THE IBIS. 



SIXTH SERIES. 



No. VIII. OCTOBER 1890. 



XXXIX. — Notes on Irish Ornithology. By Henry Seebohm. 



I. County Waterford. 



The study of ornithology in England becomes more difficult 

 every year. The wilder districts are in the hands of the 

 gamekeeper, who ruthlessly destroys half the interesting 

 birds, and does his best to prevent the ornithological student 

 from trespassing in search of those he has left. The fertile 

 districts are in the hands of the farmer, who drains the 

 marshes, cuts down the trees, and thus makes the country 

 uninhabitable by the most interesting kinds of birds. 



Fortunately this is not the case in Ireland. The oppor- 

 tunities for studying ornithology in Ireland are very great, 

 partly because the number of ornithologists is very small, 

 partly because there is abuudauce of mountain, rock, and 

 bog that the farmer cannot grapple with, and partly because, 

 with the enforced absenteeism of the landlord, the game- 

 keeper's occupation is gone. There are consequently many 

 species of birds which have become very rare in England, but 

 which are still fairly common in Ireland. 



It would be very difficult to find a locality in England 

 where so many interesting birds could be seen in a few days 



ser. vi.- — vol. ii. 2 c 



