NOTES AND QUERIES. 157 



Snipe were common on the whole both here and in another marsh 

 some miles away. In 1905 a flock of about two hundred Dunlins 

 frequented the shore for some days, in full breeding plumage ; perhaps 

 they were birds which did not breed that year. Ring-Plovers were 

 fairly numerous. In 1905 I spent about an hour on a small piece of 

 shingle without result, looking for a nest which, judging by the 

 behaviour of two birds, I am sure was there. Last year, however, we 

 found four nests with little difficulty amongst the rough grass on the 

 sand-hills, where the eggs were rather conspicuous. One of my friends, 

 on finding a nest, put up his camera to photograph it, when he was 

 astonished to see the old bird come up and sit on the eggs for a few 

 seconds. Before he could photograph her she was off again, and 

 refused to repeat her conduct, even when the camera was hidden, and 

 a long thread attached for the operator at a distance. None of the 

 birds were the least demonstrative. Other Waders which were seen 

 were a flock of Turnstones, on April 30th, 1906, and a few Purple 

 Sandpipers, which kept about the low rocks on the shore for some 

 days. These last were remarkably tame, the tamest wild birds I have 

 ever seen (with the exception of a Knot in Yorkshire, which allowed 

 itself to be photographed within a yard of the camera, which I held in 

 front of me without any attempt at concealment whatever). Curlews 

 were common, and bred, I feel sure, somewhere in the locality, though 

 we failed to find them doing so. I only saw four Whimbrel the whole 

 time I was there. 



Three species of Gulls were noticed — the Lesser and Greater Black- 

 backed and the Herring. Of the three, the last was much the com- 

 monest, the Greater Black-back being rare. The Gulls seemed to take 

 little notice of the Peregrines. The only other uncommon (if they 

 may be called uncommon) birds seen were Corn-Buntings, which kept 

 up a terribly monotonous tune all day, Oystercatchers, a Razorbill, and 

 a couple of Gannets in adult plumage. Unfortunately, no trace was 

 seen either year of the Chough, which, according to the ' Birds of the 

 County,' is confined to the locality about which I have been writing. — 

 E. F. A. Hay (C. C. C, Oxford). 



Notes on Kerry Bird-Life. — While on a visit to Kerry at the end of 

 January and beginning of February, 1905, I spent some very pleasant 

 days with the birds. Circumstances were favourable for making 

 observations — the weather was mild and for the most part fine, the 

 climatic conditions being much the same as they are in mid-April in 

 the North of England. Bird-life was plentiful and varied — indeed, a 

 much longer time might be spent in the locality with both pleasure 



