274 tHE ZOOLOGIST. 



Flycatcher on the 23rd. Although we had such very fine weather during 

 the migratory season, so favourable for the passage of the smaller birds, 

 yet most of them are scarcer than I ever remember in this neighbourhood. 

 Willow Wrens and Whitethroats, usually so common in all our plantations 

 and hedgerows, are very few indeed ; and this is the secoud season that I 

 have missed the cheerful notes of the Chiffchaff from the trees around. 

 I have seen only one pair of Spotted Flycatchers, although in other seasons 

 I used to observe four or five pairs near the house and garden. On 

 May 1st I went down the river to Bartragh, seeing very few waders. 

 Small parties of Godwits (all in winter dress) and Curlews were on the 

 sands, and I noticed about thirty pairs of Sandwich Terns, but only one 

 Common Tern was in sight. Eight Red-throated Divers, Colymbus septen- 

 trionalis, were in the Channel near the Bar, only five birds exhibiting 

 summer plumage ; they were very wild, and on the approach of my punt 

 all went outside into the broken water of the bay. On May 18th I 

 observed a Richardson's Skua chasing the Terns on the river : this bird 

 was in the black plumage, and was evidently resting here on its way to the 

 northern breeding-grounds. Generally during May a pair of these Skuas 

 are seen about, but only remain for ten or twelve days. I went with some 

 friends, on June 6th to visit Lough Talt, — a little lake in the heart of the 

 Ox Mountains, Co. Sligo, about twelve miles from the sea, — and I was 

 surprised to see a pair of Ringed Plovers with a young bird just able to fly, 

 on the gravelly shores of the lake. A pair of Dunlins, in full summer 

 plumage, were also on the shore, and, after remaining for some time, one 

 bird flew off to a small boggy flat on the side of the mountain, where I 

 have no doubt it had its nest. There were three pairs of the Common 

 Sandpiper about, but we were unable to find their nests or young ones. 

 Wheatears were very numerous about the stony shore, and we found a 

 young one under a large rock, and the nest of a Twite with five eggs on a 

 heathy bank, well sheltered by a bunch of heather. Ring Ouzels also 

 frequent the rocky parts of the mountain surrounding the lake. Some 

 years ago I discovered the Common Gull, Larus canus, nesting on a small 

 rocky island in this lake ; but although I was too late for the eggs, I found 

 young birds fully fledged, and an addled egg in a nest on the island ; but 

 unfortunately the Gulls have long since deserted this breeding-haunt, in 

 consequence of the number of boats placed on the lake for the trout-fishing 

 in May, thereby disturbing the birds just when they are settling down to 

 their nests. — Robert Warren (Moy View, Ballina). 



The Siskin breeding in Ireland. — As I believe that some have 

 doubted the fact that the Siskin breeds in Ireland, I wish to mention that 

 on Saturday, May 24th, on the invitation of Mr. James Johnston, I weut 

 with him and some other friends to the Deer Park, near Powerscourt 

 Waterfall. There we heard several Siskins, and, on arriving at the tree 



