188 Burrisri birds. [vol. xiv. 



left the hole a short time before I explored it, while the young 

 for some days and nights had been heard " snoring " bv people 

 passing along the main road, which runs but ten 3/ards from 

 the tree. Two of the young w(ne, as far as I could judge, 

 about four weeks, and the third about three weeks old. 



A. M.\Y.\LI. 



[As nests of the Barn-Owl with eggs or young have been 

 found in every month of the year (with, I believe, the sole 

 exception of January, in which month I have no record) from 

 September to March, as well as in spring and summer, it is 

 difficult to distinguish late from abnormally early breeding. 

 Some further information on the subject will be found in a 

 note by Mr. Miller Christy {British Birds, VII., pp. 265-6) and 

 it is interesting to note that winter breeding has also been 

 recorded on the Continent and in the United States, so that 

 the habit is not confined to the white-breasted race. 



F. C. R. JOURDAIN.] 



GLOSSY IBIS AND AVOCET IN CO. WEXFORD. 



.^N immature male Glossy Ibis {PIes;adis f. falcineUus) was 

 shot in CO. Wexford, on October 20th, 1917, and on November 

 2oth, 1917, an adult male Avocet {Recurvirosira avosetta) was 

 killed at Tacumshane Lake, Broadway, co. Wexford. Both 

 were received by Mr. Williams, Dubhn, and the Avocet, a 

 very beautiful bird, passed into my possession. 



I must apologize for the belated appearance of these records, 

 but the note got mixed up with some other papers. 



C. J. Carroll. 



GAD WALL IN ESSEX. 

 On November 7th, 1920, I observed two Gadwall [Anas 

 sfrcpcra) on the lake in Navestock Park, Essex. Strangely 

 enough there were no other ducks on the lake at the time, 

 although Coots {F. atra) were numerous. The only record 

 I can find of this species in the county since The Birds of Essex 

 was published in 1890 is that of one obtained at Manningtree 

 in December 1913 {British Birds, VII., p. 323), and Mr. 

 Miller Christy {Viet. Hist. Essex) describes it as a very scarce 

 winter visitor. Willl\m E. Glegg. 



MANX SHEARWATER BREEDING ON INISHBOFIN, 

 CO. GALWAY. 



On June 13th, 1920, while staying on Inishbofin, I was 

 shown the nesting-hole of a Manx Shearwater {Piiffimis p. 

 pitffmiis). It was high up in a steep grassy slope, on the 

 north side of the island. Having climbed up to it, I found 



