N'olcs. ij-j 



by gradually depriving it of the water in which it lived. Theoretically 

 Ik -se instances are of great value as illustrating experimentaUy the origin 

 of species. —R. F. Scharff, Dublin. 



Frog Remains from Baliynamlntra Cave— In bis paper on 

 the "Frog in Ireland," in your April number, Mr. Kane refers to the 

 bones of a Frog found by Prof. A. Leitli Adams and myself, in the 

 deposits of this cave as a convincing proof of their antiquity "if the 

 stratum in which they were found was extremely ancient." It was not 

 so, being the surface deposit, termed in the Report " No. i." At page 207 

 of the 1 ransactions of the Royal Dublin Society for April, 1881, which contains 

 the report on Ballynamintra cave, we read, — " In No. 1 the pellets (?) of 

 rapacious birds, possibly of owls, contained fragments of bones of frogs." 

 \\'liether these masses of frog-bones were accumulated by owls or iieiil- 

 mice,. there was certainly nothing either in their position or condition to 

 (knote their great antiquity.— R. J. USSHER, Cappagh, Co. Waterford. 



BIRDS. 



Sprlngr IVligrants at Armag-fi. — The Chiifchaff arrived on March 

 22nd. Sand Martins were seen on the Callan on March 29tli, and the 

 first Swallow appeared on April 3rd ; the main body of Swallows, 

 however, did not arrive till May. I heard the sweet song of the Willow 

 Wren for the first time on April 6th, and the harsh note of the Corncrake 

 saluted me as I strolled into Mullinure on April 20th. The Cuckoo 

 arrived on April 23rd, but I did not see either House Martins or Swifts 

 till May 5. Why the House Martin should have been so long after the 

 Swallow in its arrival I do not understand, and should be glad to know 

 if the same difference of time of arrival was observed elsewhere. — W. F. 

 Johnson, Armagh. 



Early arrival of IVIigrrants in Co. Cork,— Chiffchaff, 26tli 

 March ; Sand Martin, ist April ; Swallow, 9tli April ; Willow- warbler, 

 9th April ; Cuckoo, 24th April ; Swift, 2nd May ; Landrail, ytli May ; 

 Sedge-warbler, 7th May ; Whitethroat, 7th May ; Sandpiper, 9th May. 

 These dates are not extraordinary, but when compared with those of last 

 } ear tend to show that the general wave of migration has been decidedly 

 earlier this year here. Had I greater opportunities of being in the 

 country and of visiting likely haunts, I am sure I should have been able 

 to give a much earlier record, as on most of the dates which I give, I 

 either saw or heard the birds plentifulh^ and they appeared to have 

 arrived some time. — Wm. B. BarrinGTON, Cork. 



Hoopoe (Upupa epops) in Co. Wexford. — Mr. Wheelocke, the 

 birdstuffer, Wexford, has a Hoopoe in his shop, which, I am informed, 

 was shot at Drinagh, two miles south-east of Wexford, on Good Friday. — 

 G. E. H. Barrett-Hamii^TON, Cambridge. 



Black Redstart (Ruticilla titys) in Co. Wexford. — A female 

 specimen of the Black Redstart was shot at Ballygeary, near Wexford, on 

 Feb. 22nd, and is now in my collection. — G. K. H. Barrett- Hamii^TOn, 

 (Cambridge. 



Occurrence of the King Duck (Somateria spectabilis) in 

 Achill Island. — On December 12th, 1892, I fell in.with a male speci- 

 men of this fine duck, and as it is of such rare occurrence in Ireland, 1 

 thought an account of its capture in the west of Ireland might be of in- 

 terest. I find Thompson only mentions four specimens having been 

 taken in Ireland. One shot at Kingstown, October, 1837. One shot at 

 Dornane, Co. Kerry, 1843. One shot in Tralee bay, Kerry, 1845-46. One 

 in Belfast in 1850. And according to Mr. A. G. More, our great 

 authority, there is no record of any being taken in Ireland for the last 

 forty-three years. The bird was not in full plumage, but judging from 

 the round white patch on the sides behind the legs, and the mottled 

 white on breast, and the black scapularies and flanks, the bird must 



