79 



am credibly informed that a few others were obtained about the same 

 time in different parts of Ireland. 



Great spotted Woodpecker, Picus major, Linn. A specimen of 

 Pic. major, preserved in the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, 

 was shot in the vicinity of that city a few years since. In the manu- 

 script Notes of the late Mr. Tenipleton it is stated that an indivi- 

 dual of the same species was sent to him, in August, 1802, from the 

 county of Londonderry. 



Little Bustard, Otis Tetrax, Linn. Two birds of this rare species 

 were seen in the county of Wicklow, on the 23rd of August, 1833, 

 and one of them was shot by Mr. Reside, for whom it was set up 

 by Mr. W. S. Wall, Bird Preserver, Dublin. 



Velvet Scoter, Oidemia fiisca, Flem. In December, 1833, a spe- 

 cimen of this Duck was killed at Clontarf, near Dublin. Its occur- 

 rence on the Irish coast in one or two other instances has been com- 

 municated to me. 



Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps rubricollis, Lath. Dr. J. D. Marshall 

 of Belfast informs me that a specimen of this bird, which he pos- 

 sesses, was procured in the neighbourhood of that town in the au- 

 tumn of 1831. 



Great Auk, Alca impennis, Linn. One of these birds, taken in 

 1834 off the coast of the county of Waterford, is preserved in the col- 

 lection of Dr. Burkilt of Waterford. It lived in confinement for some 

 months. 



In Sampson's 'Londonderry' it is erroneously stated that Alca 

 impennis frequents the rocks of that county as well as those of 

 Donegal : the Razor-bill, Alca Tarda, Linn., which is common to 

 both counties, being omitted in Mr. Sampson's Catalogue, is, I pre- 

 sume, the bird alluded to under the name oi Alca impennis. 



Pomarhine Skua, Lestris Pomarhinus, Temm. Of this Skua, three 

 specimens were procured in different parts of Ireland, within a short 

 period, about the commencement of the winter of 1834-5. The 

 first, purchased alive at Youghal, county Cork, on the 12th of Oc- 

 tober, was caught upon a hook, at sea, and lived for a few weeks, 

 part of which time it was in the Garden of the Zoological Society 

 of Dublin. The second specimen was shot in Belfast Bay, on the 

 18th of October, and is in the collection of Dr. J. D. Marshall. 

 Both these individuals were immature. The third, an adult bird, 

 was shot from among a flock of Gulls, in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, 

 on the 5th of November, and, with the first mentioned, is in the pos- 

 session of Robert Ball, Esq., of Dublin. 



Sapphirine Gurnard, Trigla Hirundo, Linn., is commonly taken 

 on the north-east coast of Ireland : it not unusually attains 2 feet 

 in length. By the Howth (county Dublin) fishing-boats I have seen 

 this species brought ashore in considerable quantity. 



Lineated Gurnard, Trigla lineata, Linn. On the 28th of February, 



