272 The Irish Naturalist, September, 



Trlngra alpina. Dunlin. — Several of these birds in the black breasts 

 of the breeding plumage were observed at Youghal. These we did 

 not expect to see, as this species is not known to breed in Ireland 

 further south than Co. Wicklow. 



Totanus calldris. Redshank. — Very numerous on the mud flats of 

 the Blackwater estuary, both young and mature birds. This is 

 remarkable, as this species is not known to breed in the counties of 

 Kerry, Cork, or Waterford, and the observation elicits the remark 

 from Mr. R. J. Ussher, '* I wonder how far off their breeding-ground 

 is." 



Numenlus arquata. Curlew.— Very numerous on the mud-flats at 

 Youghal. We noted that, on the rise of the tide, about a hundred 

 of these birds settled on a grass meadow by the side of the River 

 Blackwater, and permitted us to watch them at unusually close 

 quarters. 



Larus rldfbundus. Black-headed Guee. — By far the most 

 numerous of the Laridce seen. The mature birds had still the dark- 

 brown hoods of the breeding plumage, while at the same time most 

 of our northern birds' heads were almost entirely white. This 

 species is not known to breed either in Cork or Waterford, but it 

 may have been overlooked, as undoubtedly some of the birds ob- 

 served were birds of the year. 



L. canus. Common Guee. — A few of this species were seen in Cork 

 Harbour and at Kinsale, but although in mature plumage they may 

 have been non-breeding birds, as the so-called Common Gull is only 

 known to breed in Ireland in the counties of Kerry, Galway, Mayo, 

 and Donegal. 



The " pellets " of some birds were found by different 

 members. These have been kindly examined for us by 

 Mr. R. Standen, of Manchester, who reports as follows : — 



"Big Grey PEEEET. — This is evidently from Long-eared Owl, and con- 

 tains an almost perfect set of bones of Skylark, with body feathers 

 and undigested coating of gizzard of doubtless the same bird ; also 

 teeth of Long-tailed Field Mouse, but no bones of same. 



" Smaee White PEEEET. — This is composed almost entirely of fragments 

 of Boletus, with numerous elytra cf Cis boleti, a beetle which swarms 

 when it does occur, and very probably the fungus was eaten on 

 account of it. Also fragments of Helix caperata, chiefly columellas, 

 and several parts of shell. 



•' Four Smaee Brown Pe^eETS. — The larger of these contained the 

 sternum and thigh bone of a Frog, and, like the rest, was composed 

 of husks of an oat-like grass, various small seeds, and one contained 

 the elytron of an Aphodius. Also fragments of Helix caperata, 

 Pterostichns sp., Otiorhynchus sp., small crustacean (Wood-louse sp.), 

 and much digested frog bones." 



