Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/354

328 Pochard, Fuligula ferina.—I once shot a solitary female Pochard near Moyview, as it was feeding in the shallow water on the sand, but this is the only one I ever saw in this district.

Scaup, Fuligula marila.—Not often seen. I once shot a duck of this species as she was feeding in the channel here, and in January, 1875, I saw two males and a female feeding in the tidal part of the river near Moyfort. Captain Dover, when out punt-shooting, has occasionally seen a few on the river.

Tufted Duck, Fuligula cristata.—A winter visitant to the lakes. I have seen it on Lough Conn, but never met with it on the estuary.

Long-tailed Duck, Harelda glacialis.—A pretty regular winter visitor to the bay and estuary from 1851 up to 1861. During that period I noted their occurrence every year, except in the years 1853, 1854 and 1860, but the reason of their not appearing during those years in the estuary may have been that they confined themselves altogether to their favourite feeding grounds close to the breakers of the Killala and Moy bars, and did not come into the more accessible parts of the river and estuary, where they would have been more easily observed. During the above-mentioned years they appeared in flocks of from five to fifty; but when they came up the river I only remarked one or two pairs, sometimes only a solitary bird. I have observed them early in October, and once remarked a pair remaining there up to May 6th. On the 31st December, 1861, I shot a fine adult male, and from that time gave up noting their occurrence, for I then came to regard them as regular winter visitors. My friend Captain Dover, who commenced punt-shooting in the estuary in 1868 and has continued to shoot there up to 1876, has only met with this species occasionally, and not every year, during that period. In April, 1875, I saw a pair near Killala, and shot the female, but I have not met with a single bird for the past two winters, although I have closely watched for them in their former favourite feeding grounds. Unless their food has failed in this locality, I cannot account for their desertion of it, as the neighbourhood of their feeding grounds is now much less disturbed than when they regularly visited it.

Goldeneye, Anas clangula.—A regular winter visitor, but seldom comes from the inland waters to the tidal parts of the river earlier in the season than February and March, when a few small flocks