io6 The Irish Naturalist. Jii»ie, 



Mr. Haughton, of Carlo w, states the birds evidently 

 came from the S.W., judging from the position in which the 

 dead bodies were found. If that be so, they were clearly 

 flying N.E. 



Mr. Power of Carrick-on-Suir says the birds were going 

 N.E. The night watchman at Dungarvan says they de- 

 parted in a N.E. direction. The light -keeper at South 

 Arklow lightship says the birds were going N.N.W. on the 

 31st. 



It would be inexplicable if such an enormous mass of 

 birds should collect along the S. and S.E. coasts, and then 

 retrace their flight in a N.E. direction, if leaving Ireland. 



If the birds were arriving, their distribution is easily 

 accounted for. After crossing the mouth of the Channel, 

 the coast of Wexford was first reached, and here the stream 

 divided itself into two branches, one going up to the east 

 coast, and the other along the south coast. Those which 

 pursued the latter course soon arrived at the wide 

 entrance to Waterford Harbour, up which many of them 

 flew, and, following the line of least resistance, 

 travelled along the valley of the Suir, to Waterford, 

 Carrick, and Clonmel ; others followed the Barrow, a 

 tributary of the Suir, and arrived at New Ross, Bagenals- 

 town, and Carlow. Others followed the course of the Nore, 

 which joins the Barrow above New Ross, and reached 

 Kilkenny. Those which overshot Waterford Harbour kept 

 the coast-line until they reached Dungarvan Bay, and a 

 few went up the Blackwater valley to Lismore. 



The Old Head of Kinsale birds were probably a be- 

 wildered off -shoot of the main body, which became detached 

 in mid-channel, and took a westerly direction. The Ennis- 

 corthy birds came up the Slaney, and the few seen at Gorey 

 probably did likewise. 



The flocks seen ten miles from shore at Lucifer Shoals, 

 Blackwater Bank, South Arklow, and along the coast at 

 Balbriggan, came up-channel without touching Wexford 

 at all. 



But what is the reason that this great rush of birds 

 took such a western route, and collected in such numbers ? 

 The solution of the problem is to be found in what may be 



