HYBRIDS. 35 



before, but that a friend of his shot a white Red- 

 throated Diver some years ago. 



Amongst other species of birds albinos are not 

 very unfrequent. White Curlew, Woodcock, and 

 Snipe I have occasionally seen. White Blackbirds 

 and Sparrows are more common ; and Mr. Harting 

 says he has seen white varieties of the Knot, Red- 

 shank, and Ringed Dotterel. I have also seen a 

 white Puffin (this was shot on the Skelig Rock), 

 and a white Guillemot, Swallow, Jackdaw, Green 

 Plover, Woodcock, Sparrow Hawk, Magpie and 

 Herring Gull. 



The handsomest hybrid duck I have seen is 

 one between a Pintail and a Wild Duck. It 

 is a fine large bird, with the tail-feathers of the 

 former and the body-colouring of the latter. It is in 

 the collection of Mr. Law, of Youghal. 



THE WIGEON (Anas pene lope) is abundant in suit- 

 able spots throughout every county in Ireland, but 

 has never to my personal knowledge remained to 

 breed. I have taken great pains to find a Wigeon's 

 nest in Ireland, without success, though I have 

 searched at least fifty lakes to that end. That they 

 do breed in wild out-of-the-way spots is very prob- 

 able. I have seen young birds and females once or 

 twice together on Lough Derg (Shannon), Lough 

 Ree, Lough Corrib, Lough Mask, and Lough Conn, 

 when fishing in the early autumn. 



At Westport House (Lord Sligo's) two pairs of 

 pinioned Wigeon were kept on the lake that were 

 taken in an English decoy. They bred regularly 

 for some years, as I am informed by Lord J. 

 Browne, but one severe winter (1878-79) the water 



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