THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 701.— November, 1899. 



OENITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM THE NORTH- 

 WEST OF IRELAND. 



By H. E. Howard. 



Being on the north-west coast of Ireland during August, a 

 few remarks about the bird-life there may be of interest to some 

 of the readers of * The Zoologist.' Not that they will find any 

 new facts among them, but, by comparing them with notes from 

 other districts, some conclusion may be arrived at as to the move- 

 ment of birds at this time of year. 



The district that I was in was perhaps as wild as any in 

 Ireland, and the cliffs some of the finest in the British Islands. 

 Only those who have seen the sea-birds on these cliffs during 

 May, June, and July have any idea of the swarms that breed 

 there. Of course, in August very few were left, those that were 

 consisting chiefly of Kittiwakes, and the faces of the cliffs were 

 lined in many places by the young birds, nearly all of which were 

 ready to fly ; some I did see with a good deal of down, but by far 

 the majority were already commencing to take short flights. The 

 old birds were very fearless, and would almost let you touch them 

 before they would leave the rocks. Puffins I did not find with young 

 on this occasion, although last year about the same time I saw the 

 old birds entering burrows in inaccessible places with their bills 

 full of fry. There were also plenty of young Shags sitting about 

 the rocks, but all able to follow the parent birds. Razorbills and 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. III., November, 1899. 2 i 



