IBISH COAST. 77 



Any amount of sea-birds. Jan. 14th, 1883, the species of birds 

 remaining on the island at this date are : — * Large Gulls, 

 Sparrows, Linnets, Stonechats, Black Crows, White-backed 

 Crows, Golden Plover, Green Plover, Bald Coot, Curlew, Wild 

 Duck, Snipe, Eedshank or Sandpiper, Starling (they have been 

 scarce), Blackbirds, Thrushes, Cormorants, Water Wagtails, one 

 Snow Bunting (very few this season).'" — John A. Murray. 



Dunree Head. — ** Autumn : Cormorants are here all the year 

 round ; they build their nest under the lighthouse. They go up 

 the Lough every morning, and return in the evening. No birds 

 strike this light. Land-birds are very scarce." — John Stapleton. 



Lough Swilly. — '' Autumn : Birds seldom strike this lantern. 

 Barnacle Duck and Widgeon frequent the head of Lough Swilly 

 from about Oct. 1st to end of March." — Henry Eedmond. 



Arranmore. — '' Spring : The birds that breed on this island 

 are 'Stonechats,' 'Gulls,' 'Puffins,' ' Kavens,' 'Goldfinches,' 

 * Hawks,' and ' Ked-legged Jackdaws ' (Choughs). Autumn: This 

 station seems out of the line of passing birds." — Henry Williams. 



Killybegs. — "Autumn: The number of birds striking the 

 lantern has been very few since 1879 ; only the two named in the 

 schedule (Woodcock) have struck up to the present. The frost 

 and snow of 1879 made great havoc among Thrushes, Blackbirds, 

 Starlings, and Fieldfares. I saw no Starlings since 1881, which 

 is very unusual. In the spring of 1882 I saw two very fine 

 specimens of the Northern Diver ; they remained until late in 

 summer. Puffins arrive in large numbers early in July, and 

 usually leave en masse towards the middle of August. Cormorants 

 muster pretty strongly in the autumn months. Several Grey 

 Gulls and four or five Black-headed remained here during the 

 present winter. I observed one Gull a few days ago of a dirty 

 white or creamy colour, no feathers of any other colour being 

 visible. The Sea Swallow, or ' Pirr Gull,' used to visit us in 

 thousands formerly ; but since the autumn of 1878 not one has 

 been seen here. When stationed at the mouth of the Boyne, in 

 1876, a few of these birds used to breed there, laying their eggs 

 on the top of little sandy hillocks." — Daniel Hawkins. 



Oyster Island, North. — " Scarcely any land-birds visit this 

 island." — John Young. 



Broadhaven. — " Autumn : The Gannet does not breed on the 

 Stags, but is to be seen after herring." — Michael Duffy. 



