i9ti. BarrIngton. — Rusli of Birds on March 29/7^-30/// 103 



Blackwater Bank Lightship, ten miles from Wexford, 

 sends : — i Starhng and i Thrush, killed on the 29th, also 

 a Water-rail and Wheatear, the former of which died 

 exhausted, and the latter struck the mast. 



Patrick Cogley, A.B., said in an interview that he came 

 on the watch at 4 a.m. on the 30th, and " never saw so 

 many birds any night for thirteen years, ten to twenty 

 Starlings were found killed, besides what fell overboard. 

 Thrushes and Curlew were about the light, and two 

 Wheatears, a Robin, and a few Linnets." 



Lucifer Shoals Lightship. — This station has not yet 

 forwarded any specimens, but Patrick Magrath, A.B., who 

 was on board on March 29th, says that the birds began to 

 strike at 9 p.m. Wind light E., hazy. He was on duty 

 until 4 a.m., and birds were coming the whole time. About 

 60 Starlings were killed, besides those which fell overboard, 

 also two Blackbirds, a Thrush, and a few Skylarks. 



TusKAR Lighthouse. — Seven miles from shore. This is a 

 famous light, off the extreme S.E. corner of Co. Wexford. 

 Mr. A. O'Leary, the keeper, writes : — There was an 

 enormous lot of Starlings on the night of March 30th ; 

 the rock and balcony were completely covered with them, 

 and several hundreds were killed. There was also a lot of 

 Thrushes and Blackbirds." Mr. O'Leary forwarded a Red- 

 wing, Wheatear, 2 Blackbirds, i Water-rail, i Black Red- 

 start, and a Meadow-Pipit. 



Barrels Lightship. — Turning the corner of the south 

 coast of Wexford, we come to this station, ten miles from 

 shore, and here the testimony of Mr. Grant, the light - 

 keeper, is most remarkable ; for he states that " no birds 

 were killed striking during the month of March, and no 

 unusual flights were noticed." This can only be accounted 

 for by the fact that the sky must have been perfectly clear 

 close to the ship on the night of March 29th. 



CONINGBEG Lightship. — This is about fifteen miles west 

 of the " Barrels," and ten miles from shore. Matthew 

 Murphy, siren -man, who was on the watch from 8 p.m. 

 till midnight on March 29th, interviewed said — that in 

 nine years he never saw so many birds, chiefly Starling, 

 Blackbirds, and Thrushes. The only specimen, however, 



