Robin Becomes a House BirdAuthor(s): Elizabeth Knox CarpendaleSource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 2, No. 5 (Sep., 1928), p. 92Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25531553 .

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92 The Irish Naturalists' Journal. [Vol. II.

ROBIN BECOMES A HOUSE BIRD. During last winter a Robin, finding herself freely admitted by an open

window, and kindly received at the breakfast table of Mr. and Mrs. A. W.

Clark, Ampertain, Upperlands, County Londonderry, also encouraged by the song of a canary, has, along with her mate, visited the lounge, where she is fed by hdm with crumbs found upon, the floor. It has been interesting to watch her carry in material suitable for a nest, which has been built

on a corner of a plate bracket, about two feet from the ceiling. A lover of birds has placed a strip of cardboard on ithe edge of the bracket to prevent any disaster to the abode of this trusting little visitor. The little mother-to be will, I hope, be rewarded for all her trouble. She gains the admiration of all who know of her venture.

ELIZABETH KNOX CARPENDALE. Ampertain, Upperlands, County Londonderry, April, 1928.

FISH MORTALITY IN A COUNTY FERMANAGH LAKE. The death of vast numbers, if not of all the fish in Lough Coole, one of

the small lakes situated in the Earl of BeJmore's demesne at Castle Coole, near Enniskillen, has been commented an in the press. The lake is a small one of some 36 acres in extent, and is believed to be as much as 25 feet deep in places. It contained Pike, Perch, and Eels, but is principally famous for

the flock of semi-domesticated Grey-lag geese which have bred on it for 200

years at least, and probably for far longer. It is surrounded by pasture and meadow lands while alders, reeds and bull-rushes fringe tine lake, and it has four wooded islands. It is fed by springs in the centre, and some purely local land drains flow into it, none of which can be dignified with the name of stream. The main outlet is a stream which eventually, after joining others, flows for a course of over two males into Ujyper Lough Erne at TamlagJht Bay.

It would appear that there is an excessive quantity of the weed Elodea canadensis in the lake. This year it grew very early, a sort of green dust off the weed rising to the surface, and remained there for weeks, making the

water very opaque. On the 26t?h and 271th of May, after a month's dry spell with hardly any rainfall, there fell f inch of rain. The water on the 28th still looked like pea-soup, in places having a soapy or milky appearance, while

adhering to many of the reeds just above the water level there was a sort of blueish green scum, but there was no sign of any dead fish that day. The weather then turned very hot, and by the 31st May the water had started

clearing and large quantities of dead fish were noticed. During the next day or so thousands of dead fish, principally small perch, but including numbers of pike and eels, one pike weighing as much as 30 lbs., drifted in round the shores. The pike did not seem to have spawned at the time, and there seems

to be none left now. The eels were all sizes, some being 3 or 4 feet long, but

hardly any larger perch were observed dead, so perhaps some of them sur

vived, though this is doubtful. From the condition of the weed it seems that it was all killed by some

cause, probably by severe spring frosts, and that it all decomposed simul

taneously, thereby killing the fish. The dead fish were harmless to birds and

mammals which ate them. Quantities were eaten by gulls, but a vast amount

of them had to be buried. The conditions of the water harmed neither the grey-lag geese nor any

other birds on the lake.

Probably the climatic conditions had some effect in intensifying the de

composition of the weed.

(Lady) DOROTHY LOWRY CORRY.

TADPOLE FISH IN DUBLIN BAY. While fishing off Dalkey on 17th June, 1928, Mr. Patrick M'Bride caught

a fish which, being unknown to any of the Dalkey fishermen, was brought by him to the National Museum for identification. It proved to be a male

Tadpole Fish, Raniceps raninxis L., about ten and a half inches long. This fish is rare, and usually haunts rocky ground, and the above specimen was

taken in about 12 fatihoms of water near tdie Mugglins. When examined the stomach was found to contain the remains of four or five baby crabs, which

Mr. G. P. Farran, M.R.I.A., has identified as Hyas coarctatus Leach. The

specimen has been presented to the National Museum by Mr. M'Bride.

Dublin. EUGENE O'MAHONY.

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