312 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



THE MERLIN (Falco cesalon) is a resident, breeding 

 on the ground amongst heather on ^the mountain 

 sides. In co. Mayo it is a common species, more 

 so than elsewhere in Ireland. 



THE HOBBY (Falco subbuteo) is a rare summer 

 visitor to Ireland, and not more than half a dozen 

 instances of its occurrence have been recorded. 

 A summary of these will be found in The Zoologist 

 for 1877, p. 471. 



Thirty years ago Thompson observed, " THE 

 GOSHAWK (Astur palumbarius) cannot be included 

 in the Irish Fauna with certainty." Since that date, 

 however, two or three undoubted instances of its 

 occurrence have come to light. 



In a note by the late Dr. J. R. Kinahan, in his 

 annotated copy of " Jardine," it is stated that a 

 Goshawk was shot at Kilruddery, in 1844, by Lord 

 Meath's gamekeeper ; to which observation Dr. 

 Kinahan added the words, " I have seen it fresh." 



In January, 1870, an adult female Goshawk, pre- 

 served in the collection of Sir Victor Brooke, was 

 shot in the Galtee Mountains, co. Tipperary. 



Of OWLS, the White, or Barn Owl, is the com- 

 monest, and the Long-eared Owl inhabits old 

 wooded districts in all parts of Ireland. The 

 Tawny Owl, if it occurs at all, must be regarded 

 as either very rare, or extremely local. As a 

 winter visitant, the Short-eared Owl appears regu- 

 larly in Ireland. Amongst the rare stragglers 

 which have occasionally been met with, may be 

 mentioned the Scops Owl, the Eagle Owl, and the 

 Snowy Owl, the last-named of which has occurred 

 several times. 



