460 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



determined, on my return home on Oct. 21st, to see whether the 

 small birds had entirely disappeared from this locality also. I 

 searched everywhere — fields, plantations, roadsides, &c. — but the 

 only birds visible were Eobins, Tits, Wrens, and Hedge and 

 Common Sparrows. 



In 1903, 1904, and 1905 the disappearance also took place. 

 This season of 1906, by Sept. 28th, neither Chaffinches, Green- 

 finches, nor Yellowhammers were to be seen anywhere about here. 

 On inquiring of my friend Mr. J. A. Knox, of Belgariff House, 

 Foxford, he stated that he had not seen a Chaffinch for weeks 

 past (where they were unusually numerous all the summer). Then 

 Mr. H. Scroope, of Ballina, who was keeping a sharp look-out, 

 also had the same tale to tell — no Chaffinches, Greenfinches, or 

 Yellowhammers ; and, having a good knowledge of birds, he 

 would have recognized even a single specimen if it was visible 

 in the course of his daily walks into the country. 



On Sept. 29th I paid another visit to Cork, and was deter- 

 mined to investigate as fully as possible the question of the 

 absence of the small birds from their breeding haunts ; but, as 

 in 1902, my experience was the same. On the 30th I went from 

 Cork to Carrigaline by train, and saw no small birds along the 

 line. I then walked half a mile to the church, and, after service, 

 walked a mile to Coolmore, the fine demesne of Major Newhen- 

 ham, beautifully situated on the estuary of the Carrigaline River. 

 After spending some time in the house, I walked through the 

 demesne out on the road, through Shanbally to the railway 

 station at Eafeen, at least two miles ; but during my walks 

 neither Chaffinch, Greenfinch, nor Yellowhammer appeared. 



Two days after I searched another line of country, leaving 

 Monkstown by steamer for Eingaskiddy, and walked for nearly 

 three miles by the fields along the shore and Leamount Marsh to 

 Prospect Villa and Castle Warren to Currabinny ; but no birds 

 appeared in the course of my walk except half a dozen Sky- 

 Larks and Meadow-Pipits, and a solitary male Stonechat on 

 Simon's Point. 



On Oct. 5th I looked up another line of country along the 

 Cork and Macroom Eailway &o visit Warrenscourt, near the 

 Doonisky Station, twenty miles from the city. On getting out at 

 the station I walked for two miles along the Macroom Eoad, and 



