82 



The Irish Naturalisf, 



ZOOLOGY. 

 Records of Irish Birds. 



In his " Notes on some Irish Birds "in the May number of the Irish 

 NaturaHst (p. 64 supra), Mr. A. Harrison says that " Ravens are very rarely 

 observed in the Co. Wicklow." That is not my experience ; they are 

 frequently seen about the Upper Lake, Glendalough, where they build ; 

 also at Lough Nahanagan, close to Glendalough. 



Wm. H. Hinde. 



Selston, Greystones. 



In the May issue of the Irish Naturalist Mr. A. Harrison's " Notes 

 on some Irish Birds " are, in my opinion, open to doubt. He evidently 

 saw 100 Sanderling or Knots on the North Bull on March 13th. Phalaropes, 

 when they do visit us, usually arrive singly or in pairs. The Yellow 

 Wagtail I have never seen near a town or street, it is always in the open 

 country. On such a date. Feb. 20th, it could not be anything but a Grey 

 Wagtail, a species which is quite common in the city. Ravens, instead of 

 being " rarely " seen in Wicklow, breed there regularly, and have done so 

 for years, at Luggala, Glendalough and Powerscourt. With regard to 

 Mr. G. C. May's record of Serins in Queen's Co., no date is given when the 

 two pairs were seen. In all probability Lord Castletown saw two pairs 

 of Siskins, which closely resemble the very rare Serin. 



W. J. Williams. 



Rathgar, Dublin. 



Lesser Whitethroat in Co. Dublin. 



1 send the following description of a bird which I saw here this morning, 

 and heard singing several times since June ist. I have identified it as the 

 Lesser Whitethroat, but I would like an opinion following on my descrip- 

 tion, which is as follows :— 



Length, about 5 or 5I inches. Upper parts dull brown ; breast greayish ; 

 throat white or nearly so ; head brown, with darker brown or black 

 round the lores ; legs and feet appear greenish grey. 



Habits and behaviour. — Heard singing in garden shrubs bordering a 

 grass walk near the Club. Shy of observation ; flight rather feeble, and 

 with very marked wing " beats " ; occasionally took a short flight, in a 

 manner resembling a Lark, but only for a few feet up, and then returned 

 to the branch of a small birch tree ; this was done twice, the bird singing 

 all the time, which it did with energy, and the feathers of the head erected, 



