132 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
the season of 1880 for their increase. Some of the summer birds 
appeared to have instinctive knowledge of the prospect of a fine 
summer, or at least we may infer so from the fact of the very 
early arrival of the Chiffchaff and others. 
On the 20th March a Chiffchaff appeared here in full song, 
and was heard almost daily throughout the season. Sandwich 
Terns were seen on the river and estuary on the 24th, nearly a 
fortnight earlier than in 1879. Willow Wrens on the 19th April, 
ten days earlier than the previous season. Swallows and Martins 
were also seen on the 19th, somewhat later than in 1879; Whim- 
brels on the Ist May; Corn Crakes on the 2nd; Cuckoos and 
Swifts on the 12th and 13th; Common Terns on the 14th; a 
Sedge Warbler on the 15th; and our latest visitors, the White- 
throats and Spotted Flycatchers, on the 19th May. 
With regard to the losses caused by the arctic winter of 
1878-79 amongst various species, some birds had regained their 
usual numbers; for instance, the Blackbirds and Robins; while 
the Missel Thrushes and Song Thrushes have not nearly come up 
to the average, being still very scarce in this locality. Common 
Wrens and Tits are also very scarce. 
On June 29th I went round the estuary in my punt to see if 
any of the winter birds had lingered on about the sands instead 
of leaving for their northern breeding-haunts. I only met with 
a few Godwits; one haying a white head and neck puzzled me at 
first, before I made out what it was. On July 10th I saw some 
Greenshanks and Redshanks at Roserk, just come back from their 
breeding haunts. On the 22nd I heard a Whimbrel, and saw 
Lapwings assembling in flocks after the breeding season. 
The number of Starlings which visited us last autumn was 
very small indeed, not a twentieth of the number which usually 
frequented the district previous to the winter of 1878-79; but 
whether their scarcity can be attributed to the losses of that 
severe winter or to the foreign-bred birds shifting their line of 
migration to some other quarter, it is hard to say, though perhaps 
both causes combined may account for the scarcity. Want of 
food cannot be the cause, for the wide extent of pasture-land 
where they fed in both counties (Mayo and Sligo) is quite as 
extensive, if not more so, than ever. 
Of our winter visitors the first to put in an appearance was 
the Widgeon, a few being seen on September 2nd, but these 
