THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 885.— March 15th, 1915. 



AQUATIC WARBLER ON MIGRATION OBTAINED ON 

 TUSKAR ROCK: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE 

 TO THE PLUMAGE MARKINGS AS COMPARED 

 WITH THOSE OF THE SEDGE-WARBLER. 



By Professor C. J. Patten, M.A., M.D., Sc.D. 



(Plate I.) 



In the November number of the ' Irish Naturalist,' 1913, p. 220, 

 I published a short preliminary note stating that I had received 

 and identified an Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus aquaticus) from 

 the Tuskar Light-station, Co. Wexford. The bird was picked up 

 dead on the rock at 4.45 a.m. on Saturday, August 9th, 1913, by 

 Mr. Glanville, principal keeper. At the outset I must acknow- 

 ledge my great indebtedness to him for so promptly forwarding 

 me this interesting specimen in the flesh on the very morning 

 that he obtained it. I received it on Tuesday, August 12th, at 

 Inishtrahull Island Light-station, the parcel having just caught 

 the weekly post-boat returning from Malin Head to the island. I 

 was delighted to find that the bird was in an excellent state of 

 preservation for skinning and dissecting. It had been dipped 

 in spirit * before being posted, a wise procedure on the part of 

 Mr. Glanville. For the epidermis was thereby toughened and 

 prevented from peeling, a mishap well known by the taxidermist 

 to occur in some cases within twenty-four hours if the weather 



* Immersing a specimen in spirit for a few hours or even less before 

 posting it is a good practice in warm weather. Fat birds, as this one was, 

 are improved by this treatment. 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. XIX., March, 1915. H 



