2l0 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



While sleeping or chewing the cud, their ears are in perpetual 

 motion, one backward, the other forward, alternately. They also 

 have the remarkable instinct to make a short turn and sleep 

 below the wind of their fresh track, so that any one falling 

 thereon and following it up is sure to be heard or smelt before 

 he can get within shooting distance. 



OKNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM MAYO. 

 By Robert Warren. 



The winter of 1890-91 will be well remembered on account 

 of the severe and long-continued frosts and heavy snow-falls in 

 England, and also for the unequal distribution of the cold 

 weather throughout the British isles, the central and southern 

 counties appearing to suffer most; while here in Ireland, and 

 especially in the west, we had a far milder season of com- 

 paratively slight frosts, without snow. So the effects on animal 

 life were scarcely perceptible on this west coast, no birds suffering 

 except the Black-headed Gulls, the various species of small birds 

 that died off in such numbers in 1878-79 and 1880-81 escaping 

 altogether. I saw no dead ones lying about, nor any sickly or 

 weakly individuals moping about with ruffled feathers, as seen in 

 previous winters. 



In this district the winter set in with unusual mildness, and 

 an excessive rainfall, there being only three dry days in November, 

 and no frosts until the nights of the 26th, 27th and 28th, when 

 the mercury in a thermometer (six feet from the ground) stood at 

 27°, 25° and 27°; but the temperature rose again above freezing, 

 and on the nights of Dec. 1st and 2nd it stood as high as 48° and 

 51°, after which dates it began to fall gradually until the night of 

 the 7th, when the thermometer marked 30°, and from that until 

 the end of the month we had a continuance of slight frosts, 

 with occasional thaws on odd days, the mercury never falling 

 below 28°, and the average minimum temperature of the month 

 being only 33f\ 



The New Year began with the temperature at freezing, 

 gradually falling until the nights of the 5th and the 7th, when, with 

 a bitter E.S.E. wind, the mercury fell to 23° and 22°, indicating 

 nine and ten degrees of frost; and on the latter night we had the 



