I92I. 



Notes. 



and V. norvegica in the garden at the castle, and Mr. Moffat found a 

 nest of the latter in a tree near by. Of the " Bumbles," I captured in 

 the garden, Bombiis lucorimi, B. agvorwn, B. muscorum and along the 

 northern cliffs of the island I noted these same three species, as well as 

 B. jonellus, B. distinguendus (a single male) and B. terreslris (a single 

 young queen). Of the inquiline genus Psithyrus I saw a single male of 

 P. campestris in the latter locality. Mr. Moffat reported having seen 

 one of the red-tailed bees on the other side of the island, but as it was not 

 captured he was not sure whether it was B. lapidarius or B. derhamellus. 

 The only ants noted by me were Myrmica scabrinodis. an already recorded 

 species. 



A. W. Stelf.ox. 



National Museum, DubUn. 



Irish Birds. 



In the July Number {supra, p. 82) Mr. Williams and Mr. Hinde comment 

 on my notes on Irish birds published in the May issue. 



To deal first with the Raven, my authority for the statement as to its 

 rarity was Barrington's List of Dublin and Wicklow birds in the British 

 Association Handbook, 1908, where he says it is a " Rare and decreasing 

 species." As would appear from the letters, this is not now the case, a 

 matter of congratulation to all bird-lovers. 



The birds seen on the North Bull on March 13th were not, I am certain, 

 either Sanderlings or Knots. I observed them very closely, and the 

 following extract from notes made at the time may be of interest : — 



" On the back of head ... is a dark greyish band, reaching almost 

 from eye to eye. A dark patch is also to be seen on the flanks. The legs 

 are dull yellow." Neither Knots or Sanderlings have these markings^ 

 and their legs are not yellow, but black. 



My record of a Yellow Wagtail on February 20th is perhaps open to 

 doubt, but, as I am well acquainted with the Grey Wagtail in Dublin, I 

 am confident my identification was correct. The snowstorm I referred 

 to might account for its presence in a suburban road. 



Athole Harrison. 



Terenure, Co. Dublin. 



Curious Behaviour of a Bat. 



One evening late in July last I observed a large Bat hawking amongst 

 the Swifts, whose sweeping flights it closely imitated. I had been watching 

 it for, perhaps, a minute when it suddenly turned its face to the wind 

 and commenced to flutter vertically upwards, as if climbing an invisible 

 rope. After ascending for, perhaps, a couple of hundred feet it swerved 

 as if caught by a different current of wind, then resumed its ascent, this 

 time exactly overhead. Being now thoroughly interested I continued 

 to watch its upward flight until its apparent size had dwindled to that 

 of the gnats flying about six feet above my head. At this height, when 



