36 Nevin H. Foster on 



Larus ridibundus Liiwi'. Black -headed Gull. 



The Black-headed Gull maybe seen in the district the j'ear round and 

 in Winter in large numbers. Thompson states* that about the year 1808 

 a number of these birds took possession of an islet in Lough Aghery as a 

 l)reeding place and drove out the Herons and nested for several years 

 afterwards to the niunber of many hundreds, their nests almost covering 

 the whole islet. This apparently continued till about 1832 when they 

 were in their turn evicted, it is said, hy tlie persecution of Hooded Crows. 

 In July, 190o, the Rev. Allan Ellison and the writer found (jn the Willow 

 trees overhanging the water of Hillsborough Park Tjake about 20 nests 

 built of sticks and placed on the branches usually about a foot above the 

 surface but some almost touching the water, which they believed belonged 

 to this species. Certainly at the time there were about 100 Black-headed 

 Gulls about the lake, tlie majority of whicli were birds of tlie year. The 

 gamekeeper informed us that two pairs had nested there the previous year. 

 Since then they have not bred there. 



Sterna hirundo Linnc. Common Terx. 



A pair, sometimes three, of these birds usually frequent Hillsborough 

 Park from jNIay till July, and may occasionally be seen at this season on 

 some of the ponds in the district. These do not appear to be breeding 

 birds as no nest could be found, nor were any immature i)irds ever seen. 



Order PROCELLARIIFORMES. 



Family THALASSIDROMID.^. 



Thalassidroma pelagica [Linn^). Storm-Petrel. 



Thompson recordst that after a hurricane on 7th January, 1839, two 

 of these birds were found dead near the Castle, Lisburn. 



Oceanodroma leucorrhoa Salvin. Leach's Petrel. 



For the inclusion of this species we are indebted to Thompson, who 

 States^ that in the Winter of 1831 a specimen was found dead — but in 

 excellent condition and plumage — near Lisburn. 



[It may here be stated that the second example found in Ireland of 

 the American Wilson's Petrel, Oceanites oceanicus {Kuhl), was taken 

 alive after the great storm of September, 1891, near Dunmurry, only a 

 little more than two miles outside our district.] 



Order PODICIPIDIFORMES. 



Family PODICIPID/E. 



Podiceps cristatus [Linne). Great Crested Grebe. 



To the district we can only regard this bird as a Hunnner visitant, 

 thougli Thompson says§ that a pair of them remained on the lake in Hills- 



* Nat. Hist, of Ireland, Vol. IT, v- UO. 

 UXat. Hint, of Ireland, Vol. Ill, p. 423. 

 : Xat. Hist, of Ireland, Vol. Ill, p. 41,5. 

 § Nut. Hist, nf Ireland, Vol. Ill, p. 175. 



