Irish Historical Studies, Vol. V, No. 18Review by: A. A. C.The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 9, No. 5 (Jan., 1948), p. 131Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25533597 .

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January, 1948] The Irish Naturalists' Journal. 131

Co. Wicklow. One near Blessington, 14th October. Co. Mayo. One at Cloonee, beside Lough Carra, 19th October. Those in Wexford and Wicklow were seen in company with

I. M. Goodbody.

Cloonee, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo. ROBERT F. RUTTLEDGE.

OUR LIBRARY TABLE.

Irish Historical Studies, vol. V, no. 18 (September, 1946). Dublin:

Hodges, Figgis & Co. 5/6. T. P. O'Neill contributes a well-documented article on "The

scientific investigation of the failure of the potato crop in Ireland, 1845-6." What strikes one is the oibvious fact that if the /fungal theory of the disease had been generally accepted, famine might have been

avoided, but the .scientists disagreed and argued?and the people starved.

In "

Historical Geography and the Irish Historian" T. W.

Freeman discusses the utility of geography in the study of history. France is ahead of us in using it. Professor Walter Fitzgerald's "

Historical Geography of Early Ireland "'

(1925 and 1939) deserves more than the passing reference given to it.

A list of "

Writings on Irish History, 1945 "

(24 pages) and 34 pages of Be views complete the number.

A. A. C.

Birds of Britain, no. 5, 44 pp., illustrated, %}6. Glasgow: Eagle Publishing Co.

This series of booklets increases in importance with each issue. In no. 5 the illustrations, by many of our foremost bird photographers, surpass even the high standard previously set. There is the series of "

The Strange Drama of the Young Cuckoo," by Eric Hosking and Eric Palmer; the former also writes on

" Handsome Jays

" and pi*o

vides excellent pictures. G. K. Ycates gives notes on twelve British warhlers With an illustration of each and notes on songs hy Ludiwig Koch. As a centre plate the warblers eggs' are shown in colour, along

with those of meouibers of the thrush and crow families. Eric Licence wlrites on migration and there are many other items of interetst to

complete a satisfying whole. J. A. S. S.

CORRESPONDENCE.

SIZE OF CLUTCH OF WREN.

Sir,?I would be very grateful if through the pages of LNJ. I might ask readers for some information as to the size, of the Common Wren's clutch lin Ireland. There are indications of a decrease in the size of this bird's clutch from east to west in England and it woiuld be

very interesting to know whether Irish data furnished further evidence to support the view that this trend is maintained throughout the

British Isles. I should also be glad of information as to the density of the Wren population on small islands off the coast of Ireland.? Yours, etc.,

EDWARD A. ARMSTRONG (Rev.). St. Mark's Vicarage, Cambridge

44 OBSERVATIONS ON SOME UNCOMMON BIRDS IN IRELAND, ETC."

Sir,?I have read with interest Mr. Ivan Goodbody's observations on birds in the October issue of the I.N J. and find his article

particularly encouraging not only for the facts recorded but as

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