41 (J Notes on Irish Ornithology. 



birds on migration, but very few of them remain to breed. 

 The Skylark has already been mentioned, and both the 

 Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) and the Rock Pipit (Anthus 

 obscurus) were numerous. A few Wheatears (Sascicola 

 cenanthe) frequented the rocks at the north-east corner, and 

 we found the empty nest of a Wren {Troglodytes parvulus) on 

 the roof of a cave in which a Shag was breeding. A few 

 Swallows (Hirundo rustica) build in the outhouses belonging 

 to the farm ; we saw a solitary pair of Hooded Crows (Corvus 

 comix), and Jackdaws [Corvus monedula) frequent the cliffs 

 in great numbers. A pair of Pied Wagtails (Motacilla lugubris) 

 frequented the farm-yard, but the almost ubiquitous Sparrow 

 was conspicuous by his absence. 



There are many other breeding-places of interesting birds 

 within a short distance of the Saltee Islands. Seven miles 

 to the north-west lie the Keragh Islands, where the Common 

 Tern (Sterna fluviatilis) , the Arctic Tern (Sterna macrura), 

 and the Lesser Tern (Sterna minuta) breed in some numbers 

 (Ussher, Zoologist, 1886, p. 369). We saw several small 

 colonies of Herring Gulls on the cliffs of the mainland as we 

 steamed up to Waterford. Mr. Ussher showed me some eggs 

 of the Black Guillemot ( Uria grylle) which had been taken 

 this year on the cliffs of the mainland 30 or 40 miles due west 

 of the Saltees. We frequently saw Gannets (Sula bassana) 

 on the wing, but their nearest breeding-ground is more than 

 150 miles to the west. 



The water round the Saltees is as clear as crystal, the birds 

 are ridiculously tame, and though in most places on the steep 

 side of the island the cliffs drop down into deep water, there 

 are many nooks and crannies where you can creep down to 

 so low a level that you are able to watch the habits of the 

 birds with the greatest ease, and see the Guillemots and the 

 other Alcidse plunge beneath the surface ; and on a calm day 

 you can trace their progress under water to a considerable 

 depth, their wings labouring as if it were very hard work 

 flying through such a dense medium. Cormorants use their 

 wings under water in the same way ; but Ducks keep their 

 wings close to their bodies, and trust entirely to their feet 



