1889] Letters on Rare Irish Birds. 355 



right about his winter Reed Warbler, for the specimen did not come to 

 the Museum with his other birds). Both numerous in England, both 

 only once in Ireland ! ! It seems to spoil one of the features of the 

 Irish Fauna to put them in on same terms as the other truly native 

 species. What say you? Would they do under Obs., as if excluded 

 on purpose ? Except perhaps Carrion Crow, I do not know of any 

 others* in the same predicament. But these two (the Nightingale and 

 Reed Warbler) I do not like to count as Irish Birds. 



Prevented by his lameness from mounting the Museum 

 staircase, he had not, while revising the Bird List, the 

 advantage of being able to visit the collection to which it 

 was primarily intended as a guide; for the Irish birds 

 were not then, where they have since been placed, on the 

 ground-floor of the building. For all recent information 

 on this subject he was therefore indebted to his successor 

 in the Curatorship, Dr. Scharff, his letters to whom evince 

 a constant solicitude for the welfare of the collection which 

 had been his special hobby. 



May ijth, 1888. 



DEAR DR. SCHARFF, I am glad to hear that you have such a 



good addition in the Bee-eater Of course you will have made 



sure of all the particulars I am very glad that you are looking 



to the interests of the Irish Birds. 



(December nth, 1888.} Many thanks for your note. I shall be much 



obliged if you will kindly let me see your memoranda on Birds 



There is a Woodlark of mine which I have asked Williams to send you 

 for the Museum. This I think would be an addition, would it not ? 

 And I daresay you have some others to mention. Please kindly tell me 

 of any that require to be struck out. I hope that you have secured the 

 Pectoral Sandpiper, f I have been hoping to call and see you, but the 

 bad weather has prevented me. I think I could now manage to ascend 

 your staircase on my crutches. 



(Jamiary i8th, 1889.} I now return your list, with many thanks. 

 Some of your notes will be very useful, and could you send me a full 

 summary of your Sand-grouse localities, as I suppose you have many 

 more since you wrote your notice in "Zoologist," and I should like to 

 quote them as credited to yourself ? And if you can, please tell me the 

 VOL. of R.D.S. in which your paper is to appear Is not the 



* He might have added the Red-backed Shrike (see p. 367). 

 f The only known Irish specimen, shot near Portumna, Oct. 1888, and now 

 in the Museum. 



2 A2 



