TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 659 



by man ; but the absence of otber birds seems to be due to the fact that they have 

 never established a footing in Ireland at all. 



Among the birds of Ireland there are two groups specially characteristic of 

 their resorts as (1) certain Ducks, Waders, Gulls, and Grebes which breed on the 

 lakes and bogs ; and (2) the rock-breeding birds of the coast, including the Chough, 

 Raven, Eagles (rare), Peregrine, Cormorants, Rock Dove, Oyster-catcher, Gulls, 

 Auks, and Petrels. 



The chief sea-bird colonies are on the Saltee Islands, Lambay, Rathlin, Horn 

 Head, Tor More, North Mayo Cliffs, the Bills of Achill (where some tifty pairs of 

 Great Black-backed Gulls nest), the Cliffs of Moher, Loop Head, the Blasket 

 Islands, the Skelligs, and the Bull and Cow Rocks. 



Arctic Terns have their largest colony on Roaninish Island, co. Donegal. 



There is considerable similarity between the bird fauna of the Scottish and 

 Irish coasts ; while the abundance of the Hooded Crow and the frequency of the 

 Siskin and Twite in both countries are other points of resemblance. 



. The most southern breeding-haunts in Europe of the Common Gull and of the 

 Red-breasted Merganser are in Co. Kerry. 



The northern affinities of the Irish avi-fauna are limited, for neither the Eider 

 Duck nor several North British waders, the Skua nor the Fuluar, breed in Ire- 

 land ; but the following are among the species that have often visited Ireland 

 from the high North : Mealy Redpoll, Greenland Redpoll, Snow Bunting 

 (commonly). Snowy Owl, Rough-legged Buzzard, Greenland Falcon, Snow Goose, 

 King Duck, Sabine's Gull, Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull, I'omatorhine Skua, 

 Bufibn's Skua, Little Auk. 



The following North American species have been taken in Ireland, the figures 

 representing the number of their occurrences : — American Bittern (13), Surf Scoter 

 (6), Hooded Merganser (4 or 5), Lesser Golden Plover (1), Pectoral Sandpiper (3), 

 Bonaparte's Sandpiper (1), Bartram's Sandpiper (2), Butf-breasted Sandpiper (2), 

 Spotted Sandpiper (1), Red-breasted Snipe (2), Eskimo Curlew (1), Bonaparte's 

 Gull (1). 



Besides these, seven American land birds have occurred, but on these doubt has 

 been thrown, as having possibly had assisted passages. Six Antarctic and oceanic 

 species have been recorded — Yellow-billed Sheathbill (possibly escaped), Noddy 

 Tern, Wilson's Petrel, Little Dusky Shearwater, Great Shearwater, Sooty Shear- 

 water. The two latter occur numerously in some seasons, late in summer, aloni' 

 the coasts of Cork and Kerry. 



Miffration Routes. 



Immigrant birds arrive on the coasts of Ireland mainly in two directions. 



(1) The summer migrants and most of the passerine winter immigrants land 

 on the south and east shores. Many visitants on arriving there seem to travel 

 onwards along the coasts of Waterford, Cork, and Kerry, and this accounts for the 

 large number of rare birds that have been taken in the estuarine valleys of Co. Cork. 

 Vast numbers of small birds belonging to common species accounted residents 

 arrive in autumn on the south-eastern shores to pass the winter in the mild 

 climate of the south. There is a second immigration of these in spring.' 



(2) Those winter visitants that come from the far north arrive chiefly on the 

 coast of Donegal, and pass down the west coast of Ireland, while some pass to the 

 east coast by the North Channel. The White Wagtail in spring passes up the 

 west coast. 



Increase of Certain Species. 



The following have settled in the country as breeding species and are increas- 

 ing: — Magpie (since the seventeenth century). Missel Thrush (100 years ago). 

 Woodcock (since 1833), Starling, Tree Sparrow, Shoveler, Crossbill, Redstart, 

 Tufted Duck, Stock Dove. Many woodland birds too have increased. 



' Migration of Birds (Barrington), published by Porter and by Ponsonby, 1900. 



UU2 



