THE ZooLocist—JUvLy, 1875. 4535 
the long-continued frost and snow, just as woodcocks and other migratory 
birds come to a milder climate than that in which they breed during the 
summer. I will give you a few proofs of this equality of temperature from 
both animate and inanimate sources, and the effects of it. I have been to 
several of the sanatoriums of the world, such as Madeira, Pau, &c., but 
Achill is almost the only place where that blight of Scotland and England, 
consumption, is unknown: this I attribute to the climate. I may also say 
that I have not known a case of distemper in dogs, although my experience 
has been large. Various kinds of trees and shrubs flourish here which will 
not grow to perfection in other parts of Ireland. I have fuchsias over 
sixteen feet high and large in proportion: the rarest kinds grow freely out 
of doors, and flower as well or better than in a greenhouse. Mr. G. Clive, 
M.P., who is a near neighbour of mine, has some splendid varieties at his 
summer lodge in Ballycroy, all growing in the open air, with camellias, 
azaleas, &c. Some years ago a live turtle was brought to me, which was 
washed ashore at a village on my property. It may, however, have been on 
board a ship or carried round by the Gulf-stream, as quantities of timber is. 
The turtle came in at Christmas. I have seen as many as a hundred wild 
swans on the Keele Lake, in Achill, during a hard winter: there were nine 
last year, which was comparatively mild here: they stay almost a month or 
six weeks, if undisturbed. I last year shot a grosbeak, and this year one 
out of a flock of snow buntings, both of which I had stuffed. The Cornish 
red-legged chough breeds and remains here: they are to be seen in large 
flocks, and are most useful birds, as they destroy vast numbers of wire- 
worms, and do no harm whatever: they are most interesting as pets. The 
_ golden and sea eagle build here, as also the peregrine falcon. I have a 
very fine specimen of the golden eagle, which I have had for twenty-one 
years, and which this spring laid two eggs. The hawks, in addition to the 
falcon before named, are the merlin, sparrowhawk and kestrel. The ring 
ouzel and water ouzel are common; the former most destructive to fruit, 
the latter to fish, the spawn of which he can pick up from the bottom of a 
pool as‘a chicken would oats on dry land. The common birds of the country 
come here at the end of October and remain till March, or if the weather 
is severe elsewhere, till April. I saw the last woodcock on the 5th of April. 
Achill is separated from the mainland of Ireland by a narrow Sound about 
a hundred and fifty yards wide in one place, where there isa ferry. It 
bears the same affinity to Ireland as Anglesea does to England. The 
mountains rise to 2220 feet, and some of the perpendicular cliffs are 1000 
feet. Great varieties of sea birds build here and on the rocks out at sea. 
Achill is easy of access, as a mail car runs daily from Westport to Dugort, 
which is nine miles from the Sound, in the Island. The Sound of Achill 
is frequented by the merganser, the great northern diver, small black 
guillemot, common guillemot, razorbill, puffin, and many varieties of 
