&OTES AND QUERIES. 1.07 



and then, on being liberated, went into a nook of a fence, where it imme- 

 diately put its head under its wing and roosted. " During frost at the end 

 of November he saw a Swallow." In this part of Co. Waterford where 



I live, no snow has lain on the ground all through this winter. We have 

 had fieldfares here, sometimes in flocks of forty, since Nov. 7th. Some 

 writers say none appear here except on the exposed uplands. I have never 

 seen so many except in severe frost and snow. Blackbirds and Redwings, 

 too, have been unusually plentiful this winter. Every evening they come 

 from far and near into the evergreen plantations about my lakes, where, 

 crowded in company with Starlings, they keep up a tremendous noise and 

 stir. There seems to have been an immigration of Bramblings this winter 

 into the South of Ireland. My servant, who caught some in January and 

 February, 1888, reports that they roosted with Chaffinches every evening 

 near his lodge. I received a Brambling from Dr. Donovan, shot by him near 

 Bandon on January 6th ; and another from Mr. John Norman, a gardener 

 near Thnrles, taken by him about the same time. In 1887-8 we were 

 visited by Bramblings, but they are not common in the South of Ireland. 

 — R. J. Usshee (Cappagh, Co. Waterford). 



The account given in ' The Zoologist ' for February (pp. 63 — 66) of the 



II Great Flight of Small Birds to the Westward " is so interesting that perhaps 

 I may be allowed to answer the Rev. E. C. Spicer's question as to " where 

 the birds went." The frost in the Co. Wexford (or at least in this part of 

 it) was not nearly so severe or protracted as it was in England. Thus, though 

 we had frost and snow on Nov. 26th and following days, the cold was suc- 

 ceeded on the 30th by extremely mild weather, which lasted until Dec. 5th. 

 The next very severe frost (on Dec. 21st) was followed by rain on the 25th > 

 after which the frost and snow returned on the 28th, lasted till the 31st, 

 and was followed by fine dry weather until Jan. 16th, from which date up 

 to this time (Feb. 14th) the weather has been for the most part warm and 

 spring-like. Thus it will be seen that we have not had a week's continuons 

 hard frost. It might therefore be reasonably expected that the flocks of 

 birds seen at Brighton, Lyme Regis, aud in Devonshire, were making for 

 the south-east of Ireland ; and this is borne out by the facts. Sky Larks 

 were numerous about the Hook Lighthouse " at the end of December and 

 beginning of January," as I learn from the lightkeeper, Mr. D. Hawkins. 

 On Dec. 12th, Linnets and Sky Larks were noted " about the light " all 

 night, and one of each was killed, the wind being S.E. On Dec. 15th, 

 Thrushes and Blackbirds were " about the light " all night (wind N.N.W.), 

 and one Song Thrush was killed. At Fethard (also on the coast) flocks of 

 birds were noted by a correspondent, passing, for the most part, westward or 

 southward, at intervals, throughout December. These were chiefly Wild 

 Geese, " Mountain Thrushes " (i. e., Redwings and Fieldfares), Lapwings, 

 and Golden Plover. The principal migration seems to have taken place 



