170 
The Irish Naturalist. 
Oct., 
Snipe Carrying: Young. 
As I was getting some work done in my bog at Kilkenny West near 
Lissoy (Goldsmith's " Deserted Village ") I saw a snipe rise from a 
mud bank in a bog drain carrying a young one, and fly about thirty 
yards with it. It seemed to fly with considerable difliculty, and before 
it alighted the young bird was dangling down from it apparently held 
by the head only, and seemed to be slipping from its grasp. The old 
bird seemed to be supporting the young one with both bill and claws, 
at any rate it was all doubled up, its bill meeting its claws, and though 
I was very close to it when it rose I did not realise what bird it was till 
it dropped the young one. It came tack to where I stood and flew 
round close to me several times. We soon after discovered another 
young snipe just dead from drowning beside the spot where the first 
was rescued ; it seemed to be about two or three days old. There 
was a dog hunting alone about the spot when we were coming up, so 
I suppose the young birds were frightened into the water by this dog. 
The banks of the drain were high and steep, making it impossible for the 
birds to climb out, but the one I saw rescued managed to get on the 
mud bank which was just level with the water and was rescued by the 
old bird. As I do not remember to have heard before of a snipe carrying 
its young, I thought you might think it worth recording in the Irish 
Naturalist. 
W. J. Nash. 
Glasson, Athlone. 
Short=eared Owl on Migration at Rockabiil Light 
Station. 
At 7.20 p.m. (8.20 p.m. Summer time) as dusk was setting in, I observed 
a brown owl (Short-eared to the best of my belief) flying round the rock. 
If flew completely round three times, keeping close to the water's edge 
and some fifty yards high. The flight was rapid. On the fourth round 
it made a dash among a party of Turnstones perched on a reef, and 
caught one, and then gliding down to the far side of the " bill " dis- 
appeared from sight. The gulls, a great throng, on .seeing the disaster 
rose with one accord, and with loud cries made for the land in the late 
twilight. Even the Great Black-backed Gulls went off. 
C. J. Patten. 
The University, Sheffield. 
Nightjar on the Black Rock, Mayo. 
Mr. Godkin of the Black Rock lighthouse informs me of a Nightjar 
on the rock last autumn. He says, " A Fern Owl landed exhausted 
in October last and died in a few days." This is, so far as 1 know, only 
the second occurrence of the Nightjar at an Irish 'ight station in autumn. 
The previous occurrence being at the Tuskar Rock (see Barrington's 
"Migration of Birds," pp. 175-176. " August nth, 1888 — one at light 
all night "). 
Robert F. Ruttledge. 
Hollymount, Co. Mayo. 
