182 BRITISH BIRDS. [v..l. ix. 



professional and farm work alloA\-ed — of the less kno\\-n 

 parts of Ireland, and particularly its islands, in search 

 of birds and plants. He continued year after year at 

 this practice, till in 1888 he was able to say in The 

 Zoologist that " For nearly tA\-enty years I have been 

 visiting out-of-the-way islands on our western and 

 southern coast, from North Rona to St. Kilda, and then 

 southward to the Skelligs and Blaskets, not merely flying 

 visits, but living on them for days and weeks at a time 

 in the height of the breeding season. I have scarcely 

 missed a year." During these innumerable excursions 

 he made no addition to the Irish fauna, but became 

 \\'onderfully familiar with the habits of coast-frequenting 

 birds. His visit in 1883 to St. Kilda is of interest in 

 connection with the subsequent differentiation of the 

 Wren of that island as a new species. Bamngton in 1883 

 was unsuccessful in his attempts to obtain a specimen of 

 the St. Kilda Wren, but his efforts A\-ere so persistent as 

 to earn for him among the natives the sobriquet of the 

 " Wren-Man," by Avhich name Professor Alfred NeA\-ton 

 found him to be still remembered in the island many years 

 later. Barrington mentioned to Seebohm in 1884 that 

 the Wren of St. Kilda A\-as worth looking after, and the 

 discovery of the following year may have been due to 

 this suggestion. 



In 1882 began his systematic correspondence with the 

 Irish lightkeepers on the subject of migration of birds — 

 a subject in which he had long been much interested, as 

 some of his previous writings show. The Mork, hoM-ever, 

 proved an infuiitely greater tax on him than could have 

 been foreseen, and his undertaking of it must therefore 

 be regarded as the tuniing-]X)int of his scientific life. 



The Irish lightkeepers entered heartily into the scheme, 

 and filled up the schedules sent to them every spring and 

 autumn A\'ith, in many cases, surprising regularity, fullness 

 of detail and — so far as their knowledge Ment — accuracy. 

 But it soon became evident that the value to be ]ilaced 

 on these observations Mould be verv limited, unless 



