246 BRITISH BIRDS. 



BARNACLE-GEESE ON THE SOUTH COAST 

 OF IRELAND. 



On page 229 of the present volume I find it stated that the 

 Barnacle-Goose {Bernicla leucopsis) does not appear to have 

 been recorded from the south coast of Ireland previously to 

 the specimen announced by Mr. Nichols. In the Zoologist 

 for 1890, p. 103, Major Barrett-Hamilton wrote : " Mr. 

 Gibbon mentioned two (Barnacles) which were shot in Tacum- 

 shin in 1888, and I heard of others. It is known to the 

 fowlers as the 'King' or 'White-headed Barnacle.'" 

 Tacumshin is a large tidal lagoon, on the south coast of 

 CO. Wexford. The late Dr. Burkitt of Waterford preserved 

 a fine old male bird in 1869, whose history is thus given by 

 him : " This bird some five winters ago {circa 1864) was 

 driven by storms on Tramore Back Strand in company with 

 another male bird of the same kind. These birds, meeting 

 with a flock of tame Geese, Avent with them into the outhouse 

 of a farmer in the vicinity. They became afterwards tame, 

 and were purchased by Mr. Rogers of Tramore, who had them 

 on a small pond. They were in the habit of flying a short 

 distance and returning to the pond regularly. This bird, 

 after his five years domestication, was killed by a dog, 20th 

 November, 1869." 



I have heard of other instances in which wild-geese (White- 

 fronted and Snow-Geese) were decoyed or tamed by means 

 of the attraction of domestic geese. 



I have failed to obtain any record of the Barnacle-Goose 

 from west Waterford or any part of Cork. 



The south coast of Ireland is described by Mr. Barrington 

 as extending from near the Barrels Light-ship in Wexford 

 to Crookhaven in west Cork, and Kerry is relegated to the 

 west coast. I may mention three cases of Barnacles in the 

 latter county, as it is so far south. In the books of Messrs. 

 Williams and Son of Dublin I find one Barnacle was sent 

 them from Valentia in 1901, and three others from Cahirciveen 

 in 1896 ; then again Mr. A. J. P. Wise, who used to shoot 

 in Kerry, saw a " gaggle " of these birds on the shore of 

 Caragh Lake, in winter, between 1880 and 1887. 



The main migration of Barnacles is by the islands of 

 Donegal and Mayo, where they feed. I have found their 

 remains on Davilaun and Frehil, and flocks feed on Clare 

 Island. Most visitors to Ireland from northern and arctic 

 countries, e.g. the Mealy Redpoll, Snow-Bunting, Snowy Owl, 

 Greenland Falcon, Rough-legged Buzzard, Whooper, Bewick's 

 Swan, Snow-Goose, Barnacle-Goose, Long-tailed Duck, 



