Short Notes on Natural History. 567 



where she had previously marked down the plant, and showed us the 

 young- shoots, of which only a few were to be seen at this early 

 season. 



This locality, which lies on the N.E. of Milltown, is on some enclosed, 

 grassy, but not boggy, pasture, adjoining a road, and near to a large 

 copse, which is clearly not aboriginal. The station seems at present 

 sufficiently 'wild,' nor could I trace near it any cottage ruins, nor 

 recent marks of agriculture. Still the ground was certainly occupied as 

 pasture, and might have been tilled at no very remote period. 



In a letter dated 29 July, 1881, Mr. Isaac mentions another locality 

 a mile and a-half S.-W. of Milltown, near Lough Dromin, where he 

 found the Sisyrinchium growing " in a field, over which it seems to be 

 evenly but not densely scattered : " and at the same time he was kind 

 enough to send a specimen, which, beyond all doubt, authenticates 

 the species. He searched for it in adjoining fields, but did not find it; 

 but " from the nature and general circumstances of the soil on which it 

 is found" he is strongly disposed to think it native. 



I may here mention a locality in Westmeath, where the Sisyrinchium 

 cannot be considered otherwise than as an introduced plant, and for 

 the knowledge of which I am indebted to my friend Mr. H. C. Hart. 

 Mr. John R. Simms reports the "Canadian grass" as having been 

 found (1879) near Mullingar, growing " in. a gravel walk that had been 

 neglected for years, and covered with weeds. The soil was very cold 

 and hard ; in fact its roots were in the stones and gravel which formed 

 the foundation of the walk. It is a very free grower and bears dividing, 

 and is at present (July, 1879) covered with pods of seeds." 



Under the circumstances it will probably be best to wait until 

 we know something more of its range, present circumstances, and 

 past history, in Kerry, before pronouncing any opinion on its claims to 

 be considered indigenous ; the more so, as it seems so easily to 

 establish itself. 



BAILLON'S CRAKE IN CO. WATERFORD. 

 [ZOOLOGIST, March, 1882.] 



Through the kindness of Dr. Burkitt, whose name is well known to 

 ornithologists as once the possessor of the single Irish specimen of the 

 Great Auk, I am enabled to record Baillon's Crake, Porzana Bailloni, 

 from a second Irish locality, which is well authenticated by a label on 

 the stand stating that the bird was "taken alive on Tramore Strand, 

 Co. Waterford, April 6th, 1858." This interesting Rail has been, for 

 many years, in Dr. Burkitt's excellent series of South Irish birds, labelled 

 as "Crex pusilla," and having heard of the circumstance through 

 several friends, I requested permission to examine it, when I found the 

 bird to be, as I expected, Baillon's Crake. I have also been allowed 

 by Mrs. Moss to examine carefully the specimen so beautifully preserved 



