£0 14 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



including the awful jliffs of North Mayo. On the Dingle peninsu 

 Patten found it both on the cliffs and mud-flats. Is not known to 

 migrate. 



Muscicapa grisola, Linn. Spotted Flycatcher. — Though not observed on 

 Clare Island, this is a regular summer visitor to the Westport, Belclare, 

 and Louisburgh districts, and to G-leudarary plantations on Achill. It 

 dispersed through Donegal, even near the coast, as at Horn Head House, 

 and on elders near a lonely cottage on the moors near Loughros Bay. 

 Specimens killed striking light-house lanterns have been sent to 

 Barrington in October, 1887, from Black Bock (Mayo) and from the 

 Tearaght (Kerry). 



Hirundo rustica, Linn. Swallow.— Summer visitor to Clare Island in small 

 numbers, chiefly seen about the port and settled parts, and sometimes at 

 the light-house. The cow-houses are usually too low and closed-up for 

 it to breed in ; but Ussher discovered more than one pair nesting in the 

 arch of a huge sea-cave open at both ends, south of Grranuaile's Castle 

 (Plate IV, fig. 1). This seems a very unusual site, though Swallows 

 often nest in the roofs of inland caverns. In a house on Achill Sound a 

 nest was built in a room, the Swallows entering by the hall-door (Patten). 

 These birds are numerous about Westport, Belclare, Louisburgh; are 

 found on Achill, Inishturk, and Inishbofin. On the coast and islands 

 generally and about Belmullet they are scarce ; but in the summer of 

 1884 Dr. Burkitt found them numerous there. On migration they 

 visit the Skelligs, Black Bock (Mayo), and Bathliu O'Birne, chiefly in 

 spring, less frequently in autumn. 



Cbelidon urbica (Linn.). Martin.— One was observed on Clare Island in 

 June, 1910, by Pastor Lindner. A few were noticed about Louisburgh 

 (Foster) and near Westport, where Good finds them fairly common 

 breeding birds. The Martin is a summer visitor to Achill (Sheridan) ; 

 but its occurrence at Belmullet is exceptional (Wallace), though it is 

 common about Ballina (Warren). It has not been recorded as breeding 

 in sea-caves or over-hanging cliffs on the west coast, as it does on the 

 less wave-beaten coasts of Munster, Leinster, and Ulster; and it is 

 remarkable that the Swallow, not the Martin, breeds in a sea-cave on 

 Clare Island, though this is not exposed to the waves. 



Cotile riparia (Linn.). Sand-Martin. — There is no record from Clare Island, 

 but Sand-Martins were observed about Louisburgh (Foster) and breed 

 freely near Westport (Good). This bird is not frequent on the coasts 

 and islands, though one was seen on Inishbofin; but is found on the streams 

 in Mayo and Donegal. 



