232 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



securing a bird, he returned and fled to the lower end of the island, 

 probably in search of young rabbits. He says this bird was much 

 whiter than the one shot by Miss Kirkwood on the island on March 

 2nd.* Bartragh Island is a safe refuge for rare birds ; a narrow range 

 of sandhills, with about thirty or forty acres of good loamy soil on 

 the eastern end, upon which the house and offices are built, and, as 

 no poachers are allowed to visit the island, it is a perfectly safe refuge 

 for any birds coming from the north. — Eobeet Wareen (Ardnaree, 

 Monkstown, Co. Cork). 



Rufous Variety of the Partridge (Perdix montana). — Mr. G. H. 

 Gurney, in his interesting " Ornithological Report for Norfolk, 1912," 

 says : " One thing which is curious about this erythrism is that more 

 than two or three are never found in one covey " (ante, p. 181). I 

 can supply the exception to this statement, but I much doubt if 

 it proves the rule ! In September, 1900, three birds were shot at 

 Pyrehill, near Stone, Staffordshire, out of a covey of five, all of this 

 dark rufous variety. The remaining two birds paired the next spring, 

 but one was killed by flying against telegraph-wires. These facts I 

 recorded at the time in a short paper which will be found in 

 vol. xxxvi. p. 49, of the • Transactions ' of the North Staffordshire 

 Field Club. A dozen birds at least of this red variety have been 

 reported for this county. — John R. B. Masefield (Rosehill, Cheadle, 

 Staffordshire). 



Black-throated Diver (Colymbus arcticus) in Co. Mayo. — On 

 Sunday, May 11th, a Black- throated Diver in summer plumage was 

 seen by Captain Kirkwood in the narrow channel between Bartragh 

 and the island of Bannros ; the bird swam in towards where he was 

 sitting, and having his glass he had a good close view, and was able 

 to distinguish the black throat and white markings on the back. 

 This species is very rare in Killala Bay and the estuary, and not 

 since April 20th, 1851, when my brother observed a Black-throated 

 Diver in summer plumage in the same channel where this bird was 

 seen by Captain Kirkwood, has one either in winter or summer 

 plumage (although every winter I was wildfowl shooting in the 

 estuary) ever come under my notice ; and when out in my shooting- 

 punt I always kept a good look-out for any strangers ; indeed, it 

 was one of the great enjoyments of wildfowl shooting — the expecta- 

 tion of some rare visitor turning up in the course of the day. — 

 Robert Warren (Ardnaree, Monkstown, Co. Cork). 



* Cf. ante, p. 155. 



