1885] Birds at Irish Lighthouses. 323 



granting" money at R.I. A. will be on Monday next; so I want you, if 

 you have arranged with Vowell about Lough Ree, to write and tell him 

 to send in his application at once to the secretary, asking for ^"10 to 

 investigate the botany of the shores and islands of Lough Ree, a district 

 almost unknown botanically. 



Also, have you considered whether you will yourself ask for ^15 for 

 migration observation at the lighthouses ? 



I was looking over last year's report, and it seems to me that the 

 observations want selecting and classifying. As now placed, under 

 the names of birds, no general or leading results come out at all ; so 

 that by putting them into convenient shape you will have a fine subject 

 for a report, say next year. Have you considered which are the most 

 important points ? 



Is it the dates, and when most numerous ? 



Is it the temperature and direction of wind? (These might be 

 checked from the weather tables.) 



Has moonlight anything to do with it ? Most come, of course, by 

 night. 



Is it the places where most birds pass ? 



Is it the direction of their flight ? (But this must be uncertain, if 

 observed at night.} 



Surely some of these points might be brought out by analysing 

 several years. 



But one of the first things would be, I should think, to knock off the 

 majority of wandering waterfowl, Gulls, Gannets, &c., and call the 

 attention of the keepers to the small birds. Surely the so-called 

 "Wrens" must include* a whole lot of different small birds ; and we 

 nust ask to have the wings, legs, and tails kept. I should think the 

 Redstarts were probably all Black Redstarts don't you think so ? 



I put in Stewart' sLeitrim Paper for next Academy meeting on Mon- 

 day. Yours (Ben Bulben) I hope will be ready for the Council of 2nd 

 February. And could not you make out a bare list of the St. Kilda 

 plants for Botanical Society of Edinburgh, reserving details for Dublin 

 Society ? A page of introduction, with the list and a few localities, 

 would not take long to draw up. Please look after Vowel! , as I have 

 not his address. Yours, 



A. G. M. 



DEAR BARRINGTON, .... Dr. Ball, the Astronomer Royal, tells 

 me that he is going round the lighthouses in July. He would like a 

 copy of the Migration Report, and will do his best to encourage the 

 keepers in going on with their work ; so I hope you can send or bring 

 him a copy, besides the one for the Museum, which I have petitioned 

 for. Money was recommended by Science Committee, 10 to you and 

 Vowell, ^"10 to Hart, ^10 to Kane, ^"10 to Stewart ; also ^50 recom- 



* In fact, as Mr. R. M. Barrington kindly informs us, the Wren is but 

 rarely obtained from the Lighthouses. 



Y 2 



