128 



The hish Naturalist. 



June, 



Sedge Warblers are common on I^ough Corrib, and that in- 

 evitable bird of the Irish lakes, the Reed Bunting. It seems 

 to breed on every island in many counties. I found a nest 

 Vi^ell under a boulder on one of the stony islands of Lough 

 Mask. Sand-Martins excavate the escarpment of the boulder- 

 clay that caps several of the islands in these lakes, and they 

 breed in the walls of a ruined castle on I^ough Cullin (Warren) ; 

 but the small bird that aroused my interest most was the 

 Yellow Wagtail, which nests extensively on the three lakes, 

 Corrib, Mask, and Cara, chiefly on the islands. I was attracted, 

 by the female leaving it, to one nest containing six eggs, over- 

 hung by a stone, among short sedgy grass. In parts of lyough 

 Corrib a pair seems to occupy each island. Mr. W. H. Good, 

 of Westport, informed Mr. Warren and me that this species^ 

 so local in Ireland, was to be found breeding on I^ough Mask, 

 and our surprise at finding it on these lakes is due to the fact 

 that the only other breeding-ground of the species known in 

 Ireland is on I^ough Neagh, in Ulster. This discontinuous 

 distribution in Ireland is paralled by similar habits of the 

 Yellow Wagtail in the North of England. As a migrant it has 

 occurred at Co. Wexford light-stations, which shows that some 

 at least of this species cross by the Wexford migration-route 

 used by so many of the Passerine birds that visit Ireland. 



Before quitting lyough Corrib I may mention that I have 

 found the Brimstone Butterfly {Goyiepteryx rhamni) on many 

 of the islands in June, as well as on those of the Shannon 

 I^akes. 



Of winter migrants to the northern lakes of this chain 

 Bewick's Swan is the most remarkable ; flocks of this fine bird 

 have repeatedly been seen on Loughs Conn and Cullin by 

 Mr. Warren. 



The Woodcock, a migrant of more interest to the sportsman, 

 after coming down the Donegal coast, crosses Connaught on 

 its southern journey in large numbers by this line of lakes, 

 where many take up their winter abode. The plantations of 

 Lord Ardilaun at Ashford, on Lough Mask, being carefully 

 preserved, afford a great annual cock-shoot, which has become 

 famous, and in which Royalty has taken part this year. 209 

 and 211 birds have been killed in one day on different years, 

 while as many as 508 have been shot in six days by seven guns, 



