1885] Birds of the West Coast. 321 



SCIENCE AND ART MUSEUM, 



August 25th, 1884. 



DEAR SIR, Our friend Mr. R. M. Barrington is absent attending 

 the meeting of the British Association in Canada, and your letter to him 

 has been handed to me. 



The only breeding-places for the Gannet are, one on the Skellig 

 Island, off the coast of Kerry, accessible by boat from Dingle or 

 Valencia Island a large sailing boat would be required ; and secondly, 

 on the Bull and Cow rocks, off the extreme S. W. of Cork, accessible 

 from Castletown-Berehaven ; or a smaller boat might be obtained from 

 the point near the Lighthouse, a good way beyond Castletown. 



The Manx Shearwater breeds in the same islets, I believe ; and I 

 have seen plenty of Shearwaters on Bantry Bay, outside of Bere 

 Island. 



These localities are, I am afraid, too far from Galway to be within 

 reach. 



But the Chough is more easily to be seen, as I have met with it in 

 some numbers both in the Island of Aran, in Galway Bay, and at the 

 Cliffs of Moher in Clare either of these places within a day's journey 

 from Ballinasloe. There is a simple kind of hotel in the Great Island 

 of Aran, to which it is well to carry some provisions of one's own ; and 

 good hotel accommodation at Lisdoonvarna, within a couple of hours' 

 drive to the Cliffs of Moher. 



The scenery in both places is very interesting, and Guillemots breed 

 in numbers ; but I think the Kerry Islands are far the best for sea-fowl, 

 and Choughs also frequent the coast of Kerry. At present you would 

 find plenty of Guillemots, Razorbills, and other sea-fowl on the Bay of 

 Galway, on your way to Aran (where also the Maidenhair Fern is plen- 

 tiful). 



I hope I have answered your queries, and shall be most happy if I 

 can give you any further information. Yours very truly, 



A. G. MORE. 



After his return from Clare (September 8th, 1884) he 

 never had more than two or three days consecutively to 

 devote to his favourite studies in the field. Yet natural 

 history mixed itself somehow in all his proceedings. Even 

 a visit at Christmas (December 23rd-27th) to his friends 

 at Cromlyn is associated with a curious bird's nest ; and 

 his best botany was henceforth done indoors, and in 

 winter. 



" His constant help, without which help an Irish botanist 

 can hardly succeed," is acknowledged (February 23rd, 

 1885) in Mr. Hart's next Report to the Royal Irish 

 Academy, on the Flora of S.-W. Donegal, and similar 



Y 



