152 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



localities, as given by Howard Saunders, are the 

 greater part of Sutherlandshire, where they are 

 fairly plentiful ; Ross, Caithness, Cromarty, Perth- 

 shire, and Selkirkshire, where they are in lesser 

 numbers. " In Ireland, Mr. A. G. More states : 

 'That a few pairs nest in Counties Antrim, Armagh, 

 Tyrone, Mayo, and probably on the lakes of the 

 Shannon.' The nest, placed in a tuft of rushes, 

 coarse herbage, or heather, is warmly lined with 

 down, and usually contains from seven to ten eggs 

 of a rich cream colour. The food — procured by day 

 when the birds are undisturbed, but otherwise by 

 night — consists of grasses with other vegetable matter 

 found on oozy shores" (Howard Saunders). 



Before saying anything in regard to the circum- 

 stances under which the specimens in the case were 

 obtained, the reader must pardon me if I make 

 some allusion to the sporting quarters where I was 

 staying at the time. The place I wish now to speak 

 about is Glenbeigh, CO. Kerry. The hotel there in 

 years gone by — very unpretentious as it used to be, 

 but comfortable withal — was kept by a dear old lady of 

 the name of Shea. She was known over the country 

 round as the type of all that is best in the Irish 

 character for giving you a hearty welcome when you 

 came to stay with her ; her name, too, was a guarantee 

 that you would get cleanliness in every department 

 in her hotel, combined with good board and 

 moderate charges ; no wonder then that she was 

 much patronized by sportsmen in olden times. 

 Whilst I am speaking about Mrs. Shea, it is very 



