i2o 7 he Irish Naturalist. May, 1904. 



Bittern in Co. Waterford. 



A very fine Coinmoii Bittern {/yofaurus stellaris) was shot within a mile 

 from heie on 5th February, 1904. The farmer who killed it brought it 

 home, and kindly made me a present of it. It has gone for preservation 

 to Messrs. Williams & Sou. Mr. Williams says it is a male. He also 

 says that he could not see anything in its stomach. Mr. Ussher has 

 many interesting observations on the Bittern in his " Birds of Ireland," 

 particularly with regard to the time of its occurrence. Out of 105 in- 

 stances noted, it appears that December is the month in which the 

 greatest number have been obtained. In " British Birds," by W. H. 

 Hudson, there is a fine coloured plate of the Bittern, hy the celebrated 

 bird artist, A. Thorburn. It i3, however, doubtful whether it is as true 

 to nature as the plate by Frohawk, in " British Birds," by various authors, 

 vol. 4. Most observers say that the bird during the day remains with 

 bill erect and pointing upwards. The latter is the way in which it is 

 drawn by Frohawk. This is the first occasion in which I have seen this 

 really beautiful bird in the flesh. 



WlI,I,IAM W. Fl^EMYING. 



Coolfin, Co. Waterford. 



Rough-legged Buzzard in Co. Down. 



In November of last year (1903) Mr. Richard Gardner shot a bird of this 

 species {Buico lagopus) in the neighbourhood of Hillsborough. Mr. 

 Gardner kindly lent me this specimen, which measures twenty-five and 

 a half inches in length and is therefore a female; and I have to thank 

 Mr. Robert Patterson, who has examined it, and authenticates the 

 record. Previously this bird had been obtained twelve times in Ireland, 

 of which Co. Down can claim four, viz.— at Dundonald in 1831, at 

 Killinchy (2) in 1831, and atPortaferry in 1895. 



Nkvin H. Foster. 



Hillsborough, Co. Down. 



Greenland Falcon in Donegal. 



In the Zoologist for March, Mr. H. Eliot Howard states that an immature 

 Greenland P'alcon {Falco candicans) was trapped by one of the tenants on 

 Horn Head last December. 



Bat abroad in bright sunlight. 

 On 9th March, atone o'clock, p.m., I observed a bat {Vcspenigo pipis' 

 trelhis) busily engaged over a pond in pursuit of flies. The day was mild 

 and bright, and, contrary to general belief, this bat did not seem at all 

 discommoded by the strong sunlight, but flew about, ascending and 

 descending in characteristic manner, and appeared quite an adept in 

 evading the branches of trees overhanging the water. 



Nevin H. Foster. 

 Hillsborough, Co. Down. 



