190 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



White Wagtail visiting Bartragh Island, Killala Bay. — It will be 

 interesting to ornithologists to hear that Motacilla alba has this season 

 visited the island of Bartragh on April 27th ; two birds were seen, and 

 one specimen obtained by Captain Kirkwood, which I have forwarded 

 to my old and valued friend Mr. W. Oxenden Hammond, of St. Alban's 

 Court, Kent. As this is the sixth year in succession in which the 

 visits have been recorded, since a regular look-out for the birds has 

 been kept up by Captain Kirkwood, I think there can be no doubt but 

 that a regular line of migration passes over Bartragh every spring, 

 probably of birds going to Iceland. The birds are generally observed 

 about the last week of April or the first week of May, and are 

 especially seen if north or north-easterly winds are blowing, when 

 the few birds visible are probably tired from flying against the winds, 

 and pause on their journey to rest for a day, or for a few hours only, 

 before resuming their northerly course. In my notes on the White 

 Wagtail (Zool. 1898), I gave dates of occurrence for that year, which I 

 need not recapitulate here, but give the dates for the five years since : — 

 1899. April 21st, one bird seen in stable-yard ; May 4th, one seen 

 feeding about a manure-heap also in yard. 1900. April 23rd, one seen 

 in the garden, but Mr. A. C. Kirkwood, being very unwell at that time, 

 was unable to keep up his observations, which accounts for only the 

 one bird being noted. 1901. May 12th, two birds seen in yard ; 20th, 

 one seen feeding on lawn outside parlour windows. 1902. May 8th, 

 9th, 10th, and 11th, several birds were seen by Captain Kirkwood. 

 1903. April 27th, two birds seen and one obtained by Captain Kirk- 

 wood. As there are none of the common Pied Wagtails on the island, 

 M. alba at once attracts attention, and the light grey back and very 

 white cheeks and neck are so conspicuous that the attention of the 

 observer is at once directed to the bird. — Robert Warren (Moyview, 

 Ballina). 



The Status of the Goldfinch (Carduelis elegans) in Britain (cf. ante, 

 pp. 23, 70, 104, and 152). 



South-east Dorset. — The Goldfinch has been increasing in the last 

 dozen years, and especially in the last four or five. The other day a 

 charm of sixteen was seen near Wareham. — Arthur Bankes (Leaden- 

 hall, The Close, Salisbury). 



North Oxfordshire. — It should be stated that our resident Gold- 

 finches, which are to be seen here in small charms at any time in the 

 winter, are of the small dusky race. In autumn we are visited by large 

 light-coloured Goldfinches, and it seems that some of these also come 

 in spring to breed. — O. V. Aplin (Bloxham, Oxon). 



