188 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



here during the nesting season is worthy of notice, as not having happened, 

 to my knowledge, for many years, although I have sometimes seen a 

 solitary specimen at different times in various summers during that period. 

 The birds are not rare here in winter, an occasional one being frequently 

 seen. It is the appearance of the pair during the nesting season which 

 surprised me. I recollect when several pairs nested near here, but they 

 decreased to only a pair or so nesting in an occasional season. Then they 

 became so reduced that no nesting was known. It would be interesting to 

 know whether there have been any other extensions in the summer range 

 of these birds during the past season. I have a special reason in being 

 interested in the question, because for several years their favourite haunts 

 were practically overrun by Rabbits, which are well known as being very 

 much disliked by various other animals. Means were taken during the 

 previous winter to decrease the number of these rodents on the spots the 

 Snipe frequented during the past summer, and the idea crossed my mind 

 that the Snipe had found their way to the marshy moorland after the 

 Rabbits had been decimated there, and that the presence of the latter had 

 kept the former away on some previous years at least. — W. Wilson (Alford, 

 Aberdeen, N.B.). 



Birds Singing during a Thunderstorm, — For some reason or other I 

 have missed reading my ' Zoologist ' for July, 1898, until now, and so have 

 only just seen an interesting little note by Mr. Horsbrugh on this subject 

 at p. 322. Mr. Horsbrugh records the singing of many Thrushes and a 

 few Chaffinches during a heavy thunderstorm on May 23rd, 1898. I can 

 add the Wood-Pigeon to his list ; and in the ' Irish Naturalist ' for October, 

 1899, at p. 231, will be found a short note in which I mentioned that the 

 cooing of Wood-Pigeons was in no way interrupted by a heavy thunder- 

 storm, accompanied by rain, on Aug. 18th, 1898. The voices of these 

 birds were constantly audible between the thunder-claps. — G. E. H. 

 Barrett-Hamilton (Kilmarnock, Arthurstown, Co. Wexford, Ireland). 



PISCES. 

 Blue Shark in Killala Bay : a Correction. — In my notice in the 

 January number of ■ The Zoologist ' of the occurrence of a Blue Shark on 

 the island of Bartragh, I erroneously named it the Blue Shark from the 

 description received from a person to whom Capt. Kirkwood related the 

 occurrence. However, on meeting Capt. Kirkwood, and talking about the 

 fish, it was evidently a fine specimen of the Fox Shark (Alopecias vulpes), 

 10£ ft. large, and the elongated portion of the tail-fin nearly as long as the 

 body, fully 4 ft. in length ; and he was so struck with this peculiarity of the 

 tail that he cut it off and brought it home.— Robert Warren (Moyview, 

 Ballina). 



