Barrington — A neiu British and two neio Irish Birds. 19 



It is said to be confiding in its habits, and frequently found in tlie 

 oompany of the Twites, and not readily detected. At any rate, up to 

 1898, only one specinaen was recorded from England. Since then there 

 have been several occurrences, chiefly at Fair Island, between the Orkney 

 •and Shetland Isles. 



Its breeding range extends through Russia and Siberia, eastwards from 

 Archangel. When tlie bird becomes better known, it will probably be 

 recognized as a straggler in small numbers, every autumn, to some portion 

 of the Britisli Isles. On dissection the Irish specimen proved to be 

 a female. 



THE REED- WARBLER {A&yocephalus streperiis, Vieillot). 



A specimen of this Warbler was recorded^ as having been shot at 

 liaheny, near Dublin, December 21st, 1843, by Mr. Montgomerj'. As 

 the date is an unusual one for a summer migrant, and as no specimen 

 was found in the Montgomery collection, Irish naturalists have for many 

 years excluded it from our avifauna. It is a regular visitor to England, 

 and fairly common in Wales ; and having regard to the marshy character 

 of many parts of Ireland, it is remarkable that no specimen has ever been 

 obtained in this country until the present year. 



The study of migration, at Light-stations, has added several rare 

 insect-eating birds to the Irish list ; and yet this common English Warbler 

 never occurred before. The specimen now exhibited was killed striking 

 liockabill Light-house on October 20th, with three Golden-crested Wrens 

 and two Redstarts, and is a female. 



It so closely resembles the Marsh- Warbler, that it is said to be erroneously 

 coloured in Gould's "Birds of Great Britain"; also in Lord Lilford's " Coloured 

 Figures of the BritishB irds,"' and to a certain extent in Dresser's work on 

 the birds of Europe. It differs in its habits and song from the Marsh- 

 Warbler. 



Mr. A. H. Evans writes that he heard this species singing in a reed- 

 bed on the Shannon, near Portumna, on the 23rd July, 1904. The total 

 number of species new to Ireland forwarded by the Light-keepers is now 

 thirteen, namely : — 



Lesser Whitethroat {Si/lvia curruca), 1890. 

 Yellow-Browed Warbler (Phylloscopiis super ciliosus), 1890. 

 Melodious Warbler {Rypolais polyglotta), 1905. 



1 Zoologist, 18-18, p. 2143 ; also Proc. Dublin Nat. Hist. See, 1852, p. 89. 



- "Illustrated Manual of British Birds by Howard Saunders." London, 1899, p. 81. 



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