I920. 



Notes. 



27 



Bramblings in North-east Cork. 



On the 5th December, 1919, a friend living near here sent me a 

 Brambling for identification. It had been caught by a cat that morning, 

 but was rescued, though it died shortly afterwards. He informed me 

 that he had noticed a few similar birds consorting with Chaffinches for 

 about a week previous in his place. I heard of other " dark coloured 

 Chaffinches " seen in other places around here but did not actually meet 

 with any myself until the 9th January, 1920, when I came on a flock of 

 at least fifty feeding with an immense flock of Chaffinches on the ground 

 under some beech trees close to the town of Fermoy. The Bramblings 

 were all on the outskirts of the flock, at least I failed to distinguish any 

 in amongst the Chaffinches. They were quite tame, rising from the 

 ground as I came up and perching in the low branches over my head. 

 I have never seen any about here before, though I have met with odd 

 birds in other parts of the country, and they were quite unknown to my 

 friend who is a very keen observer of bird life. As they appear to be 

 unusually numerous in parts of England this winter, it may be of interest 

 to note their presence also in this southern county. 



Fermoy. W. M. Abbott. 



The New Irish Whale.— A Correction. 



I should like to correct an error in a statement which I made in my 

 note on the new Irish Whale recently described by Dr. S. F. Harmer ; 

 this note appeared in the last number of the Irish Naturalist for 191 9 

 (vol. xxviii., pp. 1 30-1). The statement which needs correction is with 

 reference to the skuil (now in the Museum of University College, Galway) 

 of a whale stranded on one of the Aran Islands. It was not identified 

 by Dr. Harmer as belonging to the new Irish species {Mesoplodon mirus), 

 as I stated by mistake, but to Ziphius cavirostris. 



R. F. SCHARFF. 



National Museum, Dublin. 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Recent gifts include two Rhesus Monkeys from Mr. J. D. Hamlyn, 

 a Fox from Mrs. Dixon, three Badgers from Mr. R. H. Toner, two Belgian 

 Hares from Miss Bradshaw, Chaffinches and Linnets and a Barn Owl 

 from Rev. W. W. Despard, Linnets from Dr. Cosgrave, a Grey Parrot 

 from Mrs. Rhodes, a Many-coloured Parrakeet from Mr. C. C. Sloane, 



