Birds. 9453 



sit and see any amount of wild fowl from the windows, and watch 

 their habits with a telescope. No rare ducks have arrived yet, but 

 this renewal of cold weather ought to bring some. Besides the large 

 flocks of wild ducks and widgeons which have been accumulating ou 

 the pool there was nothing to-day but six pochards and a female 

 goldeneye. A fresh flight of snipes seems to have come with the gale 

 yesterday and to-day. This wind has brought some goldfinches 

 and linnets, and I saw a pair of goldcrests in the garden to-day, 

 but the little birds generally keep close till a gale has subsided, 

 when we see its results. To-morrow we hope for a heavy day at 

 St. Mary's. 



January 5, 1865. — Your account in the 'Zoologist' pleased me 

 much, and was all new to me : I will return it on Monday, not having 

 quite done with it yet. You may tell your friends who inquire for me 

 that I am coming home soon, but really I cannot say when, St. 

 Mary's yesterday yielded forty-five snipes, one woodcock and one teal 

 to our united efforts. We struggled hard to get fifty, but it was no 

 go. This was something like a day's sport; it will be difficult to 

 beat it. It required pretty good shooting, as the birds were wild ; 

 there are enough left, however, for another good day, if we have luck. 

 I prophesied a heavy bag from the numbers by the pool at Tresco. 

 Besides the redwings and starlings in almost increased numbers, we 

 have now got plenty of linnets, chaffinches and a few fieldfares. No 

 fresh larks, which I rather marvel at. There was a single missel 

 thrush on St. Agnes, and a large flock of goldfinches on St. Mary's. 

 We saw and heard a chiff'chaff quite merry and well in the garden 

 yesterday, and a goldcrest or two. A few blackstarts, mostly young 

 birds (an old male is a rarity), and I think there are rather more wag- 

 tails than usual. My friend shot a female sparrowhawk yesterday; 

 a pair have been cruising about after the starlings for some evenings 

 past. No fresh ducks or shore birds. 



Glossy Ibis in Dublin Bay. — On the 15th I met with the glossy ibis {Ibis falca- 

 nellus) on the Muglin Rock, in this Bay. I did not procure it, on account of my gun 

 missing fire. I had been informed some days previously that a bird of all colours and 

 the shape of a ("crane" an^/ice heron), was to be seen about Dalkey Island ; this 

 most probably was the same bird, the sun shining on it giving it the appearance of 

 " all colours." — H, Blahe-Knox ; Dalkey, Co. Dublin, November 20, 1864. 



Anecdote of a Pair of Storks. — " In the spring of 1862 a peasant of Eimsbiithel, 

 near Hamburgh, observing ihat the thatched roof of his house was suffering greatly 

 under the considerable weight of a stork's nest which had for many years occupied the 



