514 [Proc. B.N.FC, 



lane, in the plantation, in the garden, and along the old hedge 

 that runs south from the garden wall. By the afternoon of that 

 day (15) they had spread all over the island, but the next day 

 they had almost all gone on, and the few that were left were 

 singing lustily. Probably the bird that Mr. Baring took most 

 care of was the Peregrine Falcon. The Peregrine laid her 

 eggs on the bare rock, and the young birds — little masses of 

 snow-white down — were successfully hatched out. The 

 Common Pufifin seemed to form the chief food of the Peregrine 

 on Lambay. It was a wonderful experience tO' be rowed slowly 

 round the island on a calm day in June when one was almost 

 deafened by the cries of the birds disturbed in their parental 

 duties, and sea and sky were thick with white Gulls, black 

 Cormorants, and black and white Auks, flying hither and 

 thither in seeming confusion and alarm. (Applause.) All day 

 long the chorus of Gulls never ceased, the soprano of the 

 Kittiwakes blending with the baritone of the Herring-Gulls and 

 the bass of the Black-backs. And when night came on the 

 Shearwaters joined in, their mysterious and unbird-like calls, 

 heard all round one at once, rising and falling according to the 

 distance of the unseen producers of the weird sounds, giving 

 the impression that angry and vindictive spirits were about. 

 Of all the Sea-Gulls the little Kittiwake was the most attractive. 

 But the Herring-Gull was the dominating pull of Lambay, the 

 young ones being pretty and quaint. Both the Greater and 

 Lesser Black-backed Gulls breed on Lambay. The Puffins 

 were the most comical of all the birds of the island. They 

 breed in holes in the cliff slopes, and very often in rabbit holes, 

 though they could make holes for themselves. A few 

 Cormorants and a good many Shags breed on the cliffs, and 

 also some Razorbills and Guillemots. There were more points, 

 Mr. Patterson said in conclusion, that he could bring forward, 

 but perhaps those present that evening had seen enough tO' 

 realise that Lambay was a sea-bird's paradise. (Applause.) 



Mr. Robert Welch, M.R.I. A., concluded the lecture, and, 

 in dealing with Land and Marine Mollusca, he said — The 

 Marine Shells collected number 117 species, a very fair list, 

 considering that cliffs almost surround the island, so the only 



