Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/110

84 when it was shot by one of the professional wildfowlers of the Solway Firth. This species is rare on the N.W. coast of England.— (Allonby Vicarage, near Maryport).

'''Fulmar and Surf Scoter in Cos. Sligo and Mayo.'''— On Oct. 19th, when driving to Ballina, I observed a dead Gull (as I thought) entangled in a small thorn-bush on the side of the road near the village of Castleconnor, Co. Sligo; but to my surprise, on examination, found it to be a very fine fresh specimen of the light-coloured variety of the Fulmar. As we had a continuance of northerly and north-easterly gales for some days before, the poor bird had evidently been driven before the storm and blown into the bush, from which, in its exhausted state, it was unable to extricate itself. The place where I found the bird is at least two miles and a half from Killala Bay, and nearly half a mile from the nearest part of the Moy Estuary. Although I have found dead Fulmars washed ashore by the surf on the Ennicrone Sands, and on one occasion found a pair alive, but too exhausted to move above the edge of the surf, yet I never met one inland before.

When out punt-shooting on Dec. 19th, I was fortunate in obtaining a very fine female specimen of one of our rarest American visitors, the Surf Scoter. A smart frost the night before induced me to launch my punt, and look out for any Mallards driven down by the frost to the estuary, as they usually are when the mercury in the thermometer falls below 26°. On reaching the stony point where the Ducks rest at about 7.30 p.m., owing to the faint light, I was unable to make them out lying amongst the brown seaweed; and, after waiting for some time vainly trying to see them, six fine Ducks rose out of the wrack, going off without a shot. Letting the punt drift down channel with the ebb-tide, I met seven or eight Wigeon near Bannross, and fired, knocking down five out of the bunch, but picking up only four, one cripple escaping by hiding in the seaweed. Loading in a hurry, I hastened on to cross the flats to Moyne Channel before the tide left the banks, and was barely able to do so, having to leave the punt and push her before me in the shallow water for a hundred yards or so, until I got into the channel. I found the sands on either side well covered with Godwits, Curlew, some flocks of Dunlins, and Sanderlings, and on the Bartragh side, a flock of forty Sheldrakes resting after their morning's feed, but well out of shot.

Meeting neither Wigeon nor Ducks, I still kept down channel, till, reaching "Moyne Pool" (an expansion of the channel), I saw a large flock of Godwits at the lower end, nicely placed for a shot. Seeing no chance of Wigeon I sat down to the Godwits, but before coming within shot a pair of heavy black Ducks flew past up channel for a short way, then turning, flew down again, pitching about a quarter of a mile below me. Thinking them to be Common Scoters (of which numbers are always in the bay just out