WILD SWANS IN IRELAND. 317 



large flocks of these birds is therefore indicative of 

 the approach of a stormy period, and tells us that a 

 tempestuous sea is probably then beating upon these 

 ironbound coasts, though the surrounding atmosphere 

 itself may at the time be undisturbed. 



Generally when the weather becomes more settled, 

 they again take their departure to the coast ; but at 

 other times considerable companies of wild geese, and 

 even swans, seem to become enamoured of their haven 

 of refuge, and make it their daily home for considerable 

 periods. The wild swan is of course now-a-days com- 

 paratively scarce ; still sometimes considerable numbers 

 may yet be occasionally seen : for instance at Bawnboy 

 in County Cavan, Ireland, in the winter of 1890, a 

 flock of 128 wild hooper swans were seen sitting on 

 the ice, within 300 or 400 yards of the local clergyman's 

 house, who states in a letter to a Dublin paper (dated 

 Dec. 26) that he had used a telescope to make sure 

 of accurately counting them. 



" Some 10 or 12 years ago (he adds) I saw here a 

 flock of 120, but never so many as this time. For 

 some weeks we have had several of them about our 

 lake, but this frost has added to their number, and on 

 these bright moonlight nights, we hear their plaintive 

 and musical cries. I believe they feed at night, and 

 are now resting." * 



It is a well-known fact that wildfowl will often 

 make a regular haunt of waters close to human dwell- 

 ings, where they are not shot at or otherwise disturbed. 

 On strictly preserved ponds held sacred from the gun, 

 even though the extent of water may be very limited, 



* Letter in the Dublin Daily Express of Dec. 30, 1890, from the 

 Revd. Joseph Rawlins of Templeport Rectory, Bawnboy. 



