384 Alexander Goodman More. [i893 



(April 6th, 1893.} I hope that you are making notes of the arrival 

 and departure of Migratory Birds. Such notes would do well for the 

 "Irish Naturalist," and I should like to see your contributions more 

 frequently in that Journal. 



King Eider. Thompson gives 



One shot at Kingstown, Oct., 1837. 

 One Derrynane, Kerry, 1843. 

 One Tralee Bay, Kerry, 1845-6. 

 One Belfast Bay, March, 1850. 



That is only four specimens obtained in Ireland. It will be sufficient 

 for you to say this : Thompson mentions only four specimens obtained 

 in Ireland, the last in March, 1850. So that it is now 43 years since 

 any specimen has been shot on the Irish coast. Say, also, something 

 about the state of plumage, and how much of the adult plumage has 

 been assumed. I think you told me it is an immature male. Is it not ? 

 Otherwise, if in nearly full plumage, you would have known it at once 

 from your books. Send also some account of the circumstances and the 

 locality where you shot it. It is a great pity you did not offer it to the 

 Museum in Dublin, as there is no Irish specimen there, as you may see 

 from my List. In any case, if you, at any time, obtain a bird whose 

 name is printed in small letters in my list, please write and offer it to 

 Museum. 



(April 2 1 sty i8g$.} Thank you very much for the beautiful box full 

 of heath which you have so kindly sent. The flowers were simply per- 

 fect. I never saw it in such fine condition, with such full and rounded 

 blossoms. Is not this a very early season, with you, as with us ? But 

 of course, in a mountainous country, you do not see the advance of 

 spring so early as we do. Horse-chesnut, lilac, hawthorn, all are in 

 flower already. I do not remember such an early spring. But I have 

 not yet seen any swallows myself, though I hear they have arrived. I 

 hope that you are noting the Migratory Birds, &c. And that you have 

 sent a note of the King Eider to the " Irish Naturalist/' where it will be 

 permanently on record. It is not enough to write to " Land and Water," 

 as few Naturalists will refer to that newspaper. But if you would get 

 into the wav of sending short notes to the " Irish Naturalist," you would 

 be making your observations more generally available, and find them very 

 convenient for your own reference also. I suppose you have not heard of 

 .any whales this spring. Now is the time to look out. 



Among the phenomena of that remarkable summer of 

 1893, one of peculiar interest to him was the luxuriant 

 flowering of his plants of Allium sibiricum (the " St. 

 David's Onion "), which he had planted several years ago 

 in his garden. It had not flowered well until this singularly 

 forward year. The sight, besides recalling memories of a 



