WARREN — OCCASIONAL NOTES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF BIRDS. NO. III. 63 



The Iceland Gull appeared in Killala Bay in December, and on the 

 22nd of that month I observed a miniature bird resting on the Ennis- 

 crone sands along with some common and herring Gulls ; it was very- 

 tame, and allowed me to ride within five or six yards of it before mov- 

 ing away. It was probably a young bird of the year, as its plumage 

 was very dark in colour, fully as dark as the darkest coloured specimen 

 in the Society's collection. Its great tameness might also help to prove 

 that it was a young bird of the year, were it not that in general the 

 Iceland Gulls evince but little fear of man, at least such has been my 

 experience ; and William Thompson also notices this peculiarity of the 

 Iceland Gull, when speaking of them in his book. 



An Albino variety of the common Curlew was shot on the Scurmore 

 strand near Enniscrone, some time in January last. It was observed to 

 frequent the neighbourhood for the greater part of the winter; but in 

 consequence of its colour quickly attracting the attention of the various 

 shore shooters, it was pursued incessantly until shot. It afterwards fell 

 into the hands of a person who was unable to preserve the skin, and it 

 was thus lost as a specimen. Its plumage was pure white, with the 

 exception of the wing-coverts, which were slightly tinged with fawn 

 colour. 



The Black-tailed Godwit was shot on the tidal part of the Biver Moy, 

 between Belleek and Boserk Abbey, by young Mr. Howley, of Belleek 

 Castle, some time in the middle of last month. It was in beautiful 

 plumage, having put on the full summer dress, except a small part of 

 the breast, which had not attained the full red colour, a few dark fea- 

 thers appearing underneath the others. I was unsuccessful in obtain- 

 ing it for the Society's collection, as it unfortunately fell into the 

 possession of a person who wished to keep it, on account of its handsome 

 plumage ; but in consequence of not being properly preserved, it met the 

 same fate as that of the white Curlew, and was lost as a specimen. 

 Thompson speaks of the Black-tailed Godwit as only appearing in 

 limited numbers in autumn and winter, and he records the capture of 

 only three specimens in the summer plumage — a pair shot on the banks 

 of the Boyal Canal, in the county of Longford, in the month of July, 

 1834; and a third specimen, obtained in Cork harbour, but no date 

 given. 



It may not be considered out of place here to remark that the Sand- 

 wich Terns have deserted their breeding haunt on Lough Cloonagh. 

 This is the more to be regretted, as it is the only breeding haunt in this 

 locality that I am aware of; and as they were strictly preserved by the 

 proprietor, Mr. Gardiner, there was every prospect of their numbers in- 

 creasing. The chief cause of their having deserted the lake may be 

 attributed to the immense quantity of rain which has fallen during the 

 past three or four seasons having so considerably raised the level of the 

 lake as to completely submerge the low mud bank upon which the 

 Terns used to nidify. When I -visited the lake, last summer, I found 

 only the blackheaded Gulls breeding there; but as they built their nests 

 on the hillocks amongst the reeds, and also on the reeds, the rising of 



