Short Notes on Natural History. 565 



coast and Islands of Connemara, where it was often to be seen in the 

 same rock-pools with Echinus lividus. It is very similar to small speci- 

 mens of the Shanny, Blennius pholis, but is, of course, easily known by 

 its frontal crest. Specimens from both localities are to be seen in the 

 Museum of Science and Art, Dublin. 



THE BLUE THRUSH, ERRONEOUSLY RECORDED AS 

 A STRAGGLER TO IRELAND. 



[ZOOLOGIST, February, 1880.] 



The Blue Thrush (Monticola cyanus), first announced by Mr. Blake 

 Knox, in the "Zoologist" (1870, p. 2019), as having" been killed in 

 Ireland, and noticed as such both in Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser's 

 " Birds of Europe," and in Professor Newton's edition of Yarrell (vol. i., 

 p. 295), has no claim, so far as our specimen is concerned, to be enrolled 

 in the British Fauna. The specimen purchased for the Museum of the 

 Royal Dublin Society, in November, 1866, was at that time supposed to 

 have been shot in the county of Meath by a Mr. Brassington : but, after 

 many inquiries, and the best assistance given by Mr. Glennon, and a 

 long correspondence in all likely quarters, nothing more could be traced 

 of its history. It was by a mere accident that the bird was, many years 

 afterwards, recognized by my friend, Dr. Battersby, of Lough Caragh, 

 who expressed great surprise to see it in the Irish collection. Dr. 

 Battersby then told me that he had himself brought this Blue Thrush, 

 fresh-killed, from Cannes, where he was then residing: and when 

 passing through Dublin had left it, during Mr. Glennon's absence, at 

 his shop for a present. Dr. Battersby's name was no doubt imperfectly 

 remembered by the shop-man, and the bird, being fresh-killed, was too 

 hastily assumed to be Irish. The locality, Meath, may have suggested 

 itself as being the county in which many families of the name of 

 Battersby reside. Dr. Battersby finds, from a memorandum, that he 

 arrived in Dublin on the i4th November, 1866, and returned to Cannes 

 on the 2ist, a date which is consistent with Mr. Glennon's having 

 received the bird on the i/th. No blame in the matter can attach (> 

 any of the parties concerned ; it was a very natural mistake to makf:, 

 and I feel much pleasure in being able so conclusively to explain the 

 very unusual and perplexing circumstances of its history. 



SOOTY SHEARWATER OBTAINED IN IRELAND. 



[ZOOLOGIST, August, 1881.] 



Through the good offices of my friend, Mr. J. C. Neligan, of Tralee, 

 I have lately had the opportunity of examining a specimen of the Sooty 

 Shearwater (Puffinus griseus, Gmel.), which was killed many years ago 

 off the Little Skellig rock, on the coast of Kerry, and has since been 



