12 
The Irish Naturalist 
January, 
BIRD MIGRATION IN RATHLIN ISLAND. 
BY MARY G. S. BEST, F.Z.S., AND MAUD D. HAVILAND. 
During part of September and October, 19 13, we were in 
Rathlin Island for the purpose of watching bird migration. 
Owing to its size, and the nature of the covert, which at the 
time of our visit consisted of standing beans and barley, 
the place by no means came up to our expectations as a 
station for observation. Possibly, however, the following 
notes may be of some interest, as the birds in question are 
seldom recorded on migration from the north of Ireland. 
Wheatear {(E. ce.. Icucorrhoca).— AW specimens obtained 
from different points of the island between September 15th 
and October ist belong to this large Greenland race. 
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba).- — About thirty of these 
birds, both adult and immature, were seen on September 
1 2th to 13th at Ballycastle, on the mainland opposite 
Rathlin, in company with a much larger number of Pied 
Wagtails. A few couples and single birds were seen on 
September 15th, i6th, and i8th, also in association with 
Pied Wagtails. 
Mealy Redpoll. — On September 25th a female of this 
species was procured. It has been examined by Mr. 
Witherby, and pronounced to be of the Greenland race 
(Carduelis I. roslraia), which has hitherto only been recorded 
from Achill and the Tearaght in Ireland. This bird was 
accompanied by a male, which, however, was not secured. 
Turtle Dove.— We saw one bird on September 24th. 
Eider Duck. — Four ducks were noticed swimming off 
Church Bay on September 17th and igth, and were then 
joined by a drake. On the 20th three birds were ^hot, and 
the others disappeared. On October ist, however, four 
more ducks were seen at the same place. The islanders call 
this bird the " Shellduck," probably owing to the parti- 
coloured plumage of the male, and say that it is not un- 
common in the spring and autumn round Rathhn. The 
hghthouse keepers say that as many as fifty or sixty are seen 
together at once. 
