18 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



How slowly and regularly Herons travel to their 

 roosting-places at sunset ! When the horizon is 

 suspicious and a storm is brewing, they will come 

 home earlier by half an hour than is their custom. 

 They object, and with good reason, to being caught 

 in a squall, with all sail set, and no reefs to take in. 

 Herons cannot battle at all against a stiff blow. It 

 is ludicrous to see their endeavours to cheat the 

 wind by tacking rather than make a dttour. 



The sudden advent of Wild Swans in places where 

 they are seldom seen is indicative of severe frost; 

 a partial thaw will not send them away, but if 

 milder weather is likely to continue, they will collect 

 on open waters one day and be gone the next. If 

 during hard weather they become restless, a break- 

 up of the frost is imminent : when they first come 

 they are fairly tame and visit the estuaries, but 

 should they " sit at sea," they are preparing for a 

 voyage, having foretold a change. 



When Seafowl hang about small islands, or keep 

 close along shore and about the sand-banks, it is 

 generally a sign of approaching foul weather. 



" Seagull, seagull, sit on the strand, 

 There's an end of fair weather when you come to land." 



I have often seen, and have myself kept in small 

 pools, several species of Diving Ducks, including 

 the Scaup, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, and 

 now and then a large Diver. None of them walk 

 or ever rest on the bottom when in search of food. 

 They dart along, below the surface, as a Swallow 

 in summer skims above it, the breast just clear 

 of the ground, and the wings about half expanded, 



