2 74 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



out of range. To make a long story short, though 

 I tried hard I never seemed to be posted in the 

 right place for them ; the fact was, my luck was 

 ag-ainst me, and I failed even to o-et a shot. 



It must have been some months after I had left 

 Ireland — the shooting season being over — that my 

 old friend O'Donnell, of Castle Gregory, knowing 

 how keen I was about these Shovellers, employed, 

 as I imagine, someone in the village to capture them 

 for me, for he sent both specimens to me by post, 

 with, I believe, a forwarding letter which explained 

 that they had been caught with a line and hook, 

 baited with a worm ; a truly funny way of obtaining 

 a specimen ! Nevertheless, I was very pleased to 

 accept them, as I had thoroughly associated myself 

 with the locality where they were, had seen them in 

 flighting expeditions at night, and consequently 

 looked upon them as a sort of property belonging to 

 myself after all my labour for them. 



In regard to habitat abroad, I don't suppose 

 any of our Ducks have a wider range, for it is 

 in evidence pretty well all over the world, i.e., 

 "Europe, North Africa, Asia, and North America 

 from Alaska to Panama. The species is fairly com- 

 mon in China and India during the cold weather." 

 (H.S.) These specimens were the last link between 

 myself and Castle Gregory, near Tralee, where I 

 spent many enjoyable days in old O'Donnell's rather 

 rough quarters. 



