day, has not been met with for many 

 years. The Goldfinch has decreased in the vicinity of large 

 towns, but elsewhere, unlike the Wood-Lark, holds its own. 



Against these losses \w^y be balanced a considerable number 

 of gains. The settlement of the Stock-Dove and Tufted Duck, 

 and the rapid increase of the Crossbill and Woodcock as 

 breeding species, are particularly remarkable. The Starling's 

 recent extension of its breeding-range in Ireland is also matter 

 of notoriety, and the same may be said of the Siskin. There 

 is strong reason to believe that the Chiffchaff was not, in 

 Thompson's day, so widespread and common a bird as now. 

 The Coal Titmouse, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree-Sparrow, Lesser 

 Redpoll, Bullfinch, Rook, Jackdaw, and Red-breasted Mergan- 

 ser, are further instances of species which Mr. Ussher 

 considers to be increasing. We think he might have said the 



