214 The Irish Naturalist. [August, 



BIRDS. 

 American Robin In Connaught.— DuringarecentvisittoCarrick- 

 on-Shannon, I was informed by Mr. G. C. Beresford Whyte that his 

 keeper at Newtown Manor, near Lough Gill, had shot there and pre- 

 served a strange thrush with a red breast. On visiting the place, I was 

 shown the bird by Mr. Robert West, whom I found to be a most ob- 

 servant and careful man. I placed him in communication with Dr. 

 Scharflf, and the result is that the bird is now in the Science and Art 

 Museum, Dublin, the second example obtained in Ireland; the previous 

 one, also in the Museum, having been shot in Co. Dublin on 4th May, 

 1891. Mr. West writes about his bird — "The thrush was shot on or 

 about 7th December, 1892, in a large water-meadow very near the shore 

 of Lough Gill, Newtown Manor side, feeding with a similar bird, also 

 with Snipe, Lapwing, Fieldfares, and Redwings. By my diary I find the 

 heavy snow began to thaw on the 5th." Unlike the previous occurrence 

 in May, this specimen was obtained at the end of a very severe period of 

 frost and snow in December. 



R. J. USSHER, Cappagh, Co. Waterford. 



Occurrence of the Crane (Crus communis) at Inch, 

 Lough Swilly. — On 24th June, Mr. John M'Connell, of Burtslob 

 House, brought me for identification a fine male specimen of the above 

 species, which he had shot the previous evening on Inch Slobs. The 

 following are particulars taken by me. Total length, 421 inches ; wing, 

 22i inches; expanse from tip to tip, 6 feet 5 inches; bill, 4 inches; 

 weight, 8 lbs. 12 ozs. The plumes were very slightly developed, the red 

 brown warty patch on the top of head was very prominent. The plum- 

 age was light gray, tinged very faintly with brown, primaries and 

 secondaries black, latter tinged with gray. This is another rarity added 

 by Mr. M'Connell to the list of Inch birds. 



D. C. CAMPBEiyiy, Londonderry. 



The Quail In Co. Wlonaghan. — On 26th May I heard the Quail 

 in the neighbourhood of Newtownbutler. 



W. MacMii,t.an, Enniskillen. 



Cormorants In Co. Donegal.— Mr. H. C. Hart contributes to 

 the Zoologist for June, a note on the nesting habits of the Great and Green 

 Cormorants, as observed by him near Portsalon. 



Razorbill on Lough Neagh.— Whilst sailing on Lough Neagh 

 yesterday a Razorbill passed flying close to the boat and alighted on the 



water some 200 yards further. 



H. D. M. Barton, Antrim. 



Stock Doves In Co. Down. — Some years since I addressed a note 

 to your paper on the subject of these birds being seen and nesting in Co. 

 Antrim. Since that time I have frequently seen them in this locality, 

 but have only now learned that they breed in considerable numbers in 

 thfe Mourne Mountains, Co. Down. This year I have had reliable infor- 

 mation of no less than five nests being found, all of them placed in 

 rabbit holes on the face of a rather steep mountain and within a radius 



of less than half a mile. „ _ „ ^ * .. 



^ H. p. M. Barton, Antrim. 



