268 The Irish Naturalist. 



eggs were laid. Lord Castletown showed me a Shoveller's ^%% 

 taken long since from the same marsh, where Boyce, the keeper, 

 states that he has seen a brood of Shovellers on the wing this 

 summer, and that these birds breed there commonly ; so does 

 Collier, the keeper, at Barronston, where he says he found 

 several Shoveller's nests in the spring of 1893, with eggs up 

 to nine in number. He remarked that he never saw flocks of 

 Shovellers before the winter of 1892-93, when he observed 

 them on lyOUgh Iron. This increase of Shovellers in winter 

 has been noticed on Lough Annagh the last two winters by 

 Mr. Dunne, of Brittas, and Colgan, his keeper. Mr. Young 

 states they are numerous in Queen's Co. in winter. At the 

 Kellyville decoy few were usually taken until the winter of 

 1889-90, when fifty-eight were taken, in 1890-91 fifty-two, in 

 1891-92 twelve, and in 1892-93 forty-one. This summer, 1893, 

 Mr. Webber states that a fair number are to be seen, e.g., on 

 the loth August he saw nine fly over the lake, probably a 

 young brood bred in the neighbouring bogs or marshes. 



The PiNTAii, can hardly breed in Ireland in any considerable 

 numbers. I have no evidence of its breeding recently, but 

 Lord Castletown has an ^%% which he took when a boy from 

 a Pintail on the marshes near Granston Manor. Both he and 

 Mr. Young speak of this species as a regular winter visitor to 

 Queen's Co. I saw a good many on the lake at Kellyville 

 which they frequent regularly in winter, and with the Shovel- 

 lers and a few Tufted Ducks remain there well into April, 

 leaving before May. Previous to 1889 the highest number 

 taken in the decoy there was fifteen in 1883, while in 1884, 1885, 

 1886, and 1887, none were taken. In 1889-90 fourteen were 

 taken; in 1890-91 forty-four, in 1891-92 fifty-six, and in 1892-93 

 forty were taken. In King's Co., Mr. Digby has only once 

 seen Pintails there in a very hard winter. Mr. F. Dunne has a 

 pair obtained on the Little Brosna. 



The Tkai, is reported to breed in every Irish county except 

 Dublin and Carlow, breeding numerously in Fermanagh, 

 Leitrim, Longford, King's and Queen's Counties. I have seen 

 it in the breeding season at Castle Irvine, ^'Lough Arrow, 

 *Lough Boderg, *Lough Oughter, Lough Iron, Lough Annagh, 

 the Shannon near Banagher, Mount Bellew Lake, and the 

 marshes near Granston, and have found its nest among the 

 heather on a great red bog ne«ar Clonbrock, Co. Galway. In 



