20 20 Proceedings of the Royal frisk A cademy. 



protected. It breeds there both in the sea-cliffs and inland rocks, and 

 in one place close to the Kestrel's home. Lindner and Ussher saw a 

 flock of thirty performing evolutions and screaming high in the air. 

 Patten saw a Chough chase a Peregrine; but Barrington received the 

 remains of a Chough from a Peregrine's feeding-place on another 

 island. Choughs are resident all along the cliffs of the west coast, but 

 especially on the larger islands, though less numerous than formerly, 

 e.g., in Kerry where they have not been protected, except in Valencia. 

 Barrington infers from reports of lighthouses that local movements of 

 Choughs take place early in April and early in November. Some betake 

 themselves to the Kerry isles in addition to the birds that breed there. 



Pica rustica (Scop.). Magpie. — Not observed by our party on Clare Island, 

 but is said to visit it in winter. It breeds on Achill, and increases there 

 in winter. About "Westport it is an increasing species. Barrington 

 shows in a table 1 that Magpies visit island stations (on the west coast) 

 during autumn more and more each month up to November. This bird, 

 so plentiful in Ireland, becomes scarce in the bare western district; it 

 has been found breeding on a steep hank in Donegal, and on ivy- 

 covered rocks near Cama, and on the Aran Islands, districts devoid 

 of trees. 



Corvus monedula, Linn. Jackdaw. — Said to visit the island in winter. One 

 seen on the castle by Patten, 30th December. It now breeds on Achill, 

 but not on the other western islands, where its place is taken by the 

 Chough. It has few colonies on the west coast, but breeds on Crony 

 Head and Dunmore Head, Donegal (as well as the Chough), also among 

 the Bartragh sand-hills, Killala Bay ; inland it becomes common, as 

 at Louisburgh and "Westport. Sixty per cent, of the light-keepers' 

 records of Jackdaws relate to the west coast, and, as in the case of 

 the Book, are most frequent in November and March. Thus in spring, 

 and still more in autumn, these birds resort to the islands of the west 

 coast, where they do not breed. 



Corvus corax, Linn. Baven. — Nests on Clare Island. Praeger has seen 

 parents and young two years in succession, and Bavens have been 

 observed in spring, summer, and autumn. They are also resident and 

 breed on Achill (hitherto their special resoit), on the north coast of 

 Mullet, on High Island, and the Aran Islands, Claggan Head, and the 



1 '-Migration of Birds," p. 160. 



