I9I5. 



Notes, 



75 



Irish and British Birds. 



In the Proceedings of the Sheffield Nahivalists Field Club (vol. li., 1914, 

 pp. 24-26), Professor C. J. Patten writes on some birds of the Sheffield 

 district which are rare or unknown in Ireland. In making the field 

 observations thus recorded the author had the advantage of the 

 company of the late Edward Williams to whose memory the publication 

 of tliese notes forms a pleasing little tribute. Among the species men- 

 tioned is the Tree Sparrow not long ago recognised as an Irish migrant 

 by Prof. Patten at the Tuskar light station. 



Bird Migration. 



Prof. C. J. Patten gave two lectures on Bird Migration in last year's 

 courses of the Royal Institution, London, dealing with general questions 

 concerning the routes followed by migrants, and drawing his illustrations 

 largely from observations made by himself at the Tuskar and InishtrahuU 

 lighthouses. 



Black Redstart and Roseate Tern in Co. Dublin. 



On Saturday, 20th February, I saw a specimen of that rare bird, the 

 Black Redstart, at a place quite close to Dublin. A friend of mine who 

 is a very keen ornithologist has had it under his observation for the last 

 three weeks, and we hope it may escape the fate usually meted out to 

 rare visitors who b}^ accident or otherwise find themselves in this countr\\ 

 My friend tells me that four years ago he saw a bird of the same sort at 

 almost identically the same place. Early in June last, accompanied by the 

 same friend, we saw two beautiful specimens of the Roseate Tern, also 

 within a short distance of Dubhn, but we could not find any trace of them 

 having nested at any of the breeding places of the other terns on the 

 Dublin coast during the summer. 



Geo. Brown Crawford. 



Rathgar, Dublin. 



Black Rat in Dublin. 



I may also mention a rather rare animal I chanced to come across 

 in November last at one of the stores near Ringsend, namely a Black Rat. 

 It was one of the kind {Mus raitiis) with large ears and an extremely 

 long tail, and may have come ashore from some vessel in the port. I 

 mention it here as I have not seen a Black Rat now for a number of 

 years. 



Geo. Brown Crawford. 



Rathgar, Dublin. 



