WHITE WAGTAIL (MOTACILLA ALBA) IN
IRELAND.
By Robert Warren.
So very little was known of this Wagtail in Ireland, that William Thompson had never met an Irish specimen, and he thus speaks of it in his work on the 'Birds of Ireland':—"Is believed to be at least an occasional visitant. It is included on the following testimony. In a letter to me from Mr. R. Ball, dated Dublin, June 19th, 1846, it was stated that a few days before, when at Roundwood, he had seen a specimen of the true M. alba, as distinguished from M. yarrellii. He remarked:—'We watched it for some time, though at a short distance from us, with a small telescope used for such purposes; its beautiful plumage was very distinct from that of the common species, and its habit much more sedate than usual with Wagtails; "it wagged" but little, and walked about demurely. I am sure that I have often seen the species before. As the bird was not obtained, its occurrence would not be inserted here without my perfect reliance on the knowledge and acute observation of my informant."
Such was all the meagre information that was obtained by Mr. Thompson of this bird in Ireland, and nothing more was heard of the species until April 25th, 1851, on which day I had the good fortune of shooting, on the island of Bartragh, the first authentic specimen known to have been obtained in Ireland. I met the bird in a field where some men were sowing barley, and as it followed the harrows, picking up insects. My attention was attracted by its quiet demeanour and light grey plumage, so different from that of our native Wagtails, and after observing it for some time it occurred to me that it might be the rare M. alba, so, drawing the larger shot from my gun that I had for Rabbits, I put in a charge of No. 8, and knocked the bird over at the first shot. On picking up and examining it, I felt
