IBISH COAST. 79 



SO it seems, makes a noise so loud, or crows so loud, in the cliffs, 

 that one can hear it distinctly in the dwellings. It sounds some- 

 thing as follows : * kuck, kuck, ko, kuck, kuck, ko.' This is 

 repeated a few times, and then there is an interval of some 

 minutes. So far I can neither see nor hear it in the daytime. 

 It is called in this place the * Night-bird.' (See ' Zoologist,' 

 January, 1883). The Sea-parrot does not lay more than one 

 egg unless it is taken away, when another is laid at the end of a 

 week, and if this is taken away another egg is laid; then no 

 more are laid that year. The young remain in their holes until 

 they are fully feathered. They leave them in July, and are well 

 guarded in the sea by the old birds. It is my opinion they do 

 not ascend on the island any more after they have left their 

 holes. The only way the young birds are distinguished from the 

 old ones the following spring is that their feet are still a little 

 black. The Razorbill begins to lay its egg about May 18th. 

 The parent birds relieve each other while hatching. I actually 

 saw one Razorbill come up to another which was on the egg, 

 peck it, when off it went, and the new comer at once took its 

 place. The Stormy Petrels breed here, but in small quantity. 

 Autumn : Referring to the cry of the * Night-bird ' (Manx Shear- 

 water), the letter 'a' should be added to the *ko,' and it would 

 then read, ' kuck, kuck, ko-a.' The cry is as distinct as that of 

 the Cuckoo, and would be heard about the same distance. I 

 never remember to have seen a Crested Cormorant until I came 

 here. Starlings and Thrushes come off with easterly winds 

 when there is frost or snow on the mainland. About a dozen 

 Grey Linnets remained here during December ; also a few Snow 

 Buntings. There are a couple of hundred Titlarks summer and 

 winter ; they do not migrate. The same might be said of the 

 Common Wren; about a dozen." — Edward McCarron. 



Valentia. — " Spring : No bird struck this lantern for five 

 years. This point is too far west, and is out of the track of 

 migrating birds." — Thomas McKenna. 



Eagle. 

 Skelligs. — April 4th, two Eagles flying about the island. 



Hawk. 



Rathlin Island. — April 1st, five Hawks, stopping in vicinity. 

 June 22nd, four seen. 



