A List of Irish Birds. 611 



[*CygnuS olor (Gmel.) Mute Swan. 



Introduced, but breeds regularly " on many of the unprotected lakes 

 and rivers of Ireland." Sir R. Payne-Gallwey records the 

 occurrence in 1881, of three Polish Swans, and Mr. J. R. 

 Sheridan has obtained what he believes to be the Polish Swan, 

 in Achill Island, but I do not know how this supposed species 

 can be satisfactorily distinguished from immature birds of the 

 Mute Swan.] 



Tadorna casarca (Linn.) Ruddy Sheldrake. 



Has several times occurred, but some of the birds may have 

 escaped from domestication. One shot on the Murrough of 

 Wicklow (Thompson), is in the Museum from the collection of 

 the late Mr. T. Warren. Another shot about March 2Oth, 

 1871, on Clonea Marsh, co. Waterford, was presented to the 

 Museum by Mr. W. W. M'Guire. A third shot near Tralee, 

 i;th August, 1869, is in the collection of Mr. J. C. Neligan. 

 {Zoologist, 1870, p. 2105.) A fourth, in the Museum at Trinity 

 College (Fowler in Ireland, p. 66), was mounted from a dried 

 skin, and was, in all probability, of foreign origin. Several 

 occurred in Cork, and on the Shannon, in June and July, 1886. 

 (Zoologist, 1886, p. 335, and 1887, p. 25.) Many in July, 1892. 



*Tadorna cornuta (Gmel.) Common Sheldrake. 



Breeds sparingly on the sand hills round the coast. Becomes 

 more numerous in winter. 



*Anas boscas (Linn.) Wild Duck. 



Breeds in small numbers throughout Ireland, and becomes much 

 more numerous in winter. 



Chaulelasmus streperus (Linn.) Gadwall. 



Rare winter visitor occurring from North to South of Ireland. 



*Spatula clypeata (Linn.) Shoveller. 



Regular winter visitor in small numbers. Breeds from South to 

 North, but chiefly in the middle of Ireland. Increasing as a 

 breeding species. An adult male in the brown summer 

 plumage, killed with two young ones at Baldoyle, on the 24th 

 July, 1876, was presented to the Museum by Mr. J. J. Bowling. 



*Dafila acuta (Linn.) Pintail. 



Regular winter visitor, but not numerous. Sir R. Payne-Gallwey 

 mentions it as breeding at Abbeyleix, Queen's county, and 

 records having himself observed female Pintails with young 

 broods in June, both on Lough Mask and Lough Corrib, co. 

 Galway. (Fowler in Ireland, p. 51.) The nest has only once 

 been found at Abbeyleix by Lord Castletown, many years ago. 



*Q,uerquedula crecca (Linn.) Common Teal. 



Breeds in various parts of Ireland, and is numerous in winter. 



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