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DUBLIN NATVKAL HI8T0B7 80CXBTT. 63 



Kerry except as one escaped from confinement/' I believe in no Bri- 

 tish collection has this species existed but in that of the late Earl of 

 Derby, and I have been informed that none were lost trom. that collec- 

 tion. It might just as well be imagined that the Great Spotted Cuckoo 

 (Cuculus fflandarius) and the Belted Kingfisher (Alcedo alcyon) were 

 escapes from confinement. 



The two very fine specimens of the Crane {Oru« einerea) which are 

 in our Museum, were shot the same season in this county, one of them 

 near Ballinskelligs Bay, county of Kerry, out of a flock of five. It was sent 

 to me by my esteemed friend, the late Maurice O'ConneU, Esq., of Derry- 

 nane Abbey, supposing it to be the Great American Heron (Ardea He- 

 rodias), which, with the exception of its great size, is similar to the 

 Common Heron of Europe. The former bird averages 4 ft. 7 in. in 

 height, and weighs 7 lbs., while the latter but 3 ft. 3 in., and weighing 

 4 lbs. Ardea Herodim frequents the gloomy solitudes of the tallest 

 cedar swamps of New Jersey ; the Common Heron {A. einerea) is not an 

 inhabitant of the United States. The extreme length of the crane ob- 

 tained in Kerry was 4 ft. 7 in., and its weight was 12 lbs. Mr. O'Con- 

 nell was led to suppose the bird American from numerous incidents he 

 had noticed : he was an admirable shot and sportsman, and a great 

 admirer of the ^vritings of '' glorious old White of Selbome," as he 

 termed him. 



Thus in one of his numerous communications he remarks with regard 

 to the woodcocks : — 



** My observations lead me to suppose that we have two immigra- 

 tions — one from the northern parts of Europe, the other from America. 

 I have shot what certainly appeared to be two varieties, if not distinct 

 species : one much smaller than the ordinary woodcock, more of a rufous 

 colour, and destitute of the varied markings which distinguish the 

 latter. I have met male and female of both kinds, and have shot both 

 kinds late in the season when paired, each Avith a mate of its own de- 

 scription. A friend who was with me in the winter of 1840 (Captain 

 Broderick, 84th Regt.), and who had just returned from Canada, where 

 he had shot many dozen braces of woodcocks, was at first incredulous as 

 the fact of the immigration from America. On going out with me it 

 happened that the first couple of birds we flushed were of the smaller 

 kind. We met them at some hundred yards* distance fix)m each other, 

 and at an interval of a quarter of an hour on an open mountain, where we 

 had a full opportunity of observing them. He appeiut)d surprised on 

 seeing the first ; but when the second rose he turned to me and said, 

 * You are right — these are exactly the American birds, wherever they 

 came from.' Unfortunately we did not get shots at either of these birds, 

 and killed but one of the kind after, as the day became bad ; but he ad- 

 mittt^d, on examining that closely, that it was, as he called it, * a Yankee 

 bird.' " 



The American woodcock dififers much in size from that of Europe, 

 the male bird scarcely averaging six oimces, and the female eight ounces; 

 while the European birds exceed twelve ounces. The lower parts and 



