NOTES AND QUEBIES. 275 



be attributed to the male bird having been killed, probably by a cat. 

 I have not the slightest doubt that these eggs were laid by the same 

 bird— Robert Moekis (" Fernhurst," Uckfield). 



White Wagtails in Co. Mayo. — The White Wagtails (Motacilla 

 alba), on their northern migration this season, as usual, visited Bartragh 

 Island on several occasions. The long continuance of northerly gales 

 caused birds to drop down on the island to rest and feed, when tired 

 out from battling against adverse winds. Some remained for only a 

 few hours, others for a day or two, before resuming their northern 

 flight. Capt. Kirkwood informed me that two birds appeared on May 

 1st, but remained only a few hours ; on the 5th six arrived, of which 

 he obtained a pair for me. This little flock disappeared next day, and 

 were replaced by four birds on the 9th ; these were joined by a fifth 

 on the 10th, when I had the pleasure of seeing them, and watched 

 them for nearly an hour running about, feeding on the grassy flat 

 adjoining the rabbit-burrow, and taking an occasional flight to pitch on 

 the paddock-wall, and run along it picking up insects. Four of these 

 birds were in very fine plumage, the light grey backs contrasting so 

 strongly with the black of the throat and the white cheeks. Captain 

 Kirkwood also observed a few birds on May 12th and 13th. — Kobert 

 Warren (Moyview, Ballina). 



White Wagtail and Common Redstart in the Isle of Man. — The 

 White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) has again appeared on the shore of 

 Castletown Bay. I saw the first this year on April 14th, and the last 

 on May 18th, the largest number of birds seen at any one time being 

 about twelve. These Wagtails invariably frequented the neighbour- 

 hood of high-water mark. On the night of May 12th-13th a female 

 Eedstart (Piuticilla phamicurus) was killed, along with a number of 

 Sedge- Warblers, at Langness Light. The species has seldom been re- 

 corded in Man. — P. G. Ralfe (The Parade, Castletown, Isle of Man). 



Some of King James's* Laws against Rooks. — I send you an inter- 

 esting note — against Rooks. It is from J. J. Jusserand's ' Romance of 

 a King's Life,' appendix v. : — 



" Item forthy that men consideris that rukis bigande (building) in 

 Kirkis yardis orchardis or treis doith great skaith apone cornis it is 

 ordaynt at thai that sik treis pertenys to lat thame to byge and suffer 

 on na wyse that thar birdis fle away, and quhar it be tayntyt that thai 

 bige and the birdis be flowin and the nestis be fundyn in the treis at 



* King James is King James I. of Scotland. 



