JUL 



July, '1915. The Irish Naturalist. 109 



QN THE IRISH NAMES OF BIRDS. 



BY R. F. SCHARFF, B.SC, M.R.I. A. 



In the Marcli number of tlie Irish Naturalist for this year 

 (supra pp. 45-53), I pubhshed a preHminary Hst of the 

 Beasts or Mammals of Ireland with their Gaelic or Irish 

 names. I pointed out that I hoped eventually to obtain 

 a list of many of the Irish names of animals now living 

 in Ireland, and of those which had become extinct within 

 historical times. 



I have now completed the list of the Irish names of 

 Birds. My list differs considerably from that contained in 

 standard works such as Ussher and Warren's Birds of 

 Ireland," because I omit a good many species. 



In the collection of Irish birds in our National Museum, 

 all birds are included as Irish quite irrespective of the fact 

 whether or no they breed in this country. Thus we find 

 birds referred to as Irish, like the Redwing and Fieldfare, 

 which are usually common in Ireland during certain parts 

 of the year, but which have never made their nests or reared 

 their young in this country. On the other hand certain 

 species of birds are believed to have been common in Ireland 

 long ago, and have now either entirely disappeared from 

 this country or are included among the rare visitors. Both 

 of these groups are included in the present list because 

 Irish names for them are likely to exist. Most of the 

 accidental or rare visitors which are not believed to have 

 been more abundant in Ireland in former times are 

 altogether excluded from my list. 



I shall be most grateful to Irish scholars for any criti- 

 cisms or additional names of Irish Birds. I should also 

 like to mention that I propose to publish one or two 

 additional papers on several groups of animals not dealt 

 with so far, such as the Fishes, Insects and Mollusks. Any 

 information on that subject will be thankfully acknowledged. 



I am indebted particularly to Mr. L. S. Gogan and 

 Mr. R. I. Best, for assistance and most valuable suggestions. 

 Mr. Colgan gave me a list of the names of Birds which he 



A 



