68 



The Irish Naturalist. 



July, ig20. 



NOTES. 



ZOOLOGY. 

 The Common Wren. 



In Mr. E. P, Butterfield's interesting remarks on the Wren [supra, 

 p. 2i) he refers to my article in Irish Naturalist, 19 19, p. 85, and says 

 " nests of this species other than cock-nests, I think are built mainly by 

 the female." At first this sounds rather a " bull," but no doubt by 

 " mainly " he means the main part of each nest. In view of the close 

 individual observation which I made, during a season of a number of 

 nests here, I would feel more satisfied if Mr. Butterfield would give his 

 grounds for above opinion. For example, nothing in his article goes to 

 show that any nest mentioned therein was built by a female. This 

 year I do not propose to specially study the Wren ; but as early as 

 March 6 two male Wrens were building. Only one of these I could 

 watch, and this cock-nest was completed by the 9th (only three days 

 in spite of cold and snow). It so remained till 8 April when a bird was 

 lodged in it at night. Evidently, from previous experience, a female 

 beginning her part of the business. Now my only nest last year which 

 might possibly not have been a cock's was one which had the outside 

 built too early for my observation. But here are two early enough 

 nests in all conscience and yet cock-nests. As the males thus build 

 nests from March to July some of which are regularly used by females, 

 there would seem no need for a female to build (that is, the outside) at 

 all. But if other observers find she does, and which I am far from 

 denying, it would be satisfying to have it quite definitely put and to 

 state the proportion of female nests observed. I might add that in 

 reference to the closing or filling of nests late in the season which I 

 mentioned in my article, I found last autumn nearly all the nests 1 knew 

 partially or entirely filled with moss. 



% J- P- BURKITT. 



Enniskillen. 



Greenland Falcon at Lambay. 



Mr. G. C. May's note (p. 60 ante) is headed " Jer or (Greenland Falcon 

 at Lambay." It may be well to note, lest this should lead to confusion, 

 that the bird referred to is evidently the Greenland Falcon, Hierofalco 

 islandus candicans Gmelin. By the Jer or Gyr Falcon is generally 

 understood the Norwegian representative of this section of the Falconidjc, 

 Hierofalco gyr jalco (Linn.), of which no specimen has hitherto been obtained 

 in Ireland. 



Hillsborough, Co. Down. 



Nevix n. Foster. 



