20 10 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Aorocephalus phragmitis (Bechst.). Sedge Warbler. — Bepeatedly identified 

 in marshy ground near Clare Island harbour in June, 1910, and 

 July, 1911 ; found on lakes south of Louisburgh, on Lake Moher 

 and near Belelare ; reported from Achill ; specimen received from 

 Belmullet (Ussher); common on Carrowmore Lough and about Ballina. 

 H. F. Witherby, who visited Inishturk, 28th May, 1895, reported several 

 among bushes on hill-side ; met with near coast in Donegal, Connemara, 

 and the Dingle district (Kerry). Barrington's specimens from Killybegs, 

 the Aran Islands, and Oyster Island, Sligo, were all received in spring. 

 Though thus well dispersed, it is not numerous along the west coast of 

 Ireland. 



Accentor modularus (Linn.). Hedge -Sparrow. — Besident and frequent on 

 Clare Island, specimens obtained in March and December. Nest with 

 eggs in strong tuft of lady-fern (Ussher), another placed on the ground 

 (Patten). Though nowhere numerous, there is no land-bird, except the 

 Wren, so widely distributed as the Hedge-Sparrow, which not only 

 inhabits the most bleak and treeless districts of the mainland, as the 

 country west of Dingle, but is resident and breeds on Tory Island. 

 Aranmore, Inishbofin, the Aran Islands, and even on the remote, 

 precipitous Tearaght, whence eggs have been sent. A Hedge-Sparrow, 

 killed striking North Aran light-house, l'^th September, 1897, was sent 

 to Barrington, who remarks that there is probably some intermigration 

 between the island and the mainland. 



Cinclus aquaticus Bechst. Dipper. — A very few are resident on the mountain- 

 nils of Clare Island. Several specimens, obtained there and elsewhere 

 in Ireland, from time to time, were carefully compared by Barrington 

 with the series at South Kensington ; and he found nothing to dis- 

 tinguish the Clare Island birds from other Irish Dippers ; but an Achill 

 Island specimen in his collection has more chestnut on the breast than 

 any Irish specimen examined. 



The crown of the head, he writes, and the nape are a lighter brown in the 

 English than in the Irish specimens, and the grey edges of the feathers 

 on the back and upper tail-coverts are narrower and less numerous in 

 the latter than in the English Dippers. 



Fatten remarked of a male bird shot on Clare Island, hi January, that 

 the chestnut on the breast was much more limited and duller than in 

 many English birds, and even than in four from near Bray, Co. Wicklow ; 

 also that several male and female English specimens showed less stout 

 beaks and feet. . 



