iSgS.] Warren. — Long-tailed Duck in Killala Bay, 123 



small indeed, compared to the numbers seen previous to 

 1868. On the 18th of February, 1875, I met a pair in Killala 

 pool (apparently adults), and on the 23rd of April I met 

 (probably) the same pair in Moyne channel, and shot the 

 female. In October, 1880, Mr. F. B. Henn, R.M., shot a 

 young male on the river within a mile of Ballina. On the 3rd 

 of December, 1881, when Widgeon-shooting near Bartragh, I 

 met a pair in the channel ; and on the 22nd, near the same 

 place, managed to obtain both by a shot of my cripple- 

 stopper — an immature male and female. Again, on the 31st 

 of December, 1883, I saw a young male with some Mergansers 

 in the Moyne channel, near the abbey, but owing to the 

 wildness of the Mergansers was unable to get a shot. None 

 were afterwards seen until the 25th of October, 1886, when I 

 observed either a young male or a female in the channel near 

 Goose Island ; and on the 6th of January, 1887, probably the 

 same bird was seen near Moyne Abbey. On the i8th of 

 November of same year a bird in a similar state of plumage 

 was seen near the same place. Lastly, on the 23rd of 

 November, 1894, I ^^^ ^ female near Bartragh. Nothing 

 more was seen, or heard of any, until the 10th of last 

 November, when my friend, Mr. A. C. Kirkwood, of Bartragh, 

 shot a young male. From the foregoing notes it will be seen 

 that from 1851 to 1868 the Long-tailed Ducks visited the bay 

 and estuary more frequently, and in larger numbers, than 

 from the latter date up to the present year of 1898. 



It is dii!icult, if not impossible, to explain why the I/Ong- 

 tailed Ducks have so rarely, and in such small numbers, 

 visited the bay and estuary since 1868. Their feeding-grounds 

 appear to be unchanged, and are not more disturbed by fish- 

 ing boats than they were previous to that date. So the cause 

 • of their absence is quite unknown. They have not escaped 

 notice through want of observation, for both my friend, Mr. 

 Kirkwood, of Bartragh, and myself, are always on the look- 

 out for strange visitors when out in our shooting-punts, and 

 it is impossible that any of these birds could frequent their 

 feeding-grounds unnoticed by us. Indeed, I consider one of 

 the great charms of punt-shooting is the hope of seeing some 

 rare bird turn up unexpectedly when pursuing Widgeon or 

 ducks, and then the excitement of trying to outmanoeuvre the 

 stranger and get within shot, and the crowning triumph felt 

 when the bird is obtained. 



