202 The Irish N'aiuralist. 



Rc-appearancc of Quails near Londonderry. — After an ab- 

 sence of many years the Quails have visited us once more. They have 

 been calling all over this district for the last ten days, and Mr. John 

 McConnell reports them also from Inch. So far as I know, they have 

 not been seen or heard for upwards of twelve years, except in July, 1892, 

 when Mr. Milne heard the call-note once. I have not heard of their 

 breeding in this neighbourhood since 1874. In that year we obtained 

 eggs from two nests. I believe they are nesting with us this year. — 

 D. C. Campbei,!., Londonderry. 



Stock Doves (Columtoa aenas) in Co. Wicklow. — Mr. B. C. 



Barrington writes {Zoologist for May) that he has observed a pair of Stock 

 Doves among some rocks about six miles south of Powerscourt Waterfall, 

 presumably nesting. We are glad to know than these birds are main- 

 taining their ground in Co. Wicklow. 



Supposed Iceland Gull at Londonderry. — From Mr. D. C. 

 Campbell's description of the gull, seen by him on the nth April, the 

 bird was evidently a Glaucous Gull. He says "about the size of a large 

 Herring Gull, but body heavier." The Iceland is altogether a larger- 

 winged, lighier-btdlt bird than the Herring Gull, and when seen together 

 the difference of build is ver}^ obvious. The legs of the Glaucous and 

 Iceland are the colour of those of the Herring Gulls. — Robert W\\rren, 

 Moyview% Ballina. 



The Puffin (Fratercula arctica) in the Irish Midlands. — 

 On Monday evening, the 22nd May, a lad brought me a living specimen 

 of the Common Puffin, which he said had walked into a cottage beside a 

 lake close to this demesne, called Quig lough, and though tame enough 

 in its demeanour, it would not eat the food offered. They had kept it 

 for some thirty hours before they decided to bring it to me ; unfortunately 

 before I could get any small fish it died. I have sent it up to the Dublin 

 Museum, as it is a remarkable instance, I think, of a sea-bird so far in- 

 land. I presume it was making for its breeding haunts. — W. F. DE V. 

 Kane, Drumreaske, Monaghan. 



Chionis alba, Lath. — I am interested to see a paper in the June 

 number of the Irish Naturalist on the occurrence of Chionis alba on the 

 Irish coast, as I had an opportunity of witnessing the bird in its native 

 haunts in the Straits of INIagellan, between twenty and thirty years ago, 

 and I published a short paper on some points in its anatomy in the 

 "Journal of Anatoni}^ and Physiology " for 1869. The flight of the bird, 

 as I saw it, was not unlike that of a pigeon, and the Blue-jackets, the 

 first time we encountered it, mistook it, not unnaturally, for a pigeon. 

 Like some other observers who have handled specimens, I did not ob- 

 serve anything peculiar as regards its odour. The capture of a specimen 

 on the coast of Ireland is certainly a ver}' odd circumstance, and I cannot 

 but think that the individual must have escaped from captivity some- 

 where. — Robert O. Cunningham, Belfast. 



MAMMALS. 



A Marten (Mustela martes) in Co. Antrim. A few days ago a 

 fine specimen was trapped near Portglenone, Co. Antrim, by Mr. R. A. 

 Alexander. The specimen is a male, and measures 2ft. gin. in length. 

 The "Marten Cat" asit is popularly called, is getting so rare in Ulster that 

 the capture is worthy of record. — J. A. B. in Land and Water, April 22nd. 



