NOTES FROM REDCAR. 249 



interesting if this old tradition could still be found to exist 

 among the inhabitants of the Barony of Forth, where the Colonel 

 lived. 



The second passage confirms and supplements the information 

 given by the first. It is taken from " A Chore-graphic Account 

 of the Southern Part of the County Wexford. Written anno 

 1684. By Bobert Leigh, of Kosegarland. (From the * Kilkenny 

 Archaeological Journal.') Edited by Herbert F. Hore." This 

 has been recently reprinted in the Wexford * People ' newspaper. 

 After some remarks on the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, the 

 writer says : — " About 8 years ago there landed in those parts a 

 new sort of planters, out of Wales, a parcel of Magpies (forced, 

 I suppose, by stormey weather), which now breed in severall 

 places in ye Barony of Forthe, and at a place called Baldinstowne, 

 in the Barony of Bargy, and in the wood off Kose Garland, before 

 mentioned, in ye Barony of Shilmaleere." 



Thus we have an exact and accurate statement that the 

 Magpie first appeared in Ireland, in the County Wexford, about 

 the year 1676. We have also to observe that the earliest writers 

 who refer to this bird had heard nothing of its supposed intro- 

 duction into Ireland by the English, but consider it to have 

 arrived unaided. Of course it may have been introduced by 

 man, but there is no proof that this was the case, and we shall 

 be safe in describing the Magpie as having " first appeared in 

 Ireland, in the County Wexford, about the year 1676." 



ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES from EEDCAR for 1890-91. 

 By T. H. Nelson. 



Ring Dotterels in 1890 commenced nesting early in April ; 

 single eggs were found on the 4th, and a clutch of four was taken 

 on the 19th. I much fear that the colony of Cormorants at 

 Kettleness is broken up by the propinquity of the railway, which 

 now passes within a few yards of the cliffs. Two or three years 

 ago there were about thirty pairs breeding, but last season I 

 only saw one pair in several visits, and understand that they did 

 not nest there. They may have changed their quarters to some 

 of the other cliffs near Staithes. The Herring Gulls are as 



