1850] A " Brown Crow " Hunt. 13 



tenor of these pleasant days of mixed Natural History and 

 Sport. 



"July 20. Expedition in brake to see Kilmacduagh. 

 Left at about 12^; took about two hours to get there; 

 admired the beautiful high round tower, which leans a 

 little, but is in capital preservation; also the ruins of the 

 Seven Churches; led by a boy through the bog to a lake; 

 saw a brace of Snipe, also many Curlew near the Lake, and 

 some Herons, but these latter too wary. My attention was 

 soon drawn to three large brown birds of slow flight, sink- 

 ing down with their wings spread at an angle, that I 

 observed approaching. The guide called them Brown 

 Crows, but I thought them too large for that, and I pre- 

 ferred to chase them while Walter went after Snipe. After 

 advancing a good way to where I had marked them down, 

 I put up a fellow within thirty yards and instantly fired 

 into him ; the bird was evidently pricked, for he was 

 obliged to settle down in the reeds not, very far off. Fol- 

 lowed him and put No. 2 into him as he rose; this made 

 him settle again within 70 yards, and nearer the fields. By 

 this time his companions had both made off; I marked 

 him carefully, and got nicely up within 20 yards, and took 

 a deliberate aim ; this time he got a good dose, for he 

 dropped his legs and flew unsteady to the reeds, from 

 which for a long time I could not raise him again ; this 

 last time I made out distinctly the Hawk's bill and yellow 

 legs, also the yellowish appearance of the head. Meantime 

 Walter came up, and I twigged our friend on the fly again, 

 but very * queero.' I fired, and also Walter, but we did 

 not seem to wound him any more (W.'s shot being about 

 50 yards) ; but he dropped, again, into the rushes ; and 

 though a man sent his dog in, and we fired two barrels into 

 the place, he would not get up, and we supposed him dead. 

 The man said it was a * Kite/ but it must, of course, have 

 been a Marsh Harrier. After this, went up to the carriage, 

 which was waiting for us in the road ; came home very 

 wet and cold about the pins, having been up to our middle 

 in water all the day ; and my powder I discovered quite 

 wet, and set at the smallest charge, which may account 



